thousand cattle. They also knew that from thirty to fifty thousand bushels of corn had been left by them, and not exceeding two thousand bushels had been used by our troops. They also knew that a grist-mill, capable of grinding 60 bushels of corn per day, which had freely supplied the Mexican army, was close by them. They also knew that salt, powder, lead, and other necessaries were in the town. Knowing these things, they complained, and rightly complained.

But did these good causes of complaint drive them home? No! most of these men left their homes in September under a solemn conviction that duty to their country and themselves required that they [45] should pursue the enemy in his retreat, and "punish his aggressions." They rejoiced as they believed that President Houston had finally adopted that belief. They had now been from their homes from September up to the 18th of November, which found them some twenty miles west of San Antonio, upon the Precidio crossing of the Medina. They were yet 760 strong, and within five days' march of General Woll's retreating army, which had halted near Precidio7 to give them battle. The men were anxious for the fight, and, had General Somerville moved promptly upon Woll, we are assured by Captains Fitzgerald and Van Ness that the whole Mexican army would have been captured without a second fire; that most of the Mexican officers and men came to them, when they heard that Somerville was advancing upon Precidio, to know how they should surrender, and what to say to the Texians to save their lives.

During the six or eight days, while the remainder of the Texian army lay at this place, they were greatly cheered with the hope of speedily meeting General Woll. These days, in the absence of General Somerville, who was still in Bexar, were well improved. Many of the men left their homes during the warm days of September, with pantaloons too thin for the sharp weather of November; and now, in the absence of a uniform military clothing establishment, they in the shortest time transferred the covering of many an unwary buck to their own [46] legs.8 I never saw deer so plenty; many hundreds were killed, and the whole camp for several days had more the appearance of a tremendous tanyard than an army which expected in a few days to meet the national enemy upon his own soil. Indeed, the scene here presented was no bad illustration of the facility with which Texians can accommodate themselves to unforeseen emergencies; and he who could not creep upon the most keen-sighted buck, and "ease him of his jacket," was not fit for a soldier; and many who could not or would not do it, returned home, as they said, "to get some warm clothing."

Our experience is, that those who "go home for warm clothing," a "better horse," or "better gun," almost invariably stay there; and, in my opinion, there they should stay, for I never knew a man truly anxious to meet the enemy turn back under any pretence whatever. On the contrary, I have known men to go out without either horse or gun, and never knew them to fail in being armed