Until 1824 Texas had been a province of Mexico, with her capital at San
Antonio. In that year, however, the general government decreed the union
of Texas with Coahuila; and the capital of the new state was fixed at
Saltillo (Sal-tee′yo), a distant town in Mexico. A department chief was
the only official stationed at San Antonio. The colonists were much
displeased at this change. Instead of a ride, when necessary, to San
Antonio, where there were friends and familiar faces, torch-lit plazas,
music, and _fiestas_ to welcome the traveler, it meant a long and
perilous journey through a strange land, among people who regarded all
Americans with an eye of sullen distrust.
[Illustration: MAP OF TEXAS
With Parts of the Adjoining States
COMPILED BY STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
PUBLISHED by H. S. TANNER PHILADELPHIA
1835