375
WRITINCS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1836
country west of it is an uninhabited waste. This season the grass refuses to grow on the prairies. When the approach of the enemy was known, there were but two public wagons and two yoke of oxen in camp, and the few horses we had were very poor. I hope to reach the Colorado on to-morrow, and collect an army in a short time. I sent my aide-de-camp, Major William T. Austin, to Columbia this morn- ing, for munitions and supplies, to be sent me immediately; ani to order the troops now at Velasco to join me, provided they had not been previously ordered by you to fortify Copano and Dimit's landing. I am fearful Goliad is besieged by the enemy. .My order to Colonel Fannin, directing the place to be blown up, the cannon to be sunk in the river, and to fall back on Victoria, would reach him before the enemy could advance. T'hat they have advanced upon the place in strong force, I have no doubt; and· when I heard of the fall of the Alamo, and the number of the enemy, I knew it must be the case. Our forces must not be shut up in forts, where they can neither be supplied with men nor provisions. Long aware of this fact, I directed, on the 16th of January last, that the artillery should be removed, and the Alamo blown up; but it was prevented by the expedition upon Matamoras, the author of all our misfor- tunes. I hope that our cruisers on the gulf will be active, and that Hawkins~ and --- may meet the notice of the government. Let the men of Texas rally to the Colorado! Enclosed you will receive the address of General Santa Anna, sent by a negro to the citizens. It is in Almonte's handwriting. Santa Anna was in Bexar when the Alamo was taken: His force in all, in Texas is, I think, only five or six thousand men- though some say thirty thousand! This can not be true. Encourage volunteers from the United States-but I am satisfied we can .save the country. Had it not been for the council, we would have had no reverses. We must have the friendship of the Comanches and other Indians. Gonzales is reduced to ashes ! Sam Houston, Comm.anding General. 1 Exccutive Lette1· Book No. 9, Texas State Librnr~•. Yoakum, Histo,·11 of Texas, II, 475-477. C. E. Lester, Sam Houston (1867). 83-8,1. 2 A few writers of Texas history spell Almeron Dickerson's name cor- rectly, but the majority write it "Dickinson." Several docu:11<.'nts to be found among the Com.ptrollc1·'s Militar1J Service Records, Texas State
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