The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 315
[335] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Battle of Gonzales.
315
Some of the families secreted themselves in the timbered bottoms.
Jesse McCoy, Joseph Kent, Graves Fulchear, and W. W. Arrington
kept watch at the river. Mr. Kent told me afterward how he
and Fulchear in their hiding places could scarcely resist the temp-
tation to shoot at the Mexicans as they came to the opposite bank
to water their animals. Texian scouts were sent out in the direc-
tion of San Antonio, as it was known that the Mexicans encamped
at DeWitt's Mound had sent couriers to the west, and that prob-
ably they had been informed by a half friendly Indian who had
been loitering about the town of the preparations made there for
defense.
The naked cannon was at first buried in Geo. W. Davis's peach-
orchard, the ground being plowed and smoothed over. Then a
broad-tired ox-wagon was fitted up and the gun raised and mounted
upon it, Mr. Darst, Jno. Sowell, Dick Chisholm, and others work-
ing diligently at it. Mr. Chisholm afterward narrated to me how
he and Mr. Sowell (both of them blacksmiths) managed to prepare
shot for the cannon cutting up pieces of chains and forging iron
balls out of such scraps as they could procure.
In the short space of forty-eight hours Matthew Caldwell re-
turned from the east with help. Upon the arrival of Mexican re-
inforcements, increasing their number to about two hundred, their
Lieutenant, Castafteda, with a troop, was sent with despatches
directed to the alcalde of Gonzales, but could not cross the Guad-
aloupe as the boat had been secreted. The officer was told that
alcalde was not in town, but that a messenger might swim over
with the despatches without molestation which was immediately
done.
The Texian force, now increased to about one hundred and fifty
men, organized under the command of John H. Moore and drilled
diligently, the Ferry-boat was returned to its landing, and a mes-
sage sent to the Mexican commander that the alcalde had returned
to Gonzales and invited him to come over and get the cannon.
Upon hearing this the officer, shrugging his shoulders, replied "I
suppose I need not go if I do not want to."
The enemy started on their return to San Antonio, marched
about seven miles, and encamped for the night at Ezekiel Williams's
place, which they robbed, supplying themselves with many sacks
of watermelons.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899, periodical, 1898/1899; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101011/m1/319/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.