The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 86

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

in disorder and leaving the cannon in the hands of the Americans.
In the engagement, the volunteers had one killed and none
wounded; the Mexicans nearly a hundred killed and wounded.
The official report to Austin adds: "Had it been possible to com-
municate with you, and brought you up earlier, the victory would
have been decisive, and Bejar ours before twelve o'clock."
Fannin's usefuliiess with the volunteer army did not cease with
this famous victory. On November 10th, he with one hundred
and fifty men, "all picked," was ordered" to cut off reinforcements
and a quantity of flour from Laredo to the Mexican garrison in
San Antonio. Austin, in recording the results of this in his Order
Book, says:
"Capt. Fannin marched promptly, but was not joined by the
party from the upper camp, he however proceed[ed] on the Laredo
road as far as rio frio. He ret. last night. I enclose his official
report. This officer has been very efficient and I recommend him
as one of the officers of the regular army when it is organized."28
Four days later Fannin left the army. The high regard which
Austin felt toward him is expressed in his discharge:
"Headquarters before Bexar,
"November 22, 1835.
"Captain J. W. Fannin having represented the absolute neces-
sity of returning home, I have granted to him an honorable dis-
charge, and have to say that he has uniformly discharged his duty
as a soldier and as an officer.
"Stephen F. Austin, Commander in Chief."29
Previous to this, Houston in a confidential letter to Fannin,
dated November 13, had offered Fannin the position of inspector-
general of the regular army with the rank of colonel in line, and
had desiredso his presence at headquarters when headquarters were
established. Houston's letter is of interest, not only because it
indicates the high regard which Houston had for Fannin's military
ability, but also because it shows that Houston then thought La
Bahia and Gonzales the logical places for stationing the army to
27Austin's Order Book, THE QUARTERLY, X, 38.
'8THE QUARTERLY, XI, 49.
"Baker, Texas BScrap Book, 657.
"Houston to Fannin. Baker, Texas Scrap Book, 655-6.