Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-03-12
Fro mtit y. OGlcrrs Crescerl On,
American Prisoners in Mexico.

The expedition after about ten weeks march. travelling
through a country infested by ladians, arrived at the falos
Duro; where being s,.aightened.for fooa, and having pieii-
ously sent their guides i'll advance, II was determined 10
despatch a third OF The armed force, ana two 0 I IN com
missIoners to procu re provisions, and prepare the way for
the entrance of Inc expedition into the province oil Santa
Fe. The IMPRESSION at that time was, That the expedition
had reached within about ninety miles OF Santa Fen
consequence Of which belief, the advanced division took
with mem only three DAYS rasions. Col. Cook and DR..
Brennan were the commissioners accompanying the ad-
vance-andC Capt. Sutton commanded The armed escort -
The remainder Of the forces were left at the Paio Duro,
under the command of Gen. McLeot. surrounded by a vast
number Of Indians, who were continually harrassins ihem,
and wha actually killed i've OF them, The day upon WHICH
the division Sc, out upon rs march.
The advanced force soon lea rned .hat the expedition had
made a fearful mistake, i'll snPposing the PaIo Dafo to be
within % miles Of Santa te- The distance was nearly
$50 miles, and as Il consequence, the ra'ions pfo%idea for
the troops were exhausted before they accomplished one
thitd of the road to Santa fe The Lewiston then TesoF'ed
toefery expedient TO escape starvation. Ihey hfst suosls-
sed upon such of the horses as had broken down, and Wild
berries which we're occasionally met with IN the 2rairies-
When these resources fatleds t12y were comPeIfs" 10 '
upon snakes, horned frogs and other reptiles which abound
iii tho prairies. and which constituted their principal, anc
for a time their only food! hfte- marching ~ ihis way
for two weeks or :hereabouts, the division arrived at CALI
mas. From this place. Van Ness, Lewis, Howar!, and
F,,zeera1. ACCOMPANIED nv q. Kendall, were sent on
TO Santa Fe to hold an interview with the Governor, ex-
PLAIN the pacific Objects of the expedition, obtain stores for
The troops, and a permit 10 bring the merchandise taken
out by tho traders, within the province.
Two or three hours after these gentlemen left GaHlaas, a
note wa received from Capt. Lewis. to the effect that the
country was in arms, bui ,hat they would proceed on their
quincy to Santa lie. They were however seized shortly
afterward5,( as Capt. Lewis sta ted bound hand and foot,
and then taken out to be shot, but their lives were spared
through the interference of a Mexican Officer, who took
them to meet Goreraor .4rnsyo In the meanwhile the
Governor had despatched a force of several hundred men
to intercept the Texans. Inc commander ot THESE troops
held several interviews with Colonel Cook, and endea*ored
to ger the Ie<ians to lay down their arms. by assuring them
of the friendly disposition of tire Governor ant the 'nhsb-
ltants. THIS the Texans would not do. The Mexican
officer undertook 20 take care OF the few remaining horses
Of the Texans. and supply the men with food, iii order to
atIay all apprehcusions of any hostile purpose. Ills next
step was 10 cross the Gahinas with his men. with the aTow-
ed object of camping the two forces ''sethef, ~ laf'ef
,a,t = IL. Ihs5 -. Ala Int "a II a drew near
ihe iexian camp, the disposition of his lines leh little
doubt of his beiIiserant intentions. The Texans were I'M
med,ately got under arms. About This time also, another
party crossed the river, aud for'nl"s a Junction with the
first, bantsaed every lingering doubt of the objects OF the
McXlcans, and an engagement was OH the eve of taxing
place, when Capt. Lewis, and the hePhe" and conhoeh'tai
secretary of the Governor, made their appearance.
When Lewis and the Governors nephew came up, a par
ley was had between them AMI the Texans, the troops on
both sides maintaining the battle array. Capt. Lewis re-
presented the Governor as " itliog to receive tho Texans.
