II
(1762] [CAREY to CAREY]
St. Antonio De Bexar Jan. 12, 1836
Dear Brother & Sister
To give you any satisfaction about my situation at present I should have to give you a history of Texas and the Mexican Government, but let me commence by saying that I am in the volunteer army of Texas. I arrived at Washington on the 28th of July. This is a small town situated on the Brazos river & there I intended to take up my final residence, but the unsettled state of affairs between Texas & the .Mexican Government, I was called to the field. Movements on the part of the Mexicans aroused our suspicions. They want to establish Centralism or rather military depotism, a government that is repugnant to the principals of free born Americans, we remonstrated and sent commissioners, but we could not positively ascertain on account of their treachery and deceit. They denied it and still they were making preparations for it, but we were on the alert. I shall have to state the situation of this place and also the town of Gonzales so as to give a little information on the affair. This place is an ancient Mexican fort & Town divided by a small river which eminates from Springs. The town has two Squares in and the church in the centre, one a military and the other a government square. The Alamo or the fort as we call it, is a very old building, built for the purpose of protecting the citizens from hostile Indians. The Mexican army or rather part of them came to this place commanded by Martin de Perfecto de Coss, a bold aspiring young General. The town of Gonzales is about 78 miles below this place on the Warloupe river. The enemy (as I shall now call them) sent about 200 of their troops to Gonzales after a cannon thal they senl thei:e for the use of the citizens to fight the indians. We then were aroused and watched closely their movements. Volunteers was called for lo fight for their country I was one of the first that started, about 150 of us ready in a moments warning, and. ~e-marc_h~<;LJ:Q yonzales and put the enemy fo flight they retreated to this place, we then considered it essentially necessary for the security of our peace lo drive them from this place, but we concluded to wait for reinforcements as we were so few in number, and they in a
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