Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/676

 with, the prisoners. These gentlemen were accompanied to our camp by the commandant, who introduced them to us with much regard and formahty. After a short conversation, through an interpreter, they took leave of us, to call on Don Martin Prefecto de Cos.

This noble and young Mexican General was our constant companion and good friend in captivity, relieving, by all means in his power, his countrymen, and particularly the sick, giving them clothing, money, and other necessaries. He met the annoyances of captivity with noble resignation; with his lofty manners and perfect breeding, he soothed the ferocious nature of these tigers, causing them to become more tractable and humane with us. Colonel Morgan, the commandant of our camp, was a harsh and rough man, a violent enemy to the Mexicans. Nevertheless, he became so attached to Cos that he asked of him his portrait, which he showed to all his friends as a particularly valuable gift. Cos evinced such a calm dignity in captivity, that twice, or three times, assassins, who had resolved upon his death, desisted from their design upon seeing him, embraced him, and became his friends. Let it not be said that I flatter him, for I have never received any favor from him; therefore my praise should be above suspicion.

I have said that we remained on Galveston Island until the middle of August.

On the 16th of that month we slept on board a schooner, the name of which I do not remember, and, on the i8th, we landed at the town of Anahuac, where we remained up to the 25th. At 4 o'clock we started for Liberty, ten leagues in the interior of Texas, under the orders of Judge William Hardin, of that locality. On our arrival we camped in Judge Hardin's yard, in a small, shady grove. There we breathed a pure air, enjoyed a milder climate, wholesome water, together with much more comfort and liberty. At length we were free from the rod of that pitiless Morgan and the incessant insults of the volunteer rabble.

Soon, however, provisions gave out, notwithstanding the repeated and urgent applications of Hardin to his Government, which failed to attend to them.

It is proper to say, to the honor and credit of Don Francisco Pizarro Martinez, Mexican Consul at New Orleans, that, when we were destitute of food, clothing, and all other necessaries— most of us down struggling with chills and fever, the prevailing disease in that country between the months of October and December — this worthy Mexican sent us a supply of excellent hard bread, sugar, coffee, blankets, and a plain suit of clothes for everyone of us. I am convinced that nothing but the timely arrival of these gifts saved our lives. Had they been delayed only fifteen days most of us would have died, as happened with fifteen of our companions who were laid in the grave, from exhaustion, before that supply reached us.

Judge Hardin relieved our bitter condition by all means in his power, retaining for himself the worst of his houses, in order to appropriate the two others for the sick. Being ill himself, he went, personally, for a physician, medicine, or whatever we needed. He listened to our frequent applications with remarkable patience; granted them if he could; if not, he felt deeply concerned. For the mere form he kept over us two sentinels at night, relieving them in day-time, and allowing some of us to walk about town. In