The Travels and Adventures of Monsieur Violet in California, Sonora, and Western Texas

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER XIX.

  In the last chapter but one I stated that I and my companions, Gabrieland Roche, had been delivered up to the Mexican agents, and werejourneying, under an escort of thirty men, to the Mexican capital, to behanged as an example to all liberators. This escort was commanded by twomost atrocious villains, Joachem Texada and Louis Ortiz. They evidentlyanticipated that they would become great men in the republic, upon thesafe delivery of our persons to the Mexican Government, and every daytook good care to remind us that the gibbet was to be our fate onour arrival.

  Our route lay across the central deserts of Sonora, until we arrived onthe banks of the Rio Grande, and so afraid were they of falling in witha hostile party of Apaches, that they took long turns out of the generaltrack, and through mountainous passes, by which we not only sufferedgreatly from fatigue, but were very often threatened with starvation.

  It was sixty-three days before we crossed the Rio Grande at Christobal,and we had still a long journey before us. This delay, occasioned by thetimidity of our guards, proved our salvation. We had been but one day onour march in the swamp after leaving Christobal, when the war-whooppierced our ears, and a moment afterwards our party was surrounded bysome hundred Apaches, who saluted us with a shower of arrows.

  Our Mexican guards threw themselves down on the ground, and cried formercy, offering ransom. I answered the war-whoop of the Apaches,representing my companions and myself as their friends, and requestingtheir help and protection, which were immediately given. We were oncemore unbound and free.

  I hardly need say that this was a most agreeable change in the state ofaffairs; for I have no doubt that had we arrived at our destination, weshould either have been gibbeted or died (somehow or other) in prison.But if the change was satisfactory to us, it was not so to JoachemTexada and Louis Ortiz, who changed their notes with their change ofcondition.

  The scoundrels; who had amused themselves with reminding us that all wehad to expect was an ignominious death, were now our devoted humbleservants, cleaning and brushing their own mules for our use, holding thestirrup, and begging for our interference in their behalf with theApaches. Such wretches did not deserve our good offices; we thereforesaid nothing for or against them, leaving the Apaches to act as theypleased. About a week after our liberation the Apaches halted, as theywere about to divide their force into two bands, one of which was toreturn home with the booty they had captured, while the other proceededto the borders of Texas.

  I have stated that the Shoshones, the Arrapahoes, and Apaches hadentered into the confederation, but the Comanches were too far distantfor us to have had an opportunity of making the proposal to them. Asthis union was always uppermost in my mind, I resolved that I would nowvisit the Comanches, with a view to the furtherance of my object.

  The country on the east side of the Rio Grande is one dreary desert, inwhich no water is to be procured. I believe no Indian has ever done morethan skirt its border; indeed, as they assert that it is inhabited byspirits and demons, it is clear that they cannot have visited it.

  To proceed to the Comanches country it was therefore necessary that weshould follow the Rio Grande till we came to the Presidio of Rio Grande,belonging to the Mexicans, and from there cross over and take the roadto San Antonio de Bejar, the last western city of Texas, and proceedthrough the Texan country to where the Comanches were located. Itherefore decided that we would join the band of Apaches who wereproceeding towards Texas.

  During this excursion, the Apaches had captured many horses and armsfrom a trading party which they had surprised near Chihuahua, and, withtheir accustomed liberality, they furnished us with steeds, saddles,arms, blankets, and clothes; indeed, they were so generous that we couldeasily pass ourselves off as merchants returning from a tradingexpedition in case we were to fall in with any Mexicans, and have toundergo an examination.

  We took our leave of the generous Apache chiefs, who were returninghomewards. Joachem Texada and Louis Ortiz were, with the rest of theescort, led away as captives, and what became of them I cannot say. Wetravelled with the other band of Indians, until we had passed thePresidio del Rio Grande, a strong Mexican fort, and the day afterwardstook our farewell of them, having joined a band of smugglers who were ontheir way to Texas. Ten days afterwards, we entered San Antonio deBejar, and had nothing more to fear, as we were now clear of the Mexicanterritory.

  San Antonio de Bejar is by far the most agreeable residence in Texas.When in the possession of the Mexicans, it must have been acharming place.

