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Benj. Edwards Clinton Mississippi -
He published a pamphlet detailing
the
an scrape, wrote to him for its -
my
W. 12
T. 11 -
M. 10 -
Texas - Ta-has Texians
Having resolved to visit Texas with a
view of settling there, if pleased
with the
province, I left my place of residence,
lumbus th June 1835,
and
without meeting with any occurrence of
note, arrived in Montgomery on the
evening of
the 16th .
I had three fellow
passengers in the Stage,
one of whom was a man from Texas, but who
could doubtless have given me much
tion
disposed to contract any acquaintance with
him, and chose
rather to loose the knowledge
which I might gain from him than
ter
passenger was a gentleman of the United States
Army by the
name of McKenzie, with the
rank, I should suppose of Captain; a man
of good sense, politeness and
He was one of the number sent to Fort
Moultrie
for the purpose of
of her rights and overawing her into
submission
to intolerable outrage & wrongs, but I believe he
had no heart for the infernal job, and would no
doubtless have resigned his commission in
disgust rather than have
proceeded to any violence
against the injured and insulted State. He
was I believe known to be a Nullifier and the only
one among the number
sent on the bloody errand,
and was in consequence of his opinions sent
Savannah where he was entrusted
with an
pendent
troops in Cherokee Country, Geo,
but In on all
such
self
the Govt.. by
faithful execution of duty and of the
community he dwelt among, by not
mateinvol arrogating any
undelegated.
The third passenger whose name I do not know,
manifested for me a degree of solicitude for
my safety in a moment of some little peril which
could not fail
excite my good feelings toward him.
at Inchee Creek 13th miles from Columbus, the
night dark, the horses darted off the
buttment
of the Bridge, and threw the driver from his
seat. I was
the only passenger in the Stage. I felt
the vehicle reeling off the Bridge
& expected every
moment to land with an awful splash & a
crush
at the bottom of the Creek, but more fortunately
than might
have looked for, the Stage bounded like
a living animal from the Bridge
and safely
landed on its four
the driver holding on to the reins,
soon
the fiery steeds, and after a proper flagellation
for
their lawless conduct, he attempted the Bridge
a second time &
crossed without difficulty. The
passengers resumed their seats, and I was
rather
pleased than otherwise with the adventure,
cause
the speed of his
common gait, and dash along
at the comfortable & cheering rate of
6
hour. The generous passenger who felt alarmed at
my
situation, ran to the coach as she slr
cleared the Bridge to awaken me, believing me
to be
my escape out of the window
before the horses
should
evinced a good heart, a benevolent
principle, &
which more excites my admiration and affection
than personal accomplishments or intellectual
attainments. The road to
Montgomery was in
good order; the tavern at which we
of the first rate, and every thing during my
abidance
there contributed to make my
rather acceptable than irksome.
Between Columbus
& Montgomery I met with but little that excited
reflection or worthy of description.
The reader may possibly have some desire
to learn something about
this Town as it is one of
the most business-like & flourishing one
in
the State.
(Give an account of the death of Mr Lucas,
by Barney Riley.
Beverly Lucas brother to John,
was also Killed by Indian. The m murderer
is known yet no steps have been
taken to
hend
(In describing Montgomery, remember Corney Buck,
Flat, Milton
Cooper & others. Huff a Sawyer who
shot himself "all for love".
Judge Shaw. Bynum.)
Left Montgomery on Friday 19th June in the
"Little Rock" about 4
be low, but to me it appeared in good
navigable
dition
stantially
power.
Several passengers aboard, but with the
ception
either illiterate but
honest cultivators of the soil or
equally ignorant but more insolent and
Dry Goods & Groceries — Addison says
that men should
be ashamed of but two things Ignorance & Vice. How
sha bashful should the most of our planters be!
How
doubly so should be the majority of the mercantile world.
But that which Addison considers a reproach the
Many esteem a virtue themselves for
it. With many
Ignorance is bliss & dishonesty only cleverness.
The Alabama is a Noble River. It takes its name
from two Indian
words Ala. signifying the Great
and Bama, water;
the great river. The word
Ala. ha is also an
Eastern or Arabic word meaning
God; by
the Indians it is also used in that sense;
to signify the Great
Spirit; the head of all etc. Some
writers have, in consequence of such
occasional
ilarity
descendants from
the Eastern Nations — Col. McKiney
formerly of the War
Department, is about writing a
most valuable & interesting work
concerning the
various Tribes of Indians; I had the pleasure of
reading an introductory chapter of work;
and if
I remember a right he exposes the fallacy of
deriving the
Indian race from the Arabs on so
slight a ground as occasionally similarity of words
in their
respective languages.
The country through which Alabama River flows
is very fertile,
& well adapted to Corn & Cotton.
For some distance the
Banks are elevated, and
ally
two particularly struck my attention; At Washington
one below that place and at Fort Butler.
Washington is a Small Village,
200 hundred inhabitants, in a handsome
& healthy
site. The next town below is Vernon; and then
Benton
sixty miles by land from Montgomery is
situated
on the East side of the river. It was formerly the
seat of
Govt. of the State. It has been neglected for
several years but is at this
time rather in a state
of improvement. Claiborn is 150 miles above Mobile.
The plantations on the river are fine, but the most
of them are
subject to overflowing. The junction
of
the Tombecbee & Alabama is about 50 miles above
Mobile.
The low country from the junction as also
some miles above it is low and flat, all subject
to inundation. We meet
lower with many splendid
farms. In high
water, the houses on the plantations
are submerged in water; it rises two
or three feet or more
in the floors. After leaving Claiborn some miles,
we meet with Live Oak; it becomes more & more
abundant as
we approach the Bay. Among the
things which I noted as curious or worthy of
vation
very end of a
large old branchless tree standing near
the water's edge. The pilot of
the boat told me he
had seen it several times this spring about its
nest;
that he had been informed by older pilots than
himself who had been long running the river, that
the Eagle had been seen
to build there for many
past. This is I believe a peculiarity of the
Eagle.—
The
making his negroes work on the
of the passengers aboard knew the man; I
was anxious
to obtain his name that I might hold up him up
to scorn & detestation; and that he may yet
not escape
detection, I will mention that the plantation is I believe
the first extensive one above the junction of the rivers.
The
negroes were engaged in clearing a new ground; the
overseer was setting
lazily on his horse in the midst
of the negroes. The clearing seemed to
be an extensive
one, reaching a mile or more up the river,
narrowing as the swamp at the back of the field permitted.
I know no man who more deserves punishment of the laws
&
the chastisement of public scorn. The third item— is
a coloured
man by the name of Seymore; I think
Philip Seymore, living below the
junction of the
rivers on a fine farm and owning, as I was told
by
the pilot, Must upwards of 40 negroes. I saw
him and one of his daughters on the banks of
the river, but were
not near enough to make
serve
phrenological observation
on the old gentleman—
The Tombegbee at its mouth presents a
beau‑
appearance. A small the the
junctions. The waters are bright
&
spread out
like a tranquil lake-few miles 20 miles
below above the junctions there I saw the appearance
of a large Creek and
stream was
told that it was called the “cut off”-
that
two rivers, making o occupying the same position to
them
as the dash or
two prongs of the letter A. below
the junction the
river, which is now called Mobile, forks, or
rather
one breaks boldly from the other and runs upon its
own hook.
I thought at first that the united
again but was told that they did not.
The left
prong in descending was called the Tensaw and
discharged
itself in Same Bay but on the
site
seemed the larger of the two prongs, and I was told
equally deep and good for navigation as the
bileof
or continuation of the Tombgbee, merely crossing
the Alabama
river as one road crosses another—
The Tensaw has a cutoff counting the A
cutoff
connects Tensaw and Mobile rivers in the same
ner
Alabama.
I saw many of the blue crane, but only two of the
white species. Long before we reach mobile we
wind our way through a flat
marshy country that
can never be subjected to cul
the plough & hoe—
the city rose to view about 7
miles off. We
edfirst about it by twilight. A storm had
cooled
the atmosphere and it
delightful & refreshing. Our
journey closed with the close of day,
and — It was
our enterance; all was
tranquil & placid and I
as far as I
could judge, the feelings of all the
passengers
partook of the serenity of
around them.
We arrived in Mobile Sunday night .
evening;
it was nearly dark. I ordered my Trunk to the
Mansion
House, but not being
there lodgings as comfortable and convenient as I
desired, I removed to the Alabama Hotel where I
was
fortunate at the Mansion House
as my traveling
Companion Lieut.. McKenzie. I was told that there
was no single room in the house unoccupied &
sequently
Companion, Knowing the
influence & authority of titles
with the Boniface race, he, in
booking his name, took
the precaution to place after it the all important,
potent
powerful letters L.t. of Mobile Point;
When the Landlord
or his striker discovered these initials of
dignity,
he immediately proffered to the gentleman a handsome
apartment to himself and actually turned out
gentleman from the room who had been occupying
it to make way for
the military guest. Now having
no title myself; no L.t. to M.C. or J. P. to place after
be furnished with single lodgings, & had
consequently to
shift my quarters
titles regarded less necessary security
& obtainance &
security of
Sitting one evening on the Bow of the boat, an
ming
inquired
how far south, I purposed to prosecute
my
Journey. I answered that I was on my way to
Texas. I am pleased
to hear it he replied, for I
am thither bound myself and shall be pleased
with
company.
Putnam
County, that he Knew me well; was first
cousin to Mr. Moreland my
Brother-in Law. His name
was Saddler.
Give an account of Dale's
fight with the Indians
In Montgomery I had a tooth drawn.
Arrived sunday, departed Wednesday
morning for the Stage. Mobile is a delightful
City; about the size of
Augusta, containing
probably upwards of Seven thousand inhabitants
Property is uncommonly high; town lots
sing
es
I met with
Dr. Roberts; he looks instatuquo; He is
doing
tolerably well; his sons are succeeding well;
The Joel is Merchant, Saml Alexr. is now
absent
will probably remove to Texas to act as an Agent
to a Land
Company. Olivia Mrs. Mather, spends this
summer in New York. Mrs.. Roberts is dead; I
saw her
grave; and that also of her daughter's
Emily, they sleep side by
side— With Col. Milton
I took a ride about two miles to view
the
Bay. The edge of the Bay the eddy waters, is filled
large logs
& trees
freshets. The For miles round, the
country about
Mobile is perfectly level. I supped with Milton
at
Summerville; about two miles from town; or
rather it is (although out of
the Corporate limits) a
part of Mobile, for the houses are stretched
along
like a village all the road to the way
to Summerville.
Summerville is a delightful place. More charming
residences; more lovely & attractive retreat from the
bustle of the City I never beheld. I know of no
place in the most
cultivated & improved parts of
the Northern States that can vie
with it for
beauty & comfort. Every lot is a Hoboken. Col.
Milton gave four thousand dollars for his lot
containing six acres, and
can now sell it for 10 or
100 thousand— The College is about a
mile from
Summerville or may rather he said to be in
the village.
There is one Church here open to
every denomination— I heard a Phrenologist
give two nights lecture on his science and
was
much pleased & entertained— This Science if
true
does not necessarily destroy all moral accountability
as the
religious world supposes. No artist, no sculpture
can so chisel out a man
from marble to stand on
his feet alone; if he gives it the human
shape
it will be certain to fall to the ground. Why then
does not
man fall like the statue? By what
ciple
he does it against
all laws of gravitation; he does it
by the power of his will; gravitation
would drags
him constantly to the
earth but his will is
ciently
man who has a strong development of murder; he is
not
necessarily a murder because he has the organ
in an eminent degree. He has the propensity,
but
the murderous organ is
strongly developed, and all
the counteracting organs are exceedingly week
or not
at all developed? Why then the person will
mitmorally guilty
from a moral point of view? No more than
an idiot
for his actions. Why is not an idiot or madman
punished for
murder? because he wanted reason
reflection etc. to restrain him; or in
other words the
restraining or counteracting organs were feeble or
extinct.
Give an account of Boyington — his character
poetry etc —
13 Boats on the Alabama‑ 11on the
Blackwarrior and
6 on the Tombecbee— 72 on the
Mississippi‑
they talk in Mobile a great deal about the
projected
rail road from Pensacola to the appalachicola bay &
to Mobile—
“Mobile Franklin Society” organized 17th
birthday.
100 members. Library well selected 600 vols. (Dr. A
Jones Librarian) lending Periodicals news papers etc.
several curiosities. A
galvanic battery of considerable
power owned by Dr. Jones the librarian. Application will
be
made next Legislature for a charter of
incorporation-
Subscribers to the institution entitled to all all the
privileges of the members
except voting, free access to
the library.
Arrived Thursday morning June —
From Mobile took the Stage to
Porter'sville, where we
were received by the steamboat Otto;
about five
Railroad meets the Lake,
about 10
passed us over the railroad &
landed us in Orleans.
The first thing that struck my attention was the
gusting
which were
constantly made upon my olfactories
disqualified me for some time from
noticing making
observations. The
railroad is an expensive one,
costing to erect it upwards of one millions
of dollars as
I should guess; yet it is esteemed good property. It
is between 5 & 6 miles in length—
One of our passengers
in the Stage from Mobile,
stated that the object of his visit to
notice the country between Mobile & Portersville
on
the Lake, as he designed to petition to the next
Legislature of
Alabama for a charter to erect a
road
as favorable for
the object as possible, that is for a
wooden railway; the ground nearly
the whole distance
is a perfect level, sandy piney woods, well timbered,
and
a road might be constructed like the Charleston railway
for
three thousand per mile.
The Stage driver told me that, that was his last
trip on that road-the
route was about to be abandoned
and the mail taken for the future from
Mobile all
to Orleans all the way by water by way of Pascagoula;
the Boats were now in
readiness for the object;
I saw one, (a Steam Schooner) at Mobile to be
thus
employed— it was a large strongly built vessel, not
finely done, and as I was told could run superior
to most any of the
boats. I was much pleased with
the construction myself; uniting in a
graceful manner
the excellencies of two distinct species, combining wind
and fire alternately triumphing over the waters by
wind & then by
fire— If the Mail should be taken
permanently by water to
Orleans via Pascagoula; it
will bring
this point into some repute as a place
of safe & fashionable
retreat, both from
Mobile during the sickly months. It can never
be
anything more a place of pleasant resort for
health, having no fertile
county around, no trade
connected with it. What then will become of
the rail road from Orleans to
be abandoned as a mail route, will it not affect
the
value of the rail road? The citizen from Montgomery
already
alluded to, should he carry his projected of
a rail road from Porter'sville to Mobile into
which of the two ways will meet with the most
patronage, the one
by this rail road or the steam
boat route via Pascagoula They will be rivals—
Religion in Orleans. 16
This place has one advantage of over many
others, in religious matters, and it is in this,
that
if they have but little of it , they
make but little
pretentions. There are several churches of
various
denominations, but I apprehend they are less
than their rivals, the gambling houses & theaters.
I entered a Methodist Book Store and bought a
Mr. Maffett's address delivered
but a short time since
on laying the corner-stone of the Methodist
Episcopal
Church. I was much pleased with the address; it
played
and appropriateness; it was rather too flowery for the
common
taste; it is a good specimen of the florid style.
The Keeper of the Book
store seemed to be a pious &
sedate man; I should say he was a
good hearted
olent
answering a
few interrogations which an inflated &
self important gentleman
might have deemed
tinent.the sign of
the church,
which is was to be 61 feet 6 inches in . He showed me a
plan of it. it was to be a
fine building in every way
suitable to the City in which it is to be
erected. It is
will stand on Puydrass &
Carondolet streets — I was
told by him that the Methodist
denomination were few
in number; but that the citizens of Orleans had
uted.
In a few days a splendid Collation was to be
given to the Judge, Jury & friends , in honor of a
decision of
a law point by recently made in the
Supreme
Court. It appears that the whole of the
Upper Fouxburg was once owned by
an old citizen
of the place by the name of Poultney. The ground
has long since been laid off into
lots, sold, and built
upon. It joins the western part of the city, but is
not
within the corporate limits. Fouxburg is a word
nonimous
heirs of Poultney
sued for the recovery of the land
on the grounds that it had never been
bona-fiedly
sold by their ancestor.
The occu ground had was now
crowded with buildings and had passed
uninterruptedly
from hand
be established the
wealth it would bring to them
wealth unbounded, & to
the occupants ruin
mediable.
claimants &
the contemplated Collation is in honor
of that verdict. The Fouxburg I
believe is called
the Parish of Lafayette. This parish is now a city for
it
was incorporated as such in the
year the the Legislature—
I attended the French Theatre; a
splendid Opera
had been gotten up, but not understanding the
age
after the
second act. I forget the name of the piece;
it was never before performed
in the US. The house
was
boxes to see if I could
meet with beauty; I saw not
a female face which I thought pretty or tolerably
neatness with which they
done up their hair. illegible
Glancing my
eye up into the gallery illegible
occupied by the quarterooms, I saw as illegible
great
a dearth of beauty there as among the whites below.
The American theater was closed.
The first theatre in New Orleans was in
the year-
During the revolt of the negroes in St. Domingo the
larger portion of the whites were
murdered; some
few made their escape, among the number, a
pany
their profession in that place—
I visited but few of the public buildings; the
I am told well regulated.
Perhaps there is not its
equal for neatness & cleanliness in the
U.S. They are
of the filthiest
cities, can boast of the cleanest hospital.
Friday night June 26th. sitting in the public
room
at Bishop's I heard some noise & loud laughing in the
street immediately in front of the door. I found that
a Constable had some
suspected thief durance vile
He was
tied upon a horse led by the officer.
The prisoner on being questioned by some of the
ment
and the gentleman leading the horse was kind
enough
to take him to the
his arms & legs were
pinioned he replied that
having
taken little too much of strong water, he
was not able to maintain his
perpendicular position
on the horse with some such assistance-In
this
manner he laughed & joked; and concluded by
saying
that he had had bad luck that night, for
in spite of good arms, good
will, & good efforts to Kill
the rascal that had taken him, he
failed in his
ject
luck you had some
good, for if my pistol had been
as true as she usually is you would be
saved the
disagreeableness of and the State
the expense of a trial.
“And I should
have lost all the pleasure of this
ride through the City free of expense”
continued
the prisoner coldly. It appears that the prisoner
& the Constable had exchanged a couple of shots at
each other,
but both neither taking effect, they
closed
in with each other for a
was over powered & surrendered; but he
called upon
the officer to do him the justice to say that he had
not surrendered until he was
entirely wore exhausted,
the Constable
bore testimony to his courage & determination.
The unconquered temper of the prisoner
little sympathy in his behalf, when one of the
in rescuing him as not— no response was
given— the
officer proceeded with his charge to the
Calaboose— as he
marched off, the man who was for rescue,
remarked
that he knew the Constable well and that a greater
rascal
dwelt not in the City. I expect to see some
little fun, but the whole
affair passed off without
‑ ducing
There is scarcely a night but what some robbery
is committed; and
hardly a day without a duel.
This the only mode of settling disputes here.
the
most trivial affair is adjusted
in this manner. Two
men quarrel, about, no matter what, a pin, or dog
or
straw, and soon we hear an explosion; the quarrel is
ended for
one or both the parties are silenced forever.
The thing is no sooner said
than done. I was told
that there were at one time 27 duels here in
one
day. It is quite common to have two or three
before breakfast. A
few weeks ago two young
creoles, rivals perhaps in love, not will were
ding
been
discovered & would be arrested, they immediately
fell to with
swords, and litterally carved each other up.
They had fought each other
twice before with pistols
and now the third trial with swords. Such occurrences
are so frequent that
they produce no sensation at
all in society; it is hardly mentioned by any one.
This morning I am
told that there is a prospect of
a fight next monday; Yesterday there were
two
duels fought, two of the combatants fell; no one
scarcely knows
of it & I heard it accidently from a
boy who was praising the
skill & courage of the
parties— Saturday 27. Another
duel; the result I
have not heard.
I said the American theatre was not open;
but th.. I entered a small room up two
30 or 40
persons the most heterogenous mass; listening
to what was called
of the Corps, except
her little daughter about 7 years old
who acted Young Norval, & his mother the
aforesaid
mistress of the company, the character of lady Randolph.
She was the most abominable of all ugly looking women.
I never beheld a
more ill shaped figure & face in a
female. When Norval he
surpassed all men in valor as she did her sex
in beauty,
there was a universal roar of laughter. When she spoke
of
her poor remains of beauty, I could not help from saying
to myself what a
mighty ship wreck of charms!
The lady knew not only her own part well, but that
of every other
character; she acted as prompter, and
after finishing her speech, in
almost every instance
had to begin the answering one for those whom
she
was dialoguing. She gave the clue in an audible voice
as if it
were a portion of her own part. Several
she failed to be so prompt,
and the Glenalvia in one
or two instances,
becoming
looked for assistance thundered out,
“Why dont you give
the clue”! The lady sang and it was as musical
as
an nighting owl or an
Philip's Eulogy on Washington, “speak the speech
I
pray thee”- in a double hoarse monotonous
voice without
modulation and without gestures. The orchestra was
‑ posed
in their shirt sleeves and one of
the Knights of the
catgut & rosin fell fast asleep in the middle of
Basney Glanajin; his hat which he had not
taken off
fell over his eyes, his bow from his hand and soon
began
to snore bass to his more wakeful companions
music and then I thought what
a “concord of sweet
sounds.” The company met with uproarious
applause
in which I contributed my due share.
