|
many of his men as could make their way to him through the hail of shots Galán's soldiers concentrated upon the house from three directions. The surprise attack commenced about noon of the 24th. Zapata and his men resisted tenaciously, and fought to their last cartridge. By special messenger Galán informed Reyes that Canales might advance from San Fernando, one and a half leagues away, to the relief of his coconspirator. Consequently, Reyes marched quickly with the 11th Infantry Regiment and Squadron 1 of his cavalry. Even after Reyes reached the plaza of Morelos, the Centralist-Federalist fight continued for a brief spell. Finally, Zapata's men flung open the doors to the house which had been "pierced by hundreds of ounce balls" and surrendered.[30] In surrendering Zapata broke his sword in the face of the victors.[31] Of the thirty men in Zapata's command, six were killed, twenty-three taken prisoner,[32] and one -- Martin K. Snell,[33] a Texan -- 30. Samuel A. Maverick Diary, Oct. 7, 1842, in Samuel A. Maverick Papers, 1825-1888, ms.; Rena Maverick Green (ed.), Samuel Maverick, Texan, 1803-1870: A Collection of Letters, Journals and Memoirs, pp. 177-178. 31. Lamar Papers, IV, pt. I, 251. 32. Isidro Reyes, "Informe de Isidro Reyes G[ene]ral de Brigada del Ejército Méjicano 2d en Jefe de la Division Auxiliar del Norte y Com[andan]te General Inspector del Departamento de Coahuila y Téjas, Abril 10 de 1840," Archivo de la Secretaría de Gobierno, Saltillo, Coahuila, Vol. XLI, Exp. Núm. 1360, Legájo Núm. 34 (1839-1842), ms., transcript; Mariano Arista á Governador del Departamento de Nuevo León, Cuartel General en la Villa de Morelos, Marzo 26 de 1840, in El Ancla, Abril 3, 1840 (Supplement to No. 14); Isidro Reyes al General en Gefe D. Mariano Arista, Morelos, Marzo 24 de 1840, in ibid., April 24, 1840. Reyes reported 3 of Zapata's men killed and 4 gravely wounded; and that he himself had two chiefs from the Río Grande cavalry lightly wounded. El Ancla, April 3, 1840, reports 7 of Zapata's men killed and 23 captured, but probably did not know of Snell's escape. Jesús Barrera who participated in the fight on the Federalist side later stated that 4 men were killed inside and 3 outside of the house. Jesús Bar[r]era's Account of the Battle of Morelos is in the Lamar Papers, VI, 131-132. The Texan volunteers killed or captured (and later executed) were: _______ Clements, W. H. Wyatt, Irving W. Redfield, William Spooner, Bennett McNelly, _______ Francis, P. H. ("Budd") Edmondson, Dr. _______ Emett, and Colonel (Major) Luis Lopez. The first four were deserters from Colonel Johnson's command, which had been sent by the Texas government to recall Ross and his men and to reclaim the public property carried off by them when they left the Texas service. R. B. T. to the Editor of the Colorado Gazette, Victoria, April 8, 1840, in Colorado Gazette and Advertiser, April 18, 1840. 33. Martin K. Snell served as a private in one of the New Orleans companies |