  The river San Antonio, which rises at a short distance above the city,glides gracefully through the suburbs; and its clear waters, by numerouswinding canals, are brought up to every house. The temperature of thewater is the same throughout the year, neither too warm nor too cold forbathing; and not a single day passes without the inhabitants indulgingin the favourite and healthy exercise of swimming, which is practised byeverybody, from morning till evening; and the traveller along the shoresof this beautiful river will constantly see hundreds of children, of allages and colour, swimming and diving like so many ducks.

  The climate is pure, dry, and healthy. During summer the breeze is freshand perfumed; and as it never rains, the neighbouring plantations arewatered by canals, which receive and carry in every direction the watersof the San Antonio. Formerly the city contained fifteen thousandinhabitants, but the frequent revolutions and the bloody battles whichhave been fought within its walls have most materially contributed todiminish its number; so much indeed, that, in point of population, thecity of San Antonio de Bejar, with its bishopric and wealthy missions,has fallen to the rank of a small English village. It still carries on aconsiderable trade, but its appearance of prosperity is deceptive; andI would caution emigrants not to be deceived by the Texan accounts ofthe place. Immense profits have been made, to be sure; but now even theMexican smugglers and banditti are beginning to be disgusted with theuniversal want of faith and probity.

  The Mexicans were very fond of gardens and of surrounding their houseswith beautiful trees, under the shade of which they would pass most ofthe time which could be spared from bathing. This gives a fresh andlively appearance to the city, and you are reminded of Calabrianscenery, the lightness and simplicity of the dwellings contrasting withthe grandeur and majesty of the monastic buildings in the distance.Texas had no convents, but the Spanish missions were numerous, and theirnoble structures remain as monuments of former Spanish greatness. Beforedescribing these immense establishments, it is necessary to state thatsoon after the conquest of Mexico, one of the chief objects of Spanishpolicy was the extension of the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.The conversion of the Indians and the promulgation of Christianity weresteadily interwoven with the desire of wealth; and at the time that theytook away the Indian's gold, they gave him Christianity. At first, forcewas required to obtain proselytes, but cunning was found to succeedbetter; and, by allowing the superstitions of the Indians to be mixed upwith the rites of the Church, a sort of half-breed religion becamegeneral, upon the principle, I presume, that half a loaf is better thanno bread. The anomalous consequences of this policy are to be seen inthe Indian ceremonies even to this day.

  To afford adequate protection to the Roman Catholic missionaries,settlements were established, which still bear the name of missions.They are very numerous throughout California, and there are several inTexas. The Alamo, at San Antonio, was one of great importance; therewere others of less consideration in the neighbourhood; as the missionsof Conception, of San Juan, San Jose, and La Espada. All these edificesare most substantially built; the walls are of great thickness, and fromtheir form and arrangement they could be converted into frontierfortresses. They had generally, though not always, a church at the sideof the square, formed by the high walls, through which there was but oneentrance. In the interior they had a large granary, and the outsidewall formed the back to a range of buildings, in which the missionariesand their converts resided. A portion of the surrounding district wasappropri
ated to agriculture, the land being, as I before observed,irrigated by small canals, which conducted the water from the river.

  The Alamo is now in ruins, only two or three of the houses of the innersquare being inhabited. The gateway of the church was highly ornamented,and still remains, although the figures which once occupied the nicheshave disappeared. But there is still sufficient in the ruins to interestthe inquirer into its former history, even if he could for a momentforget the scenes which have rendered it celebrated in the history ofTexan independence.

  About two miles lower down the San Antonio river is the mission ofConception. It is a very large stone building, with a fine cupola, andthough a plain building, is magnificent in its proportions and thedurability of its construction. It was here that Bowie fought one of thefirst battles with the Mexican forces, and it has not since beeninhabited. Though not so well known to fame as other conflicts, thisbattle was that which really committed the Texans, and compelled thosewho thought of terms and the maintenance of a Mexican connection toperceive that the time for both had passed.

