led together the principal inhabitants of the place,
and of the neighbouring towns of Bolivar and Marion, unsealed the
letter in their presence, and six hours afterwards the forces therein
specified were assembled, and we were on our march towards Galveston.
The next day the fort was taken, and the garrison made prisoners,
without our losing a single man.

We sent off our guide to the government at San Felipe with news of our
success. In nine days he returned, bringing us the thanks of congress,
and fresh orders. We were to leave a garrison in the fort, and then
ascend Trinity river, and march towards San Antonio de Bexar. This
route was all the more agreeable to Fanning and myself, as it would
bring us into the immediate vicinity of the _haciendas_, or estates,
of which we had some time previously obtained a grant from the Texian
government; and we did not doubt that we were indebted to our friend
the Alcalde for the orders which thus conciliated our private
convenience with our public duty.

As we marched along we found the whole country in commotion, the
settlers all arming, and hastening to the distant place of rendezvous.
We arrived at Trinity river one afternoon, and immediately sent
messengers for forty miles in all directions to summon the
inhabitants. At the period in question, the plantations in that part
of the country were very few and far between, but nevertheless by the
afternoon of the next day we had got together four-and-thirty men,
mounted on mustangs, each equipped with rifle and bowie-knife,
powder-horn and bullet-bag, and furnished with provisions for several
days. With these we started for San Antonio de Bexar, a march of two
hundred and fifty miles, through trackless prairies intersected with
rivers and streams, which, although not quite so big as the
Mississippi or Potomac, were yet deep and wide enough to have offered
serious impediment to regular armies. But to Texian farmers and
backwoodsmen, they were trifling obstacles. Those we could not wade
through we swam over; and in due time, and without any incident worthy
of note, reached the appointed place of rendezvous, which was on the
river Salado, about fifteen miles from San Antonio, the principal city
of the province. This latter place it was intended to attack--an
enterprise of some boldness and risk, considering that the town was
protected by a strong fort, amply provided with heavy artillery, and
had a garrison of nearly three thousand