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O"r Catholic He,-itage in 'Texas
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survivors of the original expedition and placing them on board .three small vessels, he resolutely set out for La Bahia on September 9, 1821. 50 Not until October 3 did he effect a landing at El Sabino, a short distance from La Bahia. At dawn on the following day, he fell upon the unsuspecting outpost. His fifty-two men rushed into the town yelling like Indians and firing their guns in the air. A witness declared that it sounded like two or three hundred men. The people and the garrison, completely taken by surprise, fled precipitately. The few remaining families locked themselves securely in their homes. The victors marched to the central square unopposed. The exertion of the wild dash against an absent enemy, however, completely exhausted their feeble strength. Finally, a solitary figure put in an appearance, Alcalde Buentello. When General Long saw him, he grasped his hand and assured him that no harm would befall anyone, that he wanted all the people to come back and live in peace. He turned to his men and ordered a salute to be fired in honor of their guest. The lonely fieldpiece roared, but its flash severely burned the assistant gunner, while the cannoneer fell exhausted over the smoking gun. A third ·man ran up to help the victims. His pistol, which dangled loosely from his belt, went off and shot him through the leg. These were the only casualties of the day. 51 Order having been restored after this unfortunate accident, Long turned to the Alcalde and inquired if the people of La Bahia had taken an oath of allegiance to the Mexican Revolutionary Government and sworn to support its independence. Much to his surprise, he was told that the entire province of Texas had acknowledged the independence of -Mexico more than three months before and had pledged to uphold it. Somewhat embarrassed, Long explained he was unaware of this · fact, that he had come because the Indians had told him that the people of La Bahia and San Antonio had refused to support independence. In view of the circumstances, he asked to be allowed to write to the general in command at San Antonio and to be permitted to await his reply. 52 Governor Martinez, however, was not impressed by the conciliatory epistle. Unwilling to believe his intentions were honest, he ordered Colonel Ignacio Perez to proceed to La Bahia at once to demand an un- conditional surrender. Perez hurriedly left with a small body of troops s 0 Declaration of J. Long, October 10, 1821, Lamaf' Pape,-s, I, 47-48. 51T. Buentello, Report upon J. Long's Occ:u·pation of La Bahua, October I I, 1821, Lama,- Pajef's, I, 49-51. ULamaf' Pa-,e,-s, I, 49-53.
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