In the last chapter but one I stated that I and my companions, Gabriel
and Roche, had been delivered up to the Mexican agents, and were
journeying, under an escort of thirty men, to the Mexican capital, to be
hanged as an example to all liberators. This escort was commanded by two
most atrocious villains, Joachem Texada and Louis Ortiz. They evidently
anticipated that they would become great men in the republic, upon the
safe delivery of our persons to the Mexican Government, and every day
took good care to remind us that the gibbet was to be our fate on
our arrival.
Our route lay across the central deserts of Sonora, until we arrived on
the banks of the Rio Grande, and so afraid were they of falling in with
a hostile party of Apaches, that they took long turns out of the general
track, and through mountainous passes, by which we not only suffered
greatly from fatigue, but were very often threatened with starvation.
It was sixty-three days before we crossed the Rio Grande at Christobal,
and we had still a long journey before us. This delay, occasioned by the
timidity of our guards, proved our salvation. We had been but one day on
our march in the swamp after leaving Christobal, when the war-whoop
pierced our ears, and a moment afterwards our party was surrounded by
some hundred Apaches, who saluted us with a shower of arrows.
Our Mexican guards threw themselves down on the ground, and cried for
mercy, offering ransom. I answered the war-whoop of the Apaches,
representing my companions and myself as their friends, and requesting
their help and protection, which were immediately given. We were once
more unbound and free.
I hardly need say that this was a most agreeable change in the state of
affairs; for I have no doubt that had we arrived at our destination, we
should either have been gibbeted or died (somehow or other) in prison.
But if the change was satisfactory to us, it was not so to Joachem
Texada and Louis Ortiz, who changed their notes with their change of
condition.
The scoundrels; who had amused themselves with reminding us that all we
had to expect was an ignominious death, were now our devoted humble
servants, cleaning and brushing their own mules for our use, holding the
stirrup, and begging for our interference in their behalf with the
Apaches. Such wretches did not deserve our good offices; we therefore
said nothing for or against them, leaving the Apaches to act as they
pleased. About a week after our liberation the Apaches halted, as they
were about to divide their force into two bands, one of which was to
return home with the booty they had captured, while the other proceeded
to the borders of Texas.
I have stated that the Shoshones, the Arrapahoes, and Apaches had
entered into the confederation, but the Comanches were too far distant
for us to have had an opportunity of making the proposal to them. As
this union was always uppermost in my mind, I resolved that I would now
visit the Comanches, with a view to the furtherance of my object.
The country on the east side of the Rio Grande is one dreary desert, in
which no water is to be procured. I believe no Indian has ever done more
than skirt its border; indeed, as they assert that it is inhabited by
spirits and demons, it is clear that they cannot have visited it.
To proceed to the Comanches country it was therefore necessary that we
should follow the Rio Grande till we came to the Presidio of Rio Grande,
belonging to the Mexicans, and from there cross over and take the road
to San Antonio de Bejar, the last western city of Texas, and proceed
through the Texan country to where the Comanches were located. I
therefore decided that we would join the band of Apaches who were
proceeding towards Texas.
During this excursion, the Apaches had captured many horses and arms
from a trading party which they had surprised near Chihuahua, and, with
their accustomed liberality, they furnished us with steeds, saddles,
arms, blankets, and clothes; indeed, they were so generous that we could
easily pass ourselves off as merchants returning from a trading
expedition in case we were to fall in with any Mexicans, and have to
undergo an examination.
We took our leave of the generous Apache chiefs, who were returning
homewards. Joachem Texada and Louis Ortiz were, with the rest of the
escort, led away as captives, and what became of them I cannot say. We
travelled with the other band of Indians, until we had passed the
Presidio del Rio Grande, a strong Mexican fort, and the day afterwards
took our farewell of them, having joined a band of smugglers who were on
their way to Texas. Ten days afterwards, we entered San Antonio de
Bejar, and had nothing more to fear, as we were now clear of the Mexican
territory.
San Antonio de Bejar is by far the most agreeable residence in Texas.
When in the possession of the Mexicans, it must have been a
charming place.
