2-23

Part 2, Note 23

Williams and Barker, eds., The Writings of Sam Houston, vol. 1, p. 379; Henry Stuart Foote, Texas and the Texans (Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1841), pp. 269-271, 273 which presents, in two footnotes, an account of the scouting expedition written by one of its members, John Sharp; John H. Jenkins, ed., The Papers of the Texas Revolution 1835-1836 (Austin: Presidial Press, 1973), vol. 5, p. 152; Robert Hancock Hunter, The Narrative of Robert Hancock Hunter (Austin: Encino Press, 1966), p. 12; Petition of Leander Beeson and Heirs of Benjamin Beeson, Memorials and Petitions, Texas State Archives, Austin; Louis E. Brister, trans. and ed., "The Journal of Col. Eduard Harkort, Captain of Engineers, Texas Army, February 8-July 17, 1836," Southwestern Historical Quarterly, vol. 102, no. 3, January 1999, p. 316. The scouting party rendezvoused at Jesse Burnam's house before proceeding to the Navidad. Burnam's house, too, was burned during the campaign, though apparently by others (see Petition of Jesse Burnam, Memorials and Petitions, Texas State Archives, Austin). Though Sharp implies that the date was March 16, it seems evident from his description of the mission that he and the other scouts were not detached from the army until after it had reached or started toward Crier's. Three of the nine men, Sharp, Smith, and Karnes, have been mentioned. Four of the others were John D. Owen, Clark M. Harmon, Benjamin C. Franklin, and Robert Eden Handy. The other two are identified by Sharp as Murphy and Secrest. The first was probably William Murray, who served in Sharp's company; the second Washington H. Secrest, who was associated with both Karnes and Smith. Sharp and Karnes also helped to set the fires in Gonzales (see Foote, Texas and the Texans, p. 268). After the conclusion of the hostilities, Secrest would move into the Columbus area. He married Comfort Robinson, the widow of William Robinson and the sister of Sion Record Bostick, on November 25, 1837 (see Austin County Colonial Records, Succession Book 1, pp. 43, 55; Colorado County Marriage Records, Book B, p. 4).