The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 63, July 1959 - April, 1960 Page: 467
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until after midnight last night and have no time to write this morning.
The chances of war permitting you will hear from me soon.
I remain your most affectionate son. THOs. W. BELL
DEAR BRO. 8C SISTER. RUTERSVILLE, MARCH 18th, 1842
Thos. left his letter open, and we deferred sending it [by] last
weeks mail, hoping by this time to give you some favorable account
relative to our western frontier; and our volunteers, that are gone
in the defense of our country.-When our volunteers got in 40
miles of San Antonio, the Mexicans took the hint and left the
place in a greater hurry than common, so our troops have been
deprived the pleasure of a fight for the present. In the divisions
of the Mexicans that took possession of San Antonio there were
750, and when our troops amounted to 400o at Camp Segene [Seguin]
(this is a place 40 miles from San Antonio) there was a proposition
made for all that would volunteer to retake the place from the
Mexicans to ride out of the lines, there were but 12 in number
and Thos. was one of that number.
I will here state he has a first rate horse a rifle that shoots an
ounce ball and will hit a mans head [at] 250 yards. Our army is
now more than looo and increasing every day.82 More than loo
passed through this place today. From the best accounts we can
get from our troops they intend to follow the Mexicans to the
Rio Grande and perhaps farther or destroy the towns [MSS. torn] that
river: Matamoros is the most important one. We believe they will
[be] able to destroy much Mexican property.
Thomas has many friends of this place with him and his Cousin
Thomasa stayed here last Sunday night on his way to the army;
every student of the college that was 15 years of age took arms and
hurried to the standard of the lone Star. We now think something
has gone rong [sic] in Mexico or their main army would have been
here before this time. We have but little to fear from the cowardly
enemy, more than the loss of property-for 750 left San Antonio
which has in it one of the best forts in the country when but 400
820n April 3, 1842, the United States charge to the Republic of Texas wrote:
"It would astonish you to see the Patriotism, liberality, alacrity with which all
classes of men here join the Army in the hour of alarm and danger. This govern-
ment has not a dollar in the treasury ... yet when the news reached here [Gal-
veston] that San Antonio had been taken $12,000 was raised in one night by
voluntary donation for the use of the army."-Joseph Milton Nance (ed.), "A Letter
Book of Joseph Eve," Southwestern Historical Quarterly, XLIII, 372.
"8In 1845 Mrs. Robert E. (Nancy Knox) Bell wrote of her son: "I do not hear
anything from Thomas. I fear he is dead. .... I want you to send me word whether
you have heard any word from him or your son."-Nancy Bell to William A. Bell,
January 5, 1845 (MS., Bell Letters, Texas Collection, University of Texas Library).467
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 63, July 1959 - April, 1960, periodical, 1960; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101186/m1/575/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.