made his way to a new field which promised
much adventure. This was Texas, of whose condition in those early days
something has already been said. Houston found a rough American
settlement, composed of scattered villages extending along the disputed
frontier of Mexico. Already, in the true Anglo-Saxon spirit, the
settlers had formed a rudimentary state, and as they increased and
multiplied they framed a simple code of laws.

Then, quite naturally, there came a clash between them and the
Mexicans. The Texans, headed by Moses Austin, had set up a republic and
asked for admission to the United States. Mexico regarded them as
rebels and despised them because they made no military display and had
no very accurate military drill. They were dressed in buckskin and
ragged clothing; but their knives were very bright and their rifles
carried surely. Furthermore, they laughed at odds, and if only a dozen
of them were gathered together they would "take on" almost any number
of Mexican regulars.

In February, 1836, the acute and able Mexican, Santa Anna, led across
the Rio Grande a force of several thousand Mexicans showily uniformed
and completely armed. Every one remembers how they fell upon the little
garrison at the Alamo, now within the city limits of San Antonio, but
then an isolated mission building surrounded by a thick adobe wall. The
Americans numbered less than three hundred men.

A sharp attack was made with these overwhelming odds. The Americans
drove the assailants back with their rifle fire, but they had nothing
to oppose to the Mexican artillery. The contest continued for several
days, and finally the Mexicans breached the wall and fell upon the
garrison, who were now reduced by more than half. There was an hour of
blood, and every one of the Alamo's defenders, including the wounded,
was put to death. The only survivors of the slaughter were two negro
slaves, a woman, and a baby girl.

When the news of this bloody affair reached Houston he leaped forth to
the combat like a lion. He was made commander-in-chief of the scanty
Texan forces. He managed to rally about seven hundred men, and set out
against Santa Anna with little in the way of equipment, and with
nothing but the flame of frenzy to stimulate his followers. By march
and countermarch the hostile forces came face to face near the shore of
San Jacinto Bay, not far from the present city of Houston. Slowly they
moved upon each other, when Houston halted, and