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TEXAS ST.\TE LmR.\RY
which could not be done without union in our rank , I centered all my attention upon the idea of uniting the forces as before to fight the enemy who would attack them, rather than npon the idea of support- ing me. I told them to consider that beca'n e of our union in the past we had obtained many victories over armie three and four times as large as ours; that if at this moment they preserved the same unity as formerly, our victory would be more certain than ever for many reasons. First, because our army was now three times larger than it had ever been. Second, it had more artillery and better artillerymen. Third, that one-half of Arredondo 's army was coming over to my ide, accordinrr to the three secret post they had sent in which they told me of the measures that they were ttoing to take as oon as the two armies confronted each other ·and in which many individuals were asking me for official appointments. I pointed out all these thing to them, so that they might see that victory was assured, and that after obtaining it, I would be secure as well as they; that the people them- selves would ask for me and come to seek me, and I would joyfully unite with them. I told them that they should consider that the way to secure the people's good, their own and mine was to unite and to rout the only enemy that was left, which was the enemy they had at their front. With these fe\v remarks I _induced them to desist from their desire to sustain me at the evident co t of the general welfare. • I immediately busied myself with surrendering the command and other thinrrs which I had been ordered and requested to do. I then began to arrange for my journey and that of my family; but the Council forbade me to take my family away, and because of my love for them, I was determined to remain, but that same day some friends received letters by the post which arrived from the north telling them to take prompt measures to save my Jife, because ·Toledo carried an order from his partisans to have me secretly killed. He and his party sai.d that I would greatly harm them if I lived, and that they could never do what they wished in Iexico, for by means of the papers in my possession as well as by thou ands of "itnesses, I could ea ily expose them, whereupon they would be disgraced or killed by the :\Iexicans. They likewise fcar~d that if I went to France or England I would in ome way obtain aid, because, as they aid, they well knew that I had received many offer from the amha sador in the name of their sovereigns, and that it would be very bad for them -if by . omc coup-de-main I should meet them armed, a all the people of the provinces would be jn favor of me. As soon as my friends received this news, they notified me and began to make arrangement. for me to lea,·e for the United tatc that same night. nder the c circum tance the President of the Council came and told me that I had better leave immediately, as my life wa in danger. lie ~ave me a letter of recommendation to the merchants of Louisiana to furni h me with the necc sitics of life at the expense of that government. He gave me a g-ood mule and three c·itizen. to accompany me. I set out the night of the sixtl of Aui.,.rtt t. When I r<:>achcd Xati- tochcs, a courier of Toledo's lrnd already arrived there for the purpose of killing me. However, ns . 0011 a I reached the first housri;, I met
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