35 .
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU ·BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
In Sept 1839 after the families had left ~he fo~ on the ~ulphur t~e Indians killd a man by the name of Daniel Dans Shot him down m his yard This was in the South East Corner of Fannin County on the Sulphur The Indians were persued but not overtaken No. 21-65 1844 Feb. 1, [W. E. JONES] WASHINGTON, [TEXAS] TO [M. B. LAMAR, WASHINGTON, TEXAS] 13 Dear Sir, Washington 1 Feby 1844 In compliance with your request, I give you below, a hasty sketch of the circumstances attending the capture & imprisonment of a number of the citizens of Texas, at San Antonio de Bexar in Sept. IP42 During the session of the District Court of Bexar county, for September 1842, a rumor reached the place that a Mexican army of from 1500 to 3000 men was on its way to attack the place- The rumor was sufficiently authenticated to induce the belief that a force of some character was advancing, but the impression was pretty gen- eral that it was only a. party of marauders & not regular troops, who were endeavoring to create the impression that their force was much stronger than it really was, for the purpose of better enabling them to take the place without resistance & plunder it with impunity- Col. Hays with five other well mounted men went out to make discoveries, and taking the public roads saw nothing & did not return to San An- tonio until too late to enter it- Three Mexicans were also despatched, who promi8ed to ascertain the character of the approaching force if to be found- they found the camp of Genl. Woll at a short distance from San Antonio; were made prisoners & not permitted to reutrn to us- The whole day of 10th. September was thus passed & neither spies nor Mexicans returning strengthened the general belief that the rumor was either a hoax or the character of the force advancing mis- represented- At day light on the morning of 11th Sept. we were aroused from our slumbers by the firing of a piece of cannon almost in the edge of the town, succeeded immediately by the sound of martial music & the tramp of a body of men- A dense fog obscured them from actual observation until after they had advanced into the public square, when they were immediately fired upon by our pa.Fty, who amounted to about fiftv in number- the fire was soon returned bv the Mexi- cans with vollies of musquetry & rapid discharges from a six & a four pounder- This lasted a few minutes when the fog disappearing dis- covered to us that we were surrounded on all sides by bodies of regu- lar troops-- We were then called upon to surrender by order of Genl. Woll- the firing ceased on both sides & after a parley in which the most ample pledges were given for our good treatment &c &c we sur- rendered prisoners of war, & were immediately put into prison with a strong guard over us- General Wool had cut off all communication between the Rio Grande & Bexar, and taking a circuitous route thro' the wilderness at the foot of the mountains had in this manner secretly advanced upon
11 A. Df.
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