Give specimens of
their speaking and the
which went
be with the actors and
the audience and
the musicians during the progress of the play. The
lady in the midst of her pathetic speeches would stop &
reprimand
the fiddlers & tell some of the audience to be silent.
A night or two ago two persons were found dead
together in a room, with
impelements of death in
their hands or lying near them; It was thought at
first that they had
quarreled, fought & killed each
other, but suspicion soon feel on
a third party, who
when apprehended confessed that he and another
individual had killed them; he made this
sion
himself from the gallows. The person who assisted
him in the murder, went stooped down at one of
hydrens to wash the blood from his hands,
when the
other murderer, apprehensive that he might be
betrayed his
associate & accomplice, drew his dirk
and stabbed him in the back.
The fal wounded
culprit is not yet dead.
Several speeches were delivered at the collation given
by the
Parish of Lafayette to the Judge Jury etc—
The property claimed
by Putnys heirs is said to
be worth 4 or 5 million dollars— I believe The
collation took place
In the evening in front of the tavern a party
commenced joking one
another; an Irish man
among the number stated that Lord Somebody
haps
Cockfighting, owned
7 thousand Cocks— On, one
sion he bet 25 thousand pounds — his first
Cock in the fight
ran, and his lordship had
immediately the throats cut of 15 hundred
cocks
which had been descended from the
aforesaid
inicco
persons other in ridicule of it still more
extravagant.
One man requested the author of the cock story to
give
another edition of Baron Munchausan. You
must excuse him replied
“And
is not an Irishman” exclaimed the exasperated
narrator of the cock tale
“as good as any body else?”
He may be so with me, but not so in the eyes
of
all; for as I was once going up the red river aboard
of a steam
boat, I had an occasion to borrow an
auger from a Settler along the banks.
I sent an Irish
after the
instrument; when I was done using it, I
told the same Irishman to take the
auger back
to the owner. “No by Jasus says he I will go there again
For what do you think! when
I went to borrow the
varmint, I saw the lady of the who told me to go
to
her husband; & where is your husband says I, at the
stables says she; thither I went and meeting the a
black
ises
the house for
the auger I asked the lady if that nigger was
her husband; she said yes; I
told her she was bad
off? Not so bad off, she replied as her sister; for
she
poor girl was married to an Irishman-
Sunday 28th New Orleans.
This day I attended
Church. I enquired the way to
the Methodist Church; for some time I met no
one
who could direct me; I heard a Bell, & was told by a
negro that that was at the Methodist Church. Turning
the corner the
building rose upon my view; it was a large
spacious structure, and seemed
to be quite old & antiquated
in its style of architecture; On
entering its portals, I found
a sign board on the wall directing strangers
to pews
on the right hand. The clock in the Steeple, the
arance
notice to
strangers, all indicated some other
tion
Satisfied that this could not be the Methodist house
of worship, I
a small wooden building not distant off. Thither
I went and from
the plainess of the seats, the size and
style of the building I found no
difficulty in recognizing
it as a Methodist Church, or at least a church
in
character with that unostentatious denomination. I was
in hopes
of hearing Mr. Maffitt; some other person
preached & preached a
good sermon; the congregation
was small, but I could have told from their
meek
& simple manners, their plain but tasteful dressing,
from furbelowsyet remarkably
genteel, that they be‑
belonged to other schools than that of the french, or
yankee— I
now felt for the first time that I was
in the midst of people like myself;
there was no I am
certain that the white
congregation were all southern
people & the negroes also from the
south. They appeared
totally different from the rest of the population of the
city—
There was no french lankness, no creole complexion,
no
city
modest, hansome, fair
skin enbonpoint and unaffectedness.
I knew they must be Georgians.— The gallery was
filled
with negroes who resembled in appearance & many
those of the south & different from
the blacks raised here
as the southerners are
from French or Yankee— The
‑ provement
make any effort to get them to join their church;
I
know in Columbus, they heven have
not provided any
seats for the negroes in their church. The
methodist
I believe are the only sect that has sincerely done any
thing for the negroes; a large portion of their congregation
and majority members are blacks. When I contrasted
the effective simplicity of the Methodist style of preaching,
building
etc, with the cold blooded hypocrisy of
the north,
and the
Catholic Church, I said to myself, if ever I be a
preacher, I will be a
methodist one, to
among the poor, humble, neglected and needy—
Joel Parker
church, handsome & tasty building with a tall
posingnear on the south side Lafayette
Square. This gentleman is from Boston. For
some
illiberal remarks respecting the moral & religious
condition of society in N.O. he was on his
val
of public
indignation; was burnt in effigy;
ened
City had finally to
issue his proclamation on the
occasion to allay public resentment and secure
the puritan's safety.
In the new part of the city which is called
the Upper Fauxburg,
ced
pleatedto into
the
Lake near the Lighthouse 6 miles long.
A rail road runs
mencing
of Lafayette about 3
miles in length- Another
rail road runs parallel with it through
Magazine
street, starting at Canal street & terminating at
Carlton
a town just commenced settling up the river‑
It
is supposed these works will be abolished as a
“Le Moniteur de la Louisiane” was established 1794,
the
only paper printed in the province during its subjection
to
Spain.
Baron de Carondelet—his canal was cut by 60
convict
convict negroes, whose labor was procured by his petitions
to the King for that purpose. 1794 or
completed1796
With a view of promoting french emigration to Louisiana
after the
breaking out of the french revolution, Baron Carondolet
granted extensive
bodies of land to various noblemen and
other individuals; among which
were
St. Vrain & others. Bastrop sold
his claim to Moorhouse; the King of Spain would
not sanction the sale,
& ordered that no lands should be granted as a citizen of the U. S.
After the defeat of St. Clair,
Wayne succeeded to the command
after the death of Wayne, l
I give you the
because it is of itself interesting, and is so connected
with the first possession &
settlement of Texas as to form
an appropriate introduction to the
ince
The City of Lafayette is about mile & half or two
miles from the
N.O.
the act of incorporation passed last session of the Legislature.
It is a beautiful town on the river, uniting the trade
&
ral
live oak.
Preston spoke at the Lafayette Fete with
much applause; he was the attoney
employed to
fend
The increase in the value of real estate is truly
his house pulled down by order
of the Governor
ause
so if it could not burn without
setting
fire to other valuable property- His name was Mills
He
importuned the Govr. for a long time for pay for
his demolished domicil;
and for the purpose of getting
rid of eternal applications, the govr.
granted to Mills, a
tract of low swampy marsh, not considered of any
value. The Frenchman
could do no better, but considered himself
unpaid for
the loss of his shop. This man lived to an advanced
age;
and about three years ago he laid off a part
of his swamp in town lots & sold them for two hun‑
hundred thousand dollars‑ the whole grant is said
to be
worth a million—
Another case similar to the foregoing— an old
fisherman, obtained
a grant for a small tract
of ground on which his hut was erected on
the
bank of the river. He and the immediate heirs were
all dead.
Many years elapsed, but some remains
of the hut were known so late as
1811. Recently some
of the decendents of the old fisherman, sued the
corporation for the ground; the corporation offered
them 75 thousand
dollars for the claim; they asked
a hundred thousand; this was refused;
they
g
claimants gained the a buildings
on
the spot and is worth all all they demanded for it‑
Saturday 27- I met Hana, Bulloch, Retherford
Patton &
others; Hana begged me to return. He
had a spell of the fever; by his
advice I abandoned
the idea of sailing for
take the first boat up the Red River to
The river Mis at New Orleans is constantly
receding
from the City, &
the opposite shore. Persons
owning grants for ground to
within so many feet of the river, now when the
river
recedes, can the owners of those grants advance within
the
specified limits to the river? This has been the
source of some
litigation & contention, I it is
the question is settled in favor of the claimants to all
land herto
found; but for all which may form in this
manner in future shall belong to the
corporation—
The river is perpetually undergoing various
changes; in
a few years one island disappears, & another makes
its
appearance; the sediment in the water is so great that
it is
alone sufficient to form an island in an eddy
place in
Left New Orleans Tuesday 30th.. June, about
2 Oclk—
A beautiful situation at McCarty's point
now called Carrollton ‑ The whole country
up
the river exhibits but one unvaried aspect;
The private
esidences small and
very few
above
river, it looks solitary
& useless— The I was much
disappointed in the appearance of the crops; they
were not so luxuriant as
I expected; Cane small,
corn inferior to that on the Alabama river;
Cotton
good, but little of it. I notice also but little care.
The
country looked not like plantations, but like
military encampments
— the Sugar Mills or house
of factory the best buildings; the
dutch br Barns
as their best buildings;
& so with the Sugar factory.
The steam boat Romeo are in, good
boat; Captain
polite, honest substantial, worthy man very
common
breakfast 1st July to take in a female passenger.
She parted with her
friends on the bank suffect
with a Kiss,
& a couple she gave, one on each cheek,
to a beautiful aubonpoint
lady about 18 I envied
with all my heart. She
was dressed in loose flowing
white muslin frock, with a kind of elegant
negligee that
rather indicated the probability that she was a
married lady. IllegibleWhen we first hove to, I
was
elated with the hope that she was to become a
fellow passenger,
but instead we had to receive her
more antiquated & less
attractive companion. I saw
her bound up the She whom we left behind, I
saw her bound up the levee her foot
slipping at every
step & she loud laughing at her prospect for a
fall.
She succeeded however on
cling the bank, and I left
her standing there smiling like
Aurora, & waving her
white handkerchief to her friend now
gliding on the
her as
far the eye could strain, and with the last
gaze I sighed to loose what I had not gained &
to
secretly indulge
tha
visions that could never be
ized
A small town named Plaqueamine on the
Left hand side of the river was passed this morning; nothing
About it
worthy of note; an
(110 miles from N.O.)
on the right side
of the river; it is
ground from the Balize up to this point.
The derivation of the word is
this Batton, stick
and rouge, red, meaning red
stick, why it was thus
named is not known. 130 miles above N.O. 2 miles
above
Plaquymine—
July 1st at evening—
Town Bayousara on the right hand side of the river
30 miles above
back of Bayousara about illegible
(Perhaps in Mississipp) still back of St. Francesville
40 miles—
This is a rich cottony
growing country — many
sand
AtchafalayaChafalyre 57 miles above Bayousara & three
miles
below the Mouth of the red
river. Chaffalaya makes
from the Mississippi and empties into the Grand Lake—
The lands on this
stream fertile like those on the parent
river; settlers will have to
throw up levees — the country
has not been settled but a few
years; they are now
clearing the raft out of the stream and when
completed
it will be open a new passage to
gulfGulfAttacafra
etc.—
July 1st was so cold on the river as to make fire
We reached Chaffalyre about 9
oclk
Thursday 2
nd
1835—
It was is believed that the attchafalaya is but
a continuance of the
Red River, which instead
of resuming
directly on to the Gulf now empties
into the Mississippi. 3 miles below where it empties
breaks out the
Achafalaya keeping a
direction with the Red—until it spreads itself into
a
broad Bay as it empties into the Gulf—
It was for a long time conjectured that the Mississippi
would cut
chief channel & thereby destroy N.O; But this is
no
longer apprehended, since the
Mississippi has
formed two cutoffs
runing commencing above the
red river and
terminating a few miles before Atchafalya—
In ascending the Red River, Mississippi,
after entering into the
Red River, the water becomes clearer; I was
gratified at this
as I was weary of washing in the turbid water of the
Mississippi‑
But in a few hours run, I was disappointed; for I
that the what appearance of
River was owing to the clear transparent
waters of Black
River emptying into it; after ass leaving the mouth of Black
River, the Red R. assumed the deep
red complexion which gives
to it its
appropriate name-This River Red divides into
a great number of branches,
which leaving the main channels
at one point & entering it again
at another. Each Branch
has its appropriate name. The Branch on which
itoches
stands is called Little River, a small narrow,
muddy
but Deep stream. These stream branches
are constantly
fluctuating, first one & then the other becoming
the
principle channel. That on which Natchitoches stands
it is said
is yearly becoming less & less
waters decline in this they
called Bondieu which leaves the main
river above
itoch
River
will so decline as to affect the commercial importance
of this place; the
owners of real estate here, however do not
seem to be apprehensive of the
decline of
as they say they
will connect this branch & the Bondieu
by a cross Rail Road a
distance of 4 or 5 miles; But if I
‑ should suppose if this
Branch ceases to be navigable, &
the
of a town would certainly spring upon on the other branch,
probably at its head
10 miles above this—
After entering the Red River, we run
several hours
without finding any banks to the River; the water
to spread illimitably over a dark thick illimitable for
derness
are low and
subject to overflow, rising a few feet above the
surface of the water;
this land is subject to entry, & a few
settlements are forming one
it; it is good land, but it will have
to be protected by levees; After
leaving
passing through this
we then enter into higher grounds where
the Banks rise
high above high water mark; and then commences
plantations
extensive & highly improved. This is the heart of the
cotton
growing country of Louisiana; the land is
exceedingly
fertile, but the water bad or none at all; th Rain water is
chiefly used; the Red
River being too muddy & brackish.
Situated on the western side of the River.
The property
chiefly owned by French who seem to be averse to improvement‑
Lots sells high— The
some little improvement going on; the
town dirty extremely, sickly,
streets narrow, houses in a
state of rottenness & dilapidation.
River water not used
much; One large spring about a mile dis distant
serves the whole town; the water
warm & bad—
Tuesday 14 The Red river
lands will th
200 lbs Cotton. One hand can make 7 Bales weighing 500
each
. The planters many do not make provender enough for
their horses; they have to buy. On board the
Romeo, were
several bales of Hay for the planters on the
river; at this
I was surprised; to think that in a country where corn is
so easily made,
that there should a deficiency—
On a fine day under favorable
circumstances, a first rate
hand can pick 300 hundred lbs; on an average
season, big & little old & young together
they average
The naches is the left or western branch of snow river.
it should be called
Snow river instead of Snow Naches as Naches
means
snow.
The following facts gathered from Judge Martin of Orleans
in a conversation
with him.
The Spaniards had possession of Florida until 1762
when
Spain parted with it to Great Britain. They
re-took Florida from G.B.
during the War of the
American Revolution; they kept it till the peace
of
1783 when it was confirmed to them by treaty of that
date. They
held it then until Mr. Monroe's
tration
tainedabout
dollars
and at the same time
relinquishing some
claims which she held against Spain for spoliations.
In this
as the line dividing this country
from the Spanish
possessions in Texas. The Sabine has two prongs
as
branches; a difficulty likely to arise as to which is
to be considered the
dividing line—
There are two rivers emptying into the sabine bay,
the one known
on the maps as Sabine, the other as
called in Texas Snow River up to its fork the left prong o
being called—
this is the true Sabine & the left
prong the real dividing
line between this country & Texas; But
this cannot be the fact
for the Treaty of 1819 ceding concluded at Washington City 1819.
Ceeding Florida, says that Mellishi's map
is to be the
governing one; &
in that map the Eastern Stream is the
one named Sabine.
On the Snow
river or Naches the degree of latitude
is not to be found mentioned in the treaty of 1819.
James Adams & Don Onis knew this.
From Martin's Louisiana-
1537- Soto sailed to subjugate Florida-army
nine
hundred foot & three hundred horse- furnished at his
own expense; he had acquired great wealth in
Peru when he accompanied Pizaro thither ‑
He
landed in the bay where Narvaez
had landed 11 years before.
‑ ‑ ‑ In the
Spring his army marched thro the back
part of the State of Georgia; being
in search of gold perhaps
the ancient signs of human work discovered in the
Gold region of
Georgia was dug by him ‑ ‑ he went
thro part of
Kentucky, Tennessee & returned to
the bay
of Mobile- He fought the Hiscaloosas Mobilians,
& Alabamians & other
tribes now forgotten. He fought
successfully for a long time; but illegible reaching red river
he died with
fever & was buried in a strong coffin
sunk by lead bullets in the
Mississippi that the
dians
in no good to
his country but ruin to himself &
his followers-
1541.
Muscoro succeeded Soto and led the army up
Red River to Natchetoches & Nacogdoches. Took
winter quarters here, built boats
& descended the
Mississippi in the spring, had a brush or two with
the
Indians-
1558 Admiral Coliquy sought in Florida an assylum
for his persecuted
protestants. Sean Ribaud headed the
colony & settled at
Augustine
1670. Talon the first intendent of New France
dispatched father Marquette
a recollet monk &
& Joil
Joliet a trader both at Quebec in search of
a river which the Indians had
given great accounts
of the Mississippi. They succeeded in descending
ding
sons
Muscoso one hundred
& thirty years before.
1678 Robert Cavelier de Lasalle, under the Prince
de Conti went on
projected discoveries in
compani
taking with him Chevalier de Toute a favorite of the
princes an italian officer.
1681. After many distressing circumstances
& opposition both
from indians & disaffection of his own
men, Lassalle
encamped on Red River March 27, 1681. He descended
and returned to
Canada thence to France to announce his
success.
4th July 1684. Lasalle, with 12 young men volunteers
& 50 soldiers set sail set sail
under patronage of
Govt.. with to plant a
colony on the Mississippi. In
sailing for the Mississippi they lost their
found themselves on an unknown shore. Lasalle
wanted
the Capt. Of the vessel to sail again for Mississippi, he
refused; Lasalle & his men went ashore; the vessel returned
to France, & Lasalle after
various efforts to find the Mississippi
finally built a fort on the Bay
now known as St. Bernards.
St. Bernard & garrisoned it with one hundred men-
Shortly after he
established another post up the river
Rio Colorado de Texas. He repulsed
indians in fight‑
After long exertions & fatigue his
followers became
anxious to return home, & attributing all their
suffering
to their leader he together with his nephew was murdered
in 1687. near the western branch of the Trinity River-
This broke up the
colony- they wandered awhile with
among the
Indians ‑
The Spaniards hearing of this Settlement, sent
Don
Alonzo de Leon to scour the country & hunt out the
french colony – he found none – met friendly by the
Assinais indians to
whom Leon gave the appellation
of Texas or friends. a few years the
spaniards sent
Missionaries
out here among these indians &
established
Military posts. These missions or posts were the
beginning of the spanish settlements in the province
of Texas.
1689‑ 91—etc.—
1698. Iberville now, flattering himself with better
success,
resolved to follow out La Salle's projects-he
was patronized by Count de
Pontchartrain. He met
with several of Lasalles men. Descending the
Mississippi
he planted his colony on the eastern extremity of the Bay
of
Biloxi. Here he built a fort. In May 1700 Iberville
sailed for France
& left his brother Beneville at
the head
of the colony & ordered St. Denys up the red river on
discoveries‑
him a stores &
a reinforcement of troops.
The colony paid but little attention to
agriculture ‑
harrassed by perpetual strife & wars with
the Indians;
the colony improved slowly, but little prosperity‑
1712 The King granted to Anthony Crozat the
clusive
Crozat's charter bears date 26 sept. 1712.
1716. Beneville was still Govr. of the fro colony — Two
frenchmen had been killed by
the Indians. Beneville
demanded the head of the chief by whose order
these
men had been murdered; An Indian volunteered to die for
his
chief & his head was accordingly severed & presented
to
Beneville as the chiefs; but Beneville learning that it
was not the chiefs, still demanded the head
of the chief.
A deputation waited
on Beneville & offered themselves as
sacrifices to save their chiefs; Beneville was inexorable,
and the chief
was finally executed illegible to appease him.
1716 St Denys was Crozat's agent to vend his goods.
He went to
Natchitoches to sell them & also to prevent
the encroachments of
the Spaniards from Texas. He
penetrated Texas down to where La Salle was
murdered
about 36 years previous. Here he was taken prisoner
& sent to Mexico; imprisoned 3 months, released and received
with hospitality by Don Pedro; whose daughter he falls in love
with
Mobile leaving his wife pregnant.
1718 Beneville fixed upon the place where new
Orleans now stands as the
principle settlement of the
1720‑ The spaniards having established posts
&
missionaries among the Indians in Texas, now claimed
this
country; Laharpe with men penetrated the
try
36 years
before as a part of Louisiana; he said that
he never heard that Spain had
ever had any pretensions
to any part of the country east of Rio Bravo; all
the
River flowing in the Mississippi with all the country
watered
by them being the property of france. P. 58
(In 1769. Natchitoches had 811 inhabitants; its present population
is about 12 hundred) In 1783 its population was 756.
In 1803. at the
cession to the U. S. pop. 1631. In
1810. 2870
1773 Daniel Boon with four other families commenced the settlement
Population of Mobile in 1785-
was 746. in 1803. 810
Fort Butler on the Alabama river, probably named after
the brave
& lamented Genl. Butler who fell in the
tion
Miro threatens transportion to every Quarteroon
etc. & who lives
who lives in a state of concubinage,
&
dress will be evidence of the fact. He
complains that the
head dress established between the Quarteroons & whites had not been
kept up. He directs them to wear their hair bound up in a
16631763. When Louisiana was transferred to
Spain
by treaty; the inhabitants were much opposed to it &
sent on a deputation to france to petition the King
to rescind the treaty.
