Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/84

 blast, floating banners, thrilling fife, or pealing drum. Seven hundred men, resolute on freedom without pomp or circumstance of glorious war, evinced their determined purpose by heavy tramp, strained muscle, and compressed lip. To avoid being seen on the open prairie, the army halted till sundown, in a narrow woodland not far from the stream. Once more in motion, the column made a forced march to a position distant not more than four or five miles from the ground where the serious and main struggle was expected to be made. Off from the line of march the weary men took shelter under the covert of a grove, and lying down on their rifles, slept for an hour. Gen. Houston rose from the ground at daylight. He had rested on a coil of rope used in dragging the artillery, and with his well-known three taps of the drum roused the camp. From the day he assumed command a reveille or tattoo had never been beaten. In every direction pickets were advanced. The scouts sent out returned very soon with information which assured Gen. Houston that Santa Anna with his column was not far distant. A small party well mounted had been met with, and although chase was given, they escaped. The army halted to take refreshment; when the scouting party returned, rousing fires were kindled to cook the beeves already dressed. About seven o'clock that same morning, before much progress had been made, it was reported that the enemy was marching up from New Washington to cross the San Jacinto, effecting which, Santa Anna would have been enabled to have carried desolation to the Sabine. The order was given immediately by Gen. Houston to take up the line of march for crossing the San Jacinto at Lynchburg. On cutting off Santa Anna's retreat hinged the issue of the entire struggle, and the whole army at once saw it. With alacrity abandoning their half-cooked meat, the men flew to their arms as one man, and hitching the horses to the artillery as soon as possible, began the march, nor did they halt until they had reached the ferry at the junction of Buffalo Bayou and San Jacinto, where, to the great joy of the Texans, they learned that Santa Anna had not yet come up. Santa Anna had forced some Americans to construct a new boat; of this Houston took possession, and caused it to be rowed up the stream opposite the first grove on the bayou. Arriving first, he had the opportunity of choosing his position. In a beautiful copse of trees growing on a bend in the stream, semicircular in form on the margin of the prairie, he posted his army. On the bank of the river his forces were concealed by the trees and their undergrowth,