The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 172

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

Again, the adoption and impetuous execution of the plan here
proposed, might enable us to barter the war off, for a speedy and
honorable peace. The enemy, when he found it visited upon his
head, and saw the lightning at a distance, might adopt effectual
measures to protect himself against its consuming progress, by
offering a compromise, on our own terms. And should he not do
this, the presence of a victorious force in Matamoros, having Gen-
eral Zavala for a nominal leader, and a counter-revolutionizing
flag, the liberal of all classes would immediately join us, the neu-
tral would gather confidence, both in themselves and us, and the
parasites of centralism in that section, would be effectually panic-
struck and paralyzed. In this way, a respectable army might be
immediately organized here, principally of materials to commence
active operations on the interior.
The plan for the expedition had been warmly sanctioned by the
volunteers around Bexar. Indeed, Yoakum says it originated
there because of the representations of Dr. James Grant,8 who
planned it with the hope of obtaining aid of the Mexican Liberals.
A letter of Grant's, widely published, represented that Acapulco,
Guadalaxara, and Puebla, as well as Valladolid, Oajaca, Zacatecas,
and Durango could be counted on in general as being opposed to
Santa Anna, that Tamaulipas, and Nuevo Leon would rise the
moment an attack was made on Matamoros, and that San Luis
Potosi would instantly follow. Moreover, Yoakum states,8" that
on November 29, before the idea of storming Bexar got a hold in
camp, Major Morris of the New Orleans Greys, a company of vol-
unteers recently arrived from the United States, informed Hous-
ton that about two hundred and twenty-five men had determined
to set out the next morning from Bexar for Matamoros and the
interior of Mexico. These men, he said, were nearly all from the
United States. He further stated that they would be joined by
one hundred and fifty more men, then on their way from the
United States, and that in the end their force would consist of
from 5,000 to 8,000 men, who were awaiting them; furthermore,
"Yoakum, History of Texas, II, 184-5.
Grant was a wealthy Scotchman owning extensive estates in Parras
in Coahuila. In connection with Dr. J. C. Beales he had attempted to
settle a colony of eight hundred families between the Nueces and the
Rio Grande rivers. His colony had been abandoned in 1834. He was
an active Federalist and had been a member of the legislature of
Coahuila and Texas when that body was dispersed by Cos. He was
opposed to a declaration of independence by the Texans, and possibly
for selfish reasons wished Texas to remain a part of Mexico.
Yoakum, History of Texas, II, 23.

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