Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-03-18
The Fate Of Lieutenant Hichcy.


The Fate Of Lieutenant Eichey.
The Washington Union has a long letter
from Satillo, dated February !, and giving
q history of the unfortunate capture Of Major
Borlsnd's Party al Encsrnscoin. II also gives
'ul history OF Lieut.. R,chey's murder and
this we copy:-
Upon the 9th Of January certain despatch
es from Gen. Scott for Gen. Taylor arrived
at Monterey, and II was necessary they
shonld be forwarded at once. Il was not
then known whether Gen. Taylor was a,
Victoria, or Ind gone farther down toward
Tampico; but Col. Marshall volUnieered ed.
with one hundred Of his regiment. TO find the
general aud deliver the dispatches to him
wherever he might be-. Ills offer was accept
ed, and on that day he started Tor Victoria.
Upon the liih Of January, while upon the
roed, he received a note from Lieut.. Rlchey
requesting that he tCoL NJ. would halt al
Morelos, until he could come up with him I; al,
the same time stating that he had in his pos
session mail supposed to contain letters and
papers Of great importance, which were
Col. Marshall did halt ss AIR. Ricbey de
sired, and during The course Of the next day
he came up. having as an escort party OF
ten LIST dragoons. He delivered into Col.
,,larshall's care the mail, but never said q
word Of his having still IN his possession any
despait hes from Gen. Butler for Gen. Tsy.
lor, although he new Col. Marshall himself
was bearer OF very important ones from Gen.
Scott. Col. Marshall inquired 81 Mr.. Rchey
if he intended To proceed still farther onward
pr to return, and he replied lie would 90 on.
as his road was IN MatamOros company
being under orders for Tsmpico. for which
place it had started from SaltlIo. on tho 7h
rf January, and was then on the road TO Ga. =.
,nargo with General Worih's brigade. Mr..
Richey then travelled with Col. MARSHALL
comms nd Tor two days, living with him in his
tent. On their way from LInnrrs TO Villa
Grsnde. Captain Thomas i. Msrshsll's horse
gave out, aud the command was halted for q
while. Col. Marshall and Capt Marshall pro
cesding to a hacienda a few hundred yaros
from the road to purchase another.
While gong thI,her, Col. N. says, he saw
Mr.. Rchry taking his party around point,
Of chsppars, as be supposed TO have his
horses grazed but il afterward appeared tha,
instead Of stopping, he went directly on to
Villa Grnnde, 10 which place he had reason
to believe Col. NJ. Intended to march that
night. Col. VI. however, after having pro
cceded to within five miles of TIM, place, halt
ed and encamped. The next morning he
moved on. and. on entering the village, was
informed by the sergeant of Mr.. R,chey's
party that the lieutenant had been missing
ever since the night before. That when he
arrived at Villa Grande, he had stopped with
his men at the house of Mexican named
Antonio Sanchez, situated upon the Plaza of
the town, where he had announced that Col.
NJ. with his command would be up that night.
That after he had eaten his supper, he had
walked out with an Englshman named Nc.
Gill, and had not been heard from or seen
again.
Col. Marshall Immediately directed in.
quiries as TO the stopping place OF this man
McGill. and found it to have been IN n little
racdf or hut, in the suburbs Of the town, iull
halfa mile from the Ploza and upon inuuiring
Of the proprietor Of IL whore the Englishman
had gone, wos told he had left the night be
fore at l2 o'clock that, previous TO his going
away, he had expressed apprehensions for
his ssfeiy-seemed greatly sgi,a,ed, and in
Law, and upon the road 10 which Col. NJ. was
encamped, he had gone in an entirely differ.
ent direction toward Fresno. Col. Marshsll's
suspicious were at once aroused against Nc
Gill az being .in some way concerned with
the sudden disappearance Of Mr.. Richey,
particularly when he learned ,ba, an arriero
had informed one of his men that he had seen
McGil and another white man enter the
racai, together. from which he had not seen
them depart. although he had encamped near
by the whole night --
Col. NJ. now imagined that Mr.. Richey
must have been murdered, and that McG,ll
and the owner of the rdcoi were in some wsy
pariicipslors N causing his death and az the
means of getting the truth out of the latter,
he determined to hang hun up. This he did.
Before he was dead. however, he was taken
down and again questioned, but still denied
al know ledge Of what had become Of Mr.
RIchey--at the same time alleging he had
never evrn seen him. Col. NJ. then deter.
mined To take hun as o prisoner To Vlcioria.
in order that Gen. Taylor himself might de-
eide upon The csse. He nlso arrested tho
first slrade of Villa Grande. and took him
along likewise. tie told the second elcnde
that n upon HE return McGill was found. the
first should be released. Colonel Mr.. then
went on tie found General Taylor at Vic
ioris, Who. in o few days, returned 10 Monte.
rcy. when the general arrived AT Villa
Grsnde. he asccrtainrd that Mr.. Rlchpy had
been murdered ne Col. Msr-hsll had supposed
his body having been found at some dis
lance from the town.
hn American, named DR.. Thompson, resi-