The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume V

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I I

TEX.\S STATE LIBRARY

98

night we broke into the walls of a Row of building that commanded the square first making port holes. Shooting the ~Iexicans out in diging through the partition to the next Room they met us their crobar came through first which was returned back by a Riffle and one after another the )Iexican left their Dead 5 of them was kild they were commandell by Condaio [Condclle] they left them . . . [faded] their Dead leaving some of their guns which they tryed to get by putting sticks in the muskets as we could not turn our guns on them we shot the )Iuskets to pieces now 3 oclock- A. 1'1.- they mounted on top in mases and commenced cutting the Roof in on thirty of us the weight of which Ttould of crushed us but as soon as the dirt began to pour down we commenced shooting through the holes and silenced them the fire was still kept up by them and as well as I could Judge they were Retreating about Sun Rise Dec 10th their fireing sudently ceased it was foggy and we could not See distinctly being anxious to learn the cause we looked in the. Squar and could Se no Soldiers on examining the church the flag was- they had left behind Some Dead and wounded and Retreated across the River to a fort cald the Alamo in the South part.of the Squar. we discovered there their ·war flag was gone and one in its ·place we took to be a white one and on coming to us this was born by a Soldier with a letter from Genl Coss praying a cessation of hostilities & a further difusion of blood until 10 A M and wish to cappitulate-which was Respected upon the prest pledging his life his fortune and honor that Coss & Ugatachear was Acting in good faith our army was then formed and a guard placed Round the Squar where they had left. all their cannon most of which was spiked commissioners were now appointed by )Iartin perfecto cle Coss of the )[exican an Edward Berlison of the Volunteer, army of Texas. They commenced the treaty which after various consultations concluded on the 11-10 A )I containing 18 Articles Signed by the commissionerl5 on the e,·e of the 10th our army quartered in the Squar and were permited to go where they pleased without their. guns so were the )foxican we were soon a midst multitude this was very con- i;oling to me 11s I had heen confine to a gun better than 2 months- for 2 days & nights they did not cease fl.ring 2 hours after after [sic] clro,·e them from their camp we now belivecl all danger was o,·er and commenced Ramhlin;r ahout hunting Something for our selves and hor~e,; to ~at we found plenty honey some beef ancl c-orn and turiiers n l,read made of boilcl corn ground on a stone hy the weman we also found some cordial~ & wine all of whic-h was eageraly sized by our army and by our clernming f ?l apatites we then slept sound the Bal- anf'e of the ni;rht in the morning of 11th e,·ery man went about his business ;:ome huntin,z hor;:c.-s no ashy faces now all n good humoured dirt,· loll;! 1,earclecl :-rt at 10 we were cald to;rether formecl in n Squar wit); Col ·.John~ou in the c•('Jlter after :uhlre~sing 11~ in a Yery candid maner 011 the lllltlll't' of the trenh" awl of our unfit n,111lition to carry on war without p11wcl<'r & Co- · he thnn Tieacl thr arlic·lrs which You ha,·e no clouht Sern in Sub- ;:tam·e a~ follmr.: l:t•11l Co~i' & hi;: a1·my Surelllkr a;: prisoner;; of war ;£i,·e up thPir c·ommi~ion,; take nn oath ne,·er again to take up arms agaim:t the H('publk-an principles of the fetleral constitution uf 182-1

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