The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1824-01-08

| at day bfesk The Americans commenced their
| mo- cb, but about O'Clock in the afternoon
| wore oversken by $50 royal troops which
| surrounded them ihs, night I; they well knew
their faies IL taken prisoners and therefore re-
| solved fa'her to die than surrendes TO Spanish
generosity. Tho next morning az day biesk
they were suseksd from all sides, but heroic.
ely defended themselves until they bad ex.
pended all their ammunition tho colonel re.
ceived ihree balls, and behaved with pc feet
cooDness during the battle, and wss by the loss
OF blood obliged to leave his post and retro
lev Steps from action, when he fell 10 the
ground by the loss oil blood, and resigned the
command to Major Gordon ! but few mo.
ments after .bey had no ammunition, sod
were obliged TO surrender or sndesvor TO
make their escape. AZ soon 80 tho Spanish
he-oes cav them Icy down their arms, they
fell upon tbem with their cavalry, and put
them oil TO death IN the most bsrbsrous man.
ner. Tho colonel who lay viewing them, as
soon as he saw their fate, put his hand to his
pistols and exclaimed, that he never would
give sny Spanish soldier the ssti.fac,lon Of
killing him, bnd Immediately sho, himself
So here ended the life OF g brave man snd 40
bravo Americans who accompanied him,
some OF them we're of 'espectabili,y ia the
Unncd Sls'es, aud ] sm extremely sorry
am not able 10 remember their names.
shall now return back TO General Mips,
who alter the departure Of Col. Percy,
marehs d into Tho interior Of the coun,'y, end
sew him no more ] retu'asd 70 Sofa 10
Marine, again, and on the " Of Jone, the
Royal iorces srrived under tho command Of
Joaquin do AuedoDdo. Que fort at this
limo, was nearly finished, bst we we're not
provided with provisions OF sDy kind. They
commenced their attack on the 18Th instant,
al some distance, but no material injury or
loss was sustained from the m on the 18th,
Capt. Salas, our chief epgioeer; and Capt.
Martinez, left the tort aud went over TO tho
enemy, and promised that If their lises would
DO spared they could easily tsko tho fort,
knowing our situation. They were promised
by Aredondo that II they would exert ,hoir
best eHous 10 take tho tort, they should have
liberty TO leave tho county, and should not
DO injured. On the morning OF The IS h, the
eneo,y advanced within pistol shot, when we
commenced Il ing upon them, win great dc.
sIuction, which compelled them 10 retreat
back, They came tho second time and were
again repused by our band Of heroes. They
nov feteaed over the river, which wa. IN
front Of Us, end lhero kept up one continued
blaze Of hte upon Us, unif four o'clock in the
afternoon, which was equally well sustained
by u. Our commander Cot. Ssrds, in the
most cowatdly manner, conce aied himself
duIing tbe remainder OF the action, ss we'll as
'wo oiher head officers; 30 that We had no
commander every one was his own. At
O'Clock tho enemy .ienced his mo, and hoist
cd white hlg, when we ais, ceased they
wished Us to surrender the fort 10 them,
hey did not wish Us TO perish that If we
did We should be treated with ail the honors
Of war, psrdoned aad sent homo to the Unised
StHes. We considered tho situation we
were in, without any provisions Tor ou, sub
sis,ence and the overpowering number OF the
enemy, and fiDaliy concluded 20 surrrndee the
fort 10 them, expecting that they would tuihi
their promises. They entered the fo7t aitet
tho surrender OF our atms, and took posses
zion and when they saw us u0aTmed sod de-
fencsie.s before them, robbie q Us Of ous cloth.
Jog and sbused Us IN the most shocking man.
net they then conducted Us to close con6ne-
mcnt. sho' putting us IN chaos and hoOs.
The mex, day we wero told hat we must Pre-.
psre Iot death (; that the orders from the Vice
King ApodAcs, was 10 lie, not ono of us live.
Accordingly in the afternoon We wero visited
BY two pries,s TO know IL We were Christians,
and II noi TO be baptized, aud confess our sins
to Then il wo wished Tho mesey OF God
that wo wete all TO depart for better world
in . vety short time, and that there was no
slternativc. We received this shock cen
tence with tho most inexpressibio pain, 10
think, that We should be killed BY those men,
whom we expected bad honor, II no, we never
should have surrendered /; but had we rsiec,-
ed, We could have expected nothing else from
Spanisrds. We passed . dreadful night 10
tears and LAMENTATIONS, to think that We were
to depart from this world, in the prime Of
life, and far dis,snt from our native homes
but 90 it was sod theie vas no remedy, aud
we prepared ourselves TO meet death 10 the
best manner possible.
The next morning at 9 o'clock, We were
examined, ou' names taken, where we belong.
ed, and our Professions after ,h,s eight Of
our unfortunate men wero called out, con-
doetsd 10 chutch, to receive their religious