June 4 1836 to July 21 1836 - PTR, Vol. 7

were taken, but 1 think that they were killed in the l'orl, as none of that division escaped. The division to which J belonged had proceeded as far as a brush fence, when a firing commenced in or near the fort. Our guards immediately ordered us to halt: and the rear had not halted, before I heard some body say "Pmpam!" The enemy all levelled their guns and fired. They were within three or four feet of us when they fired. They missed me, and J ran to the river, and swam over. While I was swimming, they shot five times al me, at a distance of not more than fifty yards. John Duval, John Holladay, Dnniel Murphy, Nat. Hazen; myself, and several others, swam the river together, but a good many were killed after they reached the opposite shore. Murphy and myself met as soon as we crossed, but the others that crossed al the same time were killed on the other side. There were between 350 and 400 men killed; and only 16 escaped. Murphy and myself hid ourselves in the bushes, until the firing ceased, which lasted about two hours and a half. We then went about two or three miles to a small bunch of timber, and there found John Williams in a tree. We concealed ourselves until after night, and then travelled north east until it became socloudy that we could not tell our course. We stopped on the Coletta until morning. We then travelled all day, and nearly all of the next night, though it was so cloudy that we knew not which way we were travelling. On that day, we fell in with two more of our companions, one of whom had belonged to the first and the other to the second dh~sion. We were five days and a half without eating. On the sixth, in the morning, we found a small turtle. We immediately kindled a fire and cooked and ate it. It strengthened us very much, and shortly after that we came to the Gaudalope shore. We were pursued by six or eight l\'lexicans; but we saw them first, and ran to the river and swam it. We though we would hide in the bushes, hut we found a very large Panther in the bushes. The Mexicans in our rear, and a large river before us; of the three dangers we took the latter, and all got over in safety, and hid in the bushes on the other side until night. We then crossed a large prairie and struck 01c Gonzales road, upon which we travelled until 12 or 1 o'clock. It was then raining, and r knew that we must he very near Mr. Burnes' farm. We were in a thick wood, and staid there until morning. We started very early, and, that morning, we got to Burnes', and found some of the hest bacon that I have ever tasted. We killed a hog that we found in a lot, cooked him 1 and parched corn enough to last us two or three days. That night we wcnl about five or six miles, and my companions had to stop for me, as l was unwell. The next day we travelled purl of the day, and at night,

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