Jean Millet was at the head of
the
mission returned & reported his failure- It was
two years after
the treaty before Spain took possession
of the Country. Don Antonio de
Ulloa appointed by
the King of Spain
at Orleans 1766,
visited the several posts and spent
much time at Natchitoches. According
to the census
taken this year there were between 5 & 6 thousand
whites
and blacks of nearly an equal number.
Ulloa had never
exhibited his authority to take
possession. The colony still flattered themselves that
they could
prevent the transfer of the county to Spain;
but on finding there was no
possibility of defeating
the treaty, many were for open resistance, and
plead
the successful efforts of the American colonies in
sisting
timid &
doubting- At a public meeting Resolution
was passed ordering
parted
command of O'Reilly to
take possession. The French
colors were struck; the Spanish hoisted;
& this ended
about 71 years after the arrival of Iberville
the
Govt. of France of Louisiana
O'Reilly took possession of Louisiana in 1769. On
his first arrival he
professed friendship & promised
oblivion to all the efforts which
had been made to
feat
as he
was fixed in power he basely murdered all the
principle leaders in the
opposition to Spanish authority—
O'Reilly's conduct was
disapprobated by the King of
Spain who prohibited his appearance at court.
The forces
he left in
1785. An attempt made to establish the inquisition‑
What was the disposition of Louisiana toward the
cause of the
American Colonies during the Revolution?
They were not unfriendly to it.
At the opening of the
Revolution there were In rend several Philadelphia Merchants
in
was the most
zealous & distinguished. The
ammunition for the settlers of the western part of
Pennsylvania.
This came within the Knowledge of tl
Canoes were sent from Fort Pitt
nitions
delivered to Col. Gibson. Capt. Willing
endeavored to persuade the
British settlers in this quarter &
to join the Americans, but they refused & continued
faithful to the
royal cause; probably from the apprehension that they
might
be doomed to suffer as Milhet & others in Louisiana who
opposed the
transfer of the
after punished shamefully & treacherously by
O'Reilly—
1778. Oliver Pollock now acted
American Colonies. Galvez
recognized him as such and
promoted his views. Galvez afforded them aid
out of the
Royal Treasury, to the
Capt. Willing on his second
visit to
men, commenced a predatory war upon the british
settlements
on the East side of the Mississippi at Baton Rouge &
other places.
The british withdrew to the west side of the river into
Louisiana
for safety, taking their slaves & other property. This
act of Capt..
Willing was deemed inhuman & ungrateful as he had
been
kindly
houses he burnt.
1779 Spain
aid she had afforded the
American colonies. In 1779. Spain
proposed that a meeting of the
where
independent nation.
pretext or charge
of America & fo by seizing on Spanish possessions
& to
plish
of
Louisiana, she declared war against
Spain's declaration of war
Galvez the Govr.. rallied all the
Americans in & about
who were joined by militia
about 14
hundred men. Galvez directed his operations
Baton Rouge, where. Col. Dickson
commanding at Baton Rouge
had only five hundred men. Galvez; succeeded
easily in taking it
it; a capitulation took place, and Galvez had the honor
of having the
exploit celebrated b in a poem by Julian
Poydrass a man of
wealth genius & afterwards a member
of Congress.
1779.
Congress sent a minister to Madrid for the
purposes of
be entitled to th a participation in the
navigation of the
Mississippi. Spain opposed it; France discountenanced
it.
It was contended by Spain, that the
to any part of the British possessions in Florida
or on the
east side of the Mississippi, and as Spain was now at
war
with
possession
of Florida & the British settlements on Mississippi,
and its was
expected by Spain that the U.S. would prohibit
all the all attempts abstain from any attempt to
take possession
her or conquer it herself, or
to
make any enroachments by forming settlements on it —
1780. Galvez after his
promoted to some higher command. His army
had
been disbanded inconsequence of the yellow fever &
small
pox; but having received reinforcement from
Havanna, he marched against
Mobile; and after many
disasters by storms, he reached there; erected
battery against
the Fort (Charlotte) and finally drove the commandent
— into
capitulation — Galvez now returned to
projected an invasion of Pensacola. He was equally
successful in taking that place. The garrison was
commanded by Genl.
Campbell; he was driven to
der
1781.
Pensacola with the whole province of West Florida was
from
by conquest all the possessions which she had ceded to
of Capt-Genl. of
the provinces of Louisiana & Florida—
Soon after this a general treaty was formed between
Florida to Spain and also ceded E. Florida to
her. "
acknowledged the Independence of the
as their southern boundary, a line to be
drawn
due east from a point in the river Mississippi in
the latitude
of 31 degrees, north of the equator, to the
middle of the River
Chattachoochee; thence along the
middle thereof. to its junction with
Flint river; thence
ocean." This is
the dividing line between the
Mississippi was
free and open to Spain,
the U.S.
A difficulty now arose between Spain
& the
regard to the Boundary; When Spain ceded Florida to
Britain
in 1762. The norther boundary was fixed at the 31st. degree
of
north latitude; But
important settlements, extended the line of Florida to
from the mouth of the Yazoo river; in
latitude 32.28.
Spain after the general treaty of '83; contended that
the line was intended to start from this latter point that
in
latitude 32.28, & runs to the Chattahoochee, because that
boundary of extension of the boundary of Florida by
G. B.
had always been recognized & acquiesed in; But the U.S.
contended for the lines 31st.. degree of
north latitudes being the
proper & true point,
extended Florida as she had done, & secondly, because the
31st
degree was distinctly specified as the starting point, in
the illegible
treaty of 83.
Another difficulty arose about the navigation
of the
Mississippi. Spain contended that G.B. nor
the U.S. having no land either
bank of the river
they had no right to demand its navigation; but
the
U.S. contended for her right under the treaty, and also
by
virtue of her succeeding to the british right to the
left bank above the
Bayou Manchac; Britain had
claimed the a
participant in the navigation by treaty of 62;
The U.S. succeeded to her
claim. The U.S. insisted upon
a litteral fulfilment of the treaty of 83,
When quarrels lasted for a series of years and
were finally
settled, by the retro-cession of Louisiana by
Spain to France, &
the subsequent cession of the territory
to the U.S. in 18___ and the
purchase of Florida in 1819—
During the period between the general treaty of
peace and of 1783. to the cession of the country to
the
U.S., what were the prominent circumstances in the
the Inquisition The deep interest the colony took in The efforts of Genl. Wilkinson to
the French
Revolution.
establish trade
between the western people &
is granted him 1789. The unsuccessful
attempts of the U.S. to
tain
French Revolution; Louisiana takes deep interest. Genet the
french
minister, planned two expeditions against Louisiana for
the purpose of
taking from Spain & attaching it to France.
Many Americans join in
the project & receive commissions
from him. Baron de Carondelet
Gov. at this time was a
Frenchman, but took all necessary means to defeat
Genet.
Carondelet attempts to separate the Western Country from
the
Atlantic States. In 1795 by treaty the U.S. has the
right to navigate the
Mississippi. Carondelet still
ting
under
some other pretence, to Kentucky to consult with Genl.
Wilkinson and other leading men. Lacasagne, Sebastian
Brackenridge & others leading men; Powers saw Wilkinson
who was
unwilling to join in the project; Powers returned
amp; reported to the Baron, that whatever might have once been
the
disposition of Kentucky to such a scheme, the people
were now indisposed
to it, since they had gain the
gation
cor
The U.S. in consequence of some spotiations on american
property, was
disposed to quarrel with France;
was
Gov.
President; he conceived the idea of conquering
and
additions were made to the army for this purpose, but
Adams
By the treaty on the first of
France, Louisiana was ceded to
France. The cession was
affected in 1801. Buonaparte took immediate
possession.
The French
Spanish dominion for 34 years; and were glad now
to be united to
their brethren from whom they had
been severed. But their rejoicings were
of short
ation
give up the
country to France, now sold the country to the
U.S.
which had been so
recently hoisted was lowered, and the
striped banner hois elevated in its stead —
Congress authorized the President to take possession of
the Territory in
Oct. The President done so, and appointed
Claiborn who was
Commissioners for
The U.S. gave 15 millions dollars —
Claiborn was the
first governor —
Burr
The first legislature was held in Louisiana 1806
What is the
up to 1812. The people were dissatisfied at
the new
order of things; The appointment of Claiborn,
nothing of this manners or language was offensive; his
sudden introduction of new laws & municipal proceedings
& the
Americans organized into volunteer companies &
ized
tweenamerican the two classes of citizens;
these &
other such acts, induced the peop
together with the
city
admitted as a State into the Union, induced the
habitants
was drawn up
& a deputation chosen to carry it to
Congress. Their memorial
a law declaring the
laws of Mississippi; & that
the Territory
should be admitted into the Union as soon as the population
should amount to the constitutional number viz. Sixty thousand —
Then came Burr into the country. In a year thereafter
the President
of the U.S was informed that Burr was
itating
but as these States were not suspected with
any want of
fidelity & attachment to the Govt. no attention was
at first paid
to the reports; the rumor however gaining strength, that
an
association extending from
the head of which was Burr, the president began to look upon
the matter in the light of a serious conspiracy; and appointed
Graham
Secretary of the territory of Orleans to investigate
the plot, ferret out
the workers and bring them to
ment
mationinvoking
warning the citizens from engaging in it &
calling on all
officers civil & military to be active &
pressing
figure in the
affair. With a
safety of some
he had discovered some of the most disteng eminent men
guished
let out
important contracts for the fortification of the City secretly
and called
upon the Govr. of Mississippi for troops who
refused because Wilkinson
refused to state what he wanted
with them; he calls
upon seizes by force & violence Bollman
& others
as conspirators; & shipped them off it was not known
where; Judge
Workman granted writs of Habeas Corpus for
their releasemt; Wilkinson
disregards them; takes the judge
prisoner & calls upon the Legislature to suspend the writ; Judge Workman liberated; he
of
Habeas Corpus; they refuse
calls
upon Claiborne as Govr. to protect the people of
the Territory from
military violence & maintain the civil
institutions &
authority of the country. The Govr. declines doing any‑
thing
in
Claiborne Rumor was afloat that Burr was desending
the Mississippi
with boats & and an armed force;
a reward of two thousand dollars for his apprehension‑
He was
‑
placed under a strong guard was
conducted to Richmond
Virginia for trial. I remember when he passed by
our
dwelling on his way thither, in warren county. Genl.
kinson
trial.
After a long & tedious examination of the matter
Burr was
pronounced by the jury Not Guilty. Then took
a new turn in Genl.
Wilkinson's fortunes. In december
after he a motion
was made in Congress in 1807 to bring Genl.
Wilkinson to trial, who was
strongly suspected not only of
being a pensioner of Spain, but also a
participater in
Burr's conspiracy. Wilkinson hearing this demanded a
court of enquiry; it was granted him.The court closed its
deliberations in June acquitting the General. The president
approved the
verdict. But not withstanding this verdict a
general impression prevailed
that he was guilty. A man by
the name of Clark made a publication against him, arraying
such a force of
testimony against him as to convince could
not easily be gainsaid or surmounted, shewing that he had
been a pensioner
of Spain & accomplice of Burr's, that
the clamor became so great
that he was ordered to return
to Washington City – Wade Hampton
superceeded him in
mand
committees
reported on his case neither actually
& yet
neither acquitting him
the illegible wards
gainst him were two that he had
Spain, that he had contrived with Carondelet to
separate the
western States
complice
& had
disobeyed orders. The trial terminated in his
acquittal & the
President approved the award 14 February
1812. This terminated the affair
of Burr & Wilkinson.
It is still the belief of thousands that
both are guilty.
The object of Burr was not discovered, but report
assigned
to him three separate objects — 1st The erection of a
new
secondly; thatan attack on Mexico; &
thirdly, the
settlement of the large tract of land granted by
Carondelet
to Baron de Bastrop on the Washita river. Be his
object
what it might, it is believed by many that
‑ son
turned traitor
to it, & basely betrayed his friend.
This brings matters down to
the declaration of War —
Louisiana
was admitted into the Union in 1811
admitted 30th April 1812.
Mobile.
On the 12th
of the
lying west of
the river Perdido, not then in the possession
of the U.S. When
she
claimed to the river Perdido yet she left Mobile in
possession of
Spaniards. Clairborn was ordered not to interfere
with any fort then
occupied by Spain. But in 1813 the US
States deemed it improper &
unsafe longer to delay taking
possession, & orders were
accordingly issued to Genl. Wilkinson
to take Mobile. The task was easy of
execution for the
Fort tho'
efficient men. Don
Gayetans Perez commanded who
ui soon perceived the necessity of capitulation. With A
part of the artillery retained by Wilkinson he sent
to
Mobile point which commands the entrance of the bay;
A small
force is still kept up at the point where is
stationed my military com friend Lieut. McKenzie.
After this
Wilkinson was returned to
ordered to join the army on the frontiers
of Canada.
Genl. Florinory succeeded him in the command of the
forces on the Mississippi; but not failed to
acquit
himself with any high achievements. He was a lawyer of
had the
thirst but not the abilities of one; he was approved
to the command in
violation of all the rules of gradation, by
the recommendation of Mr.
Crawford, whose interest he afterwards
opposed when he was candidate for
president of the US —
Texas — Bay St. Bernard
About 1799
the Spaniards erected a fort on the
ruins of one which La Salle and
it the Spanish flag. A few years after Laharpe
was
commissioned to take possession of St the bay
of
St.
Louisiana as premature
& was disapprobated.
Laharpe proceeded. His instruction was to
take
formal possession of the county by building a fort and by
placing on a post the arms of France in some
uous
indians
against the Spaniards & asked of them permission
to establish a
colony which they refused. After several
ventures
returned and
reported the unpredictability of making
at that time any settlement in
that quarter. I know of
subsequent efforts on the part of the French to
take
possession of the country. The Spaniards
foot hold, increased their settlements & have
remained
in possession of the country ever since. This excludes every
shadow of just claims of France to the territory as a
part of
Louisiana by virtue of LaSalle. Page 43.
Texas.
If you have be had the patience to wade
and wearisome letters
ably
made by
France to gain Texas as a part of Louisiana.
LaSalle's location on the
Colorado, and his unfortunate and
together with the
not have escaped your
nc notice. You will recollect that
after
the failure of LaSalle's attempted settlement of Texas
the Spaniards made
their way into that country, first by
sending missionaries among the
Indians, then erecting a fort
on the ruins of one once reared by LaSalle,
and finally
ting
the
claims of France, and formally to take possession; but
the
occupancy, and the
country has been
ever since As tenacious however as Old Spain
was
of her right to this territory, yet she took no steps towards
extending her settlements or in increasing its
population
and reducing it to cultivation; but on the contrary rather
seemed
oppose check enterprise and arrest emigration. She
was not
willing that other nations should get a foot hold in
the country,
& yet was unwilling herself to take any measures
for the its improvement. The reason of this was that
Spain
province of Mexico, and
ing
from her
authority, she was disposed to throw every obstacle
in the to
Texas was accordingly
interdicted; Travellers were not permitted
to
viewed in the light of a
tresspasser was subject to such
ishment
these efforts on the part of Spain to prevent the
settlement of
Texas, yet many of her new subjects, in violation of the
bition
colony
or towns
It was settled
had have been fostered by a like govt.. and salutary
laws,
U
it would
now, instead of being an insignificant rendezvous of some
5 or six
3 or 4 hundred penniless adventurers, it might be equal in
acterO Athens of America and in
wealth
& population unrivalled by any a inland city in the U.S. Th Such
is
the widely different or opposite effects which despotic & free
ap
appropriating
its the blessings of
Under the depressing influence of Despotism Nacogdoches has
slept for a century in ignorance idleness & poverty, whilst at
deemed scouraged by the under the auspices of the Goddess of liberty
has reared her stupendous edifice shed over the continent her
the light of science, and whitened every sea with the sails of
commerce.
The very same effects of the two systems are equally
acter
soul to
the level of the brute creation; Freedom elevates it to a
condition
compatible with dignity of its original creator, & man
Now it was from such unwise
and jealous policy that
Texas, remained for more than a century to the
world an unknown
wilderness. No attempts had been made by Spain to reclaim it;
But as soon as No one had any knowledge of the face
of the country
or fertility of its soil. It was not until Mexico had
succeeded
in emancipating herself from the dominion of Spain, and
erecting
herself as an independent republic, that the county was open
inedobtained
independence in 1821;
cted
been
suff suffered to remain
had the example of the American States before
her: the
the U.S. had wisely & liberally thrown open her vast
& fertile regions
not only to her own people, but to emigrants
from all quarters
of the world; and
happiness that follows
& resulted, determined the
Mexico to pursue the same policy and invite to
foreigners from
all countries to a residence in a country which had was new ascertained
to be unrivaled in
beauty salubrity & fertility —The door of emigration
was
accordingly thrown open to this delightful province. The
Govt.
now passed laws for the regulation of the Distribution
of the lands;
and the first grant which she made to an Empresarias
for
to Col. Stephen F. Austin.
It must be
remarked however that one abor one
abortive
attempt had been made
previous to its
& who he and
perhaps the
only foriegner who had any correct knowledge
of it succeeded in obtaining
from Old Spain a grant
for an extensive body of land which he selected on
the
waters of the Brazos & the Colorado with the agreement
that
colony 1000 families; but in consequence of the
Revolution
in Mexico, which broke out very shortly after he had
tained operated
a
defeat of
without having
realized any thing from his exertions—
In 1824 the Mexico adopted a Federal Constitution;
and
imitating the Americans not only the construction
of their
her
unappropriated domain, she commenced that course of
generous
encouragement to emigration which has so soon
populated the country with
— thousand souls and made
the wilderness to bloom &
blossom like the rose. The first
was the
renewal of the forfeited Grant to Austin to his
son Col.. Stephen F.
Austin. To this followed other grants
in rapid succesion, and the tide of
emigration
ally& is still increasing
with quadruple rapidity.
You may perhaps be pleased with to
for. Where they are. I give them
not only in
their true authography, but as source of them
names
shall will,
for convience to you, adopt the
plan of Walker in his
dictionary and spell them as they are pronounced.
Like‑
wise I will give the date of the grants and specify the
ber
I left
on Wednesday afternoon 15 July and proceeded only
about 9
miles to a Mr
and
fared myself much better than my mare, which was
limited in her supper to
oats
scanty and dry. My bill was a dollar
& quarter. After early
breakfast taking leave of liberal
landlord I proceeded solemn &
solitary on
my over a thin gray
soil sandy soil but little tempting to emigration,
for about 15
miles when I stopped at Mr
adapted to my appetite & where my mare made her was
nished
two preceeding feeds. She had corn oats &
fodder in abundance
and doubtless done as much execution in the manger as
I
did in the trencher. From
rs
was told that furnished provided with oats
a very
material consideration
almost entirely consumed on
the road. At most of the public
stands nothing was to be had but green
corn, an article, which,
the inexperienced in very few days riding will
find
sufficienthorse
travelling animal. My
nag was here with
abundantly served with food, but badly
watered. I said My land lady was antiquated
in the vale of years, but she was not more ancient in this
particular than she was in manners. She is a genuine
20 years ago acted from
instinct, spurned all formality
and spoke without art. I enquired if she
would have tea
for supper; no,
her that I not only
preferred it but could not drink coffee
she replied that she had good milk
& I could drink that. I
insisted however on having tea, and
believing that she possibly
might not have the of it it probable she had
none of the article, I poured from a tin canister which
I had filled with
the article
ted
drawn in time for supper, but said that she had plenty of
her own and would placed what I handed her on
the
shelf as she said for another time; that time however came
not
to me, for I departed early next morning after settling a
moderate bill of
62 1/2 cents. Some where between
Mrs
and
fallen in with a
drawn by 6 yoke of
oxen all of which
bottom of the channel with an awful crash & a
splash. No
material damage was done to the live stock, but driver
& his
whole team having
met a sadder fate; with every spoke fellow & hub
broke &
every joint wrenched
& splintered the unfortunate vehicle large with the goods floating
around it like a
ruined world. But never mind that. With permission I will
proceed with my
important & deeply interesting
next day's journey was
8 & twenty miles; it being 16 miles to the
Mr.
Ander where I took quarters for the night.
