THE SITUATION IN MEXICO.
In his conversation with his neighbour, Mr. Radbury had mentioned Santa
Anna, and it may be as well to look for a moment at this remarkable
personage, who at that time, and for several years to follow, was the
most important man in Mexico.
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was born in Jalapa, in 1795, and entered
the army at an early age. With Iturbide he joined in the revolution and
came out a brigadier-general, and was made commandant of Vera Cruz. A
few years later he organised a revolt and overthrew the man he had
aided, and in 1828 he deposed Pedraza and put Guerrero in his place.
So much of war would have satisfied any ordinary man, but it did not
satisfy General Santa Anna, who was cruel and cunning to the last
degree, and prided himself on being "The Napoleon of the West," as he
styled himself. He wanted Mexico for his own, and in 1829 he defeated a
large division of the Spanish army, that had landed at Tampico for the
purpose of reconquering the country.
Having saved the Confederation, as he put it, Santa Anna considered
that he had more of a right to Mexico than ever, and in 1832 he got
into a wrangle with Bustamente, who was then occupying the Mexican
presidential chair, with the result that Bustamente was banished by
Santa Anna's followers, who forthwith made the general president. At
this Santa Anna went still further by dissolving the Mexican congress,
which action made him virtually a dictator. How it was that the
Mexicans at large stood such treatment is one of the political
mysteries of the age that has never been explained.
Yet Santa Anna's dictatorship, if such it may be called, was a position
full of peril. There was constant wrangling in nearly every state of
the Confederation, and in a number of places there were actual
outbreaks, which might have resulted seriously had Santa Anna not
nipped them promptly in the bud. Stephen Austin had gone to Mexico to
further the interests of the Texans, and been there imprisoned for
political reasons. This helped along the war between Texas and Mexico,
which was bound to burst sooner or later.
The first dark cloud came in the passage of a decree reducing the
number of the militia to one man for every five hundred inhabitants,
and requiring all the remaining armed persons to give up their weapons.
The Texans refused to submit, stating that they needed all the
protection they could get, on account of the Indians and because of the
desperadoes who flocked into the territory. In the meantime Mexico had
sent many of her jailbirds to settle in Texas.
While this was going on, during the summer of 1835, Austin returned
from his imprisonment in Mexico, and was given a grand public banquet
at Brazoria. In his speech there he counselled moderation, but declared
that the civil government was going to pieces, and that the Texans must
take care of themselves. He still believed in Santa Anna and his golden
promises, hoping against hope for a peaceful change for the better.
At San Antonio were stationed five hundred Mexican soldiers, under
Colonel Ugartchea, and, according to orders, this command commenced to
disarm such of the Texans as had failed to comply with the decree
regarding firearms. At Gonzales, fifty miles to the eastward, the
settlers had a four-pounder, a brass cannon given to them by the
government for protection against the Indians.
"The people of Gonzales must give up the cannon," said Colonel
Ugartchea. "Tell them to send it to Bexar without delay."
"We need the cannon," said the people of Gonzales. "It's the only
cannon we have along the whole river front."
"Santa Anna's orders must be obeyed," was the Mexican colonel's
comment, and he despatched a force of one hundred and fifty dragoons,
under Captain Castinado, to take the cannon by force. The Mexican
soldiers arrived at the river on September 28th. On the opposite side
of the stream was Gonzales, but the ferry-boat was on that side, too.
The Mexican commander waved for the boat, but no attention was paid to
his movement. Then a horn was blown, but still the Texans paid no
attention.
"We will march to the ford," cried the Mexican captain, and the
dragoons started. But on reaching the ford, half a mile below the town,
they found themselves confronted by Captain Albert Martin, a merchant
of the place, backed up by several dozens of determined-looking Texans.
