WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1842
166
To MATHEW CALDWELL1 City of Houston, 22d. September, 1842.
To Captain Mathew Caldwell : 2 My dear Sir - To-day I have heard cheering news from you. I render to you the thanks of my country and myself. You have won true glory. 3 You have taught our insolent foe a lesson. God grant that you may teach them others of the same character. I have done all that is in my power to send you aids of men and ammunition. Nothing shall be wanting on my part that can be done. I hope you will be able to destroy the enemy before they ever reach or cross the Rio Grande. Let it be no obstacle, if you can cross it without too much danger to your command. In battle let your men be fierce and terrible as the storm-in victory remember mercy, where it would not be abused Do not suffer yourself or men to be surprised. I have but a moment to say, God speed you. Your friend, Sam Houston. 1 Executive Record Book, No. 40, p. 148, Texas State Library. 2 Mathew Caldwell, familiarly known in early Texas days, as "Old Paint" because of gray spots in a head of very dark red hair, was born in Kentucky in 1798. His father moved to Missouri in 1818, and from Missouri to Texas in 1833. Mathew Caldwell made his home at Gonzales. He took part in the first battle of the Texas Revolution, acting as a scout or spy. A little later he served as sub-contractor for the Texan army, and in March, 1836, was one of the representatives from Gonzales to the Convention that declared independence and formed the constitution of the Republic of Texas. Prior to this (February 4, 1836) he had been commissioned to help organize a ranger force (See Binkley, I, 388), and in 1838 and 1839 he served as captain of a ranger company (Lama.1· Papers, II, 402, 468). In 1840 he was one of the commanders of the Texan forces at. the battle of Plum Creek, near the present town of Lockhart. In 1841 he commanded a company of the ill-fated Santa Fe Expedition, was captured and carried a prisoner to Mexico, and remained in confinement there until July, 1842. In September, 1842, he was chosen commander of a force of two hundred men to meet the invading force from Mexico under General Woil. Caldwell took his position on a creek a little below the site of New Braunfels. He sent out Captain Jack C. Hays and his scouts to challenge the Mexicans-1450 strong-to attack him, believing that his 202 Texans could whip the 1450 Mexicans in the position that he held. In a few minutes after the challenge he was attacked by 400 Mexicans; an hour or so later, Woll arrived with 800 men and two pieces of artillery. A desperate struggle ensued, lasting twenty minutes. The Mexicans fell back, and at sunset retired to San Antonio. i:
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