The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-02-21

Immediately fastened. All was uproar, and
confusion. Santa Anna could not be found
amongst the prisoners.
This was terrible disappointment for the
capture of the Mexican president had been
our principal object, and the victory we had
gained was comparatively unimportant if he
escaped. Indeed, the hope Of putting an
end to the war by his capture, had more than
any thing encouraged and stimulated US to
the unequal conflict.
The moment was critical one. Amongst
our men were some thirty or forty most des-
perate characters, who began handling their
knives, and casting looks upon the prisoners,
the meaning of which it was impossible TO
mistake. Selecting some of our trustiest
men, we stationed them as guard over the
captives, and, having thus assured the safety
of the latter, began questioning them as to
what Ind become of their general.
They had none of them seen Santa Anna
since the commencement Ofthe fight, and II
was clear that he must have made his escape
while we were getting over the breastworks.
He could not be very far off, and we Mt once
took measures to find him. A hundred men
were sent off with the prisoners to Harrisburg
and hundred others, capitally mounted on
horses found in the Mexican camp,started TO
scour the country i'll search of the fugitive
chief. accompanied the latter detachment Z.
We had been twelve hours in the saddle,
and had ridden over nearly hundred miles
of ground. We began to despair of finding
the game we were in quest OF, and were
thinking of abandoning the chase when az
distance of about seven miles from the camp,
one of our most experienced hunters discov-
cred the print of small and delicate boot up
on some soft ground leading 10 a marsh
Following this trail, il nj last led us to man
sunk up to his waist in the swamp and so
covered with mud and filth, as to be quite I'M
recognizable. We drew him from his hiding
place, half dead with cold and terror, and,
having washed the dirt from his face, we found
hun 10 be a man of about forty years of age,
with blue eyes, ola mild but crafty express
sion; Il narrow high forehead; long, thin
nose, rather heshy at the tip; projecting up,
per lip, and long chin. These features tailed
too exactly with the description we had had
of the Mexican president, for us to doubt that
our prisoner was Santa Anna himself.
The only thing thnt AT all tended to shake
this conviction, was the extraordinary pol
troonery of our new captive. He threw him
self on his knees, begging us, in the name of
God and all the saints, TO spare his life. Our
reiterated assurances and promises were in
sufficient Ia convince him of his being in per-
feet safety or TO induce him TO adopt de-
meanor more consistent with his dignity and
high station.
The events which succeeded this fortunate
capture are too we'll known to require more
than briefrecapitulation The same even
ing truce was agreed upon between Hous-
ton and Sauta Anna,the latter sending orders
To his different generals TO retire upon San
Antonio de BeXar, and other places in the di-
rccron of the Mexican frontier These or
ders, valueess as cmanating from prisoner,
most ofthe generals were weak or cowardly
enough Ia obey, an obedience for which they
were afterwards brought to trial by the McNi-
can congress. In few days, two-thirds OF
Texas was in our possession.
The news Ofthesc successes brought crowds
of volunteers to our standard. In three weeks
we had an army ofseveral thousand men,with
which we advanced against the Mexicans.-
There was no more fighting, however,for our
antagonists had had enough, and allowed
themselves to be driven from one position 10
another, till, in a months time, there was not
one of them left in the country.
The Struggle was over and, Texas was
Free!