  The mission of San Jose is about a mile and a half further down theriver. It consists, like the others, of a large square, and numerousMexican families still reside there. To the left of the gateway is thegranary. The church stands apart from the building; it is within thesquare, but unconnected. The west door is decorated with the mostelaborated carvings of flowers, images of angels, and figures of theapostles; the interior is plain. To the right is a handsome tower andbelfry, and above the altar a large stone cupola. Behind the church is along range of rooms for the missionaries, with a corridor of nine archesin front. The Texan troops were long quartered here, and, althoughalways intoxicated, strange to say, the stone carvings have not beeninjured. The church has since been repaired, and divine service isperformed in it.

  About half a mile further down is the mission of San Juan. The churchforms part of the sides of the square, and on the north-west corner ofthe square are the remains of a small stone tower. This mission, aswell as that of La Espada, is inhabited. The church of La Espada,however, is in ruins, and but two sides of the square, consisting ofmere walls, remain entire; the others have been wantonly destroyed.

  The church at San Antonio de Bejar was built in the year 1717; andalthough it has suffered much from the many sieges which the city hasundergone, it is still used as a place of public worship. At the timethat San Antonio was attacked and taken by Colonel Cooke, in 1835,several cannon-shots struck the dome, and a great deal of damage wasdone; in fact, all the houses in the principal square of the town aremarked more or less by shot. One among them has suffered very much; itis the "Government-house," celebrated for one of the most cowardlymassacres ever committed by a nation of barbarians, and which I shallhere relate.

  After some skirmishes betwixt the Comanches and the Texans, in which theformer had always had the advantage, the latter thought it advisable topropose a treaty of alliance. Messengers, with flags of truce, weredespatched among the Indians, inviting all their chiefs to a council atSan Antonio, where the representatives of Texas would meet them and maketheir proposals for an eternal peace. Incapable of treachery themselves,the brave Comanches never suspected it in others; at the time agreedupon, forty of their principal chiefs arrived in the town, and, leavingtheir horses in the square, proceeded to the "Government-house." Theywere all unarmed, their long flowing hair covered with a profusion ofgold and silver ornaments; their dresses very rich and their blankets ofthat fine Mexican texture which commands in the market from fifty to onehundred and fifty dollars a-piece. Their horses were noble animals, andof great value, their saddles richly embossed with gold and silver. Thedisplay of so much wealth excited all the worst propensities of theTexan populace, who resolved at any price to obtain possession of sosplendid a booty. While the chiefs were making their speeches of peaceand amity, a few hundred Texan blackguards rushed into the room withtheir pistols and knives, and began their work of murder. All theIndians fell, except one, who succeeded in making his escape; but thoughthe Comanches were quite unarmed, they sold their lives dearly, foreighteen Texans were found among the slain.

  I will close this chapter with a few remarks upon the now acknowledgedrepublic of Texas.

  The dismemberment of Texas from Mexico was effected by the reports ofextensive gold-mines, diamonds, &c., which were to be found there, andwhich raised the cupidity of the eastern speculators and land-jobbers ofthe United States. But in all probability this appropriation would neverhave taken place if it had not been that the southern states of Americahad, with very different views, given every encouragement tothe attempt.

  The people of Louisiana and the southern states knew the exact value ofthe country, and laughed at the idea of its immense treasures. Theyacted from a deep, although it eventually has turned out to have been afalse, policy. They considered that Texas, once wrested from Mexico,would be admitted into the Union, subdivided into two or three states,every one of which would, of course, be slave-holding states, and sendtheir members to Congress. This would have given the slave-holdingstates the preponderance in the Union.

  Events have turned out differently, and the planters of the south nowdeplore their untoward policy and want of foresight, as they haveassisted in raising up a formidable rival in the production of theirstaple commodity, injurious to them even in time of peace, and in caseof a war with England, still more inimical to their interests.

  It is much to be lamented that Texas had not been populated by a moredeserving class of individuals; it might have been, even by this time, acountry of importance and wealth; but it has from the commencement beenthe resort of every vagabond and scoundrel who could not venture toremain in the United States; and, unfortunately, the Texan character wasfixed and established, as a community wholly destitute of principle orprobity, before the emigration of more respectable settlers hadcommenced. The consequences have been most disastrous, and it is to bequestioned whether some of them will ever be removed.

  At the period of its independence, the population of Texas was estimatedat about forty thousand. Now, if you are to credit the Texan Government,it has increased to about seventy-five thousand. Such, however, is notthe fact, although it, of course, suits the members of the republic tomake the assertion. Instead of the increase stated by them, thepopulation of Texas has decreased considerably, and is not now equal towhat it was at the Independence.