The alarm had now gone forth, and express riders rode their steeds
almost to death to summon the people of Bastrop, Victoria, and other
places. Soon the settlers began to flock in, all on horseback and
armed, ready to do or die for Texas, as the case might be. With the
number were Mr. Radbury and Dan. Dan had been to Gonzales to buy some
household stores, and his father, hearing of the uprising, had hastened
down the river to find his son and see that no harm befell him. This
had left Ralph home alone, saving for the company of Pompey Shuck, a
negro, who had, during the summer, followed Mr. Radbury from the old
home in Georgia and insisted that he be taken in and set to work, "jess
as on de ole plantation, Mars' Radbury." Big Foot, the Indian, had
departed some time before Pompey's arrival.
"This looks like a fight, father," observed Dan, as his parent joined
him on the bank of the stream, where Dan had gone, following Captain
Martin.
"It certainly looks like trouble," answered Mr. Radbury, as he gazed at
the Mexican dragoons with anxiety. "That cannon may be responsible for
a whole lot of bloodshed."
"Well, they haven't any right to disarm us," returned the youth,
determinedly. "You'll fight first, won't you?"
"Perhaps I will; it will depend upon circumstances," was the
non-committal reply. Amos Radbury was no "fire-eater," and, like
Austin, preferred a settlement without a passage at arms.
At the ford the Mexican commander had ridden into the water to consult
with the leader of the Texans.
"I am sent here to obtain the cannon you are holding," he said. "There
is my order," and he held it out.
"We don't dispute the order, captain," was the reply. "But we consider
it unjust to ask us to give up a piece that we may need against the
Indians."
"If you will give up the cannon you will be protected."
"We haven't been protected for a long while. We have had to protect
ourselves."
"You are thinking of using that cannon against the government," was the
angry remark of the Mexican commander.
"We are not thinking of doing so,--but it may be we will be forced to
do so," was the significant reply.
"I am coming over, and I demand the cannon," went on the Mexican
leader, pompously.
"If you dare to come over, it will be at the peril of your life," was
the calm return.
The Mexican commander continued to bluster and threaten, but all to no
purpose, and at length he withdrew his force from the ford, and went
into temporary camp in a valley opposite to Gonzales.
It was now night, and the town was at a white heat. Meetings were held
in half a dozen places, and while some counselled delay others were for
forcing the fighting. In the end, however, it was decided to wait, and
in the meantime pickets were sent out to watch the Mexicans so that
they might not enter Gonzales by stealth.
"I wonder if they will come over to-night," said Dan, as he and his
father picked their way along the river to where forty or fifty
horsemen who owned ranches in the vicinity had pitched their
headquarters, the taverns in the town being already overcrowded.
"I doubt it, Dan. We have fully as many men, if not more, and a Mexican
soldier never loves to fight in the dark."
"Perhaps the Mexican captain has sent back for reinforcements."
"That may be. Well, all we can do is to watch and be on guard."
By this it will be seen that Mr. Radbury was as anxious as any one to
keep the cannon. He had refused to give up any of his firearms, and had
buried two of his pistols under the floor of the cabin home.
The night wore away without any alarm sounding, and the next day the
Mexican commander sent another demand for the cannon, and on the day
following he asked that a time be set for a general conference
regarding the now precious bit of property.
The conference was refused, and instead he was asked to vacate his
position so close to Gonzales. This he would not do, and all of the
settlers now agreed that he was awaiting reinforcements from Bexar.
"He will wait for Colonel Ugartchea to come up with the balance of the
command, and then wipe us out altogether," said one.
"Or perhaps he is waiting for Cos to come up," said another. It was
known that the Mexican general, Cos, was on the march for San Antonio
de Bexar with six hundred additional troops for the garrison of that
city.
The morning of the first of October came foggy and disagreeable. But
little could be seen beyond the river bank, and it was not known if the
Mexican command was advancing, retreating, or standing still. Again the
leaders of the Texans met, and it was unanimously decided not to delay
action longer, but if the Mexicans were still on the opposite side of
the stream to compel them to move away before their force could be
increased. Volunteers were called for to cross the river with the brass
cannon and begin an attack, and a hundred and sixty Texans rode to the
front for that purpose. Mr. Radbury was too loyal-hearted a man to hang
back, and as Dan begged very hard to go too, he was permitted to join
half a dozen young men who brought up the rear.