Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/78

 this was the most disheartening, and his dispatches confirm the statement.

It was undoubtedly fortunate for him that Santa Anna had learned that the seat of government had been temporarily removed to Harrisburg. It caused that wily chief to diverge from his route to Nacogdoches, abandon his plan of general invasion, in order to capture the ad interim officers of the new Republic. Assured certainly that Santa Anna was crossing the Brazos, Gen. Houston dispatched orders without delay for all his troops scattered a distance of more than eighty miles, from Washington to Fort Bend, up and down the river, to join him on the march to Harrisburg. The newly-appointed Secretary of War, Gen. Thomas J. Rusk, afterward Houston's colleague in the United States Senate, instead of flying from the scene of danger, repaired with all haste to the commander-in-chief, on the Brazos. On all matters pertaming to the welfare of Texas they advised cordially together, and agreed together entirely as to the means necessary to be adopted. The steamboat Yellow Stone was put in motion, and the entire army, with baggage wagons and horses were transported to the eastern side of the Brazos in two days. The first artillery which had been placed under Houston's control was found on shore, two six-pounders—" the twin sisters "—a present from some patriotic men in Cincinnati. They were mounted, but without equipments necessary for use. The smith's-shop and gunsmiths employed in repairing the arms of the troops were immediately occupied in making the guns ready foneffective use. All the old iron in the vicinity was cut into slugs and formed into cartridges. A few miles from the ferry the little army halted and encamped for the night. As was his custom, Houston personally examined the state of the camp, and ascertaining that all that was necessary for an early march had been done, he inquired the route to Harrisburg. Never before having been in that region, to prevent the liability to surprise by a superior force, he acquainted himself perfectly with the geography of the country. Houston knew that the road leading to Nacogdoches, which crossed the Trinity River at Robbin's Ferry, must have been the one which Santa Anna had taken in his march upon Harrisburg. Putting the main army, composed of between seven and eight hundred men, in motion, a fatiguing march of eighteen miles, through a prairie, was made 16th of April, to McArleys. Fourteen baggage wagons and two pieces of artillery composed the train. The prairie had been made boggy by excessive rains. The wagons had to be unloaded in many places, and the dismounted field-pieces carried or rolled through the mud. The entire physical strength of the army was thus brought into requisition.