Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/673

Rh They would adorn them with the green and red cords which our Voltigeurs and Grenadiers wore on their caps, placing them on their ears, necks, or backs. One did put two pair of blinds on one mule — one on the head- stall, as it should be, and the other on the nose-band, stopping the poor animal's nostrils.

They would also bedeck their mules with the epaulets of our officers, caring little if one was white and the other yellow — they glittered, that was enough. They delighted in covering their animals with all sorts of trappings and colors, after the fashion of our bull-fight clowns.

One of these young chevaliers attracted more especially my attention. He had saddled up and adorned his mule, without, however, noticing that the surcingle was loose. He mounted the long-eared steed, which was held fast by some of his friends whilst he steadied himself in the saddle. They let go; and you should have seen the brute scampering over God's own green fields, and scattering about its trappings and ornaments. Lo! our poor Yankee flies on high with his saddle, and drops heavily on the ground, from which he could not rise, his ribs being somewhat damaged. This was not the worst, but the mule, once in the woods, could not be caught again. Trials of horsemanship lasted the whole day, but most of the champions shared the fate of the first one. How strange these men are! Many of them act and feel like the wild Comanche.

On the 27th and following days, no incident took place worth being noticed. I will only say, to the everlasting shame of our conquerors, that they kept us starving, sleeping in the mud, and exposed to frequent and heavy showers. Still more intolerable was the stench arising from the corpses on the field of San Jacinto, which they had not the generosity to burn or to bury, after the time-honored custom, regardless of their own comfort and health and those of the surrounding settlements.

On the 3d of May, at 4 o'clock, we were sent to another camp, distant a little over one league. There were two or three frame houses, but they were occupied by both the conquering and conquered Generals, lodgings being provided for us under the trees. There, again, an attempt was made to murder General Cos.

Four days passed along quietly.

On the 7th, at 5 o'clock', they marched us on board the steamboat Yellow Stone, where we found General Santa Anna, the President, Senor Zavala, and other dignitaries of their so-called Government. Shortly after General Houston was carried on board on his cot, on his way to New Orleans to obtain medical attendance for a wound he had received in his leg at San Jacinto. There was also the Mexican General Adrian Woll, who had come from our army under flag of truce. This gallant General, our good friend, was dismissed at sundown, being hardly allowed to embrace two or three of us, with a few hurried words, as we were surrounded by very strict and insolent guards. I saw, as he landed, tears of indignation gushing forth from his eyes at the wretched and degraded condition of his brothers-in-arms. I am sure he wished he was lightning, to smite our oppressors. In parting with us, he expressed the deepest sorrow.

The officer under whose charge we were on board was, if I do not mistake, a physician, and was extremely harsh and tyrannical. After sunset we were