The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-06-16
ROMANCE OF REALITY.
CAPT. sAMUEE. Ill. WALKER.

This officer is one of those rare spirits
which state of war will bring out from
our citizen soldiers. His late unequalIhd
conflict with the Mexicans, in which he
lost nearly every man under his COM
mand, and his daring heroism i'll cutting
his way to Gen. Taylor's camp, have
excited In the public mind strong desire
to know more of him. He is the same
gentleman so frequently and honorably
spoken of in Gen. Green's Journal of the
Mier expedition. He is native OF
Washington City, from whence he went
into the Florida war, where in several
campaigns he distinguished himself by
his intrepid bravery. In 1872 he went
to Texas, and during the invasion of that
Republic by Gen. Woll, he was marked
for his bold and daring conduct. After
the Mexican General had retreated from
San Antonio, and when he lay upon the
Rio Houdo, Walker and Capt. McCul-
Tough crawled through his camp one night
and spied out his position. and the next
day, with the gallant Hays, led the attack
upon his rear guard. He then joined the
celebrated expedition against Mier, on the
morning Of that sanguinary battle, he
with three others-being the advance
scout of the Texans-was taken prisoner
and carried with his hands tied behind
! him to the head quarters of Gen. Ampu-
dia. The Mexican General questioned
him as TO the Texan lorces,& when Walk
er informed him that the Texans had
only thee hundred men, Ampudia POM
Pously replied:-"Does that audacious
handful of men persume to follow me INTO
this strong place and attack me -
YES" says Walker, snake yourself
content upon the subject, General-they
would follow YOU into -- and attack
YOU there" lie was, with his comrades,
then marched prisoner to the city OF
Mexico.
At Salado, with the lamented Capt.
Cameron and DIR. Bremen, he led the at
tack upon the guard, overPowered them,
and mgrched for Texas, when, after eat
ing up all their horses and mules, they
surrendered to the Mexican Generals
Mercer and Ortago. He was again
marched to SaIado, where, with his COM
rades, he was made to draw in the cele-
brated black bean lattery, and every tenth
man was shot. Those that remained oi
the Texans were marched to the Castle
of Perote and the city of Mexico. Here
while working on the streets in that city,
he was struckbya corporal forinot working
faster, when, with his spade, he knocked
down the corporal, which caused the
guards to beat him nearly to death. His
life was long time despaired of, and.
upon his recovery, he with two compan-
ions scaled the walls of his prison after
nightfall, and made his way to Texas,
over distance of more than thousand
miles. Before, however, they got out OF
the country, they were twice more i'm
prisoned, and each time effected their es-
cape. When he had reached Texas a.
gain, he joined Capt. Hays, who, with
fifteen others, armed with Colts revOlv-
ing pistols, fought 90 Camanches, and de-
feated them, leaving SO killed upon the
ground. Here Walker was run through
the body with a Comanche spear, and
his life again despaired of.
To such men Texas is indebted for her
emancipation from Mexico. Few as
they are, they have won her liberty, and
have miraculously maintained it ten years
against all the boasted power Of Mexico
II Globe.