“If I should never return”

The Story

For a few years, my wife and I spent 􀆟me with family at Surfside, Texas, a community located on the Texas coast, just west of Galveston. Once known as Velasco, this was the place where the first (official) setlers arrived from the United States in 1821. In 1832, Anglo setlers fought Mexican soldiers garrisoned at Fort Velasco just a short walk from the beach house where we stayed. But it was in the Spring of 1836, that Velasco made a real splash in Texas history.
In May of that year, Velasco was made the temporary Capital of Texas and holding area for Mexican dictator Santa Anna, whose army was almost annihilated at the batle of San Jacinto a few weeks earlier. Held prisoner along with what remained of his officer staff, Santa Anna was in a precarious posi􀆟on. Surrounded by men who wanted to kill him, he walked a fine line between life and death. On May 14, 1836, Santa Anna signed the infamous, Trea􀆟es of Velasco, giving Texas its shaky independence from Mexico. Obviously, circumstances dictated his eagerness to please the Texians and these trea􀆟es proved it.
On May 21st, exactly one month removed from the batle of San Jacinto, George Clough wrote his family from Velasco. George had made the long journey from his home in Lynn, Massachusets, and had recently arrived from Galveston by way of New Orleans. With no enemy to fight, George had 􀆟me to reflect on his new environment. Like most newcomers to Texas, George was eager to obtain a land grant for his military service and the opportunity it offered to him and his family to move forward in life. While at Velasco, George met Santa Anna and had some surprising things to say about him and the situa􀆟on in Texas.
George would live another four months. While traveling to New Orleans on furlough from military service in Texas, George came down with an illness and died in the Crescent City in September, 1836, and is buried there.
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For more informa􀆟on about the Trea􀆟es of Velasco, htps://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/trea􀆟es-of-velasco
While in Surfside (a.k.a., Velasco) plan a visit the local historical museum: htps://www.visitbrazosport.com/atrac􀆟ons/surfside-historical-museum