The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 153
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Enduring Laws of the Ref2ublic.
stormy session of seventeen days beginning March 1, the Conven-
tion dissolved before the advance of Santa Anna's legions.
President Burnet for convenience selected for the seat of govern-
ment Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou, to which place he promptly
repaired with the archives and part of his cabinet.
The deflection up the Brazos of the retreating Texan army left
Harrisburg open to the enemy, and Santa Anna with 750 men made
a dash on the capital. Arriving at 11 p. m. April 13th, the Mexican
dictator learned that President Burnet and other officials 'had taken
the archives and fled down the Bayou that afternoon in a steam-
boat. No official documents issued from the ephemeral capital,
Harrisburg, save a few executive orders and proclamations.
It becomes difficult now to fix the exact sites of the Texan capital
though the perambulations -of the president may mark it with
approximate correctness.
Despairing of Santa Anna's being arrested by a battle of Hous-
ton's fighting, Burnet with part of his cabinet abandoned the main
land of Texas and taking refuge on Galveston island offered to
share with the General the comforts of that sand-bank retreat if he
deemed it still imprudent to give battle. But the long delayed
fight for Texas as last came off at San Jacinto, effectually check-
mating the further Mexican advance. Then the sovereignty of the
Republic as represented in ,the person of the president was soon
transferred from the ,sea-coast to the battlefield. Meanwhile the
captive dictator by the arts of diplomacy retrieved in a measure the
Mexican fortunes in effecting an arrangement with his conqueror
for the unmolested retirement of the Mexican army across the Rio
Grande. To this arrangement between Houston and Santa Anna
President Burnet assented; and to fully consummate the proposed
treaty the sovereign heads of Mexico and Texas hastened away on
the historic steamer Yellowstone to Velasco, then the great seaport
of the Republic.
In this capital (for the president and archives were here) was
concluded and signed in person the agreement between Santa Anna
and Burnet, known as the treaty of Velasco. 'The ill will towards
the butcher of the Alamo and Goliad was so intense that his libera-
tion under the provisions of the treaty was defeated by a popular
commotion, which growing in virulence menaced the stability of
the Texan government.153
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899, periodical, 1898/1899; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101011/m1/157/?rotate=90: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.