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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
turn. He took his leave of the city on the 12th_of February 1812 and arrived at Natchitoches without adventure on the latter part of 'May. Guiterez was apprehensive that his own character might suffer by the extraordinary conduct of l\fonchaca; but finding on his return to Natchitoches that the people were still friendly to him & favorable to his views, he issued a proclamation, explaining his intended operations, and offering a liberal donation of land, and an equal division of the spoils of conquest to all who shoultl rally in his cause. 'I'he appointed rentlezrnus was Crow's ferry on the Sabine river; where in a short time the Banner of Texan Independence was surrounded by three hundred as hardy and intrepid adventurers as the world could afford. 'l'he com- mand of these daring asserters of freedom, was assigned to Colonel l\IcGee-an excellent and high-spirited officer, whose appointment, how- ever, created considerable dissatisfaction with a certain refractory por- tion of the army. Whilst yet a Lieutenant in the United States service at Fort Claiborne he was ordered to remove the intruders from the Neutral Ground, lying between the Oro Honjo and the Sabine.-a duty which he had just discharged when he met with Guiterez-in the exe- cution of which he mts compelled to exercise a rigor and severity which was hard to be borne by the fiery spirits he was expelling. }[any of these men, still smarting under his recent inflictions, were now en- listed in this service, and when they found themselves under the com- mand of one who had provoked their strongest hatred, it was with great difficulty that they submitted to his authority or restrained their re- venges. 'l'bey never became fully reronciled to his appointment, al- though it was generally admitted that he was well worthy of the station he held upon the score of military talents & personal chivalry. Padre Zanbrannon, who had betrayed Aldama & Casso, as we have already related W?S at this time in Nacogdoches on a trading expedi- tion; having with him and hundred bales of wool for the American market. Apprised of these military operations on the Sabine, and burning with a holy zeal to repel the imaclers, he placed himself at the head of three hundred men, and was pushing rapidly towardH the theatre of action with a right royal courage, when he was most un- ·expectedly saluted by Hie advauce guard of the invading patriots, con- sisting of three in number only, who~c well-directed fire caused him ·and his whole cavalcade to recoil iu consternation and confusion, The v:orsted hero, wheeling to the right about-face. retired with a laudable precipitancy that saYed his life but lost his -fleece. He did not even .stop at Nacogcloches to gather his breath; but dashed on .in double- 'quick time to Santonio, and for aught that we have heard to the con- trary he may be retreating to the present day. His valiant compan- ions in arms, equally disgusted with the brutality of this Trio, turned their backs indignantly upon them, and followed in the footsteps of their illustrious leader. But these, haYing neither his wind nor his heels, ·called a halt at Nacogdoches, and taking shelter in the fort, boldly waited the arrival of their persucrs, when they might shew by the surrender of their arms that their magnmninity was· equal to their valor. · At Nacogdoches, ~fcGee was joined by three congenial spirits, Perry, Ross, and Kemper. Here his forces were also considerably augmented. Leaving a small garrison to patrole the place, he moved on to Solce~o, a small town on the Trinit_v, where he procure<l the necessary supplies
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