The river San Antonio, which rises at a short distance above the city,
glides gracefully through the suburbs; and its clear waters, by numerous
winding canals, are brought up to every house. The temperature of the
water is the same throughout the year, neither too warm nor too cold for
bathing; and not a single day passes without the inhabitants indulging
in the favourite and healthy exercise of swimming, which is practised by
everybody, from morning till evening; and the traveller along the shores
of this beautiful river will constantly see hundreds of children, of all
ages and colour, swimming and diving like so many ducks.
The climate is pure, dry, and healthy. During summer the breeze is fresh
and perfumed; and as it never rains, the neighbouring plantations are
watered by canals, which receive and carry in every direction the waters
of the San Antonio. Formerly the city contained fifteen thousand
inhabitants, but the frequent revolutions and the bloody battles which
have been fought within its walls have most materially contributed to
diminish its number; so much indeed, that, in point of population, the
city of San Antonio de Bejar, with its bishopric and wealthy missions,
has fallen to the rank of a small English village. It still carries on a
considerable trade, but its appearance of prosperity is deceptive; and
I would caution emigrants not to be deceived by the Texan accounts of
the place. Immense profits have been made, to be sure; but now even the
Mexican smugglers and banditti are beginning to be disgusted with the
universal want of faith and probity.
The Mexicans were very fond of gardens and of surrounding their houses
with beautiful trees, under the shade of which they would pass most of
the time which could be spared from bathing. This gives a fresh and
lively appearance to the city, and you are reminded of Calabrian
scenery, the lightness and simplicity of the dwellings contrasting with
the grandeur and majesty of the monastic buildings in the distance.
Texas had no convents, but the Spanish missions were numerous, and their
noble structures remain as monuments of former Spanish greatness. Before
describing these immense establishments, it is necessary to state that
soon after the conquest of Mexico, one of the chief objects of Spanish
policy was the extension of the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
The conversion of the Indians and the promulgation of Christianity were
steadily interwoven with the desire of wealth; and at the time that they
took away the Indian's gold, they gave him Christianity. At first, force
was required to obtain proselytes, but cunning was found to succeed
better; and, by allowing the superstitions of the Indians to be mixed up
with the rites of the Church, a sort of half-breed religion became
general, upon the principle, I presume, that half a loaf is better than
no bread. The anomalous consequences of this policy are to be seen in
the Indian ceremonies even to this day.
To afford adequate protection to the Roman Catholic missionaries,
settlements were established, which still bear the name of missions.
They are very numerous throughout California, and there are several in
Texas. The Alamo, at San Antonio, was one of great importance; there
were others of less consideration in the neighbourhood; as the missions
of Conception, of San Juan, San Jose, and La Espada. All these edifices
are most substantially built; the walls are of great thickness, and from
their form and arrangement they could be converted into frontier
fortresses. They had generally, though not always, a church at the side
of the square, formed by the high walls, through which there was but one
entrance. In the interior they had a large granary, and the outside
wall formed the back to a range of buildings, in which the missionaries
and their converts resided. A portion of the surrounding district was
appropriated to agriculture, the land being, as I before observed,
irrigated by small canals, which conducted the water from the river.
The Alamo is now in ruins, only two or three of the houses of the inner
square being inhabited. The gateway of the church was highly ornamented,
and still remains, although the figures which once occupied the niches
have disappeared. But there is still sufficient in the ruins to interest
the inquirer into its former history, even if he could for a moment
forget the scenes which have rendered it celebrated in the history of
Texan independence.
About two miles lower down the San Antonio river is the mission of
Conception. It is a very large stone building, with a fine cupola, and
though a plain building, is magnificent in its proportions and the
durability of its construction. It was here that Bowie fought one of the
first battles with the Mexican forces, and it has not since been
inhabited. Though not so well known to fame as other conflicts, this
battle was that which really committed the Texans, and compelled those
who thought of terms and the maintenance of a Mexican connection to
perceive that the time for both had passed.
