Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1842-03-05
VOLUME 7.-NUMBER 9.

: camp, the disposition Of his lines left little
aouot OF MS beligerent intensions. The
+ texans were Immediately got under
! arms About this time also another par.
ty crossed the river, and formino n iinc,
!Ion WIN The iirst punished every linger.
I ing doubt Of the objects Of the Mexicans,
ano an engagement was on the eve of ta>
KING place when Captcn Lewis and the
! nephew and confidential secretary of the
governor made their appearance.
"hen Lewis and the Governors neph-
ew came up, party was had between
mem ana The Texicans, the troops upon
oolh sides maintaining their battle array.
Captain Lewis represented the Governor
as Wiling 70 receive the Texans on con-
oi'ioh that they would lay down their
arms IN conformity with law of Mex
sco, which made II necessary for an armed
,olce entering the province to give up
'he'r weapons before reaching San Mig
uel. lie represented himself and the
: hePhcw ana secretary of the Governor as
empowered to stlpIlate for the surrender
OF me implements Of war, and 10 nego-
'iale lor the safe conduct of tho troops to
The frontier after they had empowered
them to bind the authorities to label tho
properly OF each individual, supply food
Tor the march home, and return TO every
man his property. These representations
were confirmed by the nephew and Sec
re'ary OF Governor, Armiio, as well as by
the mexican officers, number of whom
had joined IN tao party.
Inc commissioners hesitating 10 con.
nde IN these representations, Captain Lew.
IS informed him that the Governor with
wen appointed troop Of 5000 men, was
within IL hours march, and if the Text
ans gained the battle, they would soon
DC engaged with more formidable foe.
l ne commissioners yet not satisfied, Cap
tam Lewis pledged his homo, to the truth
OF all these statements, swearing upon his
Masonic faith (both being Masons) to ev-
cry word Of it.
such being the circumstances Of the
division, without food, jaded and worn
OUT by iatigUeng marches, in front Of u
force OF some six hundred men and ex-
pec;lng the arrival of 5000 more and being
Especially ordered by the Texian govern
ment to avoid hostiities if the people were
opposed to them, not apprised of the caps
lure OF the gentlemen, dispatched to Santa
re, not suspecting Lewis to be traitor,
Inc Texans laid down their arms upon
the terms of surrender proposed Food
was then furnished the troops, and they
'fs.-'s'-ssssSss - ss< .. .sC.no ieh1anry zuri;
me next day, when the Governor arrived
with sbout $500 men, a force sufficient to
| IN L.. 10.
were seized and bound six and eight to-
gelher, with hair ropes and thongs Of raw
hide, and put in filthy sheep-fold. sur.
rounded by large armed guard. The
Mexican officers then excited the Poems to
the highest degree Of phrenzy, by ths &c
counts they gave Of the Texans, and
we were prevented from being slaugh-
tered by being huddled together in a
very small yard enclosed by mud
wall, and defended by the regular troops
In this place we were kept all night, ly-
ing in heaps one upon another, and SUI.
lerlng the most intcnce agony from the
coseness OF the confinement and the
pressure Of the ropes with which we were
bound, and in full hearing Of the disputes
n the council called by the Governor to
deliberate upon our destiny, which deci-
ded about day break, by single Uote, thai
We should not be shot but mlrched off
for Mexico
At sun rise we took up our march
for the city of Mexico, about 2'oo0 miles
distant the soldiers telling us that we
were going to the mines. Bound six and
eight together, we wero forced TO travel,
the three first days about 80 miles each,
without food and even denied the privi-
lege Of drinking when we were wading
the small streams, through which we
were marched. We were stripped Of
hat, shoes, blankets and coats. The Gov
cnor himself took from mo my blanket
and buffalo robe, curs,ng and striking tho
prisoners aud ravng like "a mad man;
because las we hcard) his wish TO have us
shot had it not been oyerruled in council
was obliged to give my shirt, in the OK
tremity Of my dislress, for loaf Of bread,
and snapped tolcrably good pair OF
pantaloons for ragged pair upon receiy-
inc a mouthful or TO cat in the exchange.
When we arriveLat the Rio del Norte
had parted with every thing but my tat
tered trousers, vest and suspenders, every
thing else having been disposed of for
bread or robbed from me by the soldiers.
Nor was the other prisoners in better
condition. The weather. was then cold
and We were nigh perishng in our naked
ness.
Afier few days march, il was found
for us TO get on with any
speed bound together in such numbers. -
We were then tied ;uo together, AMI
to each pair there was n rope tied about
The waist, neck OF arms, and fastened to
he pummel of the saddle of The horses
On which tic guard was mounted. The
soldiers would occasionally put their