  This may appear strange, after so many thousands from the United States,England, and Germany have been induced to emigrate there; but the factis, that, after having arrived in the country, and having discoveredthat they were at the mercy of bands of miscreants, who are capable ofany dark deed, they have quitted the country to save the remainder oftheir substance, and have passed over into Mexico, the Southern UnitedStates, or anywhere else where they had some chance of security for lifeand property.

  Among the population of Texas were counted many thousand Mexicans, whoremained in the country, trusting that order and law would soon beestablished: but, disappointed in their expectations, they haveemigrated to Mexico. Eight thousand have quitted San Antonio de Bejar,and the void has been filled up by six or seven hundred drunkards,thieves, and murderers. The same desertion has taken place in Goliad,Velasco, Nacogdoches, and other towns, which were formerly occupied byMexican families.

  It may give the reader some idea of the insecurity of life and propertyin Texas, when I state, that there are numerous bands of robberscontinually on the look-out, to rifle and murder the travellers, andthat it is of frequent occurrence for a house to be attacked andplundered, the women violated, and every individual afterwards murderedby these miscreants, who, to escape detection, dress and paintthemselves as Indians. Of course, what I have now stated, although wellknown to be a fact, is not likely to be mentioned in the Texannewspapers.

  Another serious evil arising from this lawless state of the country is,that the Indians, who were well inclined towards the Texans, as being,with them, mutual enemies of the Mexicans, are no
w hostile, toextermination. I have mentioned the murder of the Comanche chiefs, inthe government-house of San Antonio, which, in itself, was sufficient.But such has been the disgraceful conduct of the Texans towards theIndians, that the white man is now considered by them as a term ofreproach; they are spoken of by the Indians as "dogs," and are generallyhung or shot whenever they are fallen in with. Centuries cannot repairthis serious evil, and the Texans have made bitter and implacable foesof those who would have been their friends. No distinction is madebetween an American and a Texan, and the Texans have raised up a foe tothe United States, which may hereafter prove not a little troublesome.

  In another point, Texas has been seriously injured by this total want ofprobity and principle. Had Western Texas been settled by people ofcommon honesty, it would, from its topographical situation, have soonbecome a very important country, as all the mercantile transactions withthe north central provinces of Mexico would have been secured to it.

  From the Presidio del Rio Grande there is an excellent road to SanAntonio de Bejar; to the south of San Antonio lies Chihuahua; so thatthe nearest and most accessible route overland, from the United Statesto the centre of Mexico, is through San Antonio. And this overland routecan be shortened by discharging vessels at Linville, or La Bacca, andfrom thence taking the goods to San Antonio, a distance of about onehundred and forty miles. The western boundary line of Texas, at the timeof the declaration of its independence, was understood to be the riverNueces; and if so, nothing could have prevented San Antonio frombecoming an inland depot of much commercial importance.

  Numerous parties of Mexican traders have long been accustomed to come toSan Antonio from the Rio Grande. They were generally very honest intheir payments, and showed a very friendly spirit. Had this trade beenprotected, as it should have been, by putting down the bands of robbers,who rendered the roads unsafe by their depredations and atrocities, itwould have become of more value than any trade to Santa Fe. Recognizedor unrecognized, Texas could have carried on the trade; merchants wouldhave settled in the West, to participate in it; emigrants would havecollected in the district, where the soil is rich and the climatehealthy. It is true, the trade would have been illicit; but such is everthe inevitable consequence of a high and ill-regulated tariff. It would,nevertheless, have been very profitable, and would have conciliated thepopulation of Rio Grande towards the Texans, and in all probability haveforced upon the Mexican government the establishment of friendlyrelations between the two countries.

  But this trade has been totally destroyed; the Indians now seize andplunder every caravan, either to or from San Antonio; the Texan robberslie in wait for them, if they escape the Indians; and should the Mexicantrader escape with his goods from both, he has still to undergo thechance of being swindled by the _soi-disant_ Texan merchant.

  If ever there was a proof, from the results of pursuing an oppositecourse, that honesty is the best policy, it is to be found in thepresent state of Texas.