The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 5, July 1901 - April, 1902 Page: 122

122 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
commanded by Captain Poe. That place was the chief port of entry
for Texas and had most frequent communication with New Orleans
by vessel. Mr. Bell's question was answered in the affirmative, and
the letter went on to Brazoria at once. The bearer reached there
in the afternoon, and the news he brought produced a great sensa-
tion. After a copy of the letter had been taken, he went on by
Peach Point, where he got a fresh horse, to Velasco, arriving at the
latter place in the night. He crossed the river at once and carried
Travis's letter to Captain Poe. All the troops and people of the
town were assembled at Poe's headquarters to hear the news, which
caused there, just as it had at Brazoria, great excitement. In de-
tailing his recollections of the affair in after years, Colonel Bryan
said that his reception at Brazoria and Velasco made him feel like
a hero, and that the impression had remained with him all his life.
The following month, in consequence of the retreat of Houston
from the Colorado, all the inhabitants of Texas west of the Trinity
abandoned their homes and property, taking with them their
negroes and such supplies as they could carry, and fled towards, the
UJnited States frontier. Joel and Austin Bryan, the two older
brothers of Guy, were in the army with Houston. Mr. Perry re-
mained with his family until they reached the east bank of the San
Jacinto, when he, with the rest of the able-bodied men and trusted
negroes, joined a detachment of the army under Colonel Morgan,
who was fortifying Galveston. The family was encamped at Captain
Scott's, about six miles below Lynch's Ferry, when the news came
that the advance guard of the Mexicans was on the opposite bank of
the San Jacinto at the crossing, and that all boats had been brought
to the east side and scuttled to delay them. The refugees were
advised to push on. Several days previous to this, Joel Bryan had
arrived from the army very sick with pneumonia. Guy, then a boy
of fifteen, had his horse and all necessary arms and accoutrements
ready to join Houston, but the appearance of the Mexicans and the
consequent hasty departure of the family prevented the accomplish-
ment of his purpose.
Mrs. Perry and her children joined the throng of fleeing people,
which extended backward and forward as far as the eye could see
in an indiscriminate mass of human beings, walking and riding on
horseback and in every imaginable kind of vehicle. To make things
worse, the prairies were covered with water, and the roads were