The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 126

                                
The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

It was now broad daylight and we at once proceeded to enter the
place. There was no resistance offered, and we had hoisted our
flag on one of the main steeples and had it flying for fifteen min-
utes, before our redoubtable General with the main force was to
be seen. At last, however, he entered, and our parade, although
our force was small, was by no means contemptible, for it requires
but a few well mounted horsemen to make a brilliant show...
The Mexican authorities lost no time in placing the town at
our disposal, and our distinguished General, after making out a
requisition for our most pressing wants, marched us up the river
for a mile and a half, where we halted for the purpose of nooning.
We remained here some six or eight hours perhaps, refreshing our-
selves, and allowing our horses to graze,-the Mexican white flags
on the opposite side of the river, in every direction, flying in our
faces all the time. Late in the evening we were ordered to march
down the river on the same side we then were, for some four or
five miles, where we were to encamp for the night. It had been
expected by the whole army that at this place we would be ordered
to cross the river, and the disappointment was great when they
found it would not be done. This was to be attributed to Gen-
eral Somervell himself, and to the opposition of Colonel James R.
Cook and other subordinate officers. Colonel Cook, with the as-
sistance of his friends, wishing to oust the principal of the com-
mand and take it himself.
In our course down the river, we did not pass through Laredo,
but left it a short distance to our right. Here we witnessed rather
a curiosity-peach trees in bloom towards the close of the month
of December. We had not proceeded more than a quarter of a
mile, when from the rear the words came that the enemy were in
sight on the opposite side of the river, and indeed, from the clouds
of dust that were rising in that direction, it had the appearance
of truth. Our army was halted and held in readiness, until we
ascertained the cause of the alarm, which proved to be nothing
more than some of our men returning, who had crossed the river
early in the day to pick up horses-this privilege having been
granted by the Mexicans. After this flurry we proceeded on our
march, and an hour or two by sun in the evening encamped on
a high hill, within three miles of Laredo, immediately below that
place, and within a few hundred yards of the river, from the west-

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