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TEXAS STATE LIBR~\RY
the Bayou to save themselves from being cut off from their main army, and being nearly of equidistant from it, the reached the point at the same time, thinking that there they would have to make the desperate struggle, when they found 011 meeting that the_y were friends. Their fear turned gladness; and the joke in the camp would have been a good oue, if the laugh had not changed into mourning by the death of a gallant man whose fate spread a gloom over all. As he was conductt'cl to his post as a centinel he was basely assassassnated [sic] by the non com- missioned officer who conducted him to it. The miserable miscreant & murderer attempted to escape, but was caught & shot. The names of neither are remembered. John Austin procecled to Velasco for the Cannon. He changed his purpose of transporting it by land; and went to Ur~artechea, the Com- mandant of the post, to know if he would permit the schooner ~forth to pass with the artillery~ He replied in the negative. Capt Austin then apprehensive that Ugartichee, might, whilst Austing [sicl was going to Anhuac, invade Brazoria; he accordingly put the demanded of Ugartichee a pledge that he would not do this; he refused to give such, saying that, Bradburn was his superior officer, & that if ordered by him to Brazoria, he would have to obey. Upon this Austin resolved to reduce the place; which he accomplished before leaving it with about 120 men which he gathered on the Brazos & Bernard. After reducing Velasco. he procedecl with his cannon to join his forces at Turt.le Bayou, which during his absence had been un<ler the command of Frank Johrn:on-and W. D C Hall. On his arrival there he found that whilst he was reducing the fort at Velasco. a messenger had hen sent to the Political Chief at Nacogdoches, Reymond l\Iuscos, apprising him of the affair; whereupon the said :i\,luscos sent an order to Padras the Comnrnndt. at Nacogdoches, to proceed to a\nhuac and to Arrest Bradburn. In obedience to this Orcler Paclras procecled for A.nhuac but was met on the way hy our Turtle bayou men at this time about 300 strong. Padras pledger] himself that on his arrival at the fort Bradburn should he arrested & the prisoners released. Our Captive friends who were to have been sent to Vera Cruz, was accordingly re- leased, but Bradburn, getting wind of what was going 011 (probably apprized of it by Pedraz himself) made his escape & went to N. 0. our men dissolved, went home & hostilities ceased. Thus far matters were all ri~ht. The people outraged ancl insulted ii1 the most audacious manner, hy a military clespot & villian, took up arms and triumphed because their cam:e was just & righteous. No appology was necessary for their conduct; yet tlwy now seem to have become alarmed at what they Imel done; a11cl to appease the Genl. Govt. resorted to a misrepresentation unworthy of the occasion and disrepu- table to their characters as men of cnnclor & chivalry. The publication known as the Vera Crnz plan, hacl hut recently reacht',l this country. Santa Anna its author was rendered popular hy it in )lexic-o ancl was making rapid prog-ress in the O\·erthrow & De!'trnction of Bustamenta. ~ow without raring II damn for either the> 011e or the other, a large number of Citizrus-as~emblrd anrl thew up what is c·alle<l the Turtle Rnrnn Resolutions in which the\" strin.> to make the impression . 011 sa 1.1t·, Anna that Brndhnru a11d tf«artichea hnd been clri,·en from their C C ,... l . \\1) I! posts because they would not declare in favor of nm: mt ef·Lect
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