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More than she could bear. Bendbow, Hesper..
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MORE THAN SHE COULD BEAR.
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MORE THAN SHE COULD BEAR: A STORY OF THE GACHUPIN WAR IN TEXAS, A. D. 1812-13.

BY

HESPER BENDBOW.

The slaves of chance, and flies Of every wind that blows. - Winter's Tale. I am that way going to temptation where prayers cross. -Measure for Measure. Still it is my misery Thus to be mock'd in all things. -HEYWOOD.

PHILADELPHIA: CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER, 819 & 821 MARKET STREET.

1872.
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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN & SON, PHILADELPHIA.

TO THE HONORABLE STEVENSON ARCHER, OF MARYLAND, This Volume is Inscribed, IN TOKEN OF A FRIENDSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN AS PLEASANT AS IT HAS BEEN LASTING.

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PREFACE.

IT would perhaps be near the truth to say, that, outside of Louisiana and Texas, not a greater proportion than one in ten thousand of our citizens ever heard of the Gachupin War, which took place in the latter State nearly sixty years ago, and with which this story is intimately connected. Yet many of the events of that war are of the deepest interest; and it may not misbecome the author to state why, being of so much interest, they are not more widely known.

One reason doubtless is, that nearly all the Americans who were engaged in it, fell on the different fields of battle. Then again, the war between the United States and Great Britain broke out simultaneously with this Gachupin war; in consequence of which coincidence the exciting events at home so absorbed the people and the press, that the fierce struggle which was raging just beyond our borders, commanded but little attention. The mails seldom penetrated into that wild and remote region; newspaper correspondents were exceedingly rare thereabouts, and newspapers themselves were almost unknown within several hundred miles of the scene of operations. Events, therefore, were but meagrely chronicled at the time.

Moreover, it was then, as it still is, notoriously difficult page: x-xi[View Page x-xi] cult to get out of those south-western border-men a connected and detailed account of their own exploits; and as they were even poorer writers than talkers when they themselves were the theme, they have since dropped off, one by one, without giving the public their experience,—until it is quite probable there is not now a single one remaining who served throughout that war.

The above state of things, it is hoped, may serve, in some sort, as an apology for a larger proportion of historical matter being admitted into this story than is usually embraced in works of fiction not avowedly historical. There are only two notable instances in the volume of the author venturing to draw on his imagination to supply a hiatus existing in the records. One is the extraordinary conduct and the immediately following, if not resulting, death of Colonel Magee, the commander of the patriot army during the first half of the war: (one account says he died of consumption—another, that he killed himself.) The other instance is the butchery, in cold blood, at San Antonio de Bexar, of fourteen prominent Spanish officers and officials who had been captured, and the trial of the perpetrators thereof. In both these instances of the author's attempt to substitute invention for lost facts, it is hoped that the characterization of the individuals concerned is sufficiently consistent with their historical characters.

A closing word regarding the title of the book. I had called it "The Neutralians;" and still think this the most appropriate name it could have had. But, with all the sensitiveness of a new author, I fancied that, if it should go forth so named, "The Hub Bub Boo Exterminator" (published in Hub Bub Boo City, by Allgood, Nobad & Co.) might perpetrate a critique on it, beginning somewhat after the following savage fashion, to wit:

"It is evident that this fellow is on a new trail: hence he very fittingly calls his book, 'The Neutralians,'—which is, indeed, about the only original idea in the whole volume." And so on, and so forth.

With this incubus of utter annihilation threatening, I was fain to change the title to "More Than She Could Bear." To be sure, the aforesaid literary Mohawk may object even to this. "Now, we don't exactly know," he may growl, "how much 'She Could Bear,' as we merely glance at the books which we criticise,—but we do know that this story is More Than We Could Bear, if we were to try our 'level best.'"

Well, we will let the second name stand, anyhow. Perhaps the savage may not think of this, after all our tremor cordis. Nay, peradventure he may not even deign to notice us at all!

H. B.

July 9, 1871.
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CONTENTS.

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