PAPERS OF MIRA.BEAU BuoNA.PA.RTE LAMAR 291 Was it to be expected that warriors, husbands, fathers and brothers should, in spite of daily experience, repose the hope of safety to their helpless families upon the silly tactics of a running General, whose de- votion to Bacchus and Priapas absorbed the rites so emphatically due to Mars and Minerva? Less versed in the "Iliad" than in the volume of common sense, these men with curses no less deep than loud, took abrupt leave of Hous- ton's retreating command, placed their wives and little ones in secur- ity, and mostly re-appeared in arms wherever they supposed "Unsavory- Sam" would be brought to bay by the twinspit curs that insulted his recreant heels. Some of the Colonists in consternation at the influ- ence, which in spite of glaring discrepencies, Houston's specious talk and pretentions appeared to have over a majority of the auxiliaries, departed the Country. In view of his retreating, or rat:her running qualifications they, in all due charity, could not suppose that any fight- ing would be done, or that they should ever be enabled to pursue ·upon Texian soil these tranquil labors which might give bread to their fam- ilies. On many occasions, Houston - in his inveterate hatred of the Old Colonists has referred the credit of the day at San Jacinto to ·Irish, Germans, French &.c. Among that Spartan band, there was no doubt a sprinkling of foreign born settlers, but Sam's veracity is Iliadic, his aspirations Neronic ! Burnet and his Cabinet, with pain, detecting the predominant bias of the self-styled chief, who had made the Council believe that his field tactics were of the first order, and that in more respects than one, he resembled prince Hector, refrained from a change in the Com- mander less it should shake a confidence scantily affirmed. Some among them believed that Houston would, in shame at the coarse vitupera- tion to which his cowardice had exposed him, be compelled to tender a voluntary resignation, and in this way the Army and Country would be relieved from his misg-u.ided directions. With the object to stimu- late rather than depose, the despatches from the Cabinet bore the char- acter of remonstrance Rnd expostulation, for which the Cherokee por- tion of Unsavory Sam's memory owes them the malignant retribution of exposed delinquency ! Some of the brave fellows in the Army made known, unreservedly, their opinion of the gasconading Chief, who has taken out the offence by future hostilities towards their children; witn characteristic adroitness, commemorating themselves as instances of "insubordination" that c·allfld into action his heroic forbearance, and orphean facultv of reclaiming to obedience! There is a faC't that no one wi11 dispute, that among the number of brave men impelled bv C'hivalric feelings to join the Texian Cause, were manv "old i::tagers" in iniQuitv. whose ail.herenC'e to an unscrupu- lous chief might be a saving clause· to an existence already forfeited in States from whence they came. To support Houston in his depraved projects, wns to F.Ct->cure their own nemicious advancement. What wonder then he had zealou!! friends? With a number of such supporters it becaine of little C'On!'leouenf'e to him. that he sank daily in the esteem of the brave "Old Settlers"- and the Council to whom their interests were entru11ted. On which battlefield, numerous in Texas. did Houston ever hear the report of an enemy's musket, except at San Jacinto, where he was
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