, 1842-04-09

one upon another, and suffering IN
most intense agony from the close
. Of the confinement and the pre-.
sure of the ropes with which W
were bound, and in full hearing c
the dispates in the council Gale
by the Governor to deliberate upo,
our destiny, which decided abou
dsy.brsak, by a single vote that VI,
should not be should not be shot bu
marched off to Mexico.
At sunrise we had to take up GU
march for the city Of Mexico, abou
1000 miles dis,ant-the soldiers tell
ing US that we were going 10 the
mines. Bound six and eight togeth
er, we were forced to travel, the three
first days about thirty miles each day
without food, and even denied the
privilege of drinking when we were
wading the small streams, through
which we were marched. We were
stripped of hat, shoes blankets and
coats. The Governor himself took
from me my blanket and buffalo, robe,
cursing and striking the prisoners and
raving like q mailman; because las he
heard his wishus TO have US shot had
been overruledi in council. | was oblig-
ed TO give my shirt, in the extremity of
my distress, for a leaf of bread, and
snapped a tolerably good pair of
pantaloons for a ragged pair, upon
receiving a mouthfui or two to eat
in exchange. When we had arrived
at the Rio del Norte | had parted
with every thing hut my tattered
trousers, vest. and suspenders, every
thing else having been disposed of
for bread or robbed from me- by the
soldiers. Nor were the other pris-
oners in a better condition. The
weather was then cold and we were
nigh perishlng in our nakedness.
After a few days march, it was
found imPracticable for us to get on
with any speed bound together in
such numbers. We were then tied
two together, and to each pair there
was a rope tied about the waist, neck
OF arms, and fastened to the pummeI
of the saddle of the horses on which
the guard was mounted. The SOL
diers would occasionally put their
horses in a gallopto tortue those fasten-
ed to them, and whenever any of us
fell down or Jagged beghind, we were
dragged upon the ground and beaten
with thorns, sticks, or what ever else
was at hand.
The principal, indeed almost all
the food we received during the
route was furnished by the wo.
men, who would follw us in large
numbers for miles, weeping at the
cruelties to which we were subiec.
ted. They would not be allowed
sometimes the discharge of their Off
COS of charity-the soldiers beating
them off and reviling them with OBJ.
'cene and abusive language. We
we're marched, at times, all night and
all day blinded by sand and parched
BY thirst, till our tongues were so
'wollen as almost to be incapable of
i
In this manner we were hurried
IN to the city of Mexico, which we
cached towards the close of Decem-
DER. But must here pause, to do
ustice to one of the captains of the
Mexican army, who had charge of us !
or about five days of the journey, !
Who treated US with kindness, and t
FINISHED Us with money ont Of his {
'wn pocket. He respected US as
prisoners Of war, and | lament that
cannot recall ibis name. He was |
he only officer who seemed to regard {
Is as human.beings during the whole of i
'ur long march. The foreigners also 1
Zacataces, raised a con. /;
ribution for US, which gave US a tenn.
oorary relief. h
After we were taken prisoners, we
earn that Roland, Rosenberg and
the guides we took with US
~