We invite you to our country. We have land in abundance, and it shall be liberally bestowed on you. We have the finest country on the face of the globe. We invite you to enjoy it with us and we pledge to you that every volunteer in our cause shall be not only justly but generously rewarded.
The cause of Texas is plainly marked out. She will drive every Mexican soldier beyond her limits, or the people of Texas will leave before San Antonio the bones of their bodies. We will secure on a firm and solid basis our constitutional rights and privileges, or we will leave Texas a howling wilderness. We know that right is on our side, and we are now marching to the field of battle, reiterating our fathers’ motto, ‘to live free or to die.’
R. R. Royall, President.
A. Huston, Secretary.
Dick concluded and glanced around. Ernest had felt his own cheek kindling, and his eyes brightening, and he marked the same symptoms in all the group.
“Boys,” said Dick, “I call that a mighty fine document. If there aren’t people in the United States who’ll think enough of the cause of human liberty, ’specially where their own kin’s concerned, to grab their guns and light out to help us other Americans, red blood up yonder is terrible scarce.”
“Why doesn’t the United States send an army down?” blurted Jim, hotly. “She doesn’t like Mexico, anyhow, and now’s her chance. They almost had a war over the eastern boundary, and the United States is always trying to buy Texas to the Rio Grande. Let her come and take us.”
“Oh, sho’, now!” rebuked Dick. “The United States army has no call to come down in here. We aren’t fighting for independence—yet—and that would be invading part of Mexico and seizing one of her states, and there’d be a pretty how-de-do. Nations can’t do that sort of thing without other nations objecting. Fact is, for volunteers to arm themselves in the United States and then cross over is ag’in law, and for the government up north to allow that is consider’ble of a friendly act, and Mexico’ll feel right sore about it.”
“Who’s this Huston who signs as secretary? Not Sam Houston?”
“No, sir. Nor any relative, far as I know. Spells his name different. We’ll hear from Sam, later.”
On the next day or two, General Austin ordered Colonel Bowie to march the division up around back of the Alamo, and join the other division. They all crossed the river north of the Alamo, to an old mill on the west side of the stream; so that now the whole army were almost within cannon-shot of the Alamo to the south, east of the river, and within half a mile of the town to the southwest on the west side. It was reported that General Cos was ready to surrender; but when a messenger was sent forward under flag of truce, with summons to surrender, the general ordered the flag to retire at once or he would fire upon it.