that the Alcalda was out of town and would be in on the next day in the evening at which time the few Citiznes ther[e] expected to have reenforcements from the Colorado and fortunately gulled them & caused them to take their encampment on the mount in the Center of Mrs DeWitts League when they & their movements could be viewed from the thicket on the opposite side of the river the mound being in the center of a beautiful Lead[?] praire and their to remain untill the citizens of Basstrop 60 in number reached there who were received with great warmth of feeling & National pride comon among the sons of the Heroes of 76. The next day we were reenforced & organized regularly by Electing a Chief Coln & Lieut Coln (Moore & Wallace) those last recruits made their number nearly equal to that of the enemy; the day after they made several Faints as though they intended crossing the river and make an attact on the Village & the day following the Brave Castinado took up the line of march for Williams place 7 miles from Gonzales and picked out the most secure place for his encampment he could find destroying anything fences &c and killing the hogs & cattle of Williams then to await the further orders of Coln Ugartichea during that day they mounted the 6 lb piece on a pr of cart wheels and about 8 oclk crossed the river and encamped at Mrs. DeWitts House and about 12 or one ·oclock after having held a Council of War & having listened to a Patriotic address of the Revd Doct. Smith took up the line of march for the enemies camp expecting to_surprise them but was disappointed in that by a little Dog that followed the little army which kept a continual barking at the Howling of the Wolfes which are quite numerous about that section of country thereby causing their Van guard to be observed and fired upon by their picket guard, (Enemies). They then moved into the edge of the timber and remained there until near sun up next morning. then took up the line of march and expecting the enemy to be charging on them opened up fire from their cannon which was not returned but found that it was only their Picket Guard that were [reviewing?] their lines which could not have been done to any advantage on account of the Fog which was so thick that the sun did not appear untill near 9 oclk. At about the Lime the sun appeared they began opning the Fence of Mr WiUiams farm for the purpose of preparing to give
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