The Nolan Expedition - The "Neutral Ground" - The Louisiana Purchase and Texas - Magee's Expedition - Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike - San Antonio in 1807 - The Gachupin War - An Official Butchery - The Battle of Alazan.

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     The beginning of the nineteenth century showed that Americans had already begun to take an interest in Texas, as evidenced by the expedition of Philip Nolan, for several years trader between Natchitoches and San Antonio.  In the year 1800, the remainder of his ill fated company, reduced to but eleven men, were brought manacled to San Antonio and imprisoned, to continue their weary waiting on the slow processes of Spanish law.
     At the close of 1806, Texas had reached a flourishing condition.  The marching and display of many troops and the presence of many disginguished generals, the force at San Antonio being temporarily increased by troops under General  Don Antonio Cordero enroute to Natchitoches, - all this was occasioned by the dispute between Spain and the United States relative to the boundary between the two countries.  Conflict had fortunately been avoided - all territory between the Sabine and Arrooya (creek) Hondo

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being declared ''Neutral Ground," and not until the matter could be permanently settled, should either Spain or the United States exercise authority there.  New settlers were being rapidly introduced into Texas, as well as considerable wealth brought in, by immigrants, in consequence of the transfer of Louisiana to the United States in 1803.  All these causes seemed to impart life and an optimistic outlook to the province and its capital.  The regular military force in Texas was a little short of a thousand men, nearly four hundred of whom were stationed at San Antonio.
     In 1807, Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike of the U. S. Army, passed through San Antonio under a military escort, having been apprehended by the Spaniards in New Mexico while on an expedition to explore the Arkansas and Red Rivers, and to treat with the Comanches, under orders from Governor Wilkinson of Louisiana.  His diary of this journey speaks of San Antonio as being in a very prosperous state.  True, the buildings were mostly adobe (sun-baked mud houses), yet the place was extensive.  The troops were stationed on the east side of the river near the Mission San Antonio de Valero, under the care of Father Clement Delgado, while the old town had a separate curate. The population of Texas at this time was 7,000, of whom some 5,000 lived in San Antonio, composed of Spaniards, Creoles, and a few French and Americans, also civ-

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ilized Indians and half-breeds.  These latter were of wandering habits, most of them being engaged in hunting buffalo and wild cattle.  To check in some degree this roving tendency, Governor Cordero restrained the hunting of buffalo to a particular seasonand required every family to cultivate a certain quantity of land.
     Society had become greatly improved in San Antonio by the officers of the army as well as new settlers.  Among the leaders of fashion and polite society, next to the governor, were Father M'Guire, Doctor Zerbin, Captain Ugarte and his lady, and Colonel Delgado.  These attended to the hospitalities of the town and introduced among the inhabitants a suavity of manner and a fondness for social intercourse - but perchance, too great a love for frequent and prolonged card parties - which served much to make San Antonio by far the most pleasant place in Texas.  At the governor's levees in the evening, or on the plaza where the people from the chief magistrate down joined in the Mexican dance, there were "great cheerfulness, elegant manners, and much interesting conversation."*  Society in Texas at this time allured Spaniards, many of whom had come from the polite cities of the mother country, or from the vice-regal palace in Mexico.  The priests generally were men of good classical learning, as were many of the officers in the regular service.  These set a good

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     * Dairy of Lieutenant Pike.

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example of taste and elegance, which of course produced its imitative effect on the Creoles and civilized Indians.  Thus was the fierce temper of the frontier life guided and moderated.
     On occasions of religious festival so frequent in Roman Catholic countries, all ranks of the people participated with a hearty good will, though not always to their edification, or to the credit of the church.
     Early in the century the governor of the Province of Texas began to concern himself about education; possibly the leaven of Revillo Gigedo's public schools introduced at the capital during the previous decade, was just beginning to make itself felt in far-off Texas.  But while residents of the community of San Fernando seemed to recognize the importance of having a few men of educational ability in their midst, those who with proper license could engage in public writing, they evinced little co-operation with the governor's efforts.  The next educational awakening came during the revolutionary days of 1811.  On January 22nd, Juan Bautiste Casas overthrew the regular government and proclaimed one favorable to Mexican revolutionists.  His actions while in power displeased so many that the curate, Juan Manuel Zambrano organized a counter-revolution and overthrew him, Mar. 1st, 1811.  Then Zambrano, with a junta* of eleven members, was selected by the principal inhabitants of San Fernando to administer the affairs of the

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     * A congress, council, or tribunal.

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government and restore the royal authority.  It was this junta that took measures to organize more thoroughly a school system and provide for the building of a schoolhouse - the house of the teacher having been previously used for that purpose.  As the new building approached completion, Jose Erasmo Seguin and Jose Antonio Salcedo reported a code of rules of government which suggested a beginning in the matter of public free education, which although a very modest one, cleared the ground for the educational structure of Texas.
     But, however bright the educational prospects for San Fernando may have appeared for the moment, they were destined to be speedily eclipsed by the dark days that followed, for at the close of the year 1812, the whole of New Spain was engaged in deadly strife.  The Gachupin War was on.  The royalists of Spain were in power.  Only the year before the passers across the San Antonio River between the Alamo and Main Plaza had beheld a strange sight - the head of a man stuck on a pole in bloody menace to rebels.  This head, only the day before had been on the shoulders of Colonel Delgado, flying adherent of Hidalgo in Mexico, - Hidalgo, initiator of a long line of Mexican revolutionists, who himself was put to death.*
     Many of the Republicans had become exiles, among them Bernardo Gutierres, a noted Mexican, who with Lieutenant Augustus Magee, had started

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     * Hildalgo was eecuted at Chihuahua, Aug. 1, 1811.

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from the Neutral Ground with the "Republican Army of the North," composed of exiles, Americans (people from the United States), and friendly Indians, on the famous Magee Expedition.  Their object was ostensibly to free Texas from the Mexican yoke, - but once freed - did they not intend to keep it for themselves?
     On Apr. 1st, 1813, the army, after continued victories, marched conquerors into San Antonio and the governor surrendered, Gutierres, who had headed the expedition, now assumed greater power.  A few days later, by his authority, sixteen distinguished captives were marched out of San Antonio, among them Governor Salcedo of Texas, Governor Herrera of New Leon, Ex-governor Cordero, who not long before had been holding levees in the capitol, several Spanish and Mexican officers, and one citizen.  After going a short distance they were stopped and told to prepare for death.  With fiendish delight the Mexicans tied them all securely and cut their throats.
     Many of the Americans, considering their honor pledged for the safety of Salcedo and his companions, on hearing of this butchery, left the expedition.  Their departure left an uncontrolled body of troops at San Antonio, who, fearing neither God nor man, indulged  in many riotous and lawless pleasures.  In June, however, the royalist army marched on San Antonio under Don Ygnacio Elisondo, he who had betrayed Hidalgo two years before.  But by encamping a short

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distance from the town at Alazan Creek, they thus gave the republicans time to recover from their confusion, and to anticipate the attack of the enemy.  As a consequence they advanced, surprised and captured the pickets in front, mounted the enemy's works, lowered the Spanish flag and hoisted their own, before they were fairly discovered in the dim dawn by the royalists, who made a hard struggle, but were finally defeated.

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