Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1847-03-25
A THRILLING NARRATIVE.
ESCAPE rRonH naExIcANs.

The following highly interesting letter ffoH
Col J,Hs J. HApDIE, 81 the lsI Regiment ID
ncis veludleers, we copy from The Q Plea
iyuDe. Il contains a truly graphic account Of
ihe narrow and hsit- bre adsa' escaps 81 csPipin
D1siEL DRAKE HEERT from tie t;exicsn Army,
ahieh will be read with interests
CAMP SAN Jp.S DE- BgEsA ynrl, I
Fire miles from Sali!tO, .Nerieo, Jan. IS, 1897 IS
This evening. Capt Daniel Drake Hen
lryla Texan formerly Misr prisoner,
1ho escaped lfon The Mexic .ns. reaches
The camp, having made his escape from
he Mexican guard. beard bin. -narrsts
all the circumstances ofihe surrender aud
Of his escape 10 Gen. Wool.
|, For two weeks past. daily, accounts and
runors have been received BY The gene
rails ia command OF contemplated at.
lacks On SAlIlllo aud General Wool's
camp. b, a Mexican force which wasIe,
presented by some Of the Mexicans y
number 10 900 men E
Major Gaines and Captain Clay went
out on a Reconnaissance IRON Palomoss-T
On The 18Th Mai. Botland started With
forty officers and men, who were select
ed froHl The whole regiment On toe
Il9lh he reached Elca-nscion snd found
90 armed force there.s Maj GaineS and
HCaplain Clay joined him with lhirly-sevi
| len officers and men. selected from Colonel
lMarsha n, re gimento OF Kentucky cavalry.
On the 2lst they marched 80 niles 10
wards San Luis. bel found no Mexican
l,Iocps. The mex, day, the 22i, they re
llurned 10 EncsInscion, intending 10 con.
Time their march into camp.
/ 10 the meantime Information bad been
comm unicaied 10 Gen. Minon, who COM
msnded 5000 Mexican cavalry, stationed
one huhdfed miles below on the San Lu.
Il Road, Of The arrival o. Major. Borlsnd
and Games al Eucsrnseion He is rep
resented 10 be bold. erierprising othcer,
and be determined to make aiotce march
and cut them of. Tskisg all his cavalry
he pursued them. and o. the nigh, ofthe
224, BE- came up With them al Enearns,
cion. He had min ute informs ilanioi their
number, and position t:nm The Mexieans
[tssiding 10 tha. place. He quietly F'ailonN
ea bis whole force around the house
where our troops were encamPed, and
waited The dawn Of day.
The night Of the 22d was noa sisa-
greeable; il rained considerably, p very
unusnsl occurrence 81 this seasoc. cftbe
year 10 this parl Of Mexica-iht s.ind
blew furiously. mskiog il difficult ohesl
any sound al dls'ance--,he night wss
dark and 10 every way disagreesbls. Al
bou,l2 O'Clock one OF The sen.inelsin the
American camp gave notice thai he
Ithought he heard the sound Of srms jung
ling. The party was reused and men
sent oui 10 exam me They io0ne noib-
Ii1k aud co0cluded il Vas the neise Q, the
mules st work al the well in the ipschi.
Inery pumping water. Most 81 The party
lay Down 10 sleep again. bui macy KEEP
lasske. Captain Henry says IN die
no, 70 10 sleep after thai event. bul con
liauea Up dariag the remainder II ih'
night.
When day davned. 10 lhssr sutpriss
They found themselves sulouededsb y
large Mexican force. The very aatnbers Q
which they could MOI estimate. Tn
Mexiean troops were stationed nssril
1 bali nile ef in every direc'ions wher'
4 Il 3xs possible 10 move with horses On
1 lille band Immediately look measurts 4
pul themselves 10 posiefe q delsnce
deiermined 70 sell iheir lives e desfly .
4 possihle. 4 while Dag Wis SEMI from It.
Mexicsns 10 The Amefic1ns reqslfipl
Il hem 10 eurfen1er They were who'll