Telegraph and Texas Register (San Felipe de Austin [i.e. San Felipe], Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 3, Ed. 1, Monday, October 26, 1835 Page: 2 of 8
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turn rapidly "on their steps, and present
themselves in the channel, before the Eng-
lish were well aware that they had crossed
the line. Master, in this way, of a pre-
ponderating force, riding irresistibly m the
channel, heVould have embarked on board
his flotilla the troops with which he would
have made himself master of London, and
revolutionized England, before that im-
mense marine, which he never could have
faced when assembled together, could have
collected for its defence. These different
expeditions, long Tetained in their different
harbors, had at length set sail ; the troops
had received orders to be ready to put
themselves instantly on board ; the instruc-
tions to the general had foreseen every
thing, provided for every emergency; the
vessels assigned to each troop, the order in
which1 they were to fall out of the harbor,
were all fixed. Arms, horses, artillery,
combatants, camp-followers, all had re-
ceived their place, all were arranged ac-
cording to their orders.
" Marshall Key had nothing to do but to
follow out literally his instructions: they
were so luminous and precise, as to provide
for every contingency. He distributed the
powder, the tools, the projectiles, which
were to accompany his corps on board the
transports provided for that purpose. He
divided that portion of the flotilla- assigned
to him into subdivisions; every regiment,
every battalion, every company, received
the praams destined for their use ; every
one, down to the very last man, was ready
to embark at the first signal. He did
more : rapidity of movement requires com-
bined exertions, and he resolved to habi-
tuate the troops to embarkation. The divi-
sions were successively brought down to the
quay, and embarked in the finest order :
but it was possible that, when assembled
hurriedly together, they might be less calm
and orderly. The marshal resolved to put
it to the proof.
"Infantry, cavalry, artillery, were at
once put under arms, and ranged opposite
the vessels on which they were to embark.
.The whole were formed in platoons for em-
barkation, at small distances from each
other. A cannon was discharged : the field
officers and staff officers immediately dis-
mounted, and placed themselves each at
the head of the troop he was destined to
command. The 'drums had ceased to beat;
the soldiers had unfixed their bayonets ; a
second discharge, louder than the -first,
was heard ; the generals of divisions pass
the order to the .colonels, " make ready to
embark." Instantly a calm succeeds to the
tumult ; every one listens attentively, eager-
ly watching for the next order, on which
so much depended. A third cannon is
heard, and the command "colonels, for
ward, is fieard with iniW.ri'hn'Mo nnviotv
In fine, a last discharge
along the line.
resounds, and is instantly Tollo wed by the
order "march!" Universal acclamations
instantly broke forth; the soldiers hurried
on board; nrten minutes and a half, twenty-five
thousand men were embarked. The
soldiers never entertained a doubt that they
were about to set sail. -They arranged
themselves, and each took quarter for him-
self; when the cannon again sounded, the
drums beat to arms, they formed them-
selves ready for action on the decks. A
last 'gun is discharged; every one believed
that it was the signal to weigh anchor, and
shouts of " Vive l'Empereur'.' rent the air,
but it wa's the "signal for debarkation, which
was effected silently, and with deep regret.
It w,as completed, however, as rapidly as
the embarkation, and in thirteen minutes,
from the time when the soldiers were on
board, they were arranged in battle array,
on the shore."
" Meanwhile, the English had completely
fallen into the snare. ' The fleet which
cruized before Rochefort had no sooner
seen admiral Missiessy running down be-
fore the wind, than it set sail in pursuit.
Villeneuve, who started from Toulon in
the middle of a tempest, was obliged to
return to the harbor; but such was Nelson's
anxiety to meet him, that he set sail, first
I for Egypt, then for the West Indies. The
Mediterranean was speedily cleared of
English vessels; their fleets wandered
through the Atlantic, without knowing
where to find the enemy : the moment to
strike a decisive stroke had arrived.
" The unlooked for return of Missiessy
-frustrated, all these calculations. He had
sailed like an arrow to Martinique, and re-
turned still more rapidly ; but the English
now retained at home the squadrons which
they had originally intended to have sent
for the 'defence of Jamaica. Our situation,
in consequence, was less favorable than we
had expected ; but, nevertheless, there was
nothing, to excite uneasiness. We had fif-
teen ships of the line at Ferrol, six at Ca-
diz, five at Rochefort, twenty-one at Brest.
