Eli Mercer to Stephen F Austin, 10-12-1835 Eli Mercer Project Director and Editor Andrew J. Torget Creation of XML version Debbie Liles Initial TEI Formatting Stephen Mues Programmatic and Manual TEI P5 Compliance Ben W. Brumfield Digital Stephen F. Austin Papers 03-28-2011 Stephen F Austin Egypt, Texas Gonzales, Texas Eugene Barker, ed., The Austin Papers, (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1927), 3 vols., Vol 3, pp. 176 Eugene Barker's summaries and footnotes Letter 10-12-1835 Programmatic restructuring and manual clean-up to comply with TEI P5 2.3.0 Restructured to meet TEI P5 standards Digital creation of XML file

Advises fighting from "the bush." Avoid open fighting

Egypt 12th Oct 1835

Dear Sir,

I heard of your crossing Colorado, in company with a good number hope you are now at head quarter, assisting there, we rely with much confidence on the taking of Ugartechea Our numbers certainly are sufficiently Strong for 500 Mexicans. Please to recollect we have not a man to lose, but must calculate on gaining our Victories with out loss. I understand that Coss wrote you to San Felipe, requesting to See you in San an Tone; but I hope your prudence will dictate to you that if you See him it will be when he is a prisoner. I think if Coss and Ugartechea could be defeated and made prisoners, we would have time after that event to be in readiness for the next attack. I think the only chance in our situation is to fight them from the Brush, fight them from the Brush all the time; never take our Boys to an open fight our Situation will not admit of it. all must be deciplind before,we can fight in the open field

Eli Mercer

[Addressed:] Col Austin, Gonzales Texas