The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-03-26
From the New Orleans Picayu e.

me ioiIowlhS ictler from MAJOR john j
Gaines, written from San LUIS Potosi o,
| the lOlh ul,.. since which date lie major
with the other prisoners, has leli for ,h,
city Of Mexico. His friends viii rea,
ulIh Satisfaction the circumstances whcI
account for the surprise and surrender o
, the party, as well as the treatment The \
receive from the Mcxiruns:
SAY Lurs Porosr. (.Kceico,) :
February 10, lsi1. 5
wrote YOU from SalliIl0. informing
YOU III my movements up 10 about the
10Th inst. With he lLree companies
under my command. | was Stationed al,
lernately at Aqua Nutya end the Pass OF
Palomas, both cuiposts. For more than
one month after my arrival at Saltillo,
there were constant rumors OF Tie APP.
preach ot The enemy, aud the great ad.
Vantage they ha over us being in their
midst made my duties extremely ardu.
Gus. They had every means of know.
ing our precise condition from day 10 day.
whilst we found i, very difficult 10 fluid
oul anything concerning them. lexplo-
red the countrp in their direction b, day
and by night, and for abou, thirty days
never slep. with my clothes of, aud most
generally booted and spuued. On the
10Th of Janna,y left my camp at the
Palnmas Pass with Capt. G. Nj. Clay,
Lieut.. Davidson and thirty chosen men
taken equally from Milnm's, