289
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
feeling the news of the first successes of San Anna against the Cen- tralists in the interior reached Texas = When fortunately or unfor- tunately (as the event of this war will shew) the Citizens of Texas both Mexicans and Americans East of the Colorado took it into their heads that the principles of Civil Liberty might be found to have been implanted in the body of the Mexican nation and without dreaming of the possibility of San Anna being an aspiring Cromwell planting the seeds of his future Despotism under the broad fag of Liberty They boldly declared by their committees in the different municipalities their Adherence to those principles and their approbation of the con- duct of the great republican Leader = Thereby unwittingly planting in the bosom of the Tyrant an irreconciliable hatred to them = Fol- lowing up their resolutions the People of the Brasos took the fort at Velasco those at Liberty took Anahuac and the red landers took Nacog- doches in which last scrap I was an actor - and the Preparations, actin, and results were in manner following -:-- About the middle of July on an occasion involving Legally the exercise of the Civil Power in Nacogdoches the Commandant Col. Don Jose Piedras interfered as usual and about the same time the news of the Capture of the fort at Velasco (mouth of the Bassas) 3 and of the intended attack of Anahuac by the People of The Trinity Country reached Nacogdoches On which Occasion Col Piedras with the greatest part of his force marched to the relief of Anahuac but after proceed- ing a considerable way in the rout(l apprehending that he might pos- sibly get doubled he formed a sort of Treaty or Armistice with the Leaders of the People and marched back to Nacogdoches and about the time of his arrival the [sic] at his Old quarters the Ayuntiamento of Nacogdoches Dist Called on the Citizens of the Different Precincts by their Militia officers to March to Nacogdoches and defend the Civil Authority of the Dist from the encroachments of the Military Com- mandant at Nacogdoches = We had in the Dist of Ayish about the 15th. of July formed a committee of vigilance & safety for the Pur- pose of keeping a kind of watch over the Political affairs of the Country and also and mostly for the purpose of having a rallying Point not immediately under the Bayonets of the troops then stationed at Nacog- doches = ~f this Committee I was a Member by the almost unanimous vote of the Dist then composed of Ayish Bayow [Bayou] Tanaha 4 & Sabine Dists & Bevils Settlement and containing about 300 men & boys able to bear arms -. I think it was on the 26th. of July that the above requisition or call reached the Committee room = a meeting of the members of the Committee was instantly called = and on my motion seconded by Wyatt Hanks a meeting of the People of the Dist. was called to meet at the house of A. E. C. Johnson on Saturday fol- lowing At which meeting it was Unanimously resolved to respond to the call and the House of Neil Martin eight miles from Nacogdoches "lfaS appointed as the place of rendervous which was to be on tuesday evening following at which place according to appointment the People punctually attended and immediately proceeded to the election of
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•Brazos. 'Teneha.
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