ON condition that they would lay down thelr arms. n con-
fofnity with a law OF Mexico, winch made it necessary
for an armed force entering the province to give up their
self and the nephew and the secretary of the Governor, as
empowered to stipuia,e for the surrender Of the Implements
Of war. and 10 negotiate for the safe conduc, of tho troop,
.Ion. Inc Governor mad empowered .,unr To bind the au-
thorities to laoeI the property of each individual, supply
food for the march home. and return TO every man his pro-
perry. These representations were confirmed by :he ne
pnew ANA secretary of Cor. .4rHayo, as well as by the
Mexican officers, n number OF whom had joined ia the
pariey.
sentations, Capt. Lewis informed them that the Governor
with a we'll appointed troop Of 3,00o men, was within II
hours march, aud if the TEXANS gained the battle, they
would soon be engaged with a more formidable foe. The
Commissioners not vel satisfied, Capt. Lewis pledged his
honor to the truth OF all these statements. swearing upon
his masonic oath Goth being masons) 10 every word OF it.
Such being the circumstances OF the division, without
food. faded and worn out by iatsuing marches, iii front OF
a force of some six hundred men, and expecting the ARRIVAL
of 1900 mere, and beirg especially ordered by the Iexian
government to avoid hostilities il the people were opposed
TO them, and not apprised of the capture of the gentlemen
despatched to Santa he, and not susPecfing Lewis to be a
traitor, the Texans laid down their arms upon the terms of
surrender proposed. Food was then furnished the troops.
and they werc treated with some lenlency until the next
day, when the Governor arrived with about 800 men, a
force sufficient to make him secure i'll his barbarity; we
were seized and bound six and eigh, together, with hair
ropes and thongs of raw hide, md put in a filthy sheepfold.
surrounded by a large armed guard. The Mexicans then
excited the Poems TO the highest degree of phrenzy, by the
accounts shey gave of the Texans, and we were prevented
from being slaughtered BY being huddied together i'll a small
yard enclosed by a mud wall and defended by the regular
troops. In this place we were kept all night, lying in heaps.
one upon another, and suffering the most intense agony from
the closeness of the confinement and the pressure of the
ropes with which we were bound. and i'll full hearing of the
disputes i'll the Council called by the Governor to deliberate
upon our destiny. which was decided about day-break. by
a single rote, that we should not be shot, but marched of
for Mexico.
a, sun rise we had TO take up our mach for the city of
Mexico, about :. 900 miles distant-ths soldiers telling US
thai we were gong to the mines Bound six and eighs to-
sethef, we were forced to travel the three first DAYS about
thirty miles each, without food, aud even denied the ptivi-
lege of drinking when we were wading the small streams
through which we were marched We were stripped of
mats, shoes, blankets and coats. The Governor himself
took from me nv bl,nke, and buffalo robe. ,,sinp and
striking the prisoners and ravng like a madman, because
Jas we heard) his wish TO have Us shot was overruled in
Council. l was obliged TO give my shirt, in the extremity
of my distress, for a loaf OF bread, and snapped a tolera-
BILE good pair of panialoons for a ragged pair, upon receiv-
ing a nlouthill or Two 10 eat, Ill the exchange. When we
arrived AT the Rio del Norte. | had parted with every thing
but my tattered trousers. vest and suspenders. every lining
else having been disposed of for bread, or robbed from me
hy the soldiers. Nor were the other prisoners in a better
condition. The weather was then cold, and we were nigh
perishing in our nakedness.
After a few days march, it was found impracsicable fr
US TO get on with any speed bound together in such numbers.
We were then tied two together. and to each pair there
n t,e pnmmel of the saddle of the horses on which the
guard was mounted. The soldiers would occasionally put
their horses III n galiop 10 ;osture those fastened to them.
and whenever ANY of US fell down or Jagged behind, we
were ri aged upon the ground and beaten with thongs.
sticks. or whatever else ~ A at hand.
The principal, indeed almost all the food we received
during the route, was furnished by the women. who would
follow Us in large numbers for miles. weeping at the cruel