THE MARCH ON SAN ANTONIO.
The Mexicans had been routed, and for over a week matters went along
quietly in the vicinity of Gonzales; that is, there was no further
fighting. Meetings there were without number, and young and old began
to drill and to talk of nothing but military matters.
"Will you join the army, father?" asked Dan, when, two days after the
fight, he and his parent returned to the ranch home.
"I do not see how I can avoid it," answered Mr. Radbury. "Many of the
neighbours are going, and it might appear cowardly to hang back.
Besides, I must say that, after long thought, I have come to the
conclusion that there is nothing for us to do but to fight for our
rights."
"Hurrah! I knew you would say that," cried Dan. "We must be free by all
means, and then perhaps some day we'll become joined to the United
States."
"That is for after consideration," smiled Mr. Radbury, but the thought
had often crossed his own mind.
Ralph and the negro were anxious to hear the particulars of what had
occurred, and the boy listened to his brother's tale in open-mouthed
amazement.
"A real battle! Oh, Dan, how I wish I had been there!"
"Well, to tell the truth, it was rather one-sided. The Mexicans did not
stand up in front of us long."
"And what are they going to do next?"
"Nobody knows. But there will be war, beyond a doubt."
"Oh, yes, I suppose General Santa Anna will be as mad as a hornet when
he hears of the affair. And all over an old brass cannon, too!" And
Ralph gave a laugh.
Matters were going along smoothly at the ranch, for Pompey was a
faithful worker and had dropped into the routine without an effort. Mr.
Radbury was glad that he had come, for he felt that he wanted a man
around, in case the coming war carried him a distance from home.
As intimated, the fight at Gonzales became the talk of all Texas, and,
the day after the contest, the committee organised at San Felipe issued
a statement and called upon each man in Texas to decide for himself
whether or not he would submit to the destruction of his rights and
liberties by the central government of Mexico, and stating that the war
had begun.
While meetings were going on in a dozen places or more, and
frontiersmen and settlers were hurrying to the scene of action, a force
of about forty men, under the leadership of Captain Collingsworth,
gathered for the purpose of capturing Goliad, a small town on the lower
San Antonio River. The river was gained on the night of October 9th,
and while scouts were out reconnoitring, the brave little band was
joined by Colonel Ben Milam, an old Texan _empresario_, who had been
confined for political reasons in the jail at Monterey. Of this gallant
man we will hear more later.
Finding the coast clear, the band entered the town, and silently made
their way to the quarters of Lieutenant-Colonel Sandoval, the
commandant. They were less than a hundred feet from the garrison when a
sentry discovered them and gave the alarm. The sentry was shot down on
the spot, and then the door was splintered to kindling-wood with axes,
and the Texans poured into the building, and the commandant was made a
prisoner. There was great surprise for several minutes, but the Mexican
soldiers had been taken off their guard, and could offer little
resistance. Twenty-five were captured, and the rest escaped in the
darkness. By this quick movement the Texans gained a quantity of
valuable army stores, horses, three pieces of artillery, and five
hundred guns and pistols.
As Gonzales had been the starting-point of the war, it now became the
general centre for the gathering Texan army, and by the middle of
October there were gathered there between three and four hundred men
who were willing and anxious to serve their country. By common consent
Austin was appointed chief in command, with the title of general. The
volunteers, as they were called, were formed into a regiment, with John
H. Moore as colonel. Old Colonel Milam, who had just arrived from
Goliad, was made chief of a band of scouts,--men who did valiant
service from the beginning to the end of the war.
It was to this regiment that Mr. Radbury became attached, and Dan and
Ralph rode down to Gonzales to see their parent join. As Mr. Radbury
was a veteran of the war of 1812, he was given the position of a
lieutenant. Drilling went on constantly, and the little regiment was
gotten into the best condition that the means at hand afforded. In the
meantime other volunteers poured in daily.
