Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/677

Rh the month of November he built a fine frame house, at his own expense, to shelter us from rain and cold. After a short time he became very much attached to us, and felt so grieved at our unfortunate condition that he withdrew entirely the small detachment that guarded us, and allowed us the limits of the town. Should some drunken man insult us, he went, or sent some member of his family, to drive him out. Meat and salt were our only rations, and these often gave out. Then, even in the stormiest or coldest days, Hardin would shoulder his rifle and walk out to kill a beef, which he sent, ready butchered, to our quarters. When we were out of rations, which happened not seldom, his good and virtuous wife was kind enough to send us large pieces of seasoned beef, bacon, coffee, sugar, bread, and whatever was placed upon her own table. On one occasion she removed from her family beds five or six mattresses, which were placed on the beds of as many of the sick prisoners. Again, on another occasion, she distributed among us half a barrel of hard bread, all that was left for her own use. The butter, potatoes, and corn in the house belonged to the prisoners.

Oh! virtuous family! How great and how many your exertions have been to relieve the despair of our sorrowful and destitute condition! Oh, William Hardin! thy name, and that of thy noble wife, will be imperishable in the hearts of the Mexican prisoners, who, victims of fate, suffered the unexpected disaster of San Jacinto! I vow that, although thou art among the criminal enemies of my beloved country, whether of thy own free will, or because thy destiny so willed it, I will never cease to proclaim and praise thy meritorious and charitable conduct toward us.

A ball was given by the citizens of Liberty, on the 21st of April, 1837, to which all the neighboring families were invited.

The ball was intended to commemorate the bloody 21st of April, 1836, on which day so many illustrious Mexicans were immolated. These people had the effrontery to invite to that criminal entertainment General Cos, who, of course, declined. It was told to him by a man of some standing that there were alarming conversations about the Mexican prisoners. This report was not altogether groundless, inasmuch as the gatherings of those besotted people are invariably more or less influenced by mean liquors. In consequence we spent a very uncomfortable night.

However, it so happened that Bacchus inspired them with gentler feelings. There is no evil that does not work some good. We were told that they deliberated at length upon the question of the prisoners, and that they resolved to send a petition to their Government, which was signed even by the ladies, asking it to dispatch us at once or to set us free, as we were eating up their meat and supplies. They added that their destitution was daily increasing, and that they would soon have nothing left for their families, unless the Government granted them prompt relief.

Hallowed be the hour when this petition was inspired! Its result was that we were set free, which happy news reached us on the memorable 25th day of April, 1837.