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TEX.\S ST.\TE LH!R.\RY
to my camp with more than three thousand horses. At this time the governors had c;;loscd all the streets of the city with strong en- trenchments and placed twelve-pounder cannon in them. In this same afternoon they sent an envoy whom I arrested because he brought no papers to accredit hls commission. The next day on the first of .April, I marched upon the city at the point which I judged most suitable, making the columns advance with the greatest boldness to within a rifle shot of the square. Immediately the governors sent tlu·cc members of the Cavildo to interview me. I held them as prisoners, since they brought no credentials. I liberated one of them and sent an official note by him to the governors in which I suggested that they surrender at discretion before I opened fire upon the city. Without delay they answered in "'riting that they surrendered them•. selves prisoners of "·ar. I at once replied that their official note was not answered because in it they did not give me the titles with which they should have honored me, and that there was no alternative but to su1-render at discretion or to suffer the fury of my valorous troops, who were constantly begging me to give them the word that they might enter the city and destroy it with fire and blood. They an- swered immediately, asking me to restrain the fur? of my troops, stating that they would surrender at discretion; and that the)' were already coming to deliver their sworlls into my hands. .As soon as they did this, I bade Governor Salcedo order the artillery and powder to be delh·ered to me. When this was done, I told him to give another order to the troops in this place to surrender their arms and muni- tions, after which they should recognize me as the supreme head of the Province. This done, I had all those arrested who deserved to be and took all the necessary precautions for safety. Then I ordered the people to assemble and made them s<'e that since the day that the chains of Spanish despotism W<'re broken they had had the liberty of exercising their usnrped rights; as citizens who. now composed a free people, they had the 1·ight to attend to thr security of their rights and lib- erty: and that they conld begin by electing deserving persons to form a provisional goYernment, until all the nation should be in a condition to do ""hateYer it deemed wisest in this respect. I then 1·ctired kaving them in complete control. The)· immediately np- pointed three persons to take the votes of the people which they did in this way: they made a list of ten or twch-e individuals of those whom the people believed most capable of forming the govenunent. They then elected me Governor of the State and Commandrr of the Army. 'l'hcy gave me complete power and authority to form the GoYCrning Council which was to be composed of persons sclrcted from the list whom I should eonsidn most suitable. I did this at once, C'hoosing among the first a president, five members, and a serrctary. The Council th<'n delivered to me a book with the signatures of more than four thousand of the citizrns of the State of Texas and of many other provinces; thereby info1·ming me of their general approbation in regard to anything I might consider best for the good of the people, (hoth within the provinces and in foreign countries), and drsiring
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