Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-08-20
NUMBER 38s

NUMBER 81
garden outside the fort under guard. After
! he had been there q short time soldier, win
! his gun, came to the door, telling him be was
wanted at the gate. When he came to The
gate he found Commandante Portia surroun-
ded by his officers, who, on seeing Sphohs
seeing him before. begged Portia to save him,
but he said he could not, as his orders were
positive, but they perssting, he rather imp4-
tiently said, well take him away" At the
same time he saw them lead young Ripley,
who was second sergeant of the Mobile
Crews. who was badly wounded in the left
arm. to the place of execution. SPhon was
then taken to the house Of an officer, whore
he was left, where every moment he could
hear the muskets roar, the death kneli Of his
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES had been in the house
but little time when young Mexican sol
der. with bloody sword, entered the room
and asked him what he was doing there, and
would have ruin him through had not the ser
wants told him. he was placed there by the
officers. DIR. Field came in with a sergeant
the DR.. told Sphon that all were shot, and
they had roughly dragged Captain Brooks, OF
West Point, who laid with his thigh broken,
from a house outside the fort and despatched
him brutally in the street. In an hour more
Sphon re-entered the fort, where he found
the Mexican soldiers placing the bodies OF the
dead on a large wagon and carrying them Oh
Two or three days after, Sphon was taken
bv Captain Corona to the place outside the
fort. where his countrymen had been murder.
ed and piled one on top Of the other, and par
TALLY burnt or roasted, presenting a most
frightful, horrible and disgusting sPectacIes
by which he found that they had been divi-
ded into four parties before they were shot,
as there were four piles, surrounded by torn
pieces Of bloody clothing, shoes. caps, pock-
ct books and papers.-Amonghst the rest
was the bloody cap of Fannin, which leads
us to suspect he was burnt or roasted with
the others.
Five men were saved from the general mas
sacre to attend upon the Mexican sick: Sher-
lock, Smith, Bills, Vose and Peter Grlfhn:
the latter, who happened to be in the hospital
at the time, was saved by wounded Me1r
can soldier, who had him beneath his blank.
cts. Griffin having always attended him and
dressed his wounds. Bills died afterwards
from a sickness Of "a hours.
Sphon was here taken sick with the fever
of the country, under which he suffered tor
seven weeks. After he recovered, he heard
Of the taking of Santa Anna, which wrought
a visible change on his jailors, who treated
him with more leniencv. Some time after
thev heard that Santa Anna had escaped, or
was rescued b. the Indians, and demons!ra.
ted their JOY by ringing Of bells, the firing OF
cannon. and martial music; telling SPhOn he
had escaped, and would now return and put
them all to death; but some time afterwards,
a part of the retreating army, amounting to
lnea,ly 1000 men, composed of the remnants
OF several regiments, fatigued and worn OUT
fell on Goliad. Major Miller, with the Copa-
no. was then asked if he would 60 to Meta.
moros, where his men would be allowed to
work about town, but they all chose to re-
main, excepting Sphon who thought better
chance of escape was to be found there; when
! he proceeded as far as San Patrlcic with Gap
tain Alavez, where General Urea seeing hum
asked him if ne would drive one OF ms coacn-
es TO Matamoras, but Sphon seeming reI0c-
tant. he told him if he would do so, he no
llonger should be considered prisoner. he
went 10 Matamoras with the General, and
had for his fellow driver, young man who
had been saved from Col. Johnson,s dctach-
ment. In Matamoras, the foreigners were
, particularly attentive, and General Urea
| was always kind. On reaching Matamoras.
| he understood that about 10 or 20 Of Colonel
Johnson's men were in close conhnemenh1
: and had been twice near being shot, but were
saved once by priest, and at another tums
: for the consideration Of large sum OF mon
/. CIV. which was subscribed by foreigners, and
/. by whom they were supported. SPhon was
here told that his case was desperate one,
and Major Miller, Capt. Israel, and M
Burton, all o. the Copano detachment, which
| he left at Goliad, who had just arrived from
Copano by sea, said they never expected 70
get away, and thought any means ne m4n'
r devise for escape were justifabIe. 50, con.
sidering on the subject. he determined 20 OF
fer himself for the Mexican sea seV -
: which, gave the best hopes Of escape. ne
: then offered himself to Captain in0mPson'
! of the Correo, who took n'm' WIN tnS -.
81, horse to Brassos Santiago, IS miles,
,~here he entered on board the schooner,
Ill that same day for Vera CSu1S