The Texas quote of the day comes from the morning of the Battle of San Jacinto and regards the redoubtable Deaf Smith, the equally redoubtable Sam Houston and young Walter P. Lane. Houston asked Smith first to reconnoiter the enemy position and get an accurate count of the Mexican troops. Smith picked Walter P Lane to accompany him. Smith and Lane stealthily rode to the rear of Santa Annas camp and halted a mere three hundred yards from it. Smith told Lane to hold his mount while he sighted his telescope and methodically began counting enemy tents. The Mexicans spied the two and sent out a company of infantry to apprehend them. Lane was acutely aware of the musket balls that whistled over our heads, but Smith, being hard of hearing, seemed not to notice them. The two Texian scouts were under constant fire for twenty minutes, but Smith remained oblivious. Only when a squad of dragoons charged on them did Smith cease his counting. Turning to his startled comrade, he observed, Lane, I think them fellers are starting to shoot at us; lets git. As an old man, Lane recalled that he never obeyed an order more cheerfully. -----Stephen L. Hardin, Texian Iliad
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 15:20:58 +0000
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