Mirabeau's Moore and Harris is quite a piece, ain't it ?
Yes it is, and it ain't commonly acknowledged where I am that such finished designs appeared as early as the 1830's. Common consensus for example has it that Travis' double at the Alamo was a flintlock, tho I have not heard any specific justification for that.
Thanks for the kind words, and I will say I have been learning as I posted. Prior to this, like most everyone else, I had consigned the whole Matamoras Expedition/Goliad Massacre to virtual irrelevance. We toss it aside prob'ly because of the dismal outcome.
Anyways, from that same phenomenal TAMU site, a more credible account of the confusion arising that morning when Fannin decided to pull out.
Charles B. Spain, of whom at first look I can find little, other than that he passed in 1853. Here writing of his arrival in Texas (with the New Orleans Greys???)and of Nacodoches back in December of '35.
There weren't no background checks for getting into a militia...
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/goliadframe.htmOn the 10th, in the evening, we left Nacogdoches, and had gone about two miles, when Capt. Tarlton told the Orderly Sergeant to detach six men and go back for a man by the name of Smith who had two guns that belonged to the company. The Orderly, with Messrs. Perkins, Brown, Bull, Wright, Victor, and myself, went back and found Smith, who refused to go with us or to give up the guns unless Perkins would give him a receipt for them.
Perkins agreed to do so and was writing it when I saw Smith suddenly shove Brown back and draw his knife. He made a pass at Brown, and I caught the blow on my own knife. Smith then ran out of the door, and I pursued him, but not overtaking him, I saw no more of him until I got to Labahia, or Goliad, when he appeared to be every friendly to us all.
...and on the abundance of Texas in its pristine state, here the general East Central region, College Station - Bastrop....
From Tinoxticlan to Brasstrop, 80 miles, we did not see a house, but it certainly is the finest country in the world. It has more deer and turkey than any other region I have ever seen. I am confident that I saw not less than 300 deer in one drove. On the 24th I killed three buffalo; and two others were killed by some of the rest of the company. We must have seen 500-600 that day. At night we camped out on the St. Mark's River [San Marcos], where we could stand in camp and kill an abundance of turkies. The next night we encamped on the Guadalupe or Warlupe river.Medical care, or the lack thereof....
On the second, or third day after we left San Antonio, one of our men, Mr. Pike, accidentally shot Mr. Childers. Captain Lawrence, myself and several others were left behind to have his leg dressed. We did so, and put him in an open wagon, but it jolted him so much, that before we could get him to Goliad, he was too far gone for medical assistance. He died six or seven days after we reached Goliad..The events on the morning of the 19th, pre-dawn. After the skirmishing of the day before, scouts were sent out besides Horton's men to check for Mexicans and Tejanos. Of course they found them, these pre-dawn events didn't make it into other survivor's accounts is all.
"At least 200 horsemen", possibly De la Garza's vaqueros getting out of the way. Followed by one of those fog of war episodes, where they very nearly shot their own scouts.
That night we intended starting after dark, but some of our horsemen came up from the river, and said that there was a picket guard of the Mexicans at each ford. Col. Fannin then ordered Col. Horton to take his horse company and cross over the river with one of our company behind each of them, and to watch until we could have the artillery and baggage carried over. We thought it a very singular order, but we obeyed.
The horsemen went forward, and, in a short time, one of them came galloping back, and told us that there were at least 200 horsemen in the act of crossing. In a few minutes we heard horses coming and were ordered to form and receive a charge. They came within fifty yards of us before we could see them on account of the darkness. Captain Duval hailed them, when we found them to be our own men that we had sent to see if there was any chance of crossing that night.
We were very near shooting at them. One of our guns snapped; and if it had gone off, we should certainly have killed nearly every man, for we all had our triggers sprung and our rifles cocked. It was so dark that the Mexicans did not pursue us. We then returned to the fort, and the next morning, at 11 o'clock we were across the river.Birdwatcher