The
son's
know is the dividing line between
narrow muddy stream, emptying into the
Mexico
for small keel boats. immediately on its western bank
resides Mr
in him whom I gathered much
present political condition of the Country. He has been
acting as Alcalda, which with us is Justice of the Peace,
and it would be well if the offices were generally filled
with men having
half his information
do right;
but in consequence of the law requiring the
Alcalda to reside
office rather encounter the of which he
would have attendant upon faithful & punctual atten
dence compliance with the law
tionMr Anderson It is useless to say
that
stood up to her corn
& fodder, and the reason was she had some to stand up to.
fared well, not scantily fed, she stood up to a
rack filled
with fodder and a trough full of corn; and such is the
always the case when I have the good fortune to sojourn
with a man of breeding & gentility. No man
education and politeness
will ever starve put a
weary animal on half allowance to save a sixpence
it is never done except
have
not been expanded by intelligence and whose
humanity but whose
rance
Mr
whom I
domiciled the night, was is worthy of a passing
remark
for having so egregiously violated the Malthusian
cy lay on the floor
stretched my
limbs on the floor to recruit my exhausted strength,
there flocked around all in noisy confusion a
ion It was
which were the more numerous or noisy. That a new
settler
pioneer in a country where game abounded should have
around him a vociferous pack of hounds is a
circumstance
may be reasonably expected & easily
justified;
it was no way surprising, but how came these congregated
there such a number of children from three to
six feet
high in regular gradation like a pair of stairs, was a
matter
for which I could not so readily account, nor perceive the
policy or reasonableness of. Perhaps he was a schoolmaster,
or more likely
he took they were there as boarders
venient
those
children are all his own; and what is still more
extraordinary &
laughable is that they are not half which
he has. Of how many do you suppose he is the father?
twelve, higher 15
- higher 20 higher 25 thats the
and I put him against any
other man in ten states who
has been married only twice
population increases faster
than the products for its support;
proposition no doubt
true in dense populated countries;
and if Mr
he had done no service to
community; but residing in
a fertile region & sparse population, I
can look upon his
the south western wilds, for which he ought to be
rewarded with 25
leagues of the richest soil of
Here my own
fare was not
been much worse, if I had not examined the stable
bribed the
servant to replenish the empty trough. My
bribe
I left before breakfast paying him 125
the sum which I had paid the night previous
same provender and a superior supper, but of this I could
unsophisticated
widow. Taking an even start with the
sun I until
which brought me to mr
Here I took up
my abode for two or three
on Friday
during the time suitable attention & kindness; and
paying on
my departure 3 dollars to the friendly host & 50 cents
to the Servants.
Indisposition was the cause of my stopping. I was
valescent
attack in
and the long days journey which I had made the
day
previous threw me into a high fever, which returned the
next
morning with increased violence and disabled me from
promoting my proceeding beyond this gentleman's
house.
the
condition of my health. The inmates of the habitation
were not wanting in
kindness;' and I had the
tion of my worthy
tances
the
more or less from fever & the relazing in debilitating
fluence
bracing themselves
up by the potent energies of Quinine
and on their recommendation I took a
dose of it myself
which only served to increase
A Camp meeting was held in the
hood several
good
many
persons of mixed character
afforded me an opportunity of making several
inquiries
in relation to face of the country & the
conditions of the principle rivers.
to navigation They satisfied me that the lands were
generally
fertile & the water courses not susceptible of extensive
navigation.
Here, for the first time I heard anything like political
cussion;
warmth, whilst all seemed to take more or less interest in the
matter. Some
were in favor of immediate separation from
the Central Govt others thought they had no grounds of
plaint
a desire
to have the country purchased by the
met with opposition. I found
however that all
with one
with great caution & reserve
as if they were
some cause, I know not what, of making their opinions
fully & freely known. Amongst the company was an
tunate
having too
long a tongue and secondly in having lost his
ing
much
taken up with himself to talk upon any other subject.
No matter what
topic was introduced,politics
or speculation, he was certain to be the loudest
and longest
er
into
a tedious hystory of his own private affairs - It
appears
from his own representation that there dwelt in the
neighborhood an old man who was
and a great
dealer in slander who
tiful
her
father's failings with whom our hero fell desperately
in love and with
the brevity of another hero of ancient date
who came, saw and conquered
so he woed and won and married this
fair paragon. It is not known how
far he was influenced
in the matter by
but certain it is, that in a short time after the happy
union, he demanded
of his father-in-law certain cows
bulls and heiffers wh as the rightful property of his blushing
bride purchased by her own labor and secured to her by title
in her
maiden name, which aforesaid stock the old man
had promised day to day to
deliver but with his
ial
to be
borne and a quarrel shortly ensued between the party
which increased in
violence until they came to open hostility
to each other and
and beautiful evening when our hero
was as tranquil
as the close of day, he chucked his bride under the chin,
and laughingly said "I wonder Serena how it happened
that bad a
father should have so good a daughter." The
bride flattered with
attention and doubtless partaking some
little of the general disgust
against the old man, as also
a little indignant at not having her cattle
duly surrendered
she said to the good natured husband that if he would
what had
gel
What is it?" "Why" replied the lady, he is not my father
whom you take to
be, my mother is my mother, but my
father is another man." Our hero
ordinarily was a
sitive
to love her
less on the account of what she could help -
Parentage and birth was
nothing as long as she was all beautiful
and virtuous, and his felicity
was not to be interrupted by light
a severer shock. He was visited early one
morning by
his old enemy, who told him that Serena the beautiful
Serena had been over to his house and after expressing her
utter disgust
over the brutality of her husband requested him
to call this morning and
take her home; that she was
resolved no longer to live with a man for
whom it was
impossible for her to retain any affection or respect. This
would
have operated on any other person as a damper;
but our hero
was in somethings a philosopher and to the
message and demand of the old
man he coolly
If Serena talks
about me she does the same about you.
But a few evenings ago she told me
your conduct was so
disgraceful and rascally that she was determined no
ger
she is
not your daughter, that she had been always
sidered
infamy of
than her
mother's disgrace." This was certainly a
a good roland to the old man's oliver, but the result of the
affair was
old woman, now took taking sides with her husband against
the
unfortunate son-in-law and by united
efforts finally
ceeded
return to
her mother's
band
matters between them for the present; probably likely to continue so.
I was too unwell to attend camp meeting more
than to spend a few hours
there on saturday noon.
The congregation was not very large say 150 which
was
attributed to the inclemency of the weather. I was told
that one
had been held last year in the neighborhood
which was numerously attended.
I heard but a part
of a discourse which was interrupted by the rain.
The
Preacher's name was
visit to from
by the Conference out of
the missionary fund, his
dance
gregations.
man but if his pay
be only in proportion to the
ity
& precarious. A young Minister rose in
the pulpit
& announced that a collection would be taken up the
next
day for father
of blarny to his audience he hoped they would not
only be
liberal in feeling but also in their pockets—
He was a sharp
spruce looking hick who might be
more readily taken for
sadorshirt and his cravat was
tied not
his shirt collar was equally as broad as mine which you
know is not very
narrow, but differing in this particular, that
mine are is turned down, whilst his running to a point
projected
like two up to his eyes like the horns of the
of the moon and shoving up
to lift him off the ground. He looked like he would
have
to mount a stump to spit over his cravat. His name I
knoweth
not & if I knew it would be useless to give; he may
probably be
really a
serous
and a
sincere christian in spite of his "false bosom."
I noticed in the congregation among the ladies a due
proportion of beauty,
and among the men the usual
order dignity and appearance. Indeed so
far as
looks and propriety of conduct & behavior was
concerned
I doubt whether you could find in a similar promising
assemblage of the same number, a larger share of it
in any parts of my own
State. Two ladies particularly
struck my attention, one of them a married lady whose
whom I afterwards saw at Mr
sonal
united
dignity with ease, and elegance with simplicity would
have adorned
& enlivened the proudest mansion in any
country. To me she looked
like a lost pleiad which had
been shaken from the bands of Orion
had mild blue eyes, skin that would shame the snow,
and features of pleasing regularity, and nothing
wanting to make her a
belle
animation. I called her
the dead beauty. From a
young physician
leaving the encampment returned to my lodgings with a
high
fever.
Monday morning I I said bid adieu to Mr.
his worthy lady, some little
repleted in the health in my
feelings but
population of a hundred souls or more, I arrived about
one
oclock at Mr
I dined and tarried until next morning tortured all the
while
with a burning fever & most excruciating head ache. I found
the
gentleman & his wife polite & kind enough; but there
was on
the premises a silent down cast unintelligent selfish looking man
against whom I could not help
contracting a strong prejudice
mainly on the account of his appearance
& phrenological
opments
and
strongly developed in the appropriate organ; and
dingly
nature was
fully displayed. I was too unwell at the time
to attend to feeding her
myself, but on going to the stable in
a short time after, I found not a
blade of oats fodder or
a grain of corn. There was in the trough some
five or
cobs which the hungry creature was laboring to masticate
I asked this individual if Believing that his old
corn was rather
scarce to feed bountifully with it I concluded that I
would
give her green corn rather than she for her
not to have ebough
to eat she should suffer for the want of food, and
accordingly
proposed to him to let the negro boy gather some
fodder blades from from the field, to which he
yielded a
reluctant assent saying that he was
the stalk would injure the ear; the boy came with a few blades
not more
than I could span with one hand, and that was
about all which
will call Gripus
reflecting being
can get his
a part and make money by such inhuman
means. Such a man
should not only be doomed to travel like the two
pilgrims to
route on a half allowance of bread & water
would hardly
traveller's hungry
& jaded horse. I had much rather that
my own meals should be
abridged by the tavern keeper than
that he should be starved; and when I
must left Mr T—
the next
morning in settling my bill I felt that I would
rather have paid four fold
& had my animal well
provided for with water & provender.
From Mr reached went to
a man by
the name of
next morning when I set out in company with a
stranger &
reached wednesday it being
nesday
to this place, I was
few hours more than 7 days coming
ing
on the map only one hundred.
And now after this long rigamarole, I fancy I
hear you exclaim —
"What does all this t
care I about how far you rode &
where you tarried —
what doth it signify to me who you saw; who fed
your brute; who stinted
her allowance— I want to know
something of the face of the
country, the character of
its soil and the facilities of
transportation—" True the
dull & altogether unimportant
& worthless; but
since you will insist upon my writing lengthyly
letters
you must expect them porportionally dull & heavy.
And as for the kind of
information which you desire
I can impart all which I have been able to
gather
in very few words. I will proceed to do it.
From the
a thin gray soil such as we find in the poor parts
of the
undrained lands of
I think the country resembles very much the
ties
and salubrious. I call it a poor county holding
out
but few inducements to migrants except the low price
at which it
can be procured. But a small portion
of it as yet has been offered for
sale, it was not in
demand & and the Govt
arrested the sales; there are some
few sections open to entry at the
Govt price 125 cts.
There are on the road good
many squatters, who all
expect to hold their possessions when the country
is brought
into market by preemption laws. I doubt not that
much
valuable lands are to be obtained at the minimum
price, which will be in
demand in few years. Poor
persons who wish to get possessions without
money &
without fines would do well to settle as a squatter in
this section
ter
& branches along the road were dried
up. I saw but
few running streams, and from this I can conclude it to
be
a limestone country. The timber is like that which we
usually
find on thin soil in
Directly we crossed the
altogether of a different nature; the whole face of the
country varies
from the east side of the stream. It
It appears that nature designed their river not only as
ts
a line boundary between the two Govts but also as a
after crossing the Sabine
woods
a dark deep red
soil which presented one unvaried
appearance of complexion &
fertility for — miles until
I reached the
known in
extended on the left side of the road nearly to the
left s
right side further than
has as yet been explored by the whites. The lands
tainly
judge they
were of a thirsty nature & would require a
good quantity of rain,
which the settlers seem not to
expect. The rains in the summer here are
few &
far between. I have been told that they rarely ever
have a seasonable year; yet they all seem to
culate
it rains or not.
This year has been very dry yet
I noticed corn & cotton that
promised a rich harvest.
This I attribute to the freshness of the fields;
I cannot
that when the soil shall have been cultivated for
several years & repeatedly exposed to the sun, that
they will be
able to realize what they now gather without
copious & frequent
rains. The soil is deep and will
last well. I noticed along the road a
good deal of
corn, low yellow,
fired & with very small ears. Mr
pson
pected
of cotton to the
acre in a small field which attracted
my attention; but if it should prove
seasonable from
now out, he would make double that; but his land was
unusually good & situated on a small creek.
The red lands are well
watered; and the streams
do not dry up as on the east side of the
After crossing the
the land changes. The soil is of light
and thin with
sandy foundation; occasionally interspersed with
strips of the red land, but generally very poor much
of it not reaching to
continues to
place the country is not hilly
or mountainous but gently
undulating, and very badly timbered. The size
and
nature of the timber here is no indication of the
of the soil. The richest part of the red lands have
hardly
enough trees sufficiently
It is oak, hickory, black
jack & post oak, nearly all
of it of scrubby growth; except on the
water courses, and
even on them there are thick sturdy growth of
towering trees
as characterize the low forests of
seems delightful; the
woods green with grass; abundantly
watered; very easily cleared and
remarkably fertile
when opened. I know of no possible objection
to
the country except two, its inconvenience to market and the
apprehension
that the lands in a few years will require
more rain than usually falls in
this country during
the summer season. With regard to the facility of
market
the
the produce of the country from this place to
There is the
it is navigable or not; many say that t
will be with
a little clearing out; my own impression I have already
expressed in another part of this letter. By
the map you will perceive that I have been speaking of
the lands contained in the three grants of
&
is called the "New York
The Sabine is not navigable it
The mexican women
are remarkable for their elegance of carriage and
the
gracefulness with which they wear the mantle.
taken
prisoners were hung in consequence of
their not having some showing of
citizenship.
They are of dark swarthy complexion, darker than the
inhabitants of old
the Indians. They all have black hair & eyes. The women
a far from
being
any of the indian race on
regularity of features. The same
remark applies to the men; they seem to
be as I presumed
they are in fact an intermediate race between the Span
iard & the Indians Castilian and the
children of the
son,
who was by way of
distinction called "the girl with
light hair". They are both men &
women, kind and hospitable
but none but destitute
than the savages
without their patriotism or war-like
sition
such
amusements. In manners, customs and dress
ever
a
natural & unavoidable effect from their situation
These people have long been in possession of the fairest
country in the
world, embracing every variety of soil, climate
etc; a country equally
adaptable for making sugar, wine, cotton
corn, tobacco, grazing &
wool growing, and yet from
their constitutional & habitual
indolence & inactivity they
have suffered these advantages to
remain unimproved
and now have the regret if they are capable of
making
the reflection of seeing the country pass into the possession
of another people, and all the blessing which they might
have reaped flow
to a race whose presence must, if
not totally operate their extinction, at
least keep them in
a state of povery and degradation. The greatest
bounty
of providence they have neglected to improve & profit by
and enjoy, and have parted with without even a mess of
pottage in return.
Yet these people seem not deficient
in natural genius. They have taste in
music,
ting
would be found equal to any of the European
Americans.
They seem particularly to have a taste for the mechanic
arts. The skill & ingenuity evinced in the manufactoring of
various articles useful & ornamental, out
of gold
silver & wood is evidence enough of their capacity
& their happy
adaptation for mechanical and manufactoring
pursuits. If the
climate be too relaxing to
them for them to pursue
tural
their
attention to employments more better suited to
their
their climate & habits & disposition; they might
have become
a
cotton
they might have rivalled the European
nations
and furnished the american with
people secured themselves
the trade of their
these blessings, they have preferred to languish in
poverty
lance their
country the most delightfulland in the world under the sun
to remain continue for more
than a century unreclaimed & unenjoyed.
The Mexicans are the best riders in the world, and
in war no cavalry would
stand before them. They are equal
to the fierce and wild
is impossible to unhorse him. He will
bridle and saddle
the wildest Mustang in
forest on the
on his back will lead defiance to any exertions
which
the animal may make to free itself. Their triumph over
the
terrified or infuriated steed
bit which
is forced in his mouth and the counteraction of
saddle leather upon his
back; the one being of iron, large
and strong and contrived with a lever
power that can almost
disjoint the
of the animal so that it
cannot turn, has broad stirrups
cannot
in front, reared up nearly to the breast of the rider over
which he draws a check rein and which he can seize
& support
himself in any
terrified & infuriated animal may rear & kick
down
the plains, bound down & rush into rivers
all
unavailingly, for the rider secure in his seat but laughs
at the efforts
and spurs him into more furious cantering.
Their horses are strong and athletic notwithstanding
their diminuitive
size, being certainly larger than the Ozark
horses but not near equal to
the English or American breed. They
breed the most of what they own, as
the most of the wild
have returned far into the interior on the
River
between high up on the rivers of
but they are rapidly receeding from the
advances of
human footsteps & In a few
only the neighborhood of the
however occasionally hunted by
the natives on the
Traffic in these has
was
business intercourse between the Americans
& Mexicans,
and it was in catching & taming
of the forest that they became such
intrepid in this horsemanship equestrians. The ass and the
mule
herd with the mustang & when a drove of either is to be
taken for domestic purposes or for exportation, the plan
adopted is to
form a small enclosure with a narrow inlet
from which entrance inlet they extend run out wings
into the prairie in doing as they
line
these until the mouth is sufficiently
extended
attract
the attention of the animals or alarm
hensions Thus preparedMexicans hunters go in quest oftrained for the of
the
best speed and bottom
plains until they find a drove
of to five hundred
of to three hundred which they deploy and lure into
which
have been extended by sending a horse or two of
their own,
drilled to purpose & sensible of their duty, to head
the drove.
The disciplined animal moves carelessly on in
the path prescribed whilst
the unsuspecting mustangs follow
on like a mighty cavalcade in the footsteps of the pioneer,
until they are
fairly hedged in by fences on either and
their prisoners in the rear. The
Mexicans now, loosing
saddle-bows and planting their
long spurs
of steel into the flanks of their horses, they charge
furiously
upon the bewildered and terrified drove, which driving them
ahead like a
a narrow portal they find themselves encompassed by a
small impregnible enclosure which resists ever deperate
effort to escape.
with a running noose adriotly thrown over
their necks. The
likeliest of the flock are selected and the balance set at
left free, to cut bead
They As it is with
the mustang on the plain so it is with man; the very beauty &
strength that gives
the one supremacy on the plain
the loss of liberty, whilst with the
the unhappiness or to ruin
of the other is often not than otherwise wrought by the
very
qualities which exalt him among his fellow creatures—
The wild horse is said to be the Andalusian blood
crossed by the Arabian.
blood. They are adapted for war or distant
journies
as they can live upon much less and perform equal labor.
They are not heavy enough for
travel on grass
Travellers in
good one
in
When taken young they do well, but the old ones
are apt to run away. the
method of breaking them
to the saddle is barbarous; it is done by
starvation and
hard riding. One newly caught is mounted and suffered
to race
red
stops of his
own accord. The same thing is repeated
& the animal suffered until
he is entirely subdued.
The Andalusian horses are the purest mounts in
this
world they are so called because of the place where they are
bought in
These indians inhabit the mountainous district of
atum
Autumn, & where they
deposit their family
ally
kill the
sometimes they
kill them with spears. The
so acute in its scent that they cannot get in shooting
distance
of them to kill them with their rifles. They are docile
placable
timid until wounded when they
become furious & make
terrible & dangerous war upon there
adversary. Their flesh is
food for the Indians, and their skin an article
of traffic.
They are with so
and
imparting to them a pliability
equal to the dressed deerskin
of the Creek indians. Their trade is
altogether in wild horses
& thousands, tame them & then herd
from
not even for
bread; they eat alone from year to year. The country is fertile but all
See Page 116
The nearest settlement to
one family near the fish bar is forty miles to
the same distance at the mouth of
the
It is susceptible of no division that can make more than
4
states— Of those 4 two would be and the coast
and 2 would be
interior— The two
also be agricultural— The other two would be
, grazing & mineral states; air salubrious, climate
ming
delightful— In the rear of these interior states would be
a
region of
cess
exterminated might form two temporal Govts.—
The term
whole tract of country lying between the Southwestern
boundary
of the
& according to the political arrangement
include the whole of that
region."—" There is The federal state
of
lipas
miles north of
scallops out of what is
geographically called
tract equal to
out continuous
in depth is an arid sandy
&
sandy and sterile plain, affording scarcely sufficient
herbage to sustain
the few deer that no & wild horses
that roam upon it." "The
stream incapable of any useful navigation and distinct
of a harbor for
anything superior to a shallows."
"
ion
pack mules to
other minor inland towns" it contains from 7
to 9
thousand inhabitants & increasing with unchecked
rapidity"
acquisition of it to this Govt would be of no value
for the country on this side of
the
proximate to Texas the
pable
In the House of Representatives of the U.S. on the tariff
be the condition of the plating if there if it (duties on
cotton)
should be taken off? They had He was
not for letting
market as
to the sea. It is all gently undulating until
within
sixty of the coast where it becomes level. 70,000
In 1827 the population of
The territory is equal in extent to that of
Its sea course is not less than 350 to 400
miles long
7000
Law passed in 1830 prohibiting Americans from settling, repealed 1834
After
passing
a
generally may be said to be a
timber on all the water courses. This is
particularly the
case after passing the
the north west they are of vast extent. Dense
forests
are to be found on
high lands.
Cane ripens several inches higher than in
The Rep Federative
Republic are the state of
Chiapas
,
Chihuahua
,
Coahuila & Texas
,
Durango
,
,
Mexico
,
New Leon
,
,
Puebla de los Angeles
Queretaro
,
San Luis Potosi
,
,
,
co
Tamaulipas
,
Vera Cruz
,
Xalisco
,
Yucatan
Zacatecas
; the territory of
Upper ,
Lower,
Colima
, &
Santa Fe
of
Coahuila & Texas would probably been
separate
state if Mexico had not been jealous of American
legislation
Coahuila lies more adjacent to mexico, and is
populated
chiefly by Mexicans, here they were attached to Texas
as a check in the Legislature.
