part of General Edward Burleson, after a long and serious discussion, adopted the eighteen preceding articles, reserving their ratifications by the generals of both armies.

"In virtue of which we have signed this instrument, in the city of Bejar, on the 11th December, 1835.

(Signed) "MARTIN PERFECTO DE Cos,

"Mexican Commandant.

"EDWARD BUrleson,

"Commander-in-chief of the Texan Army."

The fall of San Antonio de Bejar, which is the strongest military fort in Texas, led the Texans to believe that their war of independence was at an end, but they were soon convinced to the contrary.

In the beginning of January, 1836, General Urrea entered Texas at the head of the vanguard of the Mexican army, the whole consisting of 5000 men, commanded by Santa Anna.

General Urrea's march from the Rio Grande to Nueces was attended with immense difficulty; however, on the 26th of January, just at daylight, he entered the town of San Patricio. Here he was hailed by the inhabitants (chiefly Irish) with great joy. After killing fifteen of the Texan garrison, and putting the rest to flight, Urrea, who was eight days' march in advance of Santa Anna, remained only a few days in the town. While Urrea was staying at San Patricio, he heard of the arrival of Dr. Grant, who was busily engaged in a pursuit very common among the Texans, viz., that of stealing horses from

H

the frontier settlers. Urrea, immediately on hearing of the worthy M.D., despatched a detachment to arrest him. Having refused to surrender, the doctor, together with his followers, amounting to about thirty men, fell victims to their folly.

A day or two after this event, General Urrea began his march towards La Bahia or Goliad. On his road he passed through another Irish settlement, called "the Mission," of which the Texans had some time before taken possession, and from which Urrea thought it expedient to dislodge them. For that purpose he detached a portion of his troops, who found the Texans in the church, which they had fortified. At first the enemy made some resistance, but as soon as the Mexicans brought a piece of artillery to bear upon the church, the besieged surrendered. After the finishing of this mission, the force detached for that service rejoined the main body, and advanced, flushed with victory, towards La Bahia, which they had the mortification to find in ruins, and the Texans in full retreat. Prompted by the appearance of fear on the part of the enemy, Urrea pursued them, and succeeded in finding Colonel Fanning, with 560 men, in the middle of a prairie, where he was awkwardly intrenched behind a narrow ditch and some wagons. The Texan commander had neither the knowledge for fight, nor the discretion to retreat; for there was a thick and extensive wood at a short distance in the rear, in which, with his superiority in point

of numbers and artillery, it would have been easy for him to have fortified himself in a formidable manner, and in case of defeat, it would have afforded him many chances of escape.

Urrea at once detected the short-sightedness of the enemy, and therefore did not hesitate to attack them, but with so scanty a supply of ammunition, that, in a short time, he was obliged to suspend firing, as he had left his ammunition and artillery at a great distance behind. Had the Texan commander taken advantage of this critical moment, Urrea's total discomfiture would have been the inevitable result; but Fanning remained quietly within his camp, while the Mexicans, lying down in the grass, occasionally amused the Texans with music and feigned demonstrations, which were made with the trumpets and drums in various directions round their intrenchments. Thus Urrea gained time to send for his ammunition and artillery, which reached him in the course of the night, and on the following morning he renewed the attack, and soon compelled the Texans to surrender.

The Texans taken on this occasion were all shot, by order of Santa Anna, who was now besieging San Antonio. To attempt to justify such an act of wanton injustice and cruelty, would, indeed, be a disgrace to a writer of the darkest ages. Yet it is the onerous duty of all who take upon themselves the task of recording such tragical and untoward events, to consider the real or less obvious circum

stances which are urged upon an indignant and enlightened age as a palliative, and, secondly, to place the foul odium of their execution on the right head. This is but justice!

The Texans were, and indeed are at this present time, rebels: they were first entreated and admonished with a mildness and kindness of feeling that redounds to the honour of the Mexican nation. Again, they were warned of the awful consequences of plunging their country into the horrors of civil war-they were told, with a firmness which could not have been mistaken, that obedience to the laws of the republic of Mexico would be enforced; and it was not until they had absolutely taken up arms that they were informed "the Americans would be treated as rebels ;" and when they had assumed that position towards the Mexicans, to whom their gratitude was due for the many signal acts of liberality conferred upon them by Mexico, the Mexican sword was drawn-peace was proposedand a general amnesty offered by the Mexicans. Every overture had been refused. Fanning's party was the first taken-Santa Anna's proffered amnesty had been rejected—and Cos' entreaties having been received with scorn, he, with the firmness of a soldier, declared the Americans would be treated as rebels. Santa Anna vacated the presidential chair during the war, and having taken the field as a soldier, he was accordingly obliged to obey the orders of Congress, which were, that "the un

grateful Texans should be treated as rebels." Consequently he ordered the execution of Fanning and his men.

In thus bringing forward the facts connected with this lamentable occurrence, it must not be supposed that I am attempting to justify such tragical deeds; on the contrary, I do not hesitate to say, that it leaves an everlasting stigma upon the character of a soldier who is guilty of such an enormity, notwithstanding the existence of the usage common among civilized nations in such cases.

On or about the 18th of February, Santa Anna appeared before the walls of San Antonio de Bexar. The Texan garrison was summoned to surrender, and a general amnesty was again offered, in case of obedience; but it was refused, and the Texans immediately opened fire on the Mexicans, by the way of confirming their refusal, when Santa Anna commenced the siege with about 1000 men, while the Texan garrison consisted of about 450 only. The commencement of the siege is thus described by the Texan commander in the following Address:

"TO THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS, AND ALL AMERICANS IN THE WORLD.

"Fellow-Citizens and Compatriots,

"I AM besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans, under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for twenty-four hours, and have not lost a man. The