E. Crew to McArdle, Account of James McGahey, September 18, 1885
Page 1 of 3
Hempstead Sept 18/85
Mr. McArdle
Dear Sir
Your Circular
Letter recd by Mr. McGahey of this place
and he is aged & infirm. [H]e requested me
to answer it for him[,] he giving[,] as near
as his memory Serves him[,] the answers
to the Several questions asked in the
Circular.
1st The Mexican Breast works was a little
west of south from the point we made the
attack. The Ground was but slightly rolling
with [the] Mexican Breast works on the heighest [sic]
ground Facing north. The Breast works
were made by the scraping of earth & grass
for a space of 12 feet in front of them which
made the Breast works over three feet high on
top of this earth & grass comfort they had all
kinds of plunder such as Pack saddles & rops [ropes]
used in transportation on the backs of horses.
There was no Timber in sight on the west side
of [the] Breast works & that on the east over a
mile off, but immediately in front & 200
yards Back of the Mexican Breast works was
timber on the bay Shore of San Jacinto River.
Dress of Mexican officers was of Blue Trimmed
in Red stripes in military order. [T]he Dress of
Privates on Mexican Side was poor[.] [W]here
they had coats they were blue but over half were
without coats. All wore a high Cap bound around
with red. Officers all had good swords &
Pistols. Privates Carried a scopet [escopeta] a kind
of Gun. Some Carried spears, mostly Cavalry
Carried spears. Horses [were] of various colors
but were mostly good Kentucky horses that
had been stolen from our side at
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E. Crew to McArdle, September 18, 1885, The Battle of San Jacinto Notebook, The McArdle Notebooks, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.