Villeneuve was destined to rally them, join
them to the twenty wliich he had under
Ins orders, and advancing at the head of
an overwhelming force, make himself mas-
ter of the channel. He left Toulon on the
30th March, and on the 23th June, he was
at the Azores, on his return to Europe,
leaving Nelson still in the West Indies.
But at the very moment when every one
flattered himself that our vessels would
speedily arrive to protect the embarkation
of the army, we learned that, deterred by a
cannonade of a few hours, and the loss of
two ships, (sir R. Calder's battle,) he had
taken refuge in Ferrol. A mournful feel-
ing took possession of our minds ; every
one complained that a man should be so im
measurably beneath his destiny. '
" All hope, however, was not lost : the
emperor still retained it. He continued
his dispositions, and incessantly urged the
advance of the marine. Every one flat-
tered himself that Villeneuve, penetrated
with the greatness of his mission, would at
length put to sea, join Gautheame, disperse
the fleet of Cornwallis, antf at length make
his appearence in the channel. But an
unhappy fatality drew him on. He only
left Ferrol to throw himself into Cadiz. It
was no longer possible to count on the sup-
port of his squadron. The emperor in vain
attempted other expedients, and made re-
peated attempts to embark. Nothing could
succeed, for want of the covering squa-
dron; and soon the battlo of Trafalgar,
and the Austrian Avar, postponed the con-
quest of England to another age."
a iuibu menu is lmc me snauow in a
dial, it appears in clear weather, but va-
nishes on the approach of a cloud.
.For the Telegraph and Texas Register-
COMMUNICATION. Messrs Editors, The natural rights
and privileges of the undersigned having for
the last few years, been disregarded by,tfie
inhabitants .of Austin's colony, we have at
last determined to endure no longer the evils
under which we have so long suffered, with-
out making them known to you, and to the
benevolent generally. We 'claim o be,
with the other aborigines of this country.
the natural proprietors of the soil. We
have enjoyed in common, with other claim-
ants, the products, of the luxuriant plains of
Texas, without molestation, till you, the
people from the north, -iave emigrated to
this fair portion of 'the world, and where,
but for the wanton cruelty of some" of your
inhabitants, there might be abundance for
you and us. We do not desire to share any
advantage of the colonization laws, to hold
in fee simple one, two or three .leagues of
land. We wish to be as free as the air, to
roam from one end of Texas to the other.
We ask for but one protection : a security
cgainst fire. The protection ,we ask for is
negative. We do not ask citizens to do any
thing for us, Jbut we desire to be. left alone.
In the first settling of this country, we did
not complain to see some of our tribe
slaughtered for the support of beings whose
stature was erect,, and faces turned toward
the clouds, and whom we looked upon as su-
perior to our own species. We. did not
murmur to see the plains streaked with the
blood from our veins. How many of your
species have fed upon our flesh and blood, but
for which they must all have perished in the
years '21 '22 and several years after! We
were at all times the very support of the
pioneers of Texas, as Col. Austin himself
might testify, if he would. Has he, with
with others, forgotten the many times they
have satiated themselves with our flesh, and
picked our bones around the lonely camp
fire ? But, Messrs. Editors, it is unneces-
sary to recall your attention to former hard
times, when we see from late movements
you have sufficient trouble in defending
yourselves against the incroachments of
your own species. We only wjteh to interest
you in our behalf, to put a stop to the cruel
and wanton practice of burning the prairies
in the fall and winter. You cannot conceive
of the miseries we have endured from so
pernicious a practice.
We are, though of different tribes, equal-
ly concerned in convincing the people of
Texas of the erroneous and disastrous mea-
sure which they have, for a few years, per-
mitted to pass unnoticed thelmrning of our
prairies. On them we live, from, them we
draw all our support. You set -fire to the
dried grass in the fall or winter, not know-
ing, perhaps, that it is by this thick cover-
ing the young blades of grass are shielded .
from the frost and cold "norther" securing
what may have grown during the warm
weather. It is to this dead grass, this
shield from frost, that we are indebted for
the preservation of our food. Knowing
this, can we attribute the setting fire to
our prairies to any other cause than a total
want of sensibility ? ',
How many times have we witnessed the
rolling smoke, and heard the roaring flames '
consuming our substance ! And why is this
done ? Merely to see how great a fire can
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Baker & Bordens. Telegraph and Texas Register (San Felipe de Austin [i.e. San Felipe], Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 3, Ed. 1, Monday, October 26, 1835, newspaper, October 26, 1835; San Felipe de Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth47877/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.