My ague & fever at
had ever had, at
least for so many years that I had no relation of
the feelings produced.
It is all dreadful disease; I felt like I
was in a state of depotation;
sliding on the polar ices, but burnt
up at the same time. The fever
notwithstanding the extreme
agony into which it threw me gave double
calamity to the mind;
I was all night long writing poetry, making
speeches, fighting battles
soaring with the eagles & throwing them
in among the
untains
pouring
its burning lava
Before reaching
along
in a slow walk without any object apparently to
frighten her, suddenly
gave a tremendous snort "and
back recoiled I knew not why" and made
a
desperate effort to beat a retreat; presently I heard
something
like the music of a grasshopper and
covered stretched
road a large
from his
fangs as if ready to strike and his tail
surgingan note admonitory note
let the "admonished beware". I had no fiddle like
Chattanbrain to charm the monster into peace &
cency
until suitably armed. I subdued the monster with
instead of doing with music
of Palestine"
Natchitoches
Arrived there sick; Dr
neglected me yet brought in an
enormous bill of 49.75
Remember nothing he done for me except bleeding
me
once, presenting some pills & quinine after; ,his
gusted
partner in his pra
the practice Dr.
see me once.
The family also neglected me; the old lady & 4 daughters.
in the town. From a traveller who had just arrived
from the
him his full price without jewing him 110$. After the
bargain
was concluded & he paid he threw me a
like a walking cane with a hollow tube fettered to the
of it. the other end pointed The use of
this staff was
to support your umbrella in riding by passing planting one
end in a leather socket
attached to the stirrup leather, and
sticking the handle of the umbrella
in the tube
attached at the other end. As the man I purchased it of
him and found finding it a great convenience I by turn
recommend it to
you when you have to carry an umrella
on horseback; but I leave it you to
say whether
it was liberal & generous in the man from whom I
purchased then to make me pay one dollar for this article
for which he had
no further use. He should have thrown
it in with the saddle &
briddle, but instead of this he sold
it, making by the transaction a
dollar & losing his character for liberality.
When he was sent in occupancy with some Canadians
& Indians to
arrest the Spaniards in their attempts to form
a settlement in the
neighborhood of he was &
also to proceed into the intended provinces of Spain to
find
sale for Cozats goods; he reached
adventure. This was in 1714. He left some of his
Canadians
here (after erecting huts for them) & there proceeded
into
internal provinces of
went to
where LaSalle was murdered. He forced them to the
where he was apprehended t
of
he
was imprisoned for 3 months; released & conveyed back by the Govt.
to Caonis. Thence he proceeded to
daughter; and
finally got to about two years from the time
he started on his journey. The Canadians left at
a detachment under the command of
build &
garrison a fort. This was the foundation of
In 1718
which had been taken from in his expedition of 1714. Here he was
prisoned
on credits & never dtd
he was again imprisoned, but soon
obtained release & means of escape
home
On his return home he was ordered to give up his command of
take command of
in prosperity for two years, when his
determined to trade or fight; shortly, he was assailed by the Natchez, but
his invaders.; His exploits drove the Natchez into peace after a long war
in 1734. His
to move along in a
slow pace of improvement for many years. In 1769 its
to 1769 a period of 35 years if could
boast of He.
After
iards
but the
French having settled it & retaining possession, it was claimed
as
a part of
always wished to be in
possession of this point of trade (
They accordingly still kept up their incredulity upon it.
In 1806 a part of the soldiers from the fort at
were sent to build a new establishment
about
at the t of
an army of 7 hundred
&
a
this new settlement. The
replied that they did not wish to conquer this
part of the territory, but
that they had a right to patrol
of annexing her
forces also ordered
with his army forthwith.
after the arrival of these forces at Natchitoches the
forever (as he himself demured)
necessary in
best to make peace with
t of
after stating to those that his
object in going to the
not war but a
peaceful occupancy of the rightful territory of the
he would the Spanish
forces should be
withdrawn to
the
American forces to
thereafter cross the
restored, and Wilkinson
of
At Nacogdoches some travellers
arrived and
told the horrible tale of the mob rising in some town
in
blers
er
be delivered
to her for decent burial, which they refused
and threw it into a
ditch—
The T'esh
Irish Bayou
but the true name is from the tribe of
Indians called
T_eshe.
in 1820 to obtain a Grant of land for the
Cherokees,
he failed in his mission, returned among the
indian,
prevailed upon some to come without
permission and in 1827 raised an army
of
them joined by some 40 or 50 Americans and
commanded by
name of
conquer
by the Mexicans and driven back.
colony aided in repelling them; the
Indians sued
for peace, and
ling
who had been long acting as colonel in the Mexican
Govt) that
to not only to restore peace but
also to
for the death of the Mexican who had fallen in
the
skirmish, the only man killed in the affair
several were wounded. The proposition was
assented to
& the indians accordingly killed
fled with
his family across the
was pursued by 2
Cherokees and
his
camp. there were no Indians engaged
in the way but the Cherokees, and this
was the
first introduction of the Cherokees in
party of them had quarrelled with the
chiefs
of the nation in
and
some Cherokee in
his life, but he had seen
scheme.
ded
in
to it,
but when
and told them
that the land was theirs & they
then they took an army to defend
what they thought
belonged to them.
Page 148
Lands from
Lands from Nacogdoches to the Angelina
nced
sandy land, with
occasional good tracts near the
water courses.
After crossing the river I am told the
land is good and very level,
continuing into the
Natches distance 16 miles. From naches to the
Trinity
upwards of 50 the country is attractive, the quality of
the soil varying
any thing like
freestone water, well are used
gether
delightful draught. True
I left
reached the
weather most intolerably hot; I coughed up blood & bile
every five
steps of the way; had a dreadful time of it, but
finally reached the
river, took lodgings with
when I was
completely prostrated with the fever; took
heavy dose of calomel but still
I coughed up bile as bitter
as quinine mixed with mucus from lungs. I
afterward
tried Tartar
the next day
morning swallowed a heavy dose of blue masses
and rhubarb & aloes.
This left me nerveless. My stomach
was injured by the Tartar, have no been
able to digest any
thing since, dyspeptic as the devil, but the fever
seems
to have left me & I am now trying the quinine. I
expect
to leave here tomorrow morning which will be Monday the 1st
August.
See page 105
At r
office of a Judge with whom
he felt agrieved in
some way, & laying a brace of pistols on the
table invited
the man of civil authority
this
military above
the Civil authority; and the honorable
man of the green bag & wool
sack, having once taken
up arms in
could not consistently with his past conduct
& present profession, do
otherwise than decline the honor
tended
his pistols, fined 50 dollars for the indignity offered to our
officer of
Govt & 50 dollars to the Judge
himself for the fright & for some other cause unknown.
History of Texas—
When
When
from
removed to Nacogdoches
In 1812 the Mexicans in the Interior
to establish a republic in their country. They
sent Texas to
the
t took no
notice of it, but
suffered him to get as many volunteers as he
could; he succeeded in obtaining 150 Americans;
erable
reached the
two of their
men suddenly shot down by the other
party; this threw panic among the
Spaniadsish
army which retreated to
Whilst the Spanish army was marching to
the
settlers in
against
torily
guard were
fired on & the army broke the other
three Americans departed
& joined their
men
the
Spanish forces to
(
in time to save the life of the
refused to fight just about to be executed. The
Spaniards
fled & retreated to
Americans pursued them, and concluded to
take
possession of
good fort.
They marched directly to
secretyl advanced into the fort at the very
ment
terrified soldiers
leaped the walls & fled & thus
the fort was taken without
the fire of a gun.
Third day after the fort was taken an army
came
of 1700 advanced upon the fort; in a few
days they had a reinforcement of
4 or 6 hundred
more Spaniards. Thus was the fort compassed
by an
army of 2,000 or more whilst in the fort there
were only about 150 Americans & 250 Mexicans
who
had joined them. A struggle ensued which
lasted for 4 months; fighting
every day until the
soldiers in the fort finally issued out and
pletely
Antonio
army with
reinforcements met them about 4 miles
from town, a battle erupted, the
Spaniards fled & the
Americans took possession of
13
them to
they were
secretly taken away & every one of their
throats cut. This horrid transaction was
committed by a few blood thirsty
men without the
knowledge or approbation of the troops and so
soon
as the troops heard of it, it created such
versal
band
resign & return home rather than be
associated with
such men. The American & Mexican troops
ed
which was easily
dispersed.
In the fight previous about 4 miles from town
the Commandant of the Spanish
forces felt so confident
of beating the Americans when he could get
them
in open
with strings to tie the
prisoners when he took
them; they were then whipped in 15 minutes
&
killed.
At last
l
to the Command after the first
battle at
Antonio
& Mexicans less
successful under their new leader
were completely whipped & routed
after
lives of glorious achievements
exploits. The routed troops
broke for the
28 Mexicans & 3 Americans
prisoners; They discharged
the Americans & shot the Mexicans. Thus
the war of 1812 &
1813; between the
icans
See page 112
thence to Natchitoches and with a view
of
learning whether the routed would rally again, he
went privately to
himself to
raise volunteers & being unable to get any,
he was satisfied that
the war was at an end.
Second Expedition
at
accomplished nothing &
debarked for the interior & after a short sweep was finally overthrown.
Thus
ends his efforts. Then came
American.
gathered 70
to 80 soldiers; the Spaniards under
80 prisoners.
received as a General Officer in the army of Mexico
(that country having now declared indepenndence)
and
foolishly lost his life by obstinately
refusing the countersign to one of
his own
certainly who shot him dead. This brings the
history up to
1821 (see page 111)
During the revolution of the
remained in a passive condition, huzaing
nately
could hear of the triumphs of either. They were
altogether submissive to
the power that be; to either
as they prevailed.
After the establishment of this Independence
of
federative states. Then
came the Fredonian War.
is variously related; but I am told by good
ity real cause of the difficulty has
never
been given to the public; the ostensible cause
gned Santa Anna had turned traitor
to the cause of liberty in Mexico & had joined
the royal side;
Anna
The reason which has been
parted
cogdoches r
being
rather more intimate than Spanish manner
the Commandant of the troops at
& had been in the habit
of monopolizing. A
respondence
Commandant, whose name was
threatened the young
of the
place took sides with this
and after some excitement the Commandant
his authority &
afterwardsthreatened the pope. The
young man & his
friend the Alcalda now appealed to the
ple put down the power of Santa Anna
protect the power of santa Anna in this
person civil authority against military
nation
&
liberty were eminently endangered, the people flocked
gether
assault the Fort. Before any attack was made however,
it came across the
minds of the agitators that it would be
well for them to have some
plausible apology for the
ding t which was nothing more than
Anna
to the Commandant, that if he would avow his
devotion
to the cause of
power, that the people would disperse
& the fort unassailed.
Now when they appealed to the people, they
said nothing
about the Commandants partiality to what they termed
the royal cause in the Central Govt; they were assembled
to
protect the Civil authority from being exterminated by the
military
and yet now a word on this point was urged to the
mandant
ded
to
good faith to the public weal, uninfluenced by any private
revenges, it is not evident that they would not have limited
their demand
to the simple point which they argued
but would have said something about the dangerous
condition of the Civil
authority; something about his threats?
But no not a word. To have expelled the troops,
and
then
were arrogating too much power
not be pleasant
intelligence to
the people
ling
by
documentary evidence to
done
all this for the allegiance & love they bore to him;
would be
adroitly accomplishing their secret revenge with the
aid of the people
&
the Central Govt.
A gentlman who figured in the fighting gave me
these as his views;
& told me that if he had have known
as much about the origin
& motives of the parties before as he
learnt after the battle, he
would not have mingled in it.
Now I am decidedly opposed to the principle of
quartering troops in any
country in times of peace.
If I were asked what is the most certain
& fatal Govt to
liberty, I would answer a
military one. The Govt. that
on any occasion has to
resort to the muskey & the bayonet
to protect her own people t. to any
notion. Directly the holding is
called into requisition for
such and, there librerty and; the military is
exalted above the
Civil rule, & of course becomes a military
Govt.
Some people prefer military Govt. to a state of
Anarchy.
The difference between them is that; the one is lasting
&
the other permenant temporary;
Liberty is not to be enjoyed
in neither, but an equal portion of security
may be obtained
in either, by equal subserviency & moral
debasement. Society
thrown into anarchy, will suffer
the fermentation will like the fermentation of Malt, turn
to
pure & genuine spirits; but if the military be resorted
to, to
restore order, that order will be purchased by the
stressed loss of
liberty; for the potent arm that can quell
archy sustain its own power and grasp grasp
ever
then
charge me with being friendly to military establishments in
this or any
other Govt.; I would have them exploded in all;
but at
the same time I would not have it understood that
I approve of the taking
of the garrison at
for the private
cause which has been assigned for the
act. true & real one I can
only saythe
young men
the same
principle, the accomplishment of private ends
& secret or open
hatred, by an appeal to military force;
differing in this particular that
the army of the one was
regular troops, that of the other undefined
mutation. the Demagogues
But
who is willing to put down his enemies or accomplish any
measures by faithlessly betraying the nation into war
much as despot
& as effectually elevates the military above
the civil
in a fort
Leaving the question as to the motives of the parties,
Let us proceed to
the fight itself. The fight commenced
early & lasted till late; no
serious damage done; at
night the Garrison decamped & pushed toward
headed them the next day before they crossed the stream.
A consultation
was held among the Americans to know
whether they should give the enemy
battle? The foe was
400 strong, the other party 20 only; One of this
little band
concluded that the inequality in numbers was so great as
to make it the hight of folly & madness to engage in open battle,
& declined the conflict; the others joined by the gentleman
who lives at whose house they were consulting only
about
100 yds from river, they marched down to the banks
&
found on the other side the enemy ready for their reception.
army.
to breast; a few fierce fires
ensued, and the army of 20
had to retreat, having however none of its men
either killed
or wounded, whilst their own fires on the enemy
counted
pretty well
marched to the
Unable to contend in open conflict, stratigem was
resorted
to, the Americans kept such incessant moving about
ting
the out houses as to induce the belief that the forces
were much larger than had been exhibited on the river.
They had indeed been
reinforced amounting in all to 60.
Perceiving as they
a port hole, the Spanish forces were
and finally hoisted a white flag for parley
& or
ation
signal sent his son, a lad of 18, to know
what they
signed
americans were
flowing rapidly, they were then about
800 strong & that 800 were in one hour's
march. This
threw them into panic; the Americans, then proposed that
ght
if not, the forces present
would battle with
them until the advancing army of 800
should arrive. The proposition was
assented to; the
nitions
prisoners; the expected reinforcement never made its
appearance, and the
Spaniards after learning the stratigem
were permitted to depart on their
journey from the
Dr
at the attack at
of tolerable fair character,
popular with the people & had property. A
pedlar had been murdered
& robbed, and one of the party committing the
murder, turned
states evidence & swore that this man (the commandant)
whose name
I don't remember, together with another were the murderers;
whereupon he
was tried & executed together with his other
accomplice, both
protesting their innocense to the last under the gallows.
The fight at the
back the Mexicans supped &
next
morning they hoisted a white flag
Genl
physician; who
having lost his practise by drunkenness &
being too lazy to
labor, & too besotted to swindle or
steal, resorted to this means
of restoring his ruined
fortunes. Dubbing himself Genl
he came to
his handbills,
proclamations, &c, calling on all who were
patriotic to rally
under his banner & make one
more desperate struggle for the
Independence of the
About 40 or 80 vagabonds whose fortunes
were about as desperate
as their leader's obeyed the call &
assembled at
where one poor solitary
family alone resided. He was a
merchant there with a few articles
exclusively for indian trade.
all his
following could not raise 100 dollars. It was
therefore justifiable in
such great emergencies to press
private property into the public service;
this poor merchant
accordingly was stripped of every thing & left
pennyless.
Genl
& spent her fortune
& then went on this adventure. He was a Dr at
lived extravagantly.
From 1813 up to the settlement of the above
chant
been entirely abandoned; not a
single individual lived in the
place, the old maid house stood mouldering
into ruins
in silence & solitude never broken except by travellers
&
traders passing thro on their way to
to the
the
trader above mentioned, the money subscribed at
about 100 dollars to out fit the
expedition was with held. Like
Falstaffs army they had but one shirt,
& as for his purpose & intent
the prospect of pay or
plunder suited not their schemes; & so when the spaniards
came
they scattered without the fire of a gun.
The troops of the Govt. against the
were all Mexicans from
by Spaniards from
When the americans & natives took possession of
quantities of Corn and Salt, nearly all in the town.
During the Siege
which lasted longer than was
expected, they had an abundant supply of
these
articles; They had to procure meat in the best way
they could;
the usual plan was to cross the
ish
rushed
them furiously through the line of
cautiously and forced them into the
fort. This always
produced a general engagement but always proved
successful.— The Spaniards weary of so long a
siege resolved at
length to take the fort at all
of which they made large
round bales; each soldier
having one extending flat on the ground and
rolling
these balls before them the army moved toward
the fort; the
americans suffered these to
roach
Spaniards they rushed like
a torrent from the fort
the Spaniards retreated & the moss made
good
bedding for the soldiers in the fort. They propagated
a
sinister expedition to scale the walls of the fort
with ladders, which
made good fire woord for the
americans
I left proce
in company of a man named
I left in extremely bad health,
coughing blood & burning with
the bilious fever; the weather
extremely hot; my sufferance
was excessive; about 18 miles we reach a
house (
I was so entirely overcome
that death seemed to be upon me;
I took cup of Tea, & late in the
evening proceeded to
taking tartar Calomel & other medicine all the while
until
I became almost helpless. I found
independent man with a good show of intelligence, who imparted
to me much useful & interesting information. He treated me
with
determination to make an effort to proceed
on my journey, he
promptly tendered me the loan of his Jersey
carry me to another Stand about 21 miles, which I with
gratitude accepted. One of his negroes rode my mare, and
Mexican hired by
tched
we reached Mr
the driver what I should pay him for his trouble; he
replied
nothing; but as he had been very attentive to me in
sickness I gaive him 2
dollars a pr of martingales & a spur.
Mr
fixed, good
man, but a most self conceited dunce, who
had read some newspapers about
10 years ago & thought he
himself master of the politics of the world. I attempted
occasionally to
urge some of my own views in opposition to
his, but I never could so
express myself as to be understood.
I have frequently been placed in this
situation where I
completely failed in every effort to render myself
intelligible. I
went to
until I should improve in strength & health;
but I found him
so little enclined to enquire into my wants &
volunteer assistance
that after one day's & 2 nights' intolerable
to him and set off for Mr
that I would be d
distance was
twelve miles only, but so scorching was my
fever this morning, &
so debilitated was I by the medicine taken
the day before, that I liked to
have died on the way; I
succeded however in reaching the place, where I am
at
this moment, penning this memorandum.
The lands from
be
pronounced generally of the medling
seldom except one
water course rising above it and often
falling below it & rising
into On the east west.
sides of Between the
pass thro some
From the
here
we find good land; we strike into the black prairie; &
bid
From
of the first class of land, yet it will sustain a population
sufficiently
dense for an agricultural people Though it have
much
of the first
fertility.
From the
ded
dense population of any of the country that I have yet passed
over; From
the
was of
varied quallities, now good deal of it barren some
little very
fertile, but the large portion of it either of second quality
or
running into
call the woodland country to the place where
with the prairie which commences
I shall yet
have to see. The Prairie begins at Mr Hunters
& From
I am told indians as are proceed either towards the sea
coast of to
the mountains
from thence to the
to this place Mr
From
here to the
better than what I have passed over from Nacogdoches.
with some—
We pass thro' the mustang prairie a few miles
winter only
See 224
In
the lands on the road, for the roads are usually run on the high
and most barren country ridges; but here there are
no high ridges
to select for good roads, for the whole face of the county
is gently
undulating & so uniform, that a road in one place is as
good
as an other; the country
men
See page 88
The
drill themselves
& horses on the prairie; their mode of fight is to
form a circle
round their enemy, & Keep riding round & round
like circus
riders, constantly drawing nearer the enemy, until
they get in shot of
them; they then draw their arrows and
mence
or
widening the circle as they are successful in the fight or are
repelled by
the encompassed enemy. They have some
thing which they
sented
and covers
magine
to
this mode of combat; they go into battle & perform their part
without
the necessity of the bit; performing just as well by having a
simple
rope tied round their mane & used by the rider as a bridle.
A traveller who had been amongst them told me that on
one occasion when the
news had reached the village where he
tarried, that two of their popular
Captains had been slain in war
they a large band of them gathered with their
various instruments
of music & approached the tent in which he
lay, and played at the
door many mournful & truly affecting airs,
the women singing at
the same time & thus proceeded to every tent
in the village.
standing
could
not refrain from weeping at this ceremony
dead. By the same individual I am informed that
their
tents are made of
They sew together a number of hides, making a long roll of it.