At first the Texans had thought to act only on the defensive, but, as
the days slipped by, the war spirit grew on the settlers, and they said
they wanted the thing "over and done with," that they might return to
their homes and prepare for the winter. It was then decided to march
toward San Antonio, to see if the Mexicans would come out of the
stronghold to do them battle.
"Good-bye, boys," said Mr. Radbury, when the order was passed around to
prepare for the march. "It may be some time before I see you again."
"I wish I could go," answered Dan, pleadingly.
"Your time may come, Dan. But for the present I think we have enough
men for this expedition. I think you and Ralph will have enough to do
around the ranch, with me absent."
"But if I hear you are in trouble, father, I shall come on at once,"
went on Dan, and from this decision his parent could not dissuade him.
The troops were soon on the way, Dan and Ralph riding several miles
with their parent. Then, at the top of the hill, they separated. But
the boys remained on the hill until the soldiers were lost to sight in
the distance on the dusty plain below.
"Good-bye, and may success go with them!" cried Ralph, half sadly. "I
do hope father comes back safe and sound."
"If he doesn't, I shall take his place in the ranks," replied Dan,
quickly. "But come, we must be getting home now, or Pompey will be
anxious about us."
"Here comes a horseman, riding like the wind," came from the younger
Radbury, a moment later. "I declare, it's Poke Stover!"
"Hullo, boys!" cried the old frontiersman, as he came up. "What are ye
a-doin' here?"
"We just saw the troops off for San Antonio," answered Dan.
"Gone this way?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"An hour ago. See that black line over yonder? That's our army."
"Whoopee! I was afraid I'd be too late. Good-bye. We are bound to bring
them greasers to terms this trip!" And, with a wave of his sombrero,
Poke Stover rode off as rapidly as he had come.
"He'll be a whole company in himself," was Ralph's comment. "He doesn't
think any more of a Mexican soldier than he does of a fly, to bother
him."
They were soon on the way to Gonzales, where they loaded their ponies
with stores for the ranch. This accomplished, they set on up the river,
hoping to reach the ranch home by night.
In those days the banks of the Guadalupe River were altogether
different from to-day. Where numerous settlements now exist were then
immense belts of timber, with here and there a burn, or a stretch of
thorns and entangling vines. In some spots the banks were steep and
rocky as to-day, and these rocks were the homes of numerous wild
animals, including the fierce Texan wolf, the puma, the jaguar, the
wildcat, and the black bear. The stream was full of fish, the best of
which was the black bass, which, I believe, still holds its own in many
Texan waters.
As the boys passed along the narrow wagon trail, which their father and
other pioneers had blazed for themselves, they kept their eyes on the
alert for any wild beasts that might appear, having no desire to let a
fierce and hungry wolf pounce down suddenly upon themselves or their
steeds, or a black bear stalk out to embrace them. Their packs lay
behind them, and they held their guns on the saddle in front.
They were thus passing through the largest of the timber belts when the
howl of a wolf reached their ears. It was immediately answered by a
similar howl from another wolf. Both came from directly in front.
"Hullo! a wolf--two wolves!" cried Ralph, as he brought his pony to a
halt. "I don't like that much."
"Is your gun all right?" came quickly from his brother.
"Yes."
The two lads remained motionless in the saddle for several minutes,
listening. No other howl reached their ears, and the only sounds were
that of the rushing stream as it tumbled over some rocks, and the cries
of the night birds and the humming of the insects.
"Let us set up a yell," suggested Dan. "That may scare them off."
They called out at the top of their lungs several times. One distant
howl answered them, then all became as silent as before.
"We may as well go on," said the older brother. "We'll be as safe
moving as standing still. But keep your eyes peeled, Ralph."
They moved on slowly, with eyes turned to the right and the left, and
keeping as far as possible from the brushwood and the low-hanging
boughs of the trees. The mustangs seemed to realise that all was not
right, and pricked up their ears and smelled the air.