Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-28
AMERICAN PRISONERS IN mpx,co


Young Combs has published in the New Or
leans Bee, an account OF the Canine ,rI ,,.,,
ment Of :he Texan Santa Fe Rxnsdi,ior. II.
hfst details the perils, the hsrdshps and priya-
IONS oil the Expedition before reaching Santa Fe
lhe'r provisions gave out, and they subsis,ed upon
such horses as had broken down, and wild berre,
and when these resources failed, they were com
PEELED TO live upon snakes, horned frogs and obe,
reptiles.
When the Expedition hal, as they supposed
reached within 90 miles Of Santa Fs-one ,bi,d a.
the force, OF which he was one-was sen, Co,,v,r5
to provide for the reception Of the rest II turned
out however, that instead OF 90 they were 300 mile,
from Santa Fe. Upon reaching there. thew wer.
"eacherously induced las has already been stated,
10 surrender their arms, being assured of pro,.c
uon and Kind treatment. As soon as thew had
gwen up their arms, they were "seized and bound
SIX and eight together, with hair ropes and thongs
OF raw hide, and put into a filthy sheep fold. sur
rounded by large armed guard. In this place we
were kept all night, ying heaps one upon another
ana suffering the most intense agony from the close
ness Of the confinement and the pressure Of the ropes
WIN which we were bound, and in full hearing
OF the disputes in ;hc council called by the Governor
10 deliberate upon our destiny, which decided ubou,
day'break, by Single vote, that we should not be
shot but marched or for Mexico"
AT sunrise next morning. they were marched On
TO MeHlco-2OO0 acknowledgements r,kod
and with no food but such as they could bee unon
the way. Their suiie'ings, from cold and st,Iv,,on
were intense.
We annex the concluding potion Of Mr. Comrs,
narrative with the remark tina, this il the mos, die
graceful treatment TO which American citizen, haze
ever been subjected. II is one Of those high ns,oo,
indIgn'ues' which nothing but War on our por,
or the most abJecI submission on the part of Mexi-
CO. can redress or atone for Ii we submit TO thes.
lndgnltIes, we had rs well, at once, he stricken
from the roll Of rational honour and independence.
Ihe treatment Of our Minister, too, was not leo,
insulting than the treatment 70 the prisoners wa.
revolving and inhuman. BY the wsv. Mr. Conf,
iniimaies that Mr. Ellis did not net with the shirt
which the occasion required-nnd his io,in,,;or.
are broadly affirmed 10y the Bee.
With The Bee we could with fl, I,.k,o. -.
wipe out this national stain.
When we arrived at Mexico. We wers cov.,.d
with Nth and yermln. We there met an order rom
santa Ana, 10 be chained with heavv iron W.
were lodged IN the Convent Santi,go. nbou, ,vo
mics rom the pilnee. confined in a room over the
esmeiory and the Ell lava from the dead bodies bo,
meath was offensive IN the cxironc.
Upon my arrival / wro.e 10 our Mints,,, A.,
Gus informing him 81 my situation md or M,
being citizen Of the United States, and stated H.
TACT Of my having gone with the expedition onlv Ss
guest Of the commissioners, which circumst5nco
vas cOrrobOrated in writing by Mos7rs Cooke ond
Bfenham, two OF the commissioners then prisoners
with us.
The prisoners were upon tho order OF Santa An,
walked up and chained two and two together and
marched 70 tho palace, % midnight When tbsv mr..
rived there, tho Dictator was ssep: the nriso,s.
were Kept IN the public square for some time for
the qualification ofthe rabblc and then ,rcIed boek
no ono daring 10 disturb tho slumbsfs of Inc 70
rant. was not then put in chains in conseouspeo
OF my illness. Those prisoners, who were eble 10
90 30 were subsequently made 10 work upon the
streets Of the capital. WV" WV
About three weeks after We reached Mexico. two
.gl VIZ prisoners made their escape. This ineensed
SANTA ANA 10 such degree that he ordered the
Whoe OF u', the limo end sick included, 10 be
ehained md m1do 10 work with the rest. I ioas
myWy taken ont NJ bed and chqined iohh "a hsary log
stnin about my ANGLES and made 10 ooJk IN the sioets
TINS, too, afer had been demanded ~ a citizen
~ inc United states Ivy our minister, Mr. Ellis;
vas Kept IN chains shout two weeks and ill ns I
vas, compelled 10 sleep and work ~ them, having
thereby nearly lost my hearing, when was tont
for by Santa Ana.
The Dictator asked me- vsrioiy or questions
about myself my parents. the objects OF the expe.
dion nn1 other matters. After was in bis presence
about ] ) MINUTES, tho chains wero taken on me bv
blacksmith Santa Ana said, that in Consequence
Of my youth, the capacity In which accompanied
the expedition and my being tho son of n general
was NJ liberty and might 20 home. During Inc
intervlew Santa Ana DID not ones mention ihs name
OF our Minister Mr. Ellis, az having dema nded me
and gathered from what hard ard saw, tina,