Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
dubious because they were not under any empresario contract, would be clarified. No sooner did Madero proceed to issue titles, however, than Bradburn arrested him and his surveyor for violating the Law of April 6, 1830. In vain Madero argued that both State and Federal governments had approved the petitions of the settlers who had been in the region since 1828 and, therefore, were not affected by the new law. The settlers' reaction was first disappointment, then disgust, and finally resentment and _anger. Bradburn almost incited mob action when he annulled the recently instituted Ayuntamiento of Liberty. One thing led to another. Bradburn was accused of demanding sup- plies for his garrison without paying for them; of having erected military buildings with slave labor without compensating the owners; of encouraging the slaves to rebel; of giving protection to two runaway slaves from Louisiana, allowing them to enlist with his troops and re- fusing to surrender them to their owner; and last, of having arrested several colonists and holding them for milit~ry trial without formal charges. Among the prisoners were Patrick C. Jack and William B. Travis. Captain Jack had organized a militia company at the height of the local wrangle, and Bradburn, fearful that it might be used against him, had ordered Jack arrested on some flimsy pretext. Travis, an attorney at the time, had attempted to recover the two runaway slaves for their master and was thrown in jail with Jack and several others. The continued detention of the prisoners and the threat of a trial by a military court aroused the people, particularly the many friends of Jack and Travis. In response to the efforts of William H. Jack, brother of Patrick, a force of volunteers was organized in Brazoria on June 4, 1831, to release the prisoners. Its ranks were swollen to a hundred and sixty men by the time it reached Anahuac. Many others were ready to join. Skirmishing followed. Bradburn, desirous of gain- ing time, agreed to release the prisoners, and the enraged settlers retired to a camp near Anahuac to await them. Once back in his fort, Bradburn quickly strengthened his position and challenged the deliverers to carry out their plan. The little band realized they had been tricked. They could not attack Bradburn successfully without artillery. While a party went to Brazoria to bring two cannon, the rest drew up and adopted a statement of their case, known as the "Turtle Bayou Resolutions." They emphatically declared that they were not rebelling against Mexico; rather that they were cooperating with Santa Anna, leader of the liberal revolt against the usurper Busta-
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