James Morgan to Sam Houston, May 10, 1843 - Page 3
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Back to exhibit
at Telchae waiting the fleet to take them off—the time being out & __ [?] an
unconditional Surrender must take place! An officer with a flag of truce
pasd through this place, to Ampudias Camp, nearby, a few days past, to know
of Ampudias why & wherefore the fleet had not been to Telchae for the troops[.]
The tale was soon told by pointing to the lone star in the Offing! So
that this visit of ours to this Coast, just at this time, has upset their arrangements
very handsomely! It was evidently Ampudias [sic] intention to have concentrated
all the Mex. troops in Yucatan with what he could have procured at Vera-
Cruz & Tampico to have paid our Coast a visit with his fleet & transports[,]
but he will be disappointed in his calculations altogether. His troops bese-
iging this place are dying fast with black vomit—starving & deserting hourly
From 10 to 200 come into Campeachy [sic] daily—the most miserable half
starved devils I ever saw. They represent Genl Ampudias in a very critical
situation[.] [H]e would willingly leave if he could. As for the Yucatecos
they are true to themselves—patriotic & true to their state & Cause—a very
different people from the Mexicans that I have before seen[.] They don’t
consider themselves Mexicans & take it almost as an offence to call
them so! They are honest & sincere, in my opinion, & withal brave. The
resources of the Country, too, are much greater than I had an idea of.
There is much wealth in it—provisions plenty of heat—while the Mex.
troops are starving, the Yucateco troops have an abundance and are
all the time in high spirits! This state never can be subdued by Mexico.
I wish Texas was as united & had the same resources & wealth. It is
not absolute Independence they are fighting for[.] They ask a little more!
To be clear of all burden of the Genl Govt[,] to be allowed to make
their own laws[,] regulate their own resource[,] enjoy all the commercial
privileges of the Genl Govt, as well as its protection when required
without being restricted in its commerce, in any way (if I understand
them) or liable to be cal’d upon to participate in any of the ____ [?] or
political or other revolutions[,] nor to be compelled to aid in war unless
they so decree it in their councils! When asked why they dont [sic] declare
their Independence, at once, they answer “because we should
loose [sic] our Commerce with Mexico—to us of the utmost importance[.]”
But said I, if you are not Independent of Mexico & make Peace with
the Genl Govt you will then have to aid it in her unholy Cause against
Texas, to which they answer’d that was one of the very points they contend
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Back to exhibit
James Morgan to Sam Houston, May 10, 1843. Andrew Jackson Houston Papers # 3047, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.