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Sunday, May 1st - The woman wounded in the stomach died last night. The little girls has occasionally hemorrhaged from her wound, and the scalped one is doing well. A courier from Goliad, but no news that is interesting. We have nothing of what is doing at the Brazos or further on. The officers here appears to know more than ourselves. If they do they keep it to themselves. Three negros brought in from Tenextician, on the Brazos; a drove of hogs and cattle brought in from Colorado. Friday, May 6th - Several negros brought in from the Brazos, belonging to Groce and Donahue. Observed this evening as I walked out, the people collecting in small groups, talking anxiously together and seeming to have some news that agitated them. I was walking with an officer and did not think proper to inquire of him what it was, but on meeting some negros, he requested me to ask them of the news. I did so, and they informed me that Santa Anna had lost a battle and was taken. At first I could not credit it, but reflecting a moment on the agitation that was visible among the people, and which suggested forcibly to my mind at the moment the commencement of Byron's celebrated enigma "Twas whispered in Haven, and muttered in Hell and echo caught softly the sound as it fell." It must be true, then, and now what torturing anxiety, what racking suspense till the news is confirmed or falsified, and now what will my countrymen do in the way of reprisal for the outrages committed by this monster? What ought they do? The few that fell here fell in open fight, is it true, and, the fighting to the last, they asked no quarter, and yet does not an order to give no quarter deserve to be retaliated? Does not the killing of Grant and his men taken by surprise and unable to fight, and the wanton murder of King and his dozen, after they could fight no longer, and that worst of outrageous atrocities, the massacre at Goliad, in violation of pledged faith and solemn stipulation, deserve, I will not say retaliation, but just vengeance on the author of these enormities and by those special order perpetrated? Certainly now that they have him in their hands, they can bound by families driven from their homes and their houses pilaged and burned, by the blood of their brothers, and sons which flowed like rivers, and by the names of those whose chivalry led them to meet the foe at the onset, whose bones and ashes lie here and at Goliad bleaching in the sun, preyed upon by the vulture and the wolf, and yet when the soil is yet black from their blood that saturated it, they are bound to execute judgment. It may be dangerous for me, but I have faced too many dangers of late for that to influence my sentiments in regard to a principle of right and wrong, or a matter of duty and obligation. Saturday 7th - The news of yesterday seemed to be confirmed, and also that there is an armistice or suspension of hostilities agreed upon, and the Mexicans are to retreat to this river at least, if not wholly to evacuate the country. To-day Don Jose Lombardus, the owner of the wagons and their equipage in this army, showed me a letter he received from Matamoras dated 21st April, in which was written: "To-marrow the American Prisoners fourteen in number, are to be shot." Poor fellows! You are to suffer like hundreds of others besides you have done. But in my humble opinion there will soon be a stop put to this shooting of prisoners, or the tables will be turned with an awful vengeance. Don Jose is in great trouble about the wagons Santa Anna has lost for him. He fears, and suspects truly enough that the government of Mexico will never pay him for them. Monday 9th - Wrote to Drs. Fields and Hale, and also to Dr. Hurtado at Goliad by courier. Thursday 13th - We have many flying reports that tantalize us by there uncertainty and want of credibility. The Mexican army is coming to San Antonio, where they will fortify and send to their interior for reinforcements, so as to take the field early in the fall - again Santa Anna has escaped and regained his liberty - again Santa Anna and Houston are coming on to San Antonio together in perfect amity. To-day we hear, with some appearance of probability, that the Mexican army will not come here but go to Goliad, and that this place with all its artillery and ammunition &c., is to be given up, and the Texan troops are now on their way here to take possession. Last night there was much riding about town; it is evident they are agitated about something. Time will show. Sunday 15 - Nothing more of news. A Mexican surgeon from Nondova arrived. His name is Nioran and he seems something more respectable for a surgeon than the others I have seen. Yesterday I strolled over to the Alamo with