Tl,e Struggle for Independence, I835-I836
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After a brief halt the march was continued to Perdido Creek, some six miles beyond. The three horsemen left in the rear to warn of the approach of the enemy came at a full gallop. One drew reins, alighted, and told Fannin the Mexicans were almost upon them. The other two continued their flight. The brave messenger who chose to share the fate of his companions was Herman Erhenberg, a volunteer German-Jew. The enemy attacked immediately. Quickly the wagons were formed into a square in the middle of the prairie. Both the Texans and the Mex- icans fought with unflinching courage until darkness put an end to the bloody struggle. The night of March 18 fell upon several dead, eight or ten seriously wounded, and sixty injured Texans. The Texans' water was almost spent and their ammunition was practically depleted. As Fannin was incapacitated by a wound, B. C. Wallace assumed active command. All night the men toiled in building a rampart with their dead horses and oxen and surplus baggage, and in giving such comfort as they could to the wounded. Dismay came upon the wings of dawn as they noted that Urrea had been strengthened by fresh troops, additional ammunition, and three cannon. When the attack was renewed with increased vigor and the two four-pounders opened fire, the Texans held a hurried consultation. It was decided to ask for terms in order to save the wounded. A white flag was raised to request a parley. Urrea immediately suspended the fire, and B. C. Wallace, commander, and I. M. Chadwick, his aide, met with Colonel Juan Morales, Colonel Mariano Salas, Colonel Juan Jose Holzinger, and Jose de la Luz Gonzalez, aide to Urrea, to discuss terms. The Texans requested consideration for the wounded and treat- ment as prisoners of war. Urrea bluntly rejected the terms and informed them that only unconditional surrender would be acceptable. The ne- gotiators, after consulting Fannin, accepted the decision as inevitable. The confusion that has since arisen in regard to this matter probably resulted from failing to explain the circumstances to the men, who knew what terms had been proposed but not what had been granted. The original document found in the archives of Mexico leaves no doubt as to the rejection of the terms proposed by the Texans." Urrea himself, after sending back to Goliad the Texans who had surrendered, pushed on to Victoria to head off Colonel Ward. Those "This is reproduced in facsimile on p. 60, of Castaneda's T/,11 Merica,, Siu of t/111 Texan Revolutims. The original document was found by Dr. E. C. Barker in the Archives of the War Department in Mexico and was reproduced with his permission.
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