Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-03-26

How goes it with the fight p he asked in a bro
ken voice.
We have conquered Bob. The enemy killed OF
taken Not man escaped
He paused little and then spoke again
Have done my duty! May hope'to be for.
givenr
The Alcade answered him in an agtated voice
He who forgaye the sinner on the cross, will
doubtless be merciful to you, Bob. His holy book
says There is more Joy over one sinner that re.
penteth than over ninety and nine Just men. Be oil
good hope, Bob the Almighty will surely be mer.
ciful to you =
Thank ye, squire, gasped Bob, you're a true
friend, friend in life and in death. Well, its
come at last said he, while happy and resigned
smile stole over his features. I've prayed for il
long enough. Thank God it's come at last
He gazed up to the Acalde with a kindly ex-
preston Of countenance. There was slight shud-
dering movement Of his whole rame-Bob was
dead.
The Alcalde remained kneeling for a short time
BY the side of the corpse, his lips moving in prayer
At last he rose to his feet
God desireth not the heart of the sinner but
rather he may turn from his wickedness and live,
said he in low and solemn tone. 4 had those
words in my mouth four years ago. when cut him
down from the branch of the old patriarch
-Four years ago cried l. Then you cut him
brought the news to US yesterday Of the vicinity of
the foe 7
1T was aud much more than that has he done
replied the Acalde no longer striving TO conceal
the tears that fell from his eyes. For four years
has he dragged on his wretched existence, weary Of
the world, and despised of all men. For four years
has he served u.s. lived, fought and spied for u.s.
without honor, reward, hope or consolu,on--wth-
out a single hour of tranquility, or wish for aught
Aaafh 10 HE
countrymen. Who shall say that this man was not
true patriot? God will surely be merciful to his
soul" said the Alcado after pause
4 trust he will, answered /, deeply affected.
We we're interrupted at this moment by message
from General Houston, to whom we Immediately
fastened All was uproar and confusion. Santa
Anna could not be found amongst the prisoners
This a terrible disappointment, for the cap
ture Of the Mexican president had been our prnci-
pal object and the victory we had gained was CON-
paratyely 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 a critical one. Amongst our
men were thirty or forty most desperate char
acters, who began handling their knives and cast
ing looks upon the prisoners, the meaning of which
it impossible to mistake Selecting some Of
our trustes men, we stationed them as guard over
the capyes, and, having thus assured the safety Of
the latter, began questioning them TO what had
become Of their general.
They had none of them seen Santa Anna since
the commencement of the fight, and il 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 at once took measures to find him.
A hundred men were sent off with the prisoners to
Harrisburg, and hundred others, capitay mount.
ed on horses found in the Mexican camp started to
scour the country in search Of the fugitive chief
/ accompanied the latter detachment
We had been twelve hours in the saddle and had
ridden over nearly hundred miles OF ground. We
began 10 despair Of finding the game we were in
quest Of, and were thinking of abandoning the
chase, when at a distance OF about seven miles from
the camp, one of our most experienced hunters dis
covered the print Of a small and delicate boot upon
some soft ground leading to marsh Following
this trail, il at last led to man sunk up to his
waist in the swamp, and so covered with mud and
filth, as TO be quite unacceptable. Wedrew him
from his hiding place, hafdead with cold and ter
ror and, having washed the dirt from his face, we
found him to be a man of about forty years of age,
with blue eyes, Of a mild but crafty expression a
narrow high forehead; long, thin nose, rather heshy
at the tip; projecting upper lip, and long chin
These features tailed too exactly with the descrip-
ton we had had Of the Mexican president for US TO
doubt that our prisoner was Santa Anna himself
The only thing that at all tended TO shake this
conviction was the extraordinary poltroonery Of
our new captive He threw himself upon his knees
begging US, in the name Of God and all the saints to
spare his life Our reiterated assurances and prom
ises were insufficient to convince him OF his being
in perfect safety, or to induce him TO adopt de.
meanor more consistent with his dignity and high
station
The events which succeeded this fortunate cap
ture too well known to require more than brief
recapitulation The same evening truce was a.
greed upon between Houston and Santa Anna, the
latter sending orders to his different generals to re-
tire upon San Antonio de Bexar, and other places
in the direction Of the Mexican frontier. These
orders, valueess emanating from prisoner,
most of the generals were weak or cowardly enough
to obey, an obedience for which they were after
wards brought to trial by the Mexican congress-
In few days, two-thirds of Texas was in our pos
session.
The news of these successes brought crowds Of
volunteers TO our standard. In three weeks we had
an army of several thousand men, with which we
advanced against the Mexcans. There was no
more fighting, however, for our antagonists had had
enough, and allowed themselves to be driven from
position to another, TILL in months time, there
was not one of them left in the country.
The Struggle was over, and Texas was Free
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