our hospital captain (Matinez) - they are hard a work fortifying - went along through some of the old gardens, many of the most beautiful flowers now in bloom; mulberries are ripening and the fruit on the fig trees begins to appear; but everything of Nature's production looks wild and neglected. Tuesday 17 - Dr, Alsberry came in to-day with a pass from Gen. Fillasola, now commander-in-Chief . Dr. A. is son-in-law to Angelo Navarrow, with whom I live. His wife and sister, together with a negro of Bowie's, were in the Alamo when it was stormed. He has come in in order to look after his family and take them off. He gave us all the particulars of the battle of San Jacinto, the capture of Santa Anna and the retreat of the Mexican army, the number of volunteers pouring into Texas, stimulated thereto by the tale of Fannin and Travis. Now I am truly revived - our cause is prospering and the blood of so many heroes has not been shed in vain. Thursday 19th - Dr. Alsberry in his narration related Santa Anna's complimentary speech to Gen. Houston, where he modestly compares himself to Napoleon, and Houston to Wellington. There is a sprightly little Frenchman here, who is Armorer, and I could not forbear relating him the anecdote. He sprang up in the greatest excitement, "What!" says he "does Santa Anna compare himself to Napoleon, the fourdre, because he can run about with two or three thousand ragged Indians and take a few mud towns? Does he think that this great exploit will bear any comparison to the least thing ever done by our hero! He stormed and raved for a considerable length if time before he could cool down, so indignant was he, and I was much amused at the idea of the comparison. Sunday 22nd - General Andrade has received orders to destroy the Alamo. They are now as busy as bees, soldiers, convicts and all, tearing down the walls etc. We were promised our passports a few days ago, but there being some difficulty in the way of getting them, finding the troops were about retreating from here, we have by means of our friends Don Jose Lombardus and Don Roman Musquit, induced the commandant to leave us here when he goes out ostensibly in charge of the sick and he obliged to leave behind. Yesterday Dr. Alsberry took his family out to Calavera's rancho on Goliad road; took a horse and some other things of ours along to be in readiness for us. The citizens have been packing up and leaving for the last three or four days, I mean these that are hostile to Texas. Our friends who are by no means few, are waiting with impatience for the Texan troops to come and take possession. Heard to-day that a party of Texans had been about ten leagues off on the Cibolo, coming in. Tuesday May 24th, '36 12M - The Mexican troops are now leaving town. The last column is this moment crossing the river. Our friends (for some of them have contrived within the month that we have been here to wind themselves strongly to our affections) have bidden us adios, and a momentary pang was left at their departure; yet a strong feeling of pleasure pervades the mind, a sense of hilarity, of regaining freedom, of triumph for the success of the cause we have suffered in, for the success of our friends who bring us release from captivity. Here the foes of liberty came and dealt death and destruction to all around. Here they exulted in their carnage and gloried in the conquest of a handful of brave men, who overpowered by numbers, fell as did those heroes of old at Thermopylae. Shades of Crocket, Travis and Bowie, and your band of noble Martyrs for the cause of liberty in Texas, look down and see your enemies discomfitted and outed - retreating ignominiously from the country they entered with such bravado. So may freedom ever prosper! So may her opponents ever find that defeat and disgrace await them. Six o'clock, p. m. - As the troops left town this morning, a large fire streamed up from the Alamo, and as soon as they had fairly left Dr. Shackelford and myself, accompanied by Senor Reriz and some of the citizens walked over to see the state in which they had left it. We found the fire to proceed from a church, where a platform had been built, extending from the great door to the top of the wall on the back side, for the purpose of taking up artillery to the top of the church. This was made of wood and too far consumed for any attempt to be made to extinguish the fire. The walls of the church being built of solid masonry, of course could be but little injured by the fire. The Alamo was completely dismantled, all of the single walls were leveled, the fossee filled up, and the pickets torn up and burnt. All the artillery and ammunition that could not be carried off has been thrown in the river.
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