The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949 Page: 177
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John A. Quitman in the Texas Revolution
177
occasioned some altercation, which resulted in his crossing the river
and hurrying on to join the army.42
On -the other hand, Houston wrote, on April 19, to Henry
Raguet, at Nacogdoches, that Houston had looked in vain for
reinforcements, presumably recruits from East Texas.43 Quitman's
notes written only a few days later, in April, 1836, also indicate
that he received no such message from General Houston or Major
Diggs as Burnet suggested. If Quitman did receive instructions
to wait at the Trinity, he ignored them. After helping Mont-
gomery and the refugee families negotiate the crossing of the
flooded river, Quitman and his group headed for Fort Bend.44
The volunteers probably learned before reaching Donoho's,
a few miles east of Groce's, that Houston's destination, after
leaving the Brazos, had been Harrisburg. The Quitman group
undoubtedly did not proceed farther toward Fort Bend than
Donoho's before discovering that Houston had not gone to Fort
Bend.45 Quitman and his men then headed toward Harrisburg
and from there, to Houston's headquarters, arriving a few
42"Compendium of Texas History," Texas Almanac, z86o (Galveston, 1859), 61.
Anonymous, but identified as the work of David G. Burnet. The antipathy of
Burnet and Felix Huston toward Sam Houston might possibly have colored Bur-
net's statement.
43Amelia W. Williams and Eugene C. Barker (eds.), The Writings of Sam
Houston (8 vols.; Austin, 1938-1943), I, 413-414.
44Quitman's notes, in Claiborne, Quitman, I, 151; Mississippi Free Trader,
August 15, 1849.
4GThe most direct route from Robbin's Ferry to Fort Bend would have inter-
cepted the Groce's-Harrisburg road at Donoho's. Quitman's notes, in Claiborne,
Quitman, I, 151, might indicate that he actually went to Fort Bend: "We were
here [at Robbin's Ferry] informed that Gen. Houston ... would probably make
a stand at Fort Bend. Thither we proceeded with all possible dispatch, and then
learned that Houston had dropped down the Brazos, and was marching to Harris-
burg. We pushed forward by forced marches, and arrived at headquarters. ..."
Thither was evidently used for "in that direction" in this instance. It is unlikely
that Quitman went as far as Fort Bend before turning toward Harrisburg because:
(1) at the time Quitman would have arrived at Fort Bend that area would have
been under the control of the Mexicans and a clash with them would have been
likely; (2) the distance covered by Quitman in those few days would have been
even more remarkable; (3) he would have known better than that Houston "had
dropped down the Brazos" on his way to Harrisburg; and (4) although the
countryside was probably deserted and there had been heavy rains, it is likely
that Houston's force of about a thousand men left enough indication.of its having
passed along to have been detected by Quitman and his men only four or five days
later, that is, if they went as far as Donoho's before hearing that Houston had gone
to Harrisburg.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949, periodical, 1949; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101121/m1/185/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.