Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/74

 the not far distant day of San Jacinto. On the nth of March, Gen. Houston sent another express to Fannin, informing him that the Alamo had fallen, "ordering him to evacuate Goliad, blow up the fortress, and fall back without delay upon Victoria and the Guadaloupe." It was Houston's opinion that the only means of saving Texas was the union of all the forces at that time in the field. Fannin's force had a fine supply of arms brought from the United States. This force, numbering over five hundred men, joined to Gen. Houston, would make the army at least nine hundred effective men.

Fannin did not attempt a retreat until he had been surrounded by the Mexicans several days. He held a council of war, and sent an express to the commander-in-chief, informing him that he had named the place Fort Defiance, had determined to defend it, and was willing to meet the consequences of disobeying orders. Fannin's fatal mistake, as the result proved, evinced the prophetic sagacity of Houston. About the 23d of March, in the midst of gloom and suspense, the terrible news reached the little army that Col. Fannin's regiment had all been massacred. Peter Kerr, a Mexican, brought the intelligence. A fearful panic took possession of the little army, which the fall of the Alamo had nearly dispersed. The consternation was redoubled when the terrible news came that five hundred courageous companions in a noble cause, men fully armed and equipped for the struggle, had all been massacred. The slaughtering army seemed to have swept away the last barrier in their way. The courage of Houston's men was sadly unnerved. The commander of a forlorn hope had a difficult task to perform immediately. This he did with marvellous sagacity. Calling for the sergeant of the guard, he declared that Kerr was an incendiary, sent as a spy into his camp to produce distraction, and, denouncing him, declared, in an apparently furious storm of anger, that he should be shot at 9 o'clock the next morning. Kerr was at once arrested and put under a strong guard. Addressing the soldiery, Houston gave numerous reasons to prove that the supposed spy's news could not be true. The excitement, which had reached a fearful height, was appeased by his apparent disbelief. Not until the soldiers in camp had retired to rest, would Houston see Kerr. He then repaired to the guard fire and heard the recital of that awful story, which proved that his worst forebodings were now veritable history. Orders were given to have the prisoner treated kindly, and he forgot the next morning to have him executed. With the dreams of the soldiers the excitement passed away. But as Houston would have subjected himself to the charge of collusion with the enemy, in turning loose a supposed spy sent by the people most