When they
wish to pitch a tent, they form a circular frame work
of forks &
hickory
beginning at
the ground and winding round until they reach
the top leaving a small hole
for the escape of the smoke;
the entrance into the tent is a small hole
just large enough for
a man to creep through; thus forming a habitation
very much in
its outward configuration resembling a hornet's nest, and
having
wardly
In hunting
and after surrounding them they
set the dogs on them & get
them greatly confused, then pouring a
shower of arrows among
them, they call off the dogs & all retire;
leaving the wounded
animals to themselves;
the wounded portion of the herd
growing sick, are anxious to lie down; and
it is then that
After
wounding them, if the fight be kept up, the animal becomes
enraged and
will make hot war upon their
suers
being
wounded, they lie down, grow sick, & become
petent
between
mountains if practicable. Sometimes they hurry large
droves over
tremendous precipices, & kill killing
hundreds of them
falling pell mell &
are dashed to death on the rocks below.
Being a wandering people, they are entire
gers
I may say by the human race: viz attachment to country.
They know nothing
of the passion; where game abounds
there is their home; and it matters not
whether it be
upon the
among the stupendous precipices
& rocks of a realm of
mountains. With the mustang & the
is to rugged; and without them no fertile plains,
no
smiling, no genial skies are at all inviting. All the
the
beauties
that
the reach of man, despised and unheeded by this
iron
race who seem to have no aim ambition or
desire beyond the Steed they ride
and & the beast
they feed on, to eat, to drink, to sleep to toss
their strong
&
&
unrestrained
with the Creeks & the
Cherokees. Their attachment to the
land of their fathers seem to increase,
as the blessings of the
land decline. After game has fled; after all which
is
to them desirable have passed away; their towns
lated
scribed
to their feelings,
and character or associated with their habits,
customs & pleasing
recollections, have been extirpated by the
gradual invades of
civilization, yet still they cling to the
spot of earth that affords them
a scanty subsistance where
they must ever find no
friend their rights are not regarded
their inferiority is felt, without friends to alleviate distress
or justice
to afford protection, in
try
abounds
and individual & national prosperity may be revived
as in the
brightest period of their
that they are friendless here, that their lands
are in the hands of
strangers, that their hunting grounds are torn by the ploughshare?
Are they told Are they told that they will have
snug
in the west, where the
on the trees, where they can hunt
the deer in freedom &
catch the wild horse like herds of cattle,
it is all in vain — they
but cling to their native haunts the
closer; these but
bind them to their native hills the more—
In
to exert themselves. Indeed they say themselves that they
are
the laziest people in the world, but they seem not able to
account for it; it can be accounted for on my material
primareily. Man
will not toil hard for the mere
uries
for competence, but
their their industry ends, unless they
are stimulated to further efforts
by some principle as strong
as necessity. This is to be found in ambition,
pride, the love
of distinction & when these are to be obtained by
extra labor
it will be readily given. But place a man in a
community
where his importance & power is neither diminished
by extreme poverty or increased by surplus wealth, he will
not toil for
that superfluity merely to secure some of
the conveniences &
luxuries of life which are so easily done
without. This is the reason that
people in
not been an industrious
people, &C. As to wealth they have
been but little distinction
among them, all being what we
would call poor; the production of the
county being great, very
little labor seemed a corruption, and all being
on equality the
never sighed for
riority
The natives of
intellectual cultivation than is usually supposed. They
were ignorant of
the arts
much useful & true Knowledge among themselves,
rantly
growth of
their own country. This is manifest from the
stupendous works of arts and
monuments of
genuity
ferocious
invader who treated this people as an ignorant
race, himself however not
knowing a letter in the alphabet.
Besides this their system of religion
was pure and
rupted
that there was
but one God, whose Emblem was the Sun,
and the
golden precept was the foundation of their creed that all
men were
brethren & that we should do to one another as we would be done by.
See page 115
From r
about 20 miles, passing
but the poor predominated; after leaving
I a few
miles I passed
Prairie standing alone surrounded by woodland, the soil good; 12
miles
further brought me to the
from
nea 96 miles, but I should say it was fully 100 the distance
generally
stated. From
divided between prairie & woodland; and
such I presumed it is
all the way down to the bay on the left &
far into the country
up the river. The lands on the
but much of the
bottom lands subject to overflow. It is the
best navigable stream in the
territory; being capable of
boat
by
a great many it is said that it is as good the
Steam boats. non. A I left
ane
same day; left
there next morning
reached
ning
Whilst at Mr
kindness both by
himself, his lady & family. To one of the
daughters I made a
present of a fine cable chain for which
I gave $40. The present was so
rich & beyond her notions of
liberality that I really believe she
a fraud & that the chain was only
brass. I gave it her
young lady
that had paid any regard whatever to my
suffering. I felt afterwards that
the gift was not an
appropriate one; a few yds of Callico & such
like articles of
dress to the tenth part of the value would perhaps
have
pleased her better; and besides I was forcibly reminded of
the
unsuitableness, by seeing her afterwards sitting on
the same bench with
one of her fathers strapping negro fellows,
in high converse with him. My
feelings of this would
have been most horribly shocked if I had not
previously noticed
the equality that existed in the family between the
blacks &
the whites, the former having an equal if not superior
ity
merchant just opening a store. He paid much
attention to me,
ministered to my wants, promoted my comforts; and
made
me a fine present of a pair of green spectacles silver framed.
He left for
Monday. At
returning from an expedition after the Indians.
himself was one of the number. They had
proceeded far enough
to ascertain that it was prudent to go no further
& returned
without reaping any laurels, which perhaps they
regretted
less than the loss of the expected plunder. See 124
Joseph Dusts' see 113. Whilst at
two or three more who were
from
fugitives from justice who had murdered two
young lads
and fled to this county; a large reward had stimulated these
men to make an
effort to bring them to justice ; but they seemed
to me not qualified for
the undertaking, wanting especially in
prudence & secrecy. There
tarried also a Dr whose name I
know not & desire never to know,
who said he was no practising
sician master of
a perfect
master in the new. What he meant by the old
new systems I was curious to
know, when he informed
that the one was the mineral &
phlebotomizing system; that is the puking
purging & bleeding
method; and the latter was the more recent
& infalible plan of
steaming roasting boiling & baking. He was
in fact either a
calomel doctor or a steam physician and
kindly proffered me his assistance
in either system I might
prefer to be treated. I politely declined his
services by telling
him that I had just calomized myself pretty
profoundly;
& as for his steam, I would rather prefer the furnace
a Shadrich
Meshac & Abednigo. He was of all men I ever met
with
the damned fool and the most everlasting talker. He told
a
story about his curing one of his own children of some
neous
would
never let him try it when at home. The process through
which he carried
the child, & its excruciating pangs & heart rending
screams under the operation, as he discribed, made me look
upon him in the
light not only of a fool, but as a heartless
demon, who should, for this
very act, be condemned to the
Penitentiary the
On the east side of the
there is a large prairie, the extreme
fertility of which attracted
my attention, about 4 miles across. I found
on enquiry that the
whole tract was subject to inundation, and that they
sometimes
have to ferry entirely across it. The lands on the
chiefly taken up; very little good land
unsurveyed within ten
miles of the river. I am told the stream unlike the
has a rocky foundation and firm
banks; the channel
of consequence is not subject to those changes
& fluctuations of
the
channel. the
the
Three Forks
about 50 miles by land above where I crossed
it. From
(
land
still poor, most of it
nesday
left
her
nothing different as far as I could
perceive by the taste
& smell, from the
near a Creek called
ning
place, distance upwards of 140 miles, with the exception of the
Spring
nothing of lime or salt in it but is clear cool free
stone water;
& this is the cause of its being perennial. Just
before I
crossed this Creek I passed through a large swamp, the
first of any
magnitude I had seen in the country, with a
Creek through it called
Swamp is not
heavily timbered or difficult of clearing, the
growth being
richest possible Kind; I was told that it
occasionally overflows
but very seldom. After crossing this
a
quarter of a mile over barren sandy land, I came to the
beautiful stream
just mentioned
run
parallel with the other. I arrived at the
about 12
some of the water
which greatly increased my appetite so that
when dinner came on I played
altogether too active a part
with the Knife & fork, which soon
threw me into a
ning
one family
being there, who furnished provisions to the
itants
to decamp
in the evening; and going about 3 miles tarried
with a Mr.
I took medicine about nine
next morning to proceed on my journey,
but morning found me
with a violent
ning
like myself
was sick & proceeded to Mrs
young man had on the left temple
near the eye a horrible scar,
which I was told he
viz - about 15 miles
from this point, whilst travelling he
stopped at a branch or brook to refresh himself, and as he
was stooping
down, drinking in the stream, he
blow on the head which laid him for a few minutes
senseless; his
pockets were rifled, & he left for dead, but he
recovered in time
to see the villian who had struck & robbed him;
mounting his
horse the young man flew to a neighboring house, told
his
story & the villian was immediately pursued &
apprehended; but
soon afterwards made his escape it is supposed by
bribing
man; it is further suspicioned from several
circumstances that he
had murdered his master & thereby came into
possession of
fine clothes that he sold because he could not wear them,
and
of the effects which is supposed to have purchased his release.
He is now about San Antonio—
The party apprehending
amongst themselves & then one of the party affecting to be
his
friend pretended to have contrived a plan for his escape;
it was
in this way that
sued
for the recovery of his property & for damages; the young
man has
not indited
probably wait until
dollars from his apprehenders & then receive half the
sum not to
commence action; this is the way they
ally
Left
Mrs
next morning
Monday morning 11th and went to Dr
what is called
give an account of the little colony of
french people who settled in 1818
on the
and after on
Give some
He resided on
The people are remarkable here for swearing. Old
Mr
because it is constitutional with them—
The infernal Chinches &
The sands on the
other
rivers, & similar in soil & well timbered; the
rot
marginable; the most of the lands still open to
entry. This is now the
best prospect for emigrants to get
good locations—
The herbs & as well many of the
country, lettuce,
On the
of
Live Oak; and the undergrowth is composed mainly
of the wild peach which
bears a small berry not much
larger than a pea, tasting like a peach
carmel; it grows
as large or larger than the crown on peach tree, its
leaves
bling
land—
The box elder, the wood of which carpentry rules &
surveying seals
are made, grow on the
as on the
other streams. It is beautiful wood, but the grain
is less fine than that
which comes from—
Information derived from
When
father's
project into execution he applied to the chief
of this Country who was to act as Commissioner in putting
the emigrants into possession of their land but the viceroy or
Govt. refused to do anything, saying that a revolution
had
taken place in
do nothing; but he advised
confer with the Govt. there;
& could
not speak a word of the Spanish language, yet
he proceeded to
was in Session, to which he made an application for a
al contract Grant; Congress
renwed it
dingly t. was on the eve of
another change that congress would be
displeased & an Emperor
crowned, he prefered to wait the
anticipated change & also make
application to the new authority.
The change accordingly took
place &
applied to
vestigate t.
Colonization Law now in force;
apprehending the dethronement of the Emperor, which
did
tually
powers
& with the consent of the people organized itself
into a
Convention for the purpose of Framing a
tion
and
passed the present Constitution; and instead of
of adopting introducing any section in that
ment colonization or the
disposition of public
lands, they adopted the Colonization law as it
was
framed by
alteration as a part of the Constitution; and this was
the
such is the
up & sanctioned by
imperial act of
adopted
by the Convention as the fundamental law
In about two years
the
colonist during which time had heard nothing either
from him or concerning
him; various conjectures about
his fate &C.
Whilst the Colonization law was in
sion
The contract with
was to receive such a number of
acres for the head of the
family, such a number for the wife, so many for
each child
& so many for each slave; but that amt. seemed to
Mexicans about the extent of an acre that they
summoned
the
contract gave too much land & wished to know
of him if the
Colonists would not be satisfied with
a league of land.
satisfied with whatever
the Govt. thought proper to give;
a league was
accordingly fixed upon for each family;
which was a larger quantity than
would have fallen
to almost any family with a few exceptions, under
the arrangement with
ignorance of acres.
and got back to
changes took place in the Mexican Govt. during that time.
On Austin's return Whilst in At the time
obtained his grant or rather he also was commissioned
by the Govt. as Lieutenant Colonel of the Militia & Judge of the
colony, with powers to pass such laws & regulations as were
necessary; thus was he complete monarch of the colony
with all
legislation, judicial, executive & Military powers.
In his return
he proceeded to enact several salutory
regulations aided by
in manuscript there
being no press in the province.
continued his
administration with grant satisfation to the
people; he was extremely
popular; the people would
have died for him; this forms almost the first
instance
where man could be trusted with absolute power without
abusing it; he deserves notice for it; he still retains the
undetered
affections of all who were under his
tration
resigned them all inconsequence of the introduction of the
state
Govt. in
When the Constitution was adopted, Segon, a
representative in the Convention
from
that body the policy of making
&
Mexicans, the people of
voice in Legislation. The legislation must be partial.
The Congress that
formed the Constitution before it
med Conventional powers, passed in to congressional
character certain laws which are called "Constitution
acts". passed previous to the constitution They are
sometimes
called acts of confederation. When the constitution
was
formed it recognized these acts as a part of
the constitution. Now among the in these Constitution
acts it is
expressly stated that
admitted into
the Union
able to
support a State Govt. of her own. Another part
of the
Constitution prescribes that when a territory wishes to become a State it shall
petittion to Congress & the question
be put to the confederation
& if three 2 thirds are in favor
of it, it is admitted. But no territory has been admitted
upon this plan,
but all admitted have been by virtue
& in accordance with the
Constitution Acts which which simply
says that a territory may become a
state when it feels
"able to figure as such".
like
former
Govt. & was admitted under the
Constitution acts. Now
it was in conformity with this arrangement that
in April 1833 proceeded to form a State
Govt. A
tion
r
a committee to carry
constitution to
matter
before the Govt. Dr
and Seguin also
declining,
desirable for
was the
author of the Constitution act in favor of the
ion
known his
mission, he was at first well
seemed to be no obstacle to the attainment of his
object; but
soon he was summoned before the authority and informed
that the passage of this Constitution was not an act of the
people of
that
it was the act only of a desperate factor and designed
as a revolutionary
measure; And in confirmation of
all this he was shown the various
remonstrances of the
Ayumentos in Austin was thrown into prison as a These Ayumentos are looked upon in
revolutionist.
as the State Govt.
& worthless as they are erroneous & still
worse their,
they the only channel thro which the people can
speak to the Central
Govt. The opposition of
measure was a matter of course; but the false representation
Ayumentos was unexpected & confounded
could do nothing more; he was at his vows end. He
wrote a letters
back to
and
recommended
safety; that
desperate & long reolution, & it behoved
Govt. of her
own. These letters were published in
and
reached
departure from that City; but he was pursued, overtaken
at Mon
tarie
taken back
& thrown into prison as a
was soon released, but from some
cause unknown
has not yet returned. When he first set out for
Pedrassa The city was in confusion about the
president.
The contention was between
Anna
unicorn fighting for the crown, up jumps
the little black dog &
see Tale of a Treb
Prior to the convention of 1833 that passed the
stitution
This convention
was called in consequence of some warlike
events which had taken place in
the province. The
Central Govt had without any
approval even
lished Terran
had ordered these posts. One was
b of
imprisoned by the Commandant of that state; the
people demanded their trial by the laws of the country;
burn
their
confinement until he could fr make out his
charges
against them. With this understanding the people, many
living some distance from
tisfied
trial. W The next day instead of surrendering the
prisoners
or bringing them to trial,
the company who had remained to witness the trial,
but
Killed none. The news flew
people gathered five hundred strong;
med
ant
number of militia
who had turned out deemed it prudent
not to proceed. A
people & the Commandant of
prisoners should be
released without trial & that
dismissed from
office
first part
was executed, but the matter
them from the other by cutting
to N. Orleans
hearing of it & wishing to and join
their friends on
against
abt but
deeming it imprudent to leave
their families & property exposed
& defenseless, applied
to the Commandant of the Garrison at
know
whether he would protect their property & families
in their
absence
said. The people indignantly then turned on him,
a
perhaps seven 10 of our men Killed & 16
wounded; 30 of the
Enemy Killed & 20 wounded; the Garrison was
rendered
should retain their arms but all
the surplus arms
in the fort should be given up; they marched
to
Political Chief. The people now became alarmed at
what they had
done and fearing serious difficulty with
Govt
thought bethought them what excuse to make;
fortunately the news of
reached them & they hoisted his flag and assigned that
they were
fighting under his banner & for the security
of his power. Shortly
after this ensued the
culty
reasons for their conduct.
This led to the convention of
the purpose of making
explaining to
making over more fair
weather. This convention in a
long address, represented their the grievances of the people
here;
the attempts of the military to rule the country
and finally most hypocritically lyingly
& cowardly &
disgracefully stated that they had heard by
way of
Vera Cruz of the policy of
proved friendly to the
accomplishment of his disgrace.
See page 177
From the time
constitution of the State, nothing has occurred in
but all gone on harmoniously &
peaceably until
this year 1835.
The Colonization law does not permit
The
legislature passed a law authorizing the Sale of
four hundred leagues of
land, and two of the members
together with another individual bought the whole.
200. When the Central Govt heard of this it
immediately
annulled the Sale and sent
the
Govr. They The Govr apprehending molestation
consulted with his friends
who advised him to leave
the Seat of Govt in
he would be protected & he yielded to the advise
& his friends set out with him on his escape to guard
him & protect him, and to make their flight
secure they
took an unfrequented road but to their great
ishment
force stationed for their
apprehension & all
oners
exception of the
Govr who is still in
prisoner in the custody of the
for the apprehension of the Govr several
american
citizens were included (some of these were among
the number
captured with his Excellency) who
immediately on their return home
attempted to
excite the people to a rescue for
r & for
this
purpose held various meetings; the Ayuntaments
at he maed making a
public
call upon the militia, passed a decree that all who
were
summoned & refused to march to the rescue
of the Govr should be fined 2 hundred dollars &
furthermore they
decreed that the soldiers acting
under the order might press into their
service horses,
cattle & other private property of Individials
(especially
of those who did not sanction the
were known to
approve service
benefit.
This order was disregarded; but violent as it was it
seemed
to awaken no indignation in the inseethed and
outraged people. If the
Judges of the Inferior Courts of
County were to arrogate such power in
not what punishment the wrath of
the public would
deem there; but here it passed off without comment,
& may not
to the
Taxonomy. The fate of the Govr is not
known &
the order for the apprehension of the
other
Chief was base
& timeserving enough to
publish the order & call upon all the authorities and
the Good
people to apprehend the fugitives.
The Govr before he attempted to escape had called
on
the
ity t which had been threatened by
the
military, but the call being unattended to, his friends
then
advised him to the course he took; he removed
under the law that grants to
the Executive the power
to locate the seat of Govt
when he pleases; and his
confidential friends assisted in his escape in
order
to get him to
act authorizing the sale of the lands — the four
hundred leagues — but being apprehended
tedly
became a
law, yet the land was sold nevertheless &
the Govt became purchasers —
Among the proscribed is was
had been sent as Minister to
the conduct of his disapprobationa letter resigned his mission &
wrote
became known at Mexico
at supposed to be in this
Province
port t the issue of his mission
but
address to make his appearance at the Dictators
court.
the proscribed individuals,
danger of being given up by their fellow Citizens
are still preaching up
"war" and are anxious to
cite
holding meeting in
various places; & the people are
now divided into the peace
& war parties —
I attended one of their meetings held at
ington st of August, where I mingled in
the discussion — The
meeting was all compassion;
the people knew nothing of what they had
assembled
for & retired as ignorant as they came; they are
damned stupid & easily ruled by Demagogues &
factions.
I tarried in
& left there on Wednesday morning & went about
13 miles on
the San Philipe road &
at a house at any
place since I have been in
morning
I proceeded 7 miles to a Mr
I am at this time; here I stopped for
the
purpose of attending a camp meeting in the
borhood
Whilst the Legislation at
still went on;
members became
alarmed for their safety & dispersed in haste & confusion.
The
Govr stood to his post for a while &
called upon
to
protect him; but the call not being answered, he attempted to escape, but
had
delayed it too long;
crossing places & succeeded in apprehending
his Excellency. The Legislature
dispersed in April 1835. They fled like
Trojans.
They prefer to crawl where they are walked with
a lion heart.
The sea the tree that no longer bears fruit for them;
The buffalo may boast
of his strength; but the
Boa winding his way unseen & silently
until
within reach where twisting his folds around the
strong
animals throat he brings him to the ground —
Like the eyes of
the Cockatrice that
Page 140.
wife a fine woman;
they live better than any almost any
person I met
Camp Ground; the assembly small 100 people; good
in
appearance and behavior; and the preaching very
Sunday
morning 10th left
wrong end of the road and travelled 7 miles on
the back
tract to a man by the name of
but industrious and better fixed for living comfortably
than
any man in his neighborhood; his situation is a fine one and
well improved, all done by
morning when I set out once more for
in the forenoon 20 miles to dinner at Mr
over a very extensive prairie,
the largest I had passed through
of poor soil almost
continued my ride to
this grand Metropolis at sunsetof
making the longest
days ride thus far, 32 miles; Wednesday 9th —
See page 144
Among the animalsreptiles peculiar to
Santaopede
legs 50 odd and a forked tail, a sting in each
foot at the
point & one in each fork of the tail; this reptile
when
voked
heard scratching on the wood as he crawls along. It is said
to be more v
I have doubted, but that
their sting is poisonous to a great
degree is proven by a recent case
where one had crawled up the
crawled
back again, but left in the his tract a poison
which
caused the arm of the negro to inflame & blister. The boy
is
said to have felt no pain at the time moment, but shortly
afterwards a sensation like the
sting of a bee; he was cured by
a plant known here by the name of the
rattle snakes' master
without experiencing much inconvenience —
Among the wild animals & beasts is the
a small differing from the rest of the tribe only
in his
diminuitive size; also the
wolf only much larger & more
ferocious. See page 147. The prarie dog
is a small
animal that burrows in the ground like an
salamander & looks
like a fox by in figure
sembling
The
a small compact animal resembling a opossum in
figure
as much as the grunting tribe, the largest of them weighing
about 50 pounds. They have long thick bushy
and where a tail ought to be there is none but long hair
falling over a
musk bag, from which when provoked
they
rub against each other until it emits a offensive polecat
like odour offensive to any kind of
antagonist that attacks
them. They are armed with 4 sharp tusks, pointed
and
keen as a spring back knife & being as active as almost
any animal they are extremely dangerous to encounter.
