I refer to the massacre of the Comanche chiefs
at San Antonio.
The President of Mexico, Bustamente, had a view to a cessation of
hostilities with Texas. The Texans had sent ambassadors to negotiate a
recognition and treaty of alliance and friendship with other nations;
they had despatched Hamilton to England to supplicate the cabinet of St.
James to lend its mighty influence towards the recognition of Texas by
Mexico; and while these negotiations were pending, and the peace with
Mexico still in force, Lamar, in defiance of all good faith and honour,
was secretly preparing an expedition, which, under the disguise of a
mercantile caravan, was intended to conquer Santa Fe and all the
northern Mexican provinces. This expedition of the Texans, as it would
pass through the territory of the Comanches, whose villages, &c., if
unprotected, would, in all probability, have been plundered, and their
women and children murdered, induced the Comanches to break up their
camp, and return home as speedily as possible.
CHAPTER XXIV.
During my convalescence, my tent, or I should say, the lawn before it,
became a kind of general divan, where the warriors and elders of the
tribe would assemble, to smoke and relate the strange stories of days
gone by. Some of them appeared to me particularly beautiful; I shall,
therefore, narrate them to the reader.
Pages:
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312