Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-26
SONTN AMNNlCA.

w W n 1a eISA Ma SlSoA
...............
The following is a copy of letter from
an American citizen, late a lieutenant in
ed Mina's expedition. How many OF our
fellow citizens have been eniiced from
their country, la suffer similar fate, IL
is not easy Ia estimate; but the number
amounts 10 hundreds, i! not thousands.
Nat int.
a LETTER TO a FRIEND.
F" Hac0na, NGy |, 1918.
DEAR SIR now, for the FIRST time
since have been Il prisoner, have had II
IN my power OF niorming YOU OF my mi
serablv situation. | thought NV suffer
ings were great before landed III MeXi-
co--as soOn - we landed, found that
we were all lost. then 20, permission
to return home, aud v2s on board of ii
ship o return to the United States but,
unfortunately for me, she WAS captured Il
ica daN $ before she was 10 have sailed
aade my escape io The shore, aud went
To Nina : ratification, which mounied
pieces of cannon the whole force 10 de-
lend Which, amounted To 100 men. Mi
ma entered TIL country with 600 men,
The tort IN which MAS, was attacked ON
the 18th june, 1917 there WAS a cannon
AIDING between the foyalisls and The pat
riots antil the iJth, When The royalsis,
finding their force SO much superior, came
within grape and musket shot with 10
pieces OF cannon, and $500 men. The
fort held out for ten hours. The Ameri-
cans III the fort, amounting To thirty,
found they had TO do all the fighting: The
remainder were Spaniards and French
men, who proved towards, although they
declared they would blow up the fort be-
fore they would be taken. The Ameri-
cans, nndiug they were either to be taken
by storm, and put 10 the sword, or be
blown up, thought it best To present
,hemseive*-l presented myself, and the
fort capifu!aied. 'Fhe terms of capitula-
ton were, that the lives of The garrison
should be spared, and that they should
be sent 10 their respective countries.
They have all been held as criminals and
loaded with irons. Those WHO presented
themselves with me, had their liberty for
ten days-passports were promlSeu them.
and assurances given of being sent home :;
we have. however, been detained as pri-
soners. | have moi, as yet, had any irons
on me. | was sent to Il town called Aite-
mudfa, where remained for two months.
lost all my clothing, with The exception
oil those had on when presented my
Stt have been nearly naked ever since,
and covered with vermin. From this
town was sent, IN company with fifIeeu
officers, likewise prisoners, through the
country nearly TO Mexico, and then on 10
Vera Cruz. The distance travelled was
400 leagues, the greater part ofwhichwas
The worst road ever travelled in Inv life.
and over mountains which took US five
anu SIX days TO cross. When we GOT
near Mexico, we found lovely country
on 10 Vera Cruz. The road from Mexico
to Vera Cruz is the llandsomest ever
saw. | remained in Vera Cruz until the
9th April, almost starved, and neary des-
lltute of clothing. My allowance was
tour ounces Of bread per day, with twelve
spoons OF rice, three lines day.
From Vera Cruz | was sent to this
place, and, since my detention here, have
written 10 several Americans, but never
found one that would say--Here is a shirt
or Il dollar. No; experience has taught.
me 10 know, that when man becomes
reduced, there are few that will cast IA
look, from which a conclusion might be
drawn, that The heart felt sympathy In
short time shall be seni To CadiZ, where
am doomed to be detained as "a prisoner
for ten years. Many are the conjectures,
al tiis place, relative tOihe probability of
=" wei DitdhiiS out pctNetn SPAIN ana A.
inerlea. | wish you to state my case to
your friends at the department, az per
suadc myself my government will be
proInpt IN demanding my liberation. ..
Such is my misery, that never could
have believed ii within The capacity of
man to endure it. Minas expedition is
lost. Col. louag, late of the United
States army, and seventy Americans, all
OF whom were attached 10 the u. States
army, were taken and shot, with two A.
merlcan officers, The morning after pre-
scented myself. had TO smuggle this pa
per, together with the pen aud ink, from
on board of All American vessel. You
will give my love to my brothers and sis
ter, and all of my iriends.-Fareweli I"
" n. B.-Thc following are the names
of some of the officers, attached TO the
late United States army, who entered in
the expedition with Nina and have been
shot:
Colonel Young. Captains Cook and
Gordon; LieuteSanls Lanay, Liking,
sutton, Webb, Stone, Sterling, Crocker.
Wilmore, BealI, Roberts and Wilson.
Lieutenant William Rigsle, ofthe Uni
ted States ordnance department, was
made d prisoner, and died in my pre-
sence al Vera Cruz. Also cadet from
West Point. His name was Haveland. -
There was another cadet taken, who has
been shot, by the name of Mackerson.'
----=-=------.5 1gis) ==sz===z.----- >