PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR 69 some of the staff officers; who though they could not account for his conduct, still pled for him and promised them that the General should take up the line of march. They accordingly communicated to him the determinations of the officers and army; - and if he did not con- sent to march forthwith, that he would be striped of his command, and even left without a body guard. This roused him from his seem- ing revery, - and the army had orders to march. This was now the second intimation he had received of that character;- hence to pre- vent its happening, his precipitate retreat from the Colorado, (where the army had determined to fight) at an unoportune time, covered un- der the guise of secret intelligence of the enemies movements unknown to the army; - otherwise they never would have retreated without fighting the enemy, whom they well knew was completely in their power The army took up the line of march and crossed the Brazos. When they arrived at the forks of the road, the left leading to the Sabine, the right to Harrisburg, it was ascertained that the Genl. intended to take the sabine shoot; this was opposed as neither officers or men in- tended to take that rout, and he was ruled into the right hand road to which he dare not demur, as intimations on the part of the army had been allready manifested. It would realy seem that the commander in chief was somewhat Jike a Mexican horse, only broke on one side, - that haw--puls or left hand way,i (in which I fear he'll be found through time and eterity) was all he understood; but to take G-pulls, or right hand ways, or even {ZO straight ahead (as a decent animal would,) re- quired the iron bit of necessity From this time he may be fairly con- sidered but the nominal leader and, as he had ever been, dead weight to the army; - they led him, and not he, them 'fhey crossed Buffalo bayou and fell in between two divisions of the invading army The front one commanded by Santana himself, and the rear one by Gel. Cos of Bexar memory. Our army left Cos in the rear and pursued Santana on a forced marc·h, with a view of taking them in detail. They feH in with the Napoleon of the West at Sanjacinto, whose division in numbers and advantages far exceeded their own; this with the spartan band however, amounted to nothing; they had full confidence in themselves if they had not in their leader. As at the Colorado, they remained in view of the enemy that night and the next day, in anxious suspense; their leaders views (if he had any) as now, were veiled in darkness. Col. Chirman during the day got permition from the com- mander in chief, with a company of mounted men to make an assault and capture a piece of artillery, which the enemy was playing on them from a certain point of timber; - and that a company of infantry should be held in readiness to sustain the charge, Col. Millard with his division was ordered to take -post for that purpose. The charge was gallantly made, but not sustained as was promised, as Col. Millard with his division was ordered back; and the Mexican infantry raIJied to the rescue, which forced the intrepid band to retreat in the best man- ner they could; which was effected with much less damage than might have been anticipated This charge was no doubt intended to bring on a general engagement; as every thing went to prove that their leader did not intend to fight It was a fact well known to him and the whole army, that Santana would be reinforced by Cos' division on that night, which would nearly double his numbers and advantages;
Powered by FlippingBook