The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 44, July 1940 - April, 1941 Page: 214
546 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
to me that, as far as it concerned him, he was going
to return to Mr. Duclos, whom we had left behind less
than four hours ago. I answered him that it was very
sad for me to see myself all alone, but that never-
theless I was going to succeed or die, and that I would
march as long as I had the strength. He told me to do
so and that he was sorry not to be able to follow me.
I embraced him and we said good-bye to each other.
I left first in order not to lose a moment. He said that
in half an hour he would retrace his steps to rejoin
Mr. Duclos. After I left I marched with extraordi-
nary fortitude for four days. The fifth day, at two
o'clock in the afternoon, I saw a river, two or three
leagues wide, where I arrived in the evening. This
river blocked my passage.20 It was very sad for me
to retrace my steps, especially because I had no good
news to carry to my friends. I wanted to go inland,
but it was entirely impossible to do so because I found
the country submerged as high as to my neck. I was
therefore forced to return. With this object in mind
I set out and when I had marched to within half a
quarter of a league from the place where I had left
my comrade I saw very clearly something red on the
same spot. This struck me forcibly and I did not doubt
that it was my comrade who had died. I approached the
spot and saw that I was not mistaken. I touched him
and found him stiff and smelling very bad. I quickly
dug a hole and buried him. I leave it to the reader
to imagine how much I suffered. After I had buried
him, I continued on my way to go to my other com-
rade, who was but two leagues from there. I finally
reached the place and, approaching the tent which had
fallen down, I called Duclos. There was no answer. I
thought that he was also dead. When I lifted the tent,
I saw that he was indeed dead and that he was still
warm. I buried him, like the others.
When I knew myself alone, I died a hundred deaths
every quarter of an hour. I remained two days with-
out eating, lacking the strength to take food. Never-
theless, the third day I fetched some oysters, because
they were there, as I told hereinbefore. I ate much
and almost all which was left. At that time I had no
ammunition left, and I did not know what to do to
2OThe Brazos River is about forty-five miles west from the place de
Bellisle left his companions. Doubtless this was the river he speaks of.
Because of his weakness he might easily have required four days to cover
this distance.214
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 44, July 1940 - April, 1941, periodical, 1941; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146052/m1/234/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.