278
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY"
so doing that they were embracing the interest of humanity in aiding an oppressed people who had long groaned under the yoke of Spanish tiranny in their struggles for liberty - on the twentieth of August the adventurers amounting in numher to 200 men crossed the Sabine. The advance guard met Sanbrannon with a large force on his march to pre• vent the republicans from crossing the river, our advance fired on the royal Army who retreated in confusion before these men. The repub- licans took up their line of march for nacogdoches in pursuit of the royalists, Sanbrannon did not even stop at that post but pushed on to Santantonio - The republi<'ans left a small guard at that post, and the main army marched to a small military on Trinity river - ' • We remained at that place for the purpose of getting reinforcements military stores provisions &c - for our· march to LaBahia (now Goliad) on the 25th. the republicans took up the line of march with a force of 365 men all told - nothing of importance took place on our march - The royal army cakulating our marching directly to Santantonio had stationed at the crossing of San Marks on the upper road - This circumstan<'e enabled us to take LaBahia without oppo- sition which we did on the fir1,1t of November. We had evry assurance from the citizens of that place that so soon as the object of the ex- pedition was known that thousands of citizens would join us. on the seventh day of november the royal army made its appearance without our having had any information of its approach, our scouts and spies all having been taken by the enimy - The r!)yal army commanded by Genl. Harrara an officer who stood high as a military man and who Pike speaks of in his journal in terms of great approbation; Governor Salsado was also present who was the Governor of the province of Texas - a skirmish took place that evening. but little damage was done on either side: The royal army invested the place. by three. divi- siQns. the Eastern division commanded bv Col. Ignecia Peris, the west- ern bv Harara, the north western in the mission by Col. Montura, on the eighth dav after heavv artillerv of the enimiel'I had 11rrived an at- tempt was made by the enemy to storm the place, the battle commenced at 10 Oclock on the morning of the 15th, the enimy marching to attack in three divisions, a heavy fire was opened on the fort from three eighteen pounders, we marched out and gave battle and repulsed the enimy from evry quarter of the town - The enimv out numbered us having 1"500 or 1800 men our force amo11nting to only about 400. The royalists finding they could not succeed by storm, determined to re- duce the fort bv starveing it - fortunatelv we found a larqe ouantitv of corn housed in the town and bv sending the Spaniard"' who had joined us that were acquainted with the countrv we succeeded in E?et- ting plenty of beefs, The whole country abounding in cattle - Skir- mishin!? took place evry day - The place was closely invested from this time, all communication being cut off from the onlv place we could now expect assistance. The citizen1,1 deceived us, Capt. Galvan who had charue of the Cavavard deserted to the enimy with all our horses ex- cepting a few very poor onP-S - a few of the citizens remained faithful among them was a Cant. Manshack a brave and uallant offi~er. our sit- uation now appeared desperate. the duty was hard many of our troops beinu sick - on the 18th. of DecembP-r some of our men ]s:illed a cmv that had strayed between the enimies lines & the fort, The white eow
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