[2495] [ IIOUSTON lo Lite PEOPLEJ
Head Quarters West of lite Brazos 31st March, 1836.
To the People East of the Brazos:
My encampment is preparing on the West of Brazos, where I shall wail for some supplies and reinforcements. My intention never has been to cross the 13razos; and Lhe false reports spread are by men who have basely deserted the army of Texas. Lel men from Lite East pass on lo the army and cross over al Croces. lf men will unite with the present force we can defeat and caph1re the enemy. The army of the enemy has been represented al 10 to 30,000 men, when indeed it never has exceeded 3 or 4,000 in Texas. And the force lhal attacked Col. Fannin was only J ,500, but he had only 320 men. They fought in the prairie where they had no water, and where they surrendered to him. The enemy cavalry are not numerous, as stated, and their infantry are men pressed into service, and convicts from prisons. Their army is encumbered with women and children. Let the men of the East come to our aid and bring aJI deserters with them. Aid from the United Slates is landing on our coast. Capt. Brown with one of our vessels has taken a l\'.lexican vessel with 420 barrels of flour, 300 kegs of powder, and other supplies for the army. .My spies report this morning that the observations made by them last night could discover nothing of the enemy for tc11 miles beyond Bayou St. Bernard, twenty-five miles beyond San Felipe. The citizens of San Felipe, when they heard it rumored that the enemy had crossed the Colorado, immediately set fire to their own houses a11d reduced the place to ashes. Let the people nol be any longer in dread of da11gc-r, if the men will h1rn out like men. Sam I louston Commander-in Chief. P.S. My spies have just returned and report the enemy in a few miles of San Felipe, 800 or 1,000 men only, a11d only 30 cavalry. Wr. will whip them s0011. S. H. (4 o'clock, i\larch 31~1.)
Powered by FlippingBook