The First Republic of Te:ras
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prised the inadequate guard left at the presidia} corral, made them pris- oners, and triumphantly drove away three thousand horses. 27 Gutierrez established his headquarters at Mission Concepcion and pro- ceeded to lay siege to the city. The success at Rosillo emboldened lovers of freedom to join the Insurgent ranks. The next day several hundred more embraced the cause of Gutierrez. The rebel leaders grew impatient by the hour. They could not afford to wait too long before entering the capital. A long siege would again cool the ardor of their fickle ranks and give time for the Spaniards to rescue the city. Salcedo and Herrera knew, on the other hand, that there was little hope. On April I Kemper and Gutierrez made a bold demonstration. They marched the ;fctorious army in battle array to the very walls of the city. Governor Salcedo, see- ing the advancing forces, immediately sent three envoys with a flag of truce to propose terms of capitulation. They requested that the victors respect the lives, property, and religion of noncombatants; that no house be sacked, that no church property be demanded or taken; that no indemnity or unfair contributions be exacted from the people ; and that no person be persecuted for any acts hostile to the enemy or for differences of political opinion. These four conditions were asked in the name of humanity. The remaining eight regarded the Royalist troops: that officers and men constituting the garrison of San Antonio be permitted to retire with all honors of war, keep their arms and equipment, their four brass cannon, and all ammunition; that the defenders of the city be permitted to march out by the Laredo Road before the victorious forces entered the city; that both officers and men be permitted to take all property belonging to them or to their families; that the sick and wounded be fed and cared for by the victors, and permitted to withdraw when fully recovered; that an ex• change of prisoners be effected immediately; that civilian, military, and ecclesiastic officials be not unduly humiliated, or their property molested; that they and their families be permitted to leave within a specified time without molestation if they desired to go; and that, pending the ratification of these terms, the contending forces keep their present positions. 11 Two of the three envoys were retained as hostages. The third was sent 11 The details of this battle that opened the gates of San Antonio are found in Shaler's correspondence with Monroe and in a letter of Gutierrez to Shaler. There is also an account in Garza, op. cu., 47-48. See Shaler to Monroe, Natchitoches, May 7, 1813; Gutierrez to Shaler, San Fernando, April II, 1813, Stat, De;a,tllll#fl Records, N. A. W. 21 Copia de las Proposiciones de Capitulacion de la Plaza de San Antonio, April 1, I 8 I 3, N acogdoclte.r A rcltives.
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