All of the beasts of
prey pass by him without molestation;
the bear so ready to sieze upon the
domestic hog
& devour him alive views him
flees his presence. They are
have the
in them, ready
rips with their sword
the skill & dexterity of good
swordsmen, is usually enough
to quarter a wolf dog, wolf, bear or any assailant coming
within their reach.
Their tusks do not project outwardly
like the boar's but are concealed in
their mouth, & when
called to use them on a foe, they do it by
throwing
the nether jaw one side. They are fierce, ready for fight
and chomp their teeth together
wolf.
the Leopard Cat is very like the Mexican leapord
only smaller, not being
much larger than the catamount,
which is
also here — The Mexican leopard is sometimes found here.
The antelope is found in the upper part of
it
is a beautiful animal larger than a deer colored on the
back like one,
with white sides & a white stripe across
See page 146
from P.85
One method of taking the wild horse is to mount
a good courser equipped
with the
after him until you overtake him and then
that is throw your rope round his neck & bring
him
to the ground. The horse on which you are mounted
must be well
trained to the business otherwise the
rider & steed will both
stand a fair chance to have
their necks broke, for one end of the
to the saddlebow & the other round the
neck of the mustang
it is obvious that if the pursuing horse should
continue his
speed & run ahead of the mustang; or should
checked himself &
suffer the mustang to run in full
speed ahead of him, the like dangerous
consequences would
ensue the rider steed
& courser & mustang could
brought in such violent
conjunction with the the
earth as not to have any with the ability of rising—
But a well trained
horse
the rope and then slacking his gait
in
near the
side of the side of the mustang, permitting him to gradually
to advange to go ahead until the
him & finally bring him exhausted to the
ground,
when he is so hampered by halters as to prevent his escape
this is one method (see page 85
Tarantula. Their bite is said to be fatal. He is a large
insect of the
spider kind as large as a small saucer colour black covered
with hair Body
& legs, small head like a spider with two large fangs
in his wide
mouth — They
the prairie.
Fenesses
The Cochineal lives on Prickly
In many of the Mexican States on land just like
this in
mous
so numerous as to form an
impassible barrier wherever
they spread; I am told that there is scarce a
leaf that
has not a rattle snake under it; the mexicans often
in
traveling cut off their heads & eat the body. Now
why will not
these
no will they not
swer
timber is
scarce? I am told by those who have seen
it growing that it will answer
this purpose as well
as the Cherokee rose; the Plant is found in
colony of
not many in abundance & often of very large
size. In building a
fence out of it we can dispence
with the rattle snake which is said to be
such a
certain dweller in its shade, although these reptiles
themselves might make pretty formidable barrier
being eaten by our
negroes
might be
prickly
ght
The
on these Prickly
leaf. The bird has him in his beak & talons
—
The
these grow up
edgewise & like
a tree or stalk See page 146 —
his
coarse &
long, stout almost as a small straw. They
have no tail. They are fleet as
the winds; they
do not eat the grass grazing in the lower part of
prairie called Musket grass, a fine grass
on which cattle & horses
can feed in the & fatten
in the
winter season. The mustang & Buffalo
feed all winter on this
grass. There are several
species of it, all equally good for winter ranger
—
See page 143
The snake is intended to represent the Spaniards in the hands
of the Mexicans.
See page 145. Some say that the emblem of an eagle
with a snake in his mouth perched on a prickly as we
see it stamped on the
coin was adopted inconsequence of
the extraordinary growth of this plant
and the abundance
of the rattling reptiles under their
tation
is seen
the snake represents the strong will & ability t
whatever malignant foe who may be dispensed to its of its malignant and
dangerous
foes. by represents the Spaniards.adoption of the
this plant it; but as to the Eagle & Snake
they say nothing —
the true hystory however of this I believe to be this. An old
A third account however is more
probable than either of the forgoing
King of a indian King, having a beautiful
daughter
who was courted by the King of another tribe, but his
the parent now feeble old & a
widower discontinued his
address were
to be separated from
The
father was unwilling to follow his daughter, and the
lover was unwilling
to leave his own tribe to dwell
with another people. The daughter became
unhealthy
fading away and would shortly be lost to both if
the
affair was not brought to a speedy conclusion
adjutant. They
finally came to the conclusion that they would watch
for some
course they should pursue. Presently an Eagle came
flying immediately over their heads with a snake in
his beak & him
and saw him light on
a
The parties all agreed to
site on which
tradition
account of the foundation of that
vast & populous
city and
was adopted in conformity with that ascent
see page 150
white face,
breast & belly, formed like a lap dog, and burrows in the ground,
living probably on grass. They live in herd in
towns together; the male
& female look alike, the former a little
larger than the latter. They are all coloured
exactly of the same alike. It is said that owls &
Rattle snake swell
with them in their holes — Where ever you
find a dog town, you find also
orioles. The dog is
travellers as they pass by but flee if you
approach them.
They weigh about 8 pounds.
Edward, Burnet & Hunter
From page 98
The Grant now known as
to
petitioned that in the event the Grant
should be taken from
that his friend
this
brother became exasperated at this, abused the legislature
for
taking such a step without hearing professing
some
charge against them and then give them a
hearing
that
In consequence of this conduct they joiined Austin in his
madcap career. The grant to
The Baron was a nobleman of
to
this country during the invasion of that country
French, bringing with him great
wealth, the most
of which on his arrival in the
purchase of lands. He
bought large quantities among
the mountains in
never
will be of any value. He afterwards obtained
from
afterwards lost from some cause.
many years ago; Was austin's
the
sionerat San Antonio about
10 years
at a
his lands
in
Col
in the His family returned
to Holland shortly after their arrival
Bastope obtained his grant
Mosquito, this is a spanish word and
ish
d severe —
Department
of
The principle productions of this dept cotton, corn,
Sugar
from the maple tree— the grape grows in
abundance—
The face of the country presents but 2 aspects; level
and
broken — the level extends from the coast 70 miles
north
and covered with timber in abundance for building & other
posespine
running up to
the soil occasionally gray and sandy, but generally of deep
iron complexion all fertile. Iron,
peter and such
this dept is fully 5 hundred thousand
dollars; the
otter and Beaver skins, and Cattle — There is but
little
money in circulation, the trade is carried on chiefly by
an
excahnge of commodities and not to any extent
the medium of coin. The money of the county is
&
dollars and Sand dollars, the first being Spanish dollars
with the Kings head stamped on them beaten out, in
indignation of the
Spanish Govtt during the revolution;
and the latter are dollars cast or moulded in sand
(called provincial
dollars) under a law permitting any
individual to cast money —
The rains usually set in
about November & continue till the month
of June,
hena the plant corn planted late in
February stands the
best chance to make a good crop.
Prickly
See pages 146. 147. 145 — The prickly
Mexican states like a cabbage only very
large as a tall bush. it
bears on its leaves, as a peach
eaten as fruit & often to quench thirst in that dry country.
It
grows in great abundance in some places the whole face
of the large
prairies are covered with it. The
been told will make good brandy. The mexicans horn
the
pricklys off the leaves & the stock
are as fond of it as corn
See page 170
The
bears a fruit resembling in
flavor but not in appearance
the common locust. The tree It is low scraggly & thorny, with wide
spreading zig zag limbs and a trunk seldom
still less seldom above 6 feet
long tall enough to get in
part of 6 feet in length. The Mexicans
make fences of
this tree by planting post about 4 feet high & 4
feet apart,
& then filling up the spaces by weaving the branches
of the tree.
They call this — A fence made thus will last longer
tween
north by the
on the South by the State of
& the territory of
Settlement commenced the first of last century.
In 1806 there were more
than one hundred thousand
head of cattle and 40 or 50 thousand gentle
horses
chiefly for market; in 1810 the indians destroyed the
most of
the settlements at a distance from the large towns
and took nearly all the
cattle & horses. From this
tion
These were the only towns that
withstood the shock
of this irruption.
After the Independence of
a province of
chieftain
with title of Govt. The last that bore
this title was
Col
When the Federal
Constitution was formed of
Govt was adopted by the nation
formed one State. The Legislature of
this State
proceeded immediately to divide Texas proper it into three
Departments, and the Legislature of
1834 divided
Translated Holy Ghost Day
&
for the departments were
The land is generally low but may be
divided into 3 sections very
distinctly; the first
is land; the second, undulating and the third
nous
length of the coast from
the
length and from 20 to 25 leagues and sometimes not
more than 5 in breath.
The undulating part
extends north to the
part or mountainous
part there
continues and after passing this part
there continues extensive prairies
that extend to the
borders of
north
of
With regard to the vegetable or Botanical Country though
the
vanity be great, I understand that Mr.
met with some things
new, but that the plants peculiar to
He found many birds unknown in other
country. I saw but few of the feathered
like myself but what I was
familiar with. Hawks in abundance —
The Gov A form It is contended by some
that
the
but that
the true line begins at the mouth
and
following that to its head, thence trike for the
tion
bank of the
the
boundary of
line the
Colony of
the Department
of
as it evident
within the Department of & has
all always been considered and was so intended by
the Govt that Granted the Colony to
Boundaires of the Several
Departments & first
Bexar
The Department of
western by the
owing
of
which line becomes the
following said boundary as far as it extends in
that
direction and thence to the utmost limits of
the west to
begins at the river
up to
leaving the boundary
following the southern boundary and the southwestern boundary
of following the south east
& south west boundary of
said colony to the road leading from
The Department of
the
and following the coast to the mouth of the
and on the south west and west by the
department
of
East beginning at
the
dividing ridge between
the ridge or highlands separating the waters of the
north to
The department of
one
side by the line separating it from the
department, on the North by
A statement of the population of
The Towns of
The town of
It is situated between two hills near the head of the
river
sent by the Spanish Govt to establish a
military post.
About 1730 sixteen families consisting of 47 persons
of
both sexes came from the
settled there. The houses are generally good, being
built of unburnt brick
and without wooden floors,
the floors are of dirt; it now wears the aspect
of
decay. Its situation could not be better for the establishment
of
Manufactory.
is situated on the eastern bank of the
river
are like those of
word Hidalgo, the H being omitted in Goliad because it has no sound in
Spanish. Hidalgo
is a Knight or nobleman; Hidalga the feminine of Hidalgo,
pronounced Edalgo or ga
Goliad stands on the brow of a hill, the site not
elligible for a town.
Gaudalape
is situated on the river
The houses of wood —
Population 700. 300.
St. Antonia
of morals — the general
loose habits of
the women, one reason why the Mexicans generally have
not advanced farther
in arts & sciences of
civilization. In St Antonio they are
far below the lowest — indians
— There is an unfinished Cathedral, there
of magnificent structure; it was commenced nearly Century
ago; never finished — No schools
Victoria
and 15 miles from the coast. It is
in
almost by Irish
emigrants, ignorant bigoted
is disgusting and whose violence refrell
or any other than their own swinish & superstitious
race. The houses
of wood.
man after whom this town was named & the founder of the colony,
proposed
to turn a part the waters of the
proposed also
to the Legislature of Tamaulipas to change the
so as to disembogue
into the
in the bay to admit vessels, but at the mouth of the river
(
Bar that cannot be crossed
— a canal of 20 or 3 miles will
turn the river into
this bay will boats then can then fly from the bay upto
moros
100 yds from the river, situation
somewhat elevated back of the town
is an immense Prairie with totally destitute
of timber; distance from the
mouth of the
from Bexar 156; from
Nacagdoches 210; from Harrisburgh 30; from
vezton
Fifteen miles leading to
a bitunimous spring in the center
of the current, in which
says he bathed & that the water was so hot that he
could not remain
in it one minute— Floating on the surface of
the eddy part of the stream
below he says
that probably quantitity of pitch might be gathered.
See 170
Situated on the same side of the river
miles from
the river surrounded by timber for several miles
and the most fertile soil;
this renders the roads through it extremely
muddy in wet weather;
the
enough this season. From 1829 to 32 this town flourished on
account
of the trade carried on there, but
up have checked its
the situation —
inundation of
1833 the whole town was covered with water
overflowed
the water rising in the houses from 3 to 4 feet deep. This is
never
Brasos de Dios
l Ins
Situated at the mouth of the
bank, and about a
short distance from the
situa position is favorable for commerce
having perhaps the second
best harbor on the coast. Population 300.
A new place, situated 10 miles below
west side of the
Situated it
There is pine timber in
the neighborhood a very rare article in
Situated on the western Bank of the
of
Mina
Situated on the road leading from the
prosperity has been retarded in
consequence of the hostility
of the neighboring Indians — It is
now improving slowly — It
was formerly called
Is situated at the mouth of the 200 70—
The point & all the
surrounding country is open prairie without timber. The
prospect is
boundless; mosquitoes infernal.
side of the river and
This isthe only mercantile house in the two places.
l;
dividual
friend —
Situated in latitude 31.40 — 60 or 70 miles west of the
river; 150 from the Bay of the same
small creeks, the largest called
(Ban-ye-to) the one meaning a fishing stream and the other a
place — The site is
picturesque level, and the surrounding
trythis country
1778
In 1819 it was completely destroyed during the
revolution by the
Spanish troops; the inhabitants were dispersed &
many families
took refuge in where Its repeopling
menced
ones — there is one of stone — but the most of the houses
are of
logs or of mud walls like in the old
style of spanish building—
the town has the appearance of
delapedation & decay —
Population 400 whites —
100 Mexicans —
Situated in a fertile section of country called the
sh
and from the
latter 36 or more miles. It is a new town &
is more growing rapidly; its trade is considerable
for
so small a place; its population 4 or 5 hundred; the
try
some
tribe of Indians in some of the interior
states.
Situated on the
Formerly a military
fort, but
Situated on the Eastern bank of the 30 miles above
where the road leading from
crosses their river. Its situation not the most favorable
30 miles from
Population 50 souls
Situated on the west bank of
above
limits of
the Territory of
remain until the boundary between
is
finally established —
An-ah-wah; the Americans, some
An-a-whack
It is named of probably after a
tribe of Indians of
that name, or probably after a peak of the
pronounciation Cor-de-ya-ras.
Situated 3 miles
from the mouth of
its situation rather picturesque appearance than
wise
have been driven off
— it may never be a place of any
consequence — Founded
by Col
Jno.
Army
was driven from the place for his infamous
tyranny; he fled to
Situated in the fork of the of the
but may in time
become of some importance when
Named after Genl
mandantl of the Eastern internal States, under
near
Matamoras in which his fortunes were involved,
he committed suicide by
falling on his sword in
the manner of the Romans — This town is
situated
on the
of the troops it is nearly depopulated & going to decay
—
35 miles North East of creek
who had fled from the
society as well as
in population & prosperity. It is in
the red lands —
Situated on the crossing place
Te-has.
Is situated at the Falls of the
the
colony or
A new town recently laid off on the
point where the river is crossed by the road leading
from
mer
I know not; at
present it contains only one or
two houses; There are other towns of the
same name in
other parts of
piled
Rivers.
Bernardo
San
Marcos;
which is formed by the
junction of
Bays
Sab-ene; San-hah-sin-to; Buffaloe By-o;
Braz-os; Col-o-ra-do; San
Ber-nar-do; Ca-ne;
Nav-i-dad; La-Bac-ca; Gau-da-lu-pe;
San-An-to-ne-o; Blan-co; Nu-a-ces; Nav-a‑
so-to; Me-de-na; San
Sab-a; Re-o Fre-o;
Auk-a-lene; Al-to-e-ac; Snow, Trin-e-ty.
Gaudelupe is vulgarly pronounced Gau-lu-pe
The Bar at the mouth of the
vessels drawing
by cutting a short canal from East Reunion Creek at the mouth
of
the river to to the Oyster into the waters of
ton
Thus any small vessel will be able to reach the mouth of the
that can enter
inlet. The Bar at the mouth of the
believed
that there is always some point at which the Bar might be crossed
but the
breakers are generally so high that small boats cannot venture
out to
sound the Bar to discover the supposed channels.
Judiciary.
The Judiciary, as well as every other branch of
Government is in a state of
confusion. They
however still
debts and sometimes
to punish offenses
conformity with the ceremonies of the law, but
erally
was revised and
reworded during the legislature
of 1834; but no court has been held by the
rior
owing to the public
indignation which prevails
inst
will not
permit him to preside;
court would only be one step toward bringing himself
as a
prisoner to the Bar. The cause of opposition to him
is to be found in the
reprehensible means by which
he obtained the Situation. The last Legislature,
which you must bear in mind
is composed
almost entirely of Mexicans from
disposed to grant to
could be
constitutionally extended. Amongst other
titionsprayed that
more
consistent with the education and habits of the
american population might be extended to the country.
The petition
of the Legislature, familiar with no system but their own,
were at a loss
to devise one which would
adequate to the wants and suited to the genius of the
people. The members
from
unable to frame
a system. A member of the Bar of
some intelligence who had been acting in
a Judicial
pacity
he was would be alteration in the
Judiciary was
desired & would be acceptable to the
people
He told the Body that
law as he knew would be
acceptable to the people; &
accordingly drafted the system which
is now the law
of country. He
that it passed the
Legislature just as it came from his
pen. Never did
a
of doing essential service to his fellow citizens &
his country
than this occasion presented. But the temptation which
it held out for the accumulation of wealth and the
personal
aggrandizement was too great strong for his integrity. He
saw that so soon as the new system should be
tedthat he could enter the field for the
Judgeship without
competition; it is believed, that, in framing the system
which was immediately adopted he had one eye
rected
for he
suceeded in arranging the matter so that there was to be
but one Superior
Judge throughout all
Judge, with
a salary for the first two years of
Two hundred and sixty six thousand,
six hundred and forty
acres of land and
The evident prostitution
ambition
was so glaring that
when he was received with disgust by his fellow
citizens
and when called upon to hold his court was driven
from the
Bench by the overwhelming force of public
opinion.
An outline of the Judiciary may be
conveyed by specifying some of the
leading powers
of the several officers. The Ayuntamenta is a body
composed of an Alcalda — a Sindico-procurator &
Regidors
in porportion to the population & seige of
the municipality or
what we would call county. This
body has no Judicial power. It is similar
to our
courts of ordinary, but embracing a greater
variety of
duties, none of any
of any great importance. They
superintend all
county matters; relative to roads, public
dings
preside at all for
municipal officers; as also at
the Election for the Electors that choose
the Governor
and Members of the Legislature; rising a little
higher
in power they have the right when
a Judge of the "first instance" has to be chosen
to make out a list of 4 names the names of 4
persons to nominate 4 persons, a list of
whose
names they present to the Political Chief whose
duty it is to
select one of the number, the one
selected is the "Judge of the First Instance".
Thus
is this Officer chosen; and thus you perceive that
the duties of the Ayuntamiento are chiefly is very
little else than a kind of
"city council" to or "alderman"
to the municipality. The Alcalda is president of the
body & presides at their meetings but has no vote
cept
he has other
powers also of a Judicial character; forall it is thro him that you get
access to the court
of the first instance. If you wish to send bring an
iongo apply to the Alcalda
&
whose duty it
is to summons the contending parties
before him & propose a
settlement by arbitration. If eitherobject of them object, signifies the same to
the higher court
Judge and the door of admission to the court is then
open. This practice however is so useless & fraught with
unnecessary delay that the lawyers have rendered it
obsolete by agreeing
not to take any exception at the
trial of cases, for the want of this
formality-- The Regi-dors Sindico-procurador and Regidores are peace
officers to
notice all breeches of order & law and
portthe meeting of the Ayutamiento
who the
under the Mexican Govt the Alcalda was the
highest
Judicial Officer known; and the Ayuntamiento the
only channel
between the people & the Govt
The alcaldar has also
The "Judge of the first instance" is in every
respect like our Circuit or
Superior Court Judge, with
the exception that he is confined to one
Municipality
& does not travel a Circuit like ours. His
powers
are the same, embracing every all
cases civil & criminal
with the like officers; but two thirds of
the jury
determining the verdict instead of a unanimity as is
required of ours — I have already told how he is
appointed. He
holds his office for one year —
cases in this court are triable
the first term, may
be continued by consent of parties etc., and its
decision appealed
from to the Superior Court of
Texas.
