The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964 Page: 466
672 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
policy was virtually impossible. Mexican raids upon South Texas
once again touched off controversy; these raids in turn led to a
series of disastrous expeditions by Texans against Mexico.
The new difficulties with Mexico began in the early spring of
1842. Previously, on January 9, 1842, General Mariano Arista
of the Mexican army had issued a proclamation aimed at in-
habitants of South Texas. This proclamation informed them that
they would receive more benefits from Mexican rule than from
the new Republic of Texas and invited them "to abandon the
revolutionary government and participate in the Mexican regen-
eration." When it became clearly evident that South Texans would
not respond favorably to the proclamation, a Mexican army of
over one thousand men moved into South Texas. Proceeding
swiftly, a small body of the main force captured Goliad on
March 3, taking several prisoners. Another small group moved
to take Refugio on March 5, while the main body under General
Rafael Vasquez proceeded toward San Antonio.8
Residents of San Antonio meanwhile had received rumors that
a large Mexican army was making its way toward the city and
hasty preparations were made, by some for defense and by others
for evacuation. So suddenly had the news come, however, that
the Mexicans were upon the town before adequate prepara-
tions for either its defense or evacuation could be made. On the
morning of March 5, Texas scouts operating under the command
of John C. "Jack" Hays encountered a white flag borne by a
Mexican officer who announced that General Vasquez was in com-
mand of fourteen hundred men and would daily receive rein-
forcements; therefore the immediate and peaceful surrender of
the city was demanded.'
Hays had at his command in San Antonio a force of some one
hundred men, containing such noted frontiersmen and scouts as
French Strother Gray, Henry Clay Davis, John R. Cunningham,
Kendrick Arnold, Cornelius Van Ness, and John Twohig. A con-
sultation was held by the Texans, who quickly agreed upon the
$F. C. Chabot, Corpus Christi (San Antonio, 1942), 16; Harry A. Galley, Jr.,
"Sam Houston and the Texas War Fever, March-August, 1842," Southwestern His-
torical Quarterly, LXII, S7-38.
'F. C. Chabot (ed.), The Perote Prisoners: Being The Diary of James L. True-
hart (San Antonio, 1931), 45; James K. Greer, Colonel Jack Hays (New York,
1952), 64.466
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964, periodical, 1964; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101197/m1/544/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.