We were not discouraged, however, and opened our fire upon the city.
During the first week, not a day passed without smart skirmishes.
General Cos's dragoons were swarming about us like so many Bedouins.
But although well-mounted, and capital horsemen, they were no match
for our backwoodsmen. Those from the western states especially,
accustomed to Indian warfare and cunning, laid traps and ambuscades
for the Mexicans, and were constantly destroying their detachments. As
for the besieged, if one of them showed his head for ten seconds above
the city wall, he was sure of getting a rifle bullet through it. I
cannot say that our besieging army was a perfect model of military
discipline; but any deficiencies in that respect were made good by the
intelligence of the men, and the zeal and unanimity with which they
pursued the accomplishment of one great object--the capture of the
city--the liberty and independence of Texas.

The badness of the gunpowder used by the Mexicans, was again of great
service to us. Many of their cannon balls that fell far short of us,
were collected and returned to them with powerful effect. We kept a
sharp look-out for convoys, and captured no less than three--one of
horses, another of provisions, and twenty thousand dollars in money.

After an eight weeks' siege, a breach having been made, the city
surrendered, and a month later the fort followed the example. With a
powerful park of artillery, we then advanced upon Goliad, the
strongest fortress in Texas, which likewise capitulated in about four
weeks' time. We were now masters of the whole country, and the war was
apparently at an end.

But the Mexicans were not the people to give up their best province so
easily. They have too much of the old Spanish character about