The mission of San Jose is about a mile and a half further down the
river. It consists, like the others, of a large square, and numerous
Mexican families still reside there. To the left of the gateway is the
granary. The church stands apart from the building; it is within the
square, but unconnected. The west door is decorated with the most
elaborated carvings of flowers, images of angels, and figures of the
apostles; the interior is plain. To the right is a handsome tower and
belfry, and above the altar a large stone cupola. Behind the church is a
long range of rooms for the missionaries, with a corridor of nine arches
in front. The Texan troops were long quartered here, and, although
always intoxicated, strange to say, the stone carvings have not been
injured. The church has since been repaired, and divine service is
performed in it.
About half a mile further down is the mission of San Juan. The church
forms part of the sides of the square, and on the north-west corner of
the square are the remains of a small stone tower. This mission, as
well as that of La Espada, is inhabited. The church of La Espada,
however, is in ruins, and but two sides of the square, consisting of
mere walls, remain entire; the others have been wantonly destroyed.
The church at San Antonio de Bejar was built in the year 1717; and
although it has suffered much from the many sieges which the city has
undergone, it is still used as a place of public worship. At the time
that San Antonio was attacked and taken by Colonel Cooke, in 1835,
several cannon-shots struck the dome, and a great deal of damage was
done; in fact, all the houses in the principal square of the town are
marked more or less by shot. One among them has suffered very much; it
is the "Government-house," celebrated for one of the most cowardly
massacres ever committed by a nation of barbarians, and which I shall
here relate.
After some skirmishes betwixt the Comanches and the Texans, in which the
former had always had the advantage, the latter thought it advisable to
propose a treaty of alliance. Messengers, with flags of truce, were
despatched among the Indians, inviting all their chiefs to a council at
San Antonio, where the representatives of Texas would meet them and make
their proposals for an eternal peace. Incapable of treachery themselves,
the brave Comanches never suspected it in others; at the time agreed
upon, forty of their principal chiefs arrived in the town, and, leaving
their horses in the square, proceeded to the "Government-house." They
were all unarmed, their long flowing hair covered with a profusion of
gold and silver ornaments; their dresses very rich and their blankets of
that fine Mexican texture which commands in the market from fifty to one
hundred and fifty dollars a-piece. Their horses were noble animals, and
of great value, their saddles richly embossed with gold and silver. The
display of so much wealth excited all the worst propensities of the
Texan populace, who resolved at any price to obtain possession of so
splendid a booty. While the chiefs were making their speeches of peace
and amity, a few hundred Texan blackguards rushed into the room with
their pistols and knives, and began their work of murder. All the
Indians fell, except one, who succeeded in making his escape; but though
the Comanches were quite unarmed, they sold their lives dearly, for
eighteen Texans were found among the slain.
I will close this chapter with a few remarks upon the now acknowledged
republic of Texas.
The dismemberment of Texas from Mexico was effected by the reports of
extensive gold-mines, diamonds, &c., which were to be found there, and
which raised the cupidity of the eastern speculators and land-jobbers of
the United States. But in all probability this appropriation would never
have taken place if it had not been that the southern states of America
had, with very different views, given every encouragement to
the attempt.
The people of Louisiana and the southern states knew the exact value of
the country, and laughed at the idea of its immense treasures. They
acted from a deep, although it eventually has turned out to have been a
false, policy. They considered that Texas, once wrested from Mexico,
would be admitted into the Union, subdivided into two or three states,
every one of which would, of course, be slave-holding states, and send
their members to Congress. This would have given the slave-holding
states the preponderance in the Union.
Events have turned out differently, and the planters of the south now
deplore their untoward policy and want of foresight, as they have
assisted in raising up a formidable rival in the production of their
staple commodity, injurious to them even in time of peace, and in case
of a war with England, still more inimical to their interests.
It is much to be lamented that Texas had not been populated by a more
deserving class of individuals; it might have been, even by this time, a
country of importance and wealth; but it has from the commencement been
the resort of every vagabond and scoundrel who could not venture to
remain in the United States; and, unfortunately, the Texan character was
fixed and established, as a community wholly destitute of principle or
probity, before the emigration of more respectable settlers had
commenced. The consequences have been most disastrous, and it is to be
questioned whether some of them will ever be removed.
At the period of its independence, the population of Texas was estimated
at about forty thousand. Now, if you are to credit the Texan Government,
it has increased to about seventy-five thousand. Such, however, is not
the fact, although it, of course, suits the members of the republic to
make the assertion. Instead of the increase stated by them, the
population of Texas has decreased considerably, and is not now equal to
what it was at the Independence.
