Had these promises been fulfilled in any particular? Was it right that the Texians should demand less of these people than the Mexican army invariably do? And was it not absolutely just and proper that General Somerville should have carried out his reasonable promises to them? The men saw plainly that their three months toil was to be swallowed up in the glory of getting a view of the Rio Grande, and then a hasty and disgraceful flight home, and without provisions to take them there. Under this state of things, a portion of them entered the town, and took, among absolute necessaries, many articles of a useless character. Though the unquestioned laws of war and of nature gave these men a perfect right to take all necessaries for their subsistence, did their general instruct them in what they consisted? No! when his own improvidence left the men to feed themselves, without such instruction, it was reasonable to expect they would also take useless and unnecessary articles. Had the general said to the men, "I have furnished you these ten beeves and these few sacks of flour; I can do no more, now look out for yourselves; here is a list of articles which you have a right by the usages of war to take, and, as Texians, it is expected you will take nothing else." Who believes that his instructions would have been violated?4 No one who knows anything of the Texian character. To lay aside all these good reasons, did [58] not the Texians have a clear right, by the lex talionis of war, not only to do so, but to lay every Mexican town upon the frontier in ashes? Did not the burning of our towns in 1836, and their subsequent plunder of Refugio and San Antonio give them this right? It clearly did! But a false magnanimity, which shielded Santa Anna at San Jacinto, seemed to possess General Somerville, as it doubtless did his Mexican advisers; and a greater interest was manifested by them for the "poor Mexicans," which was sung morning, noon, and night throughout the camp, than for our own men.5

And to show with what willingness Texians will yield to council and authority, no sooner had they returned with these articles to camp, than they were told that in a council of officers thirteen out of fourteen captains had voted for crossing the Rio Grande, and that it was requested they should give up the articles taken from Laredo, to be sent back by the alcalde. They almost to a man did so.6 These articles were carried to the general's quarters, and he sent for the alcalde and delivered them to him, to be returned to their respective owners. Did this show more the love of plunder or the obedience of orders? The general, and those who were willing to follow him home, were deprived by this ready acquiescence on the part of the men of all plea of insubordination. Did he then follow the advice which had been so unanimously voted in the council of war - to cross the river, and proceed down it by the [59] main road? No! but that evening started in a direction down the river on the east side, and proceeded several miles on this course, all believing, except his confidential home advisers, that he still intended to cross the river below, when suddenly the head of the line was turned to the left, into a dense and most difficult chaparral. For