Letters From The Past: Judge R. S. Calder and B. C. Franklin report

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Letters From The Past: Judge R. S. Calder and B. C. Franklin report the victory at San Jacinto to President Burnet at Galveston. (From History of the Island and the City of Galveston by Charles W. Hayes 1879)

"Judge Calder, in transmitting this manuscript, writes as follows:

Richmond, Texas, May 31, 1877
Honorable J.S. Sullivan, Galveston, Texas:
Dear Friend: Enclosed I send you the manuscript, written mainly by your solicitation, and copied by my son Sam. It is yours, and the gentleman's who asked me to write, to punctuate and do anything with you please, except to change or alter the facts and incidents stated. These, though stated from memory, are strictly correct. But for the infirmities of age and natural indolence I might have added to it, and may, if my life is prolonged a few years write out some of the incidents in our civil history. * * * * * * *
Truly and fraternally yours, R. S. CALDER.

The battle of San Jacinto was fought and won on the evening of the 21st of April, 1836. I do not care in connection with this article to go into details which have often been described. Perhaps a few items in connection with the closing scenes of that event may be of interest. Benjamin R. Bingham, a Sergeant in Company K, and a bosom friend and messmate of the writer, was reported by some members of the company as wounded and left on the field. His messmate, the writer and Charles and W.T. Rees started to find him. In searching the camp of the enemy, and looking about the officers' quarters for something to eat, being very hungry having eaten little or nothing during the day, we came upon four blankets and other articles, evidently belonging to the officers of Santa Anna's army.

Supposing they might contain bread, we quartered on one, but in the attempt to raise it, we discovered by its weight and its jingle that it was money. We immediately communicated this to Colonel Hockley, who was riding over the field at the distance of some five hundred yards. He desired us to keep it under guard until he could place a detachment of Captain A. Turner's regulars over it, which was speedily done. In the meantime another party had found the corpse of our dear messmate and conveyed it into camp.

Very soon after dark, Deaf Smith rode up to the quarters of Company K on Vince's black stallion, that Santa Anna had escaped from the, battle field on. The horse was covered with mud, and showed he had received rough usage. The gallant old scout said Well, boys, I have got the horse out of the bog, at Vince's bayou and you may be sure the rider is not far off. Our brave old Colonel, Edward Burleson, came along in a few minutes and said: Boys, we must have Santa Anna, and in order to secure his capture, we want one hundred volunteers, mounted to stretch a cordon or line from the head of Vince's Bayou to the main timbers on the San Jacinto.

The Captain spoke for the company: "Here we are, Colonel; take the whole or any portion you may desire." He said: "No, we will only ask you for twenty-five men from this company; let them catch any horses they can find." Night had already set in, but such was the eagerness to go, that in a few minutes the required detail was in motion. The next morning the detail returned to camp. I was soon after detailed with the effective men of my company and a small detachment of Captain Fisher's company, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Millard, to scour the left bank of the bayou, and render an account of some sixty of the enemy's cavalry, that were said to have crossed over, and had not been in the action of the day before.

With a flat-boat accompanying us, we marched down the right bank, between the lake near which the battle was fought and the bayou, occasionally sending out a scout to the left bank, to look for cavalry signs, but none were found, and the report turned out to be idle rumor. We, however, picked up twenty-eight stragglers between the bayou and the lake on the right bank, the most of them wounded. Though badly frightened, none, with but one exception, were hurt by us on that occasion; the wounded were placed in a flat-boat and returned to camp. The exception was an aged; grayheaded old man. He had a slight wound in the head, received when escaping the day before across the lake from our riflemen. He, with all the rest, was suffering intensely from thirst, and had crouched in the west side of a thicket.

Our detachment was passing on the east. When abreast of the thicket, a gun was fired on the opposite side. Being at the head of the detachment, I rushed around, supposing that all the men were in line behind me. On reaching the opposite, I witnessed a revolting sight. The aged Mexican already described was endeavoring to hold up the wounded and broken stumps of his arms, and imploring for mercy. He was down in the grass. Near him was a stalwart individual of the detachment from Fisher's company, who had concluded to move in a company by himself, and had taken the opposite side of the thicket from the command, and had fired into the helpless old man, with his hands uplifted and begging in his jargon for mercy. He shot him in both arms, between the wrists and elbows. I will only say that the indignation of myself and men under my command was such that the perpetrator of the act left without ceremony---not a moment too soon for his own safety. I mention this incident to show the spirit of our people. With all the provocations we had to retaliate on our foes, the unprecedented slaughter of tile day before had satiated all the noble spirits of our little army. Our foes were either dead or pleading for that mercy they no doubt felt they had no right to expect.

On returning with our Captain, after a tramp of seven or eight miles down the bayou, going and returning, we were met about half a mile from camp by Adjutant Wells, who waved his hat around his head and said: "Boys, we have caught the big dog of the tanyard. Santa Anna is in camp and our prisoner." Of course we set up the usual Texas yell, and hurried into camp to get a sight of the President of Mexico and the Commander-in-Chief of her armies. The scene there presented will never be effaced from my memory, and I've often wondered that no artist has put it on canvas.

When I arrived on the ground where the captive was present with his interpreter and Almonte, on the one side; our Commander, Houston, lying at the foot opposite General Rusk, chief spokesman; Burleson, Sherman, and the field and staff officers of our little army, surrounded by a sea of heads that were kept out of the circle by the guard."