The Superior Judge is elected for life; he
holds his court every alternately in
one at the capital
of each Department,
This is a court of appeals, and is
held every 4 months.
But its decisions are not final, because cases
decided
by it may be carried the Hall of Justice at
Bexar to the "
the Seat of GovtThird Hall
of the Supreme Court of Justice;" and what the
cannot tell.
The Commissario is a Justice of the peace
who can hear & Determine
cases as high as $10 from whose
decision there is no appeal—
An extensive article exportation is the Cochineal. This
insect (if it be
one). "It adheres to the called Opuntia,
& sucks the Juice of the
fruit, of a crimson color. It is from
the Juice that the Cochineal derives
its value which
‑sistsof in dyeing all sorts of the finest colors scarlet, crimson
purple" It is computed
that the Spaniards annually export
no less than 900000 pounds weight of
this commodity. — Now I have
been informed that the Cochineal is
also found on the Prickly
Minerals; Springs, mines, curiosities, Birds, Beasts
Insects etc. etc.
— There is it is said high up among
the mountains, a petrified
clear salt lake. The Comanches give an account
of
it; they say that he went to on the ice an fell
froze &
he has been there time out
of mind — I heard that a
company from
of it for the public museum, but found it not — The whole
may be
only a cock & Bull story — Flesh can't petrify
The Platina Block spoken of by Mrs
A mineral spring on the
where I stopped —
Mexicans call it chicka, to the Americans Sea
Coal
Panama Stone in great abundance on the beach at
the Mouth of
all along the coast, but it is at
Also at the mouth of the the as the the Brittany
stuff spoken of by
‑ ting
3
to 5 feet, and much larger in weather — when cold it is
hard
when warm soft like pitch. I have inquired about
hot spring in the
See
page 191. See page 157.
The Fight at Anahuac
The troops were landed in Feb 7 1835, between 40 & 50. They
were
sent here under pretense of protecting certain officers —
Commanded t
she left & returned in april, and there it
was she took
under the pretense that she
had contraband goods; but
the American Consul at
that she had no
contraband articles; she was then sent
had in the meantime been plundered & lost
— few days
after
bia
near
her hampered & after chasing her down to
She was taken off
condemned, and her cargo confiscated — The
people were indignant
at this.
time, and now
after this affair with
she attempted to land some goods; a deficiency now
insured
between the owner
sed
this the officer would not do; the military was then called
in; a citizen was shot by the soldiery, &
merchant held as prisoner for several days — The
Custom
Officer whose authority had been taken, had sailed with
see page 174
The Thompson affair
Capt
t had brought
134 soldiers from
on the Gov t
so
soon as he landed the troops to return; but he was afterwards
ordered to
all
probability for no other purpose than to capture
San
Felipeand He declared the port in a state
of blockade
and in his official proclamation offered reward of a
thousand
dollars for
at the taking of
in 15
minutes of the getting him — He kept sailing
about the on
her first
bay here until the arrival of the San Felipe. When
arrival had she hoisted a flag for a pilot, but the people
paying no
attention to her, she shortly disappeared, and after returned
the first on her return she
captured
of the month
Tremont
this started in pursuit of
Tremont
so pressed
took her papers. The boat pursued
were exchanged between
them, but with no effect. The
wood on Board of the Boat gave out; she
returned to
which was laden with the best of
timber for this market.
The lumber was cut up for fire wood & now
replenished with
fuel,
again when she secried a sail
ahead. This proved to
be
most anxious to capture. So soon as
San Felipe
advanced slowly toward
her, evidently intending to wait until
night to attack her.
Steam boat took some of her
cargo ashore to clear the
deck ready for action
sight
powder loose;
manned with Eight men, which also commenced
fire. The
two vessels fired several rounds before
the San F. & Laura
towards returned the fire
his men to board
opened
their fire upon him, and instead
Felipe
be restrained from boarding
their anxiety
even to band the artillery to board
So soon as
the americans opened their fire, every one of
of
and one other man, who true to his power
remained & got
killed. He was the only one lost,
At this central moment a negro of
became alarmed and abandoned the rudder altogether;
The ropes
became entangled & the vessel unmanageable. The Capt wishing to
Continued page 175
When the people of
they held a
meeting to raise volunteers to drive off
or punish the soldiers; they
gathered some from that place
& some about
commanded. they told the Custom Officer
that if he would
show his authority to collect dury, he should be obeyed
for
that they did not wish to evade paying duties; but
that soldiers
should not be employed in such a service,
& especially by one who
seemed to have no authority to
collect. They then marched to the fort and
ordered the Comt
to surrender or they would fire, he
refused, one gun was
fired then by the americans & the fort
capitulated. The soldiers
were disarmed, and ordered to
still retained command, and
the Political Chief issued orders
for their support or maintenance, which
was done; they finding some are still at
of their own accord
discharged
what became of but the Commander I know not
had all been restored to the soldiers. —
The
were carried to
to
loff, and then he found the state of his vessel.
advantage of this delay & embarrassment to put off. he and his So soon as
accompanying vessel of 10 Ten made their
escape
San Felipe
debate ensued which they should take
first, the small vessel
of 10 ton which was nearest or
ahead; they concluded to
take
allowed
& get off.
him not.
In the morning nothing was seen of
of his
accompanying vessel; a sailor was sent near top to look
out; he discovered
The San F.
pursued
Laura
was compelled to use the lumber of
the vessel in Two, and went
in pursuit of
him about halfway
between
The little schooner has not been heard of since; it is
supposed that she
had been a crippled by a shot that she was afterwards
lost — The
man killed on board
timore
Mexicans & lost his life like a hero — After this brave man
was mortally
wounded & all his men below
himself & loaded another, but was not able to fire it off as he
straddled the
cannon, two balls came & wounded him the inner part
of each thigh; he
then lay down & steered his vessel lying on his
back — he is a good
soldier
he had orders from acted under the
On board of
sat on the head of a flour barrel & fired 13 guns during the
engagement. He chose the top of the barrels instead of seeking safety
behind them. Son of t Wilson
As one of
brave man & would not fly; the other replied, because
a
man is brave need he die like a fool; in that
american
you had better follow me. The fellow as he went below
his hand still holding to the top hatchway, a ball
carried off
a part of his hand. Better that thought he than his life.
presidency;
antagonist, whereupon the latter disputed the Election
&
appealed to anew. l of the South
born & raised in
of
competitor
to
was decoyed by his enemies into a brig, carried
up the
coast & shot without a trial.
then assumed the
presidency. It was
assassinated
murdered predecessor's was of brief duration; for
Annalcommanding at
is known as the
against the presidential encumbent marched for
carrying the hearts of the people with him
and spreading terror
to his foes. He succeeded in putting
med
Dictator for four years; and in doing in a year or
two
more was chosen by a Council of the Clergy & others of his
own
selection Dictator for life — all this transpired in the
short
period of 10 years; the Election between
being
in 1825 and the proclamation of perpetual Dictatorship in
1835 —
Thus rose from the lowest walks in life to imperial
power a man without
character and with principle who
had once been condemned to a public
scourge in the streets
of
l
seemed to understand
catering it
— The letter I believe was written in 1827.
See page 136. t at
fortnight before the battle took
place, had dined with many
of the citizens in the nieghborhood &
about
Battle, he visited the
same families; and it was a matter
laughter with him that he should
have to dine & fight the
same people in such rapid succession. He
was a brave
& faithful officer. He stated that he had no
disposition to
fight, but that he was ordered to it by his superiors
& if he
had not obeyed, he would have been decapitated by his
Govt.
His men were still less desirous of a
difficulty than
himself & several had to be flogged before they
would fight.
Old
and drunkered debauchee residing at
secret carrier that bred most of
the heartburning between
the americans & the Commandant of the
fort,
disclosing some of the lying
letters were from
this audacious hypocrite
took french leave of
fled for
life. He has written back since his arrival in
any suit which this country has
to urge upon
will be backed &
sustained by him. This influence he
says is not very trifling as he is
confessing priest to his Majesty
but report says that his Majesty has
since dismissed
him inconsequence of his holiness becoming rather
too interested with some of the Royal females
The fort of
of 12 to
15 feet thick of logs & sand. The americans
cked
unperceived; & lying down in the ditch surrounding the fort
done
all their mischief; the americans over them of the
fort. When day began to
dawn, & they were discovered,
then came it their turn to suffer.
Many were killed in
the attempt to get into the fort over the wall. When
enforted
the americans had to shoot them
sequnce
Being
afraid to show themselves on the walls to load the
artillery, they lay on their backs to do it, and as they
raised their arms
to use the rauisser, their arms were fired
at & broke —
See small book P. 13
Arrived at
day or two at
movedrs
dinner given to
book to me. Left Monday Tuesday 8th Friday 25th
passed
Mrs
I liked him not.
older sister of Mrs
tiond
ty
pared
The
lady did not like the boarders of "low degree"
paid their dollar a day, to eat too much of the stinking
as for butter & milk & such things, scarce as
hen's teeth—
After subscribing $5.00 to erect a fort at
I left the place in the boat
Thursday 8th
rland. Stopped at
the public tavern, but the fare so horrible , that I left for Mrs.
She keeps superb house.
Whilst at
the bar & returned— Took
an excursion in the steam boat to
for oysters;
found few small ones. Several ladies on board, I spoke to
none—
none that I wished to speak to—
______"and dreamed again
The visions which arise
without a sleep
Byron
I had heard so much about war, pestilence and
famine— Indian,
scalping-knives, and tomahawks,
that I began instinctively to place my
hand upon me
head every morning, to ascertain whether I had lost
or
still retained my scalp. From the report every where
abroad, about the
ferocious
swamps, like prowling wolves, to let fly their
poisonous
arrows at the solitary wanderer on the
my mind became so filled with the idea of fright,
fright
and flight, that I would often mistake the
tread of my horses heels for
the approach of an
enemy, and the snap of a cane for the twang of
his
bow; and yet the occupancy of these matters in
my mind,
proceeded not from any apprehensions
of danger; for I felt none, and was
wholly
‑ulous
so many
travellers less
dead
even if there had
been any real danger; for the
blood, raging every day like a boiling
current in
my veins, permitted me to think of little else than
than of cooling water. I wanted something
to quench
the consuming fire within. Fever was praying upon
my
vitals, and frequently rose to such a height as to
destroy the equilibrium
of my understanding. Some
have told me, that, I became "non compos
mentis", but having no knowledge of the Greek and
Hebrew languages, nor any copy of the Dictionary
of Quotations, I could
was meant
very ominous and fearful. It was in one of these
high rs
plain widow of 30, social and lively,
with a very
good sense and very great
kindness. The
table
my sufferings.
But all in vain. The fever still
creased
then a cup of coffee; it made me
worse— walked
in the open air; but the wind felt warm; and
nally
without any
nature's sweet restorer, balmy
sleep, might possibly
be won by patience and composure, and
ly
finding nothing
but beds arranged on an inclined
plain with the head downward; and feeling
that
this might not by the most be the most
favorable
position for one whose skull was hourly threatened
with
explosion, I signified to my accomodating
landlady a preference for
tily
ting
I found a short
respite from my suffering in the
arms of Morpheous. Brief as was the respite, it was
however greater that it
might have been, had I laid
on a bed which would have pointed my heels to
the
zenith and my head to the nadir.
I said that my respite was short; and so
it was. I could not have been
asleep more than one
or two horus, when a Kennel of dogs opened fiercely
at
something, which I thought might be a belated
eller
led me to the conclusion that they must be
repelling
the intrusions of some ferocious wild beast. For
awhile
they ceased their deafening clamours, and
I
but breaking forth again
with Cerberean vociferation
as if that might have awakened old Odin
from
his sleep, I suddenly rose up in my
looked around to discover the object of their
sive
but presently I
discovered some object not very
distant from me, moving slowly among
the
chequered shades of the grove which threw such
obscurity around
as to prevent my discerning with
distinctness its figure and proportion.
The moon,
that glorious and lovely orb, appointed by God
to rule by
night, had risen in the
beauty, and spreading abroad her rich mantle of
light, she threw silvery
trees and gilded every leaf with splendor. But the
the shadow of the
leaf upon the ground, imparting
to the grove a pleaseing mixture of light
and shade
which, however delightful to the eye, is calculated to
perplex the vision in the discernment of the forms of
things. It was owing
to this that I did not at first
recognize the terrific
lentlydim
shadows of the
grove to fall like an unexpected thunderbolt upon his
prey victims in the midst of their slumbers.
I
am not superstitious, but the thought came
wart
most unwelcome
visitant as a punishment for
the derision
upon this road, and
for the scorn the
a recent expedition against this tribe,
believing
that not a solitary
hundred miles of the
spread in the open piazzo on the front of the
building,
and having lain down under the idea of perfect
‑ty
or anything more
formidable than a chinch or
or
I was more than surprised at
finding myself
exposed in a few hours to the sanguinary
ce
to the citizens of the country and doubly so to me.
I confess that his
appearance cured me of the fever
but it gave me an ague. I knew not what
to do;
I knew not what course to pursue, whether to lie
still
and depend upon the dogs keeping him at bay, or
whether it was
better to awaken the family to a
knowledge of their danger and let them that we
might all work out our
salvation fear
and trembling. All that I could hope to gain by giving the
alarm would be the assistance of the widow, herself
for with the exception of herself and her small
children, the only inmates of the house were her
mother, too feeble for
flight, and her father, too
blind for fight. Undecided as to what was best
to
be done, I lay silently and still, waiting for
thing
me into action.
I noticed that when the dogs would fly
out fiercely at him, he would halt,
and would
main
animals became
quieted, and some little time
lowed
might have been
awakened by the barking; and
then when all was still, he would advance
and cautiously looking around and behind at
ost
croachingupon by slow degrees upon the house
until finally he advanced so near as to render
it necessary for me to take
some decisive step for
my safety. Further delay was certain death.
And yet for my life, I could devise no possible
means of extrication. My
invention and my
courage were both gone. If I attempted flight
or
should give the alarm, I was within the
reach of his arrows and should be
transfixed
at the very first movement. What should I do?
The more I
gazed upon the enemy, the more
alarmed I became. His size was
gigantic,
not so tall as but bulky and muscular,
ing
to deformity and a high
body, the very weight
of which was sufficient to crush every bone in
a frame like mine. Lying in the open piazzo
I was able to see and watch
narrowly all of his
movements; and I wondered
much that he had
not discovered me. But I was satisfied that he
had
not; and I drew courage from the fact. He
took a few more steps from toward the place
where I lay —
the dogs barked furiously — the
and was waiting the event, for
some of the
family to come to the door to learn the cause of
this
canine uproar; but none making their
pearancesome
a movement of some kind or other, and so
ing
I searched to
the bottom of both ends before I
succeeded in finding my well finished and
well
loaded rifled-barrel pistol. My courage
the end
of my fingers, now began to revive a
little. I will not philosophize upon
the point, but
the battle itself is never so alarming as the few
hours that precede the conflict. The individual
who trembles at the
contemplation of war, is often
found to be the freest of fear in the
field. I
certainly felt my own courage strengthen, as I
began my
preparation for battle; and when I
I laid my hand on my pistol, my heart
heart beat
less audibly, and I breathed
fuller and freer than
I had during any moment since the dreadful
doeAs yet he had
As yet he had not discovered me.
Near the piazza where I lay, stood a large
Post
Oak tree, which if I could gain unobserved, I thought
I should
stand some chance for my life, armed as
I was with a rifle pistol of true
blue which I knew
would not fail in its duty if its master would not
in his. Rolling over slowly a few times on the floor
until I got the tree
immediately between me and
the enemy, I arose and approach it as
cautiously
as possible and succeeded in gaining it
ved
defense, than a confounded
occured which excited alike my laughter and
my
fears; for a gust of wind came sweeping by, &
spread out
the nether extremities of a nameless
garment like a banner in the breeze;
and there
I stood under the full impression that I was betrayed
to
the observation of the foe; and I felt like one
whose flag of war was
hoisted before he was ready
for the fight. But I was however still
fortunate;
the
remain behind the oak until
he should advance
so near that it would be impossible for me to miss
my mark. Onward he came as fast as he could
venture without alarming the
watchful crew, that
still sent forth their obstreperous and
threatening
voices at the crack of a stick or the turning of a
chip.
his course was in the direction of the tree
behind which I was enforted;
and now that I
was prepared for combat, and had screwed up
my
courage to the sticking point, I felt that I
did not like to
ture
self
him to advance that my suspense might be
terminated at once by a decisive blow.
A few more steps would bring him within the reach
of pistol shot. My heart
throbbed with anxeity,
and
sibly
it was a good weapon
— trustworthy in the hour of
danger and I had made up my mind
to
bring it to bear upon the prowling
he should reach a particular spot where the
light
of the moon would fall full upon him. I felt as
if the
steps would bring him to the fatal
spot. He It is useless to say
that he
soon took these
soon took them & now it is
apology
for the course which I was evidently
forced to pursue. From the Judgment
of one
who knows me so well I I
have
nothing to fear. You are aware that I would
not for all the
world, burden my conscience
with the blood of a fellow creature, except
der
none of that
destructive principle which
lights
in human blood. A necessary
act incures no
blame; and he who wars only in defense of life
must
certainly be accounted guiltless. Surely
mine must be a case of self
preservation if
there ever was one; and yet
surrender all the wealth that ever glittered
in fairy land to avoid the
necessity of
cide
And do you ask me if
I reproach myself for
what I have done — whether I am
laboring
under the inflictions of an accusing conscience?
The sequel
of my story will unfold it all.
I doubt whether there ever was a man
who
killed another, that did not feel a sudden
impulse to recall the
deed act. It is a deed
at which nature
must and will shudder.
Even when driven to it by the highest
sity
itrable
and ever and anon, an
accusing spirit will
whisper in a still small voice that there is
possibly something wrong. Has a Savage
monster fired your dwelling at
midnight
and wet the hearth stone with the brains of
your bright
eyed boy? Vengeance is
your due. And yet if you take it — if
you
steep your hands in the blood of the
ursed
often meet you in your solitary rambles by
day and in
your dreams by night and
prove a more unwelcome guest than
than the most hateful of your living foes.
And how is this? Why should an
act which
nature prompts and reason justifies recoil upon
the heart
and plead against its peace, with such
disturbing and condemning
eloquence? It is
cause
without pretending to
answer the question, you
can find in the fact, the cause of my
ness
the fury of sudden
revulsion of feeling, I sent
my pistol as far as I could hurl it; and
retired
conscience stricken to my palate to compose my
agitated
bosom. But I found no rest. I felt like
was in commotion within. My mind, harrowed
and
bewildered, run riot in all the mazes
of
violent and contradictory emotions; at one
moment cursing myself for as a murderer;
at another drawing
consolation from the
reflection that I had only acted
Nature could hold out no longer. The excitement
was too great for physical
energy and I sank
at last into a state of oblivion and
insensibility.
In the morning when I was awakened by the
gentle
beams of the sun falling
the branches of the surrounding grove, I
felt a little revived and rose
from my patch.
I shuddered as I turned to look to look upon the
dead
went in search of the weapon
which I
had thrown away — that too was gone.
Yet still so
vividly was the whole transaction
pictured upon memory - so indellibly was
it stamped upon the the brain and heart, that
it was not until I
had long bathed my
head in a basin of cold water, that the
fact
began to dawn upon my mind,
that the
and
hallucinations of fever.
See page 170 & 157. Mr
island among the
lagoons leading into the
he rose one morning and found under the
matress a Snake
about Eight inches long, with two heads. It was dead
when he saw it. He says it was not native born but appeared
undeformed and
the heads just alike & symmetrical — he
told
incredulity, But Mr
tells the st repeats the story
to me as
really true so & he is a man who is considered
veracious. —
There is a sinister spring
Journal
I leave Columbus in Georgia (my place of
residence)
this day, Monday 15th June 1835, for
Texas.
June 16th arrived at
Montgomery Alabama.
he was enjoying, on the dangerous & hazardous war
which
he was desirous to make against the power & influence
of
the Priest, appointed his friend — to the
mance
and stripped the
Church of its power & increased,
by which he acquired a degree of
popularity that emited
the jealousy of
his friend from the Republic, thereby uniting attaching
to him the very party whose
destruction he
instrumentality of — he had operated. His
friend
when banished, instead of leaving the Republic, retired into
and is now in chains.
St. Felipe de Austin -
Brassora -
Harrisburg -
Fayette -
Nacogdoches -- 500. 100 of which are Mexicans.
Bexar -- 2500
Capitol of Texas Mrs Holly
La Bahia -- 800 Mrs Holly
Guadaloupe or
Wallope -- natives
Metamoros formerly called Refugio - 8 to 10.000
natives 600 American and English
St. Augustine - 100 to 150
Anahuac
after the original name of mexico founded Oct. 1830. A new
brick fort
building there. "This is the spot where Lafitte and his piratical
crew
resided during the late war with G. Britain."
Victoria
Matagordo
Gonzales
Montazoma. The capitol of Texas and Coahuila. It is in
Coahuila.
St. Antonio - 2500
Liberty on the Trinity
Epitaph written for the Americans
who fell at Velasco -
"Who
fought here fell in freedom's cause - the Brave
Tyrants beware! Man will
not be a slave -"