in the once happy and flourishing settlement of Gonzales, that did not mourn the death of some murdered relative. The soldier too partook of the general affliction of the citizens of the place, for they too had lost many a brother, men fit to have stood by Cæsar. For several hours after the receipt of the intelligence, not a sound was heard, save the wild shrieks of the women, and the heartrending screams of the fatherless children. Little groups of men might be seen in various corners of the town, brooding over the past, and speculating of the future, but they scarce spoke above a whisper, for here the public and private grief was alike heavy, and sunk deep into the heart of the rudest soldier.

Ac

"It was suggested that the report brought by the Mexican might be an invention of the enemy, although there were too many corroborating circumstances to leave a serious doubt of the awful truth. It was deemed expedient that not only the fate of the Alamo should be known beyond a doubt, but that the position and strength of the enemy should if possible be ascertained. cordingly the next day, Deaf Smith (the Harvey Birch of the Texian revolution,) and two others, of whom our correspondent was one, volunteered, at the call of the general, to proceed upon. this hazardous service. Having advanced about twenty miles on the route to San Antonio, they discovered at a long distance on the prairie in front, three persons approaching on horseback, Supposing at first they might be a Mexican scouting party, they pressed rapidly forward, but on coming nearer they discovered a bonnet. The party proved to be the unfortunate Mrs. Dickin son with an infant in her arms, accompanied by Ben, a servant of Almonte, and the boy Sam, the faithful and devoted servant of the lamented Travis. Mrs. D., and the others after recovering from the fright, occasioned by the unceremonious charge of the advancing party, confirmed the report of the Mexican, in regard to the fall of the Alamo, and the fate of the garrison. The party brought also a sort of bragging proclamation from Gen. Siesma, whom they had left that morning on the advance to Gonzales, at the head of a force which they estimated variously from three to ten thousand men." The party then returned with the intelligence thus obtained, to the camp at Gonzales. On the receipt of which, it was decided by Houston, in accordance with the general sentiment of his officers, to burn the town of Gonzales, and fall back upon the Colorado, in the expectation of meeting reinforcements and increasing the strength of his little army. The afflicted inhabitants of the settlement of course accompanied the army in their retreat, and availed themselves of its aid, in taking along their few valuable moveables.

Having crossed the Colorado, the Texian general took a position on its banks, which he continued to occupy until the twentyfifth of the month, when learning of Fannin's surrender, and the probability that Santa Anna was concentrating his two divisions to attack his position, and having thus far been disappointed in his expected reinforcements, he decided upon a further retreat to the Brazos.

The settlements between these two rivers were now quite deserted of inhabitants, most of whom had crossed the last mentioned river, and were moving east towards the Trinity, and by the time the Texian general had pitched his camp upon the Brazos, the flying inhabitants had all crossed the Trinity, and the whole country west of that river was now occupied alone by the two armies. The position now chosen by Gen. Houston, was on the west bank of the Brazos, about twenty miles above the town of San Felipé. He threw up some slight fortifications about his camp, such as time and means would permit, and waited the advance and attack of the enemy, or for the disclosure of any favorable circumstances that would seem to justify an attack on his part. His fearless and faithful scouts all the while keeping a watchful eye upon the advancing enemy, and almost daily reporting his progress.

Strong hopes had been entertained, that many of the citizens who had been engaged in removing their families out of danger, would, on placing them east of the Trinity, return and join the ranks of the army, but these hopes were not to be realised, and all the reinforcements which had joined the army, since the retreat from Gonzales, left it still short of eight hundred effective

men.

In the mean time, Santa Anna had not (as it was believed he would,) united the two divisions of his army, but both had crossed the Colorado and advanced by different routes for the Brazos. The one for San Felipé and the other for Brazoria, places ninety miles distant from each other.

A small company of Texians had been left at the latter place, with orders, on the near approach of the enemy, to set fire to the town, cross the river and retreat to the Texian camp, leaving the scouts to watch and report the next movement of the enemy.

From the report of his scouts now brought to his camp, on the fourteenth or fifteenth of April, Houston became enabled to make a tolerable correct estimate of the strength of the Mexican divis. ion, which had reached San Felipé, and finding it greatly below all previous reports, and that it would not present such a disparity of numbers as to weaken the hopes and confidence of his men, he determined to break up his camp, cross the Brazos and take a route which would probably place him in front of this division of

the invading army. That the enemy on crossing the Brazos would proceed first to Harrisburgh, was rendered probable, from the fact, that it was then the seat of the Texian government; the officers of which Santa Anna would be eager to secure, in order to wreak his vengeance upon the chief actors in the rebellion. An additional reason for his proceeding in that direction existed in a small depot of military stores at New Washington, on the San Jacinto Bay, of which the enemy would probably seek to possess himself.

Houston left his camp on the 16th, and by a forced march reached the Buffalo Bayou, opposite Harrisburg, a distance of fifty miles, on the evening of the 18th. The difficulties to be overcome in transporting his sick, his baggage, artillery and munitions, and a present supply of provisions, through a country entirely new, and destitute as Houston was of any suitable vehicle to facilitate the operation, must have been seen and felt, to be duly appreciated. The labor could have been performed only by such men as composed the army of San Jacinto.

While at this point, Houston was supplied by one of those accidents which often decide the fate of empires as well as armies, with all the intelligence he could possibly desire in regard to his enemy. A courier was brought in with a despatch, giving an account of Santa Anna's late movements, his present position and force, and designating the point next in view, and his intended

route.

We have said the Texian general was supplied by accident, and if we had said that he was providentially supplied, the same idea would have been conveyed to our readers. But in this case as in thousands of others, results attained only by a courage, vigilance and foresight, unsurpassed among the cherished records of patriotic deeds, are called accidental, or providential, because the agent is deemed too undignified to be brought into view, when if the same deed had been performed by any man of exalted rank, full credit would have been given to the true agent, and all the world would have sung his praise.

For the injustice we had inadvertently done, by imputing to accident, what was justly due to a great and good man, (if greatness and goodness arise from services as difficult, valuable, and disinterested, as ever mortal man rendered in a just and holy cause,) we will now endeavor to atone, by rescuing the man, and his services from oblivion, so far as our humble work can achieve that object. To Erastus Smith, better known as Deaf Smith, who has been called the Harvey Birch of Texas, but who has been to Texas as a second providence, watching with sleepless vigilance the evil designs of her enemies, and thwarting them. with a wisdom, a courage, and an energy in action, almost super

human, was Texas indebted, for revealing to her defenders, in this crisis of her fate, when about to strike the last blow in her behalf, all they could have desired to know, of the intentions of their enemy, if they had been privileged to read his heart. Smith had tracked the route of the enemy, he had foreseen the return of the courier, and duly estimating the value to his own country of the despatches with which he must be charged, he had stationed himself at a point he must necessarily pass, and the rest followed of course. No enemy of his country, on whom he had once fixed his eye, ever attempted to escape him, without rueing the day. He thus made himself master of that which possibly, nay probably, involved the destiny of his country, and if Texians were compelled to choose among mortals, one in whom the des tinies of their country must be confided, every eye would turn to Deaf Smith. The narrow limits of this work has restricted us to a passing notice of the heroes of the Texian revolution. Indeed, but few among them, living or dead, have received at our hands even that poor tribute of our admiration. Yet why should we regret this, since deeds like theirs cannot fail to command the rich homage of those pens which, like Plutarch's, confer immortality on their subject.

We need not enlarge upon the value and importance of the intelligence with which the Texian General had been so opportunely furnished. To our readers who have the slightest acquaintance with military operations, it must appear obvious at a glance.

Houston having determined to hazard a battle, the time, the place, and the numerical force of his enemy at the moment of meet. ing, were considerations which must greatly influence, and might control the result. The two first might be accidental, or perhaps be at the choice of his enemy, and as to numbers his enemy might have it in his power to avoid the conflict, until he had concentrated his whole force. These considerations which continually presented themselves to perplex the mind of the Texian General, while occupied with other cares, sufficiently distracting, were now no longer dubious. The precise point where they could meet the enemy, the time with sufficient certainty, and the number they should meet there, was now disclosed to the Texians, and they had only to press forward and be the first to occupy the ground. This secured them not a victory but only a battle. This was the object of their present movement, and so much was now secured to them. But in this, however, they would have no advantage over their enemy. Neither party could then escape the conflict, unless by permission of the other. Thus on the evening of the 18th, the Texians could anticipate the battle of San Jacinto. But no one, it may be presumed, in the wildest dream of enthusi asm, if indeed such dreams were given at that gloomy hour, had

then even a faint glimpse of the glorious result. They had de. termined to hazard all upon a blow, which if ineffectual, they well knew must be fatal to their country and themselves, since Texas had no other army, and the enemy spared no prisoners. In a week, the enemy would reach the Sabine-the soil would drink the blood of the last of their race, who had not crossed that river, and their beloved country, which had so lately come into existence, beautiful as Eve from the hand of her Maker, would be again blotted from the map of nations; even their own existence, and that of their country must be staked upon the issue. The fate of Fannin too was before them, and his blood unavenged. The highest and holiest appeals therefore, from the voice of duty, would come seconded by the calls of vengeance to strengthen the heart, and nerve the arm in the day of battle.

History furnishes few if any examples, where men have enga. ged in a conflict of arms with higher or more powerful incen tives than those which may be supposed to have animated the Texians at the battle of San Jacinto, and the event was answer. able to the preparation.

Santa Anna having crossed the Brazos at Fort Bend, thirty miles below San Felipe, had directed his march upon Harrisburg, as Houston had anticipated, but the movement had taken place earlier than was expected. The Mexican chief having been dis. appointed in his hopes of seizing upon the officers of the Texian government, who had gained intelligence of his approach, and taken their departure for Galveston Island, a few hours before his arrival, set fire to the town of Harrisburg, and continued his march down the bay, to the depot of military stores at New Washing

ton.

General Houston, after having gained intelligence of this movement of his enemy, through the capture of his courier before spoken of, on the evening of the 18th, and learning also his intention to return to Lynch's ferry, near the mouth of Buffalo Bayou, in order to cross the San Jacinto on his way to Anahuac, pressed forward with his army for the point indicated, which he reached on the 20th, and before his army had time to prepare refreshments, the Mexican army appeared in view. Santa Anna had drawn up his army in battle array, and made some show of attacking Houston in his position, which was promptly met by the latter. A cannonading was opened for a short time on both sides, and some skirmishes took place between the opposing cav alry, and also between detached parties of infantry. The Mexi cans however soon retired and took a position three quarters of a mile distant from the Texian camp. Houston had not declined the offered battle, but willingly drew off his men when the enemy retired, desirous of invigorating them with sleep and refresh.