292
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
opposition any charge which the enemy might feel disposed to make with the Bayonet. = Don Juan Durst led the reconnoitering party and our column followed it until it approached within 100 yards of the enemie~ Hospital before the door of which their centinel continued to pace with the steadiness of an old and veteran campaigner I filled in the advance the post that should have been occupied by the Lt. Col. Leading the right wing in head of the Column on Horse- back = the front files of which servd Baily Anderson and my future father in law = When I reached the above mentioned proximity to the centinel I discovered that the enemy had cleand away the obstructions to his fire in that direction and that a further advance would expose us to to [sic] the fire .of his whole force without the possibility of our seriously affecting him besides having us in the least possible advan- tageous Position for an effectual charge of his Cavalry On communicating the fact to Col Bullock he ordered the col- umn to halt &·then sat on his horse completely bewildered for at least five minutes = untill my patience was completely exhausted when riding up to him I told him that if he did not wheel the head of the Column to the left and charge on the horses and commence the action I should countermarch column and leave the field (A very unmilitary proceeding = but I knew my man) upon this he gave the necessary order and we rushed on knocking down and running over fences pal- ings and other obstructions untill we took possession of Callahans (now Sims) Town the stone House Thorns establishment and Roberts' now raquits store = by the time however that we entered Thorns yard the enemy saluted us with a general fire of musketry at the same time making a spirited charge with their cavalry in which charge thy killed the Alcalde of the Dist and were themselves annihilated by a single discarge of our right wing = · In no instance however has the effect of Panic ·on men naturally brave been seen to greater advantage than in this action in the very commencement of the fray a report spread among our men with the rapidity of lightning that the enemy were charging with Bayonets up main street = evvery officer on horseback but myself was instantly dismounted nor could any files officer but Loony be any where seen without searching the houses = and notwithstanding the Bayo- nets came, in Less than 20 minutes our numbers were reduced to less than 100 men = I maintained my seat in the'saddle as I thought a long time, certainly untill my horse was wounded, and untill I was firmly convinced that I was uselessly exposing myself, And this last 1 consideration weighed not a little with me more especially as it was becoming expensive my hunting shirt by this time having a number of apt subjects for the Housewifes needle in different places = so that to avoid giving her Ladyship or the Surgeon or Undertaker, needless trouble I fortwith dismounted and joined in the fray with my rifle = The Enemy kept up a continued Roar of musketry answered by an occasional crack of a Rifle untill about 4 Oclock P: M when he some- what slackened his fire keeping it up however irregularly untill nigltt fall when it ceased on both sides altogether = as soon as darkness covered our operations, Part of our men under the direction of Wyatt Hanks Saml. Loony, B Anderson W H. Augustine Saml. Davis & my-
Powered by FlippingBook