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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
reached Victoria, where Eleven hundred was obtained from the town which when divided among the command, left to each man a very trifling sum. -. Soon after reaching Victoria, news arrived that Canalis would be in town & join them the next day. He, however, did not come; but after remaining there 5 days in the daily expectation of his arival, the tidings came that he had been, pursued and completely overthrown by Ariste, who was then advancing with all speed to Victoria after Jordan and :Malino. These tidings all came to :Malino by letter; but from whom and from whence he never told. His correspondence, he said kept him apprised of what was going on, and the true state of things. Imme- diately on receiving the news of Ariste's advance (which was all false) he ordered a precipitate and instantaneous retreat from town. They retired from the place to the gap of the mountain 3 miles off where the encamped. At midnight the camp was aroused, and all ordered to march forthwith, in haste, for Ariste had arrived in Town and would be upon them instantly, (all of which was false.)- The line of march was taken up; and continued perseveringly without any thing mate- rial being either done or said, until we reached a Town, about 100 miles from Victoria, the English translation of the name being "Dead- man's town." Here Malino proposed to march to San Louis Potosi; using many arguments in favor of going there, the place being large and wealthy where we could all pay ourselves. The Americans were for a while silent on the question; the mexicans decidedly opposed to it, saying that the Govt. had a large force there, and the destruction of the com- mand would be inevitable. Malino and Lopez, however, seemed de- termined on going; and the march was taken up, and continued until we had got about 20 miles, and encamped. The next morning Capt. Newcomb, said he would go no further, but was resolved to return with his men to Texas. This excited a general discussion of the question, and the Americans all decided to go back- Malino yielded most cheerfully, and the army returned to Dead man's town. :Malino now asked the Americans if they would go to Saltillio-he represented that the place could be taken without the fire of a gun, there being no troops thei;e; and also that the town could be sacked if their wants were not supplied. All agreed to move for Saltillio; and set off ac- cordingly- Malino made slow marches, and took us through around- about was [way], greatly delaying our arrivel there- When within 6 miles of the place we halted and camped for the night, with the under- standing we were to enter the city the next morning by light- When morning came the Americans wanted amunition, their powder being nearly exhausted, and certainly not half enough to attempt a battle with. They demanded that the amunition and guns captured on the road should be opened and and [sic] distributed- Malino refused, saying that there was no need of it in as much as there was enemy in the Town., Jordan, insisted; and the boxes were opened and amu- nition distributed. · When this was done, we moved towards the town; went ¾ mile when we saw a force displayed across the road in front of us- Advancing within a quarter of a mile of them, we halted. J\Ialino, saw no pro- priety in the halt, in asmuch as the persons in front of us were not
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