Searching for a deserter

At Rosario Mission
September 21, 1850

Dear Mom,
Well, here we are camped across the San Antonio River from Goliad. This place was an old Spanish mission back in the 1700s. It was set up to Christianize the local Indians. I don't guess it worked too good because none of the Indians are still around. The building was built of local stone and although it is tumbled down now, you can see it was a pretty impressive sight at one time. Some of the inside walls still have paint from the Spanish days and are really decorated up!
When we rode up here from the Medio we got to the river in the late afternoon of the 16th. Lt. Underwood had us setting up camp here at the old mission when all of a sudden we heard a cannon shot and a bunch of small arms fire from across the river. We could hear people whooping and hollering and felt sure we had ridden right up on an Indian attack on Goliad. Well, we saddled up as fast as we could and plunged into the river without time to look for a good crossing. We had to swim the horses and everybody got soaking wet, but we finally got out on the other bank and went charging up the hill toward town. By this time we could see a couple of big fires and smoke from others so we feared the worst for the town. Over to our right we could see another big stone church and people milling around it so we veered over that way to help them. They were firing muskets and pistols and looked like trying to put out a couple of fires. We figured they had forted up in the church since it was a good, stout building.
Well, we whipped and spurred right in amongst them with drawn sabres and muskets at the ready. Were we surprised to see that they had their weapons in one hand and a jug of "ardent spirits" in the other! Each one of the fires had a butchered yearling on it and we didn't see an Indian anywhere! Can you believe it! They were having a big fiesta called "Diez y seiz de Septiembre" commemorating Mexico's independence from Spain a few years back and we thought they were dying at the hands of an Indian horde.
As soon as we dismounted some of the troopers got swept up in the excitement of the occasion, and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings were planning to partake of Goliad's hospitality and "spirits," but the Lieutenant hollered "mount up!" He wasn't about to let the troop get involved in this skirmish so we crossed the river in the dark and camped over here at Rosario.
I've got to stop now and get some sleep. Valentin came along as a tracker and he and I have to get up early tomorrow and find a better crossing for the troop. Write soon.

Your son,
Henry

(Jim Warren is an archaeologist living in George West.)