the next morning (22nd) general houston was lying under an oak somewhat apart from the camp. the pain of his wound had kept him awake during the night, and he was sleeping lightly. suddenly an excited murmur ran through the camp, a clamor of mexican voices arose: “el presidente! el presidente!” and some soldiers approached, having in their midst a man dressed in soiled linen trousers, a blue jacket, a soldier’s cap, and red worsted slippers. his linen, however, was of the finest, and he wore jeweled studs in his shirt front.
houston, awakened by the noise, looked up. his visitor bowed. “i am,” he said in spanish, “general antonio lopez de santa anna, and a prisoner of war, at your service.” he had just been captured, hiding, miserable and forlorn, in the long grass on the further side of the bayou. houston waved his hand to a tool-chest near by, and santa anna sat down.
a greater physical contrast can hardly be imagined than that between these two men now gazing steadily and silently at each other.
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the dictator of mexico was small and thin and not above five feet five inches in height. his swarthy face was ill-favored almost to repulsiveness; his small black eyes were cold and cruel. houston was tall and finely proportioned, with fair complexion, open forehead, and fine blue eyes. perhaps the one point of resemblance between the two generals lay in a certain foppishness in dress. but on this occasion this appeared in neither. santa anna had exchanged his gaudy uniform for the disguise he wore, and houston was ill-kempt and shabby in his old campaign uniform.
almonte, who had been sent for to act as interpreter, now came up and the interview began. santa anna was at first very humble; he even wept copiously. but after swallowing some opium he recovered his arrogance, and demanded to be treated as a prisoner of war. he wished to arrange for his immediate release.
when houston dryly asked what consideration he could expect after the bloody scenes at the alamo and goliad, he pleaded the usage of war for the carnage at the alamo. as for goliad, he declared that urrea had deceived him with regard to fannin’s surrender, and pretended to denounce his subordinate officer in bitter terms. “urrea told me fannin was vanquished,” he said, “and i was ordered by my government to shoot every man found with a weapon in his hand.”
“you are yourself the government,” houston replied curtly. “a dictator has no superior.”
“i have the order of congress,” santa anna insisted, “and that compels me to treat as pirates all who are found under arms. urrea had no authority to make an agreement with fannin. he has deceived me, and when i am free he shall suffer for it.”
houston listened to this bluster, but declined to make terms with his prisoner, that power belonging alone to the texan congress.
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he treated the unfortunate general with generous courtesy, returning to him his tents and personal effects, and permitting him to be waited upon by his own servants.
an order signed by santa anna was carried by deaf smith and henry karnes to general filisola, the second in command, who was encamped near san felipe, to conduct the mexican troops to the rio grande.
the texan soldiers could not understand the mercy shown to the mexican prisoners, particularly to santa anna, the cruel and heartless foe who had tortured and put to death so many of their brave countrymen. with dark and angry looks and open threats they swarmed about the place of the interview. some of the officers were in favor of a drumhead court-martial and an immediate execution. but better counsels prevailed, and santa anna was allowed to retire to his camp-bed and rest in peace.
the night which followed the victory was one of wild and grotesque rejoicing in the texan camp. huge bonfires were lighted, and by the red glow of their flames, the soldiers danced and sang and told over and over again the story of the great day and its triumphs. the mexican camp was overhauled; the victors decked themselves with the arms of their foes, buckling about their waists two, three, or four brace of pistols, with powder-horns, shot-pouches, sabers, and bowie knives. they rigged out the captured mules with the gold epaulets of the mexican officers, and the green and red cap-cords of the grenadiers. then, lighting hundreds of wax candles found among the spoils, they paraded gayly about, waking the echoes of the night with their shouts of laughter. all this was not in very good taste, and it naturally made the prisoners very angry. but they might well have reflected that at least it was a better way of rejoicing over a victory than shooting prisoners in cold blood and setting fire to their naked corpses.
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the military stores taken in the battle, the cannon, small arms, ammunition, and mules, were kept by the government. the camp baggage was sold at auction, and the proceeds, with the contents of the military money-chest, were divided among the soldiers. this money, which amounted to about seven dollars and a half to each man, was all that they received for their service during the whole war.
general santa anna’s handsome silver-mounted saddle was purchased and presented to general houston. the jeweled dagger handed to his captors by the mexican general was also given to houston.
