March 12, 1861, Arkansas Daily True Democrat (Little Rock)
We extract from a private letter, just received from Brazos San Diego, Texas, the following extract. The writer is a member of a military company, recently organized at Galveston, for the purpose of assisting in the capture of the forts now occupied by the federal troops in that State. He says: “We arrived here on the 20th inst., Col. Ford being commander-in-chief of our company. He is better known in the State as ‘Old Rip,’ and is said always to be in a bad humor unless he is engaged in a fight. He had scarcely gotten more than half way from the steamer to the barracks, before he ordered the American flag to be pulled down and the lone star, to be raised in its place. But after some time parlying he was persuaded by his brother officers to show the enemy a little more respect, and he accordingly gave them an hour to breathe. The United States flag was then struck in silence, no one seeming to exult over it. But when the lone star went up, a long deafening shout came up from Ford and his four hundred and fifty rangers.
“We have taken about fifty pieces of artillery, and will go over to the Rio Grande to-morrow for the purpose of attacking the fort at Brownsville. They are aware of our intentions, and are said to be busy in making preparation to give us a ‘warm reception.’ They have one hundred and forty field pieces and about three hundred and fifty soldiers, their position behind the fort giving them greatly the advantage. We received a dispatch this evening, informing us that they intended to resist to the death.
“Our men are nearly all armed with a Minnie rifle, a six-shooter, and a cutlass. You may look for interesting news by the next steamer.”