On the fourth day, the Mexican cavalry set out as usual.
Anthony's forces also received reinforcements, bringing his total strength to 2,500 men and providing him with fifteen cannons.
Intense artillery duels began in the morning, and the sudden intensification of the Mexican firepower caught Anthony somewhat off guard.
Watching the breastworks fall in successive sections, Anthony made the same choice as any experienced cowboy on this continent.
The El Paso Legion used their wagons to plug the gaps in the breastworks, but they did not receive a full-scale Mexican assault.
Brushing the dust off himself, Anthony cursed, "Damn Mexicans, Indian bastards... where did they get so many cannons? Tell Austin to send more tomorrow."
At that moment, a battered cowboy rode into the camp on horseback.
Anthony immediately recognized him as Captain Jabar, who was in charge of transporting supplies.
"What happened? Is it the Indians?"
"No, Mr. Anthony. It's the Mexican cavalry. They have cut off our retreat."
"How many of them!?" Anthony asked urgently.
"About a regiment," Captain Jabar said before collapsing unconscious.
"Jabar! Jabar!.." Anthony continued to call out, not because of the depth of their friendship, but because the concept of a "cavalry regiment" was extremely vague at this time.
An American cavalry regiment might consist of 400 or 500 men, typically comprising two squadrons, with each squadron overseeing two companies of 100 to 125 men each.
In Europe, however, a French cavalry regiment usually had four squadrons and 800 men; a Prussian regiment generally consisted of five squadrons; an Austrian regiment typically had 7 to 8 squadrons; Russian cavalry regiments had no fixed number and were mixed with large numbers of Cossacks; and a British cavalry regiment consisted of 450 men.
Anthony could only rely on his experience dealing with Indians: fifty pioneers could handle three hundred Indian warriors.
If it were five hundred Mexican cavalry, sending three hundred Texan soldiers would be enough, but for safety's sake, General Anthony decided to dispatch the two hundred mercenaries as well, as they were specialists in fighting Indians after all.
(At this time, the Mexican army contained a large number of Indians and Mestizos, all of whom were referred to by Americans simply as Indians.)
The scouting party sent by Anthony soon discovered the Mexican cavalry on a small hill.
At this time, due to their long history of fighting Indians, the Americans did not take these saber-wielding cavalrymen seriously.
On the contrary, they felt that in this era, using cold weapons was a ridiculous act; their own cavalry used pistols and rifles, and it wasn't until after 1838 that they began using Colt cavalry revolvers (which did not require a hammer cocking).
On the small hill, Gabrunz was somewhat surprised—not because the Texans arrived quickly, but because they arrived in such small numbers.
Stationed on this inconspicuous little hill were a total of 2,000 Mexican cavalrymen, whose purpose was to block enemy reinforcements and prevent the El Paso Legion from escaping.
What surprised Gabrunz even more was that this small Texan force did not retreat; instead, they advanced up the gentle slope, seemingly intending to take the hill.
The Texan scouting party was led by Colonel Bob, whose idea was simple: charge up and kill all the Indians. He believed he could utilize the advantage of rifle range, since the enemy only had sabers.
Suddenly, a hail of bullets flew from the hill. Colonel Bob touched his forehead, finding it covered in blood.
"How is this possible?" Colonel Bob fell heavily to the ground, unable to understand why those cavalrymen had guns.
This was actually related to Austrian tradition. The cavalry in the Natalenia region were primarily dragoons, and since General Gabrunz himself was a dragoon commander, it was not surprising that the Mexican cavalry he trained would become dragoons.
Feeling he had the advantage in numbers, and uncertain whether the opposing force was a decoy or if there were follow-up troops, Gabrunz first ordered his soldiers to dismount and engage in a firefight, while simultaneously preparing his reserves for a charge.
However, to his surprise, the enemy collapsed so quickly. As soon as the battle began, chaos ensued, and they began to flee.
The terrain before them was a flat, barren wasteland with no place to hide, and the Texan camp was at least two kilometers away; it was impossible for these routed soldiers to run back.
Gabrunz signaled his messenger to use flag signals. The cavalrymen nearby, who had been restless, immediately poured down from the hillside upon receiving the order.
The soldiers of the fleeing El Paso Legion felt their hearts shatter when they heard the thunderous sound of hooves behind them.
Some tried to organize a counterattack—after all, men on two legs could not outrun horses on four—but they could only be swept up in the mass of fleeing troops, scrambling aimlessly across the wasteland.
The Mexican cavalry, naturally, would not miss this perfect opportunity to "reap the wheat." They crashed violently into the retreating ranks and began a massacre.
Those routed soldiers who fell behind had only two choices to survive: run desperately forward, or pull down their comrades to slow the cavalry's pursuit. This scene was strikingly similar to the "rolling bead curtain" tactic used by the Tang Dynasty a thousand years ago.
The two-kilometer stretch of flat wasteland ensured that these routed soldiers would not escape back to camp alive.
At this time, the commanders of the Texan forces were mostly settlers and slaveholders; they had no combat experience, and even the mercenaries only had experience fighting Indian tribes.
They had no idea of the danger of a gentle slope, nor did they understand the terror of cavalry.
The reason Gabrunz had chosen this small hill as a blocking point was precisely because such terrain was unfavorable for an enemy attack while playing to the strengths of his own cavalry.
Of the five-hundred-man force, only a few individuals managed to flee back to the El Paso Legion camp.
These people were intentionally let go by Gabrunz; his goal was to crush the morale of the El Paso Legion.
These soldiers who had escaped death were either silent or screaming incessantly, for they had just experienced a horrific massacre, watching their comrades being cut down one by one.
The Mexican cavalry did not allow the Texans to surrender; they used sabers to bleed those who surrendered, then rode behind them, driving them toward the El Paso Legion camp.
"Damn it! We can't even deal with those damn Indians! What a bunch of useless fools!" Anthony cursed.
"What do we do now?"
"How should I know? Ahead are the Mexican cannons and fortifications, and our rear is cut off by their cavalry. What can I do! Damn Houston, why hasn't he come to support me!" Anthony actually regretted not defending at Austin.
The firepower of the Mexican army was far more intense than that of the El Paso Legion; now, the El Paso lines were full of holes that could not be plugged fast enough.
But what worried Anthony most was morale. Most of these men had never been on a battlefield. If it had been two days ago, he could have let these recruits break through, or even launched a suicidal frontal assault on Tassan Anna's position.
But now, fear, anxiety, and the shadow of death had shrouded the entire army. He could only hope that Houston would send reinforcements so they could escape back to Austin from both sides.
However, the Mexican army gave him no such chance. After the bombardment ceased, Tassan Anna's messenger delivered an ultimatum, demanding the immediate surrender of the El Paso Legion.
Anthony saw the red flag being raised in the Mexican camp. He thought of the legend: if one did not surrender now, the Mexicans would no longer accept surrenders later.
At that moment, the cavalry unit that had wiped out Colonel Bob's men approached from the direction of Austin. Anthony realized it was not a cavalry regiment, but a cavalry brigade.
Anthony knew that if he did not surrender, he would never leave alive. He chose to surrender—not because he lacked courage, but because he did not wish to make useless sacrifices.
(End of Chapter)