Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/127

 The Last Forlorn Hope of the Confederacy. 119

" I know it," replied Smith. " What would you advise?"

" Resign in favor of Buckner," was the prompt answer.

It was a bitter pill, but Smith swallowed it. He wrote out his resignation, leaving Buckner commander-in-chief of the department.

Another disappointment followed. The spectacular Buckner never raised a hand. He even failed to press the negotiation for the alliance which Shelby wanted to make with Maximilian.

The Missouri general then proceeded to act for himself. He rec- ognized his command, and out of the government stores equipped 1,000 picked men with new uniforms, guns, pistols, swords, ammu- nition, wagons, provisions, horses, mules, tents and as many cannon fine Napoleons as they could take on their march.

On their way through Texas to the Rio Grande the Confederates found many strong bodies of armed robbers terrorizing the country. They occasionally halted, or turned aside, to meet these desperadoes, and in a short time killed and dispersed the most dangerous of them.

At Austin there was a Confederate sub-treasury with over $300,000 in gold and silver. Shelby's troopers galloped into the city after midnight, just in time to find a gang of robbers battering down the treasury doors and helping themselves to the treasure.

The fight that ensued was hot and merciless. The Confederates gave no quarter. They shot down the bandits in the treasury vault, in the corridors, and in the streets. Then, by torchlight, they picked up the scattered gold, even taking it from the pockets of the dead.

Early the next morning the State authorities were invited to count the money. It was found to be all right, and as it belonged to the Confederate government, and Shelby was in command of the only existing body of recognized Confederates, he was urged by the offi- cials to take all he might need for his little army's support. He flatly refused, and resumed his march.

At San Antonio the general and his men rested a few days. The town overflowed with luxuries from every market, imported into Mexico by the French and exchanged for cotton. Brandy and champagne were the daily beverages of rough fellows who had never before drank anything better than corn whiskey.

On the way to San Antonio, and after reaching that place, Shelby was joined by such gallant Confederates as Ex-Governor Polk, Generals Kirby Smith, Hindman, Magruder, Lyon, Clark, Prevost, Bee, Watkins, Price, Governors Reynolds and General Parsons, Commodore Maury, and a lot of colonels, congressmen and soldiers.