The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 103, July 1999 - April, 2000 Page: 486
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
de Bexar should separate from Coahuila.15 Leaders there gave them to
higher-ups in Mexico City. Austin had previously encouraged citizens of
Texas, as indicated in Frances Trask's letter, to support the Mexican gov-
ernment. However, he returned home to San Felipe de Austin in the sum-
mer of 1835, suffering from the deprivations of his incarceration, to reluc-
tantly command a newly formed Texian army. The decision to capture
San Antonio was obvious to all, as this would send the Mexican represen-
tatives of Santa Anna's government fleeing to their southern homelands.
Austin's reluctant words bespoke the fate of himself and his disgruntled
followers ... "War is our only recourse."16
John Dix interrupted labor on his farm in October 1835. The corn
crop was crucial for his own and his dependents' winter rations as well as
feed for their livestock, yet it would remain in the field. Dix felt called to
join other volunteers of Washington County following Capt. James G.
Swisher, a veteran of the War of 1812. Anticipating an engagement with
the enemy, they marched to Gonzales, but found that the Mexicans had
retreated. Swisher's company eventually joined Austin's main army in
San Antonio, where a campaign and siege of that city was instituted.17
All indications prompted those volunteer soldiers to believe that victo-
ry over General Cos at the Battle of Concepci6n offered them an oppor-
tunity to return attention to their families and farms. They received fur-
loughs signed and distributed by Austin. Wording within the hand-scrib-
bled documents might have indicated suspicion of possible Mexican
retaliation . . . '"John Dix is permitted to leave Camp on furlough and
return as soon as practicable."'8
No evidence exists of Dix rejoining the Texas War for Independence
from Mexico, his attention once more being focused upon those people
under his protection at Coles Settlement. There was much to be accom-
plished to prevent suffering during the ensuing cold weather. He did,
however, provide stores and ammunition to the Texian army for which
no restitution was asked. He later requested payment of $1oo for one
horse furnished to a Mr. Robertson that "was killed in the battle of the
grass packs," (commonly referred to as the "Grass Fight" of November
26, 1835, near San Antonio) and the same monetary reimbursement for
another mount commandeered byJ. S. Stump (Battle of San Jacinto vet-
eran), which "was worn down and died in the service.""
During this unstable period, Frances Trask's father became con-
cerned for his daughter's safety after hearing reports about the way
1 Calvert and De Leon, Hstory of Texas, 57-58.
b Eugene C. Barker, The Lzfe of Stephen F. Austzn (Dallas: Cokesbury Press, 1925), 296.
17 Alwyn Barr, Texans In Revolt: The Battle for San Antonzo, 1835 (Austin: University of Texas
Press, 1990), 8-11.
1' Handwritten paper, Nov. 4, 1835, Dix collection.
*" Ibid.486
April
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 103, July 1999 - April, 2000, periodical, 2000; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101220/m1/542/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.