[Answer of the Alcalde John Austin to the foregoing official letter]
I have recd, your official letter dated 16 of the present month, and
in reply have the honor to inform you that a committee appointed by
the inhabitants of this town will present to you copies of the acts
and resolutions heretofore adopted and the documents as to the past
occurrances, which will explain to you the principles that have
governed us up to this time—. These documents contain our true
sentiments, and will serve as an answer to your official letter to me dated
the 16 of this month
The enemies of Texas, the enemies of the enterprising men who
have devoted their time and labor to improve a country that was
never before trod by civilised man, have taken pains, and are
continually doing it, to attribute to us a disposition to separate from
the Mexican confederation— We have never entertaind, and have
not any such intention or desire, We are Mexicans by adoption,
we are the same in heart and will so remain
If the laws have granted to us the honorable title of citizens, we
wish that that title should be respected, and that the authorities
established by the constitution of the State, shall govern us. We are
farmers and not soldiers and therefore desire that the military
commandants shall not enterfere with us at all—
Since 1830 we have been pretty much governed militarily, and
in so despotic a manner, that we were finally driven to arms to
restrain within their limits the military subalterns of the general govt.
We have not insulted the flag of our adopted country, as has been
falsly stated by our enemies, but on the contrary we have defended
and sustained its true dignity and attacked those who have outraged
it by using it as a pretext for their encroachments upon the
constitution and sovereignty of the state of coahuila and Texas, and as a
cover for their baseness and personal crimes. The commandant of
fort velasco acted under the orders of the commandant of Anahuac
Col Juan Davis Bradburn who was his superior. An investigation
into the conduct of this officer at anahuac will inform you fully of
the details of many despotic and arbitrary acts—He refused to
respect the authorities or the constitution of the state of coahuila and
Texas, or to adhere to the plan of vera Cruz which we had adopted.
He was sustaind by the commandant of Nacogodoches Col Piedras,
y [and] by that of fort velasco Lent. Col Ugartechea, and
consequently we were compelled to oppose them all. We attacked Fort
velasco on the 27 of last month with 112 farmers hastily collected
without disciplin and badly armd, and after an obstinate and
bloody engagement of 7 hours it capitulated on the terms expressed
in the enclosed copy of the capitulation every article, of which has
been strictly complyed with on our part, besides furnishing him with
the provisions he needed for his troops—I herewith furnish you
with a return of the killed and wounded on both sides as nearly as
can be ascertained
This sir is what has passed I hope it will be sufficient to convince
you that these inhabitants have not manifested any other desire or
intention than to unite with Genl Santana to procure the
establishment of peace in the republic under the shield of the constitution,
laws, and that soverignty of the states shall be respected—
It is a matter of pride and congratulation to me, that you have
come to this place to see with your own eyes the rectitude of our
sentiments, and that it has afford[ed] us the opportunity of
presenting to you our respects and the assurances of our hearty
cooperation in the great and glorious cause which is so nobly advocated by
our distinguisd Commander in chief Genl Santana—God and
Liberty Brazoria 18 July 1832
John Austin