This may appear strange, after so many thousands from the United States,
England, and Germany have been induced to emigrate there; but the fact
is, that, after having arrived in the country, and having discovered
that they were at the mercy of bands of miscreants, who are capable of
any dark deed, they have quitted the country to save the remainder of
their substance, and have passed over into Mexico, the Southern United
States, or anywhere else where they had some chance of security for life
and property.
Among the population of Texas were counted many thousand Mexicans, who
remained in the country, trusting that order and law would soon be
established: but, disappointed in their expectations, they have
emigrated to Mexico. Eight thousand have quitted San Antonio de Bejar,
and the void has been filled up by six or seven hundred drunkards,
thieves, and murderers. The same desertion has taken place in Goliad,
Velasco, Nacogdoches, and other towns, which were formerly occupied by
Mexican families.
It may give the reader some idea of the insecurity of life and property
in Texas, when I state, that there are numerous bands of robbers
continually on the look-out, to rifle and murder the travellers, and
that it is of frequent occurrence for a house to be attacked and
plundered, the women violated, and every individual afterwards murdered
by these miscreants, who, to escape detection, dress and paint
themselves as Indians. Of course, what I have now stated, although well
known to be a fact, is not likely to be mentioned in the Texan
newspapers.
Another serious evil arising from this lawless state of the country is,
that the Indians, who were well inclined towards the Texans, as being,
with them, mutual enemies of the Mexicans, are now hostile, to
extermination. I have mentioned the murder of the Comanche chiefs, in
the government-house of San Antonio, which, in itself, was sufficient.
But such has been the disgraceful conduct of the Texans towards the
Indians, that the white man is now considered by them as a term of
reproach; they are spoken of by the Indians as "dogs," and are generally
hung or shot whenever they are fallen in with. Centuries cannot repair
this serious evil, and the Texans have made bitter and implacable foes
of those who would have been their friends. No distinction is made
between an American and a Texan, and the Texans have raised up a foe to
the United States, which may hereafter prove not a little troublesome.
In another point, Texas has been seriously injured by this total want of
probity and principle. Had Western Texas been settled by people of
common honesty, it would, from its topographical situation, have soon
become a very important country, as all the mercantile transactions with
the north central provinces of Mexico would have been secured to it.
From the Presidio del Rio Grande there is an excellent road to San
Antonio de Bejar; to the south of San Antonio lies Chihuahua; so that
the nearest and most accessible route overland, from the United States
to the centre of Mexico, is through San Antonio. And this overland route
can be shortened by discharging vessels at Linville, or La Bacca, and
from thence taking the goods to San Antonio, a distance of about one
hundred and forty miles. The western boundary line of Texas, at the time
of the declaration of its independence, was understood to be the river
Nueces; and if so, nothing could have prevented San Antonio from
becoming an inland depot of much commercial importance.
Numerous parties of Mexican traders have long been accustomed to come to
San Antonio from the Rio Grande. They were generally very honest in
their payments, and showed a very friendly spirit. Had this trade been
protected, as it should have been, by putting down the bands of robbers,
who rendered the roads unsafe by their depredations and atrocities, it
would have become of more value than any trade to Santa Fé. Recognized
or unrecognized, Texas could have carried on the trade; merchants would
have settled in the West, to participate in it; emigrants would have
collected in the district, where the soil is rich and the climate
healthy. It is true, the trade would have been illicit; but such is ever
the inevitable consequence of a high and ill-regulated tariff. It would,
nevertheless, have been very profitable, and would have conciliated the
population of Rio Grande towards the Texans, and in all probability have
forced upon the Mexican government the establishment of friendly
relations between the two countries.
But this trade has been totally destroyed; the Indians now seize and
plunder every caravan, either to or from San Antonio; the Texan robbers
lie in wait for them, if they escape the Indians; and should the Mexican
trader escape with his goods from both, he has still to undergo the
chance of being swindled by the _soi-disant_ Texan merchant.
If ever there was a proof, from the results of pursuing an opposite
course, that honesty is the best policy, it is to be found in the
present state of Texas.