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PAPEHS OF 1\IrnABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAlI.AR
ever present Itsself will with pleasure return It; address to me at this place. Yours with great respect, ANTHONY FOSTER [Addressed:] Honl. 11. B. Lamar City of Houston Texas Via, New Orleans [Endorsed:] Anthony Foster Columbus .Mississippi Deer 27. 1837 No. 641. FANNIN'S SURRENDER. JOSEPH E. FIELD 20 [1837 ?] I was with Col Fannin before and at the time of his attempt to escape from La Baia and at the time of his surrender. The reason why the above place was not evacuated immediately upon the receipt of Gen Houston's order to that effect was that one bat- tallion of his regiment was absent upon duty. And before inteligence could be obtained from them we were about to be surrounded by the enemy f do also belie\"e there were articles of capitulations entered into and signed by both parties in good faith -before the su[rrender] from the following circumstances [When?] the officer who was the bearer of the flag to the enemy, to assertain if they would Pnter into stipulations returned he giwe an affhmative answer, but that he (the Mexican commander was only second in command 'l'hat he could insure our lives but not when we should obtain our liberty. But that an order could be obtained from the President at Bexar in eight clays (In eight days exactly was the massacre 'l'he ink and paper was calJed for Col Fannin and I think ~[aj Wal- lace returned with the inturpretar to a situation midway between the two armies and were absent a considerable space of time When the Col returned and was asked the results he smiled and said that wlH~n the l\T exican General met him that he even wanted to embrace him and said that yesterday we fought but to day we are friends An order was immediately given for the arms to be stacked outside the breast- works but that ·th'e riAes and side arms belonging to indiYidual;: were to be placed by themselves as they were to be returned Before the sur- render I saw Mr Chadwick the Cols secretary copying nn instrument of writing which [I think?] it was the articles of Capitulation. When [we?] had returned to Goliarloe rsicl and having been robed of eYery thing even to our dressing~ & bandages and not being permitted to dress or attend to our womHlecl in any way I complnined to Col F who rep~ied that it was an . . . [faclecl"j Yiolntions of the articles of C'np1tu- lations. · There was no fighting on the <lny of the surrender 1 never heard it give11 aR a reason for surremlcr thnt we could not fight for want of wate1·, thong-h we had none, hut expected to fight the 2d day unless the enemy should be reenforrecl with cannon . . [incomplete I I Aclclressed :] For the Yice President Present. I Endorsed :l fmportant Undated "''This doc·1trnl'11t i,-gh·cn in the <'nlendnr n,- nnonymous. A C'ompuri,-011 of the handwriting with that of Dr. Field indirnte8 thnt hl' i,- the author.
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