The Arkansas advocate., 1836-01-22

CT Mary Jane, Captain Hall, said to have been chartered or employed by a Commit tee, of which M-. William Christy of New
 Orleans was the agenl to convey emisrauts to Texas. then understand to he l,t yar;s ance with the Mexican Government.
 lhls opportunity afforded many who were distressed in pecuniary circumstances a pas sage free, which was readily embraced and accepted ot. The terms agreed upon were that 1t was optional whether the party took up arms in defence of Texas or not that they were at full liberty to act as they pleas when they landed al the Texian shore.
 That taking advantage of this favorable oI,- poftnnity they accordingly embarked. The vessel proceeded on the voyage, and noth- log tianspired to indicate belief but that all was right as t should be, nntii the sixth day We were out from the BaliZe, although it had been previously understood that general, with hls officers, or staff, was on board the vessel, whose design was to act in concert with the Texans and induce us 10 join him. Ot this, however, we received no certain as- sent, but the truth is--Tampico was our des- tination and an attack on the city, the de- l fore the land being in sight and the vessel standing in, II was announced that 1t was Iampco that tie steamboat then also would have us in tow, and Tampico would be III our possession. Elated with this har- angue. proceeding from the authority (throngh the inslrumentality of Captain Hawkins, one of the aids) of General Me Xia, some were induced 10 join his standard, but of these the number could not have ex- ceeded 50, thirty five of whom were French and Creoles, of New Orleans, who doubt less had previous understanding, they be- ing exclusively privileged, having the quar- ter deck to themselves and seemingly arm ed and equipped premature!y. The boat had us Tn tow soon, and all that could be crammed below were driven there until she struck the bar, and the steam boat soon af- forwards. In this awful predicament night closing on us, the sea breaking over Us, ef- forts were used to reach the shore, which atimmlnent danger was effected safely, aud we all landed during the latter part of the night and early part of the morning of the following day. A formidable fort surrend- cred without an attack, and we built fires to dry our clothing. The party were now ten dered arms and ammunition, and never hav- ing been soldiers before, some probably took them from curiosity, others from ne- cessIty and others from compuson and il IS asserted and believed that no one person was or had been acquainted with two others of the number of Us; so added to the hurry and hustle of officers, that before We could l h<1s yt. | ] and bundled together more like beid or drove oi swine than company of soldiers competent to act as such. particularly R. gainst regularly trained soldiers.
 At about 5, P. M, on Sunday we were formed and made ready for the attack hay ] ing added to our number about from 35 to 50 citizens, soldiers or adherents, and which were all judged to be Mexicans, a number being fellow prisoners with us, but without trial to this moment. Having no other re- source we were necessarily compelled from obvious reasons reluctantly to join the par ! ty, with full determination not to act in concert with it, but submit ourselves as prisoners of war having no design or in- l teniIon to fight, and without one single ex- cePtion every individual oi iiie untiersigu- ed, from motives of conscience and oppres- sion added to the shameful abduction or deception practiced on us, and chose to throw ourselves on the clemency and mercy ot the authorities. And this being the substance of our testimony before the court vet notwithstanding, mark the result which has terminated, not in an ignominions, but christian like death. Trusting in God and bearing in mind his promise and with our trust in his mercies, we die both as ch.isti- ans and men.
 We have now but nine hours allotted us, and conclude hastily by requesting all who may hear our fate to entertain no erroneous impression.
 We also annex the following letter from Thomas Whitaker to his brother William H. Whitaker, formerly of this place:
 TAMPIeo, Dec. 18th 1885.
 .Hy Dear Brotter.-prepare to read these i lines, conveying the news of my unhappy 1 fate, with the same firmness that you would 1 have done, had you been summoned to attend my death-bed. But reflect that the momen- i tary pang which separates temporal and eter- nal life shall have passed ere this reaches you. To be brief, as the time allotted me to compose my mind for this event is short, have only to say, that instead of arriving in Texas freeman and at large, as had sup I posed when left you, the vessel was taken to l Tampico, and myself and companions were compelled to march in arms against city which had never seen, and to shoot down l the inhabitants of country that had never rnp.--raet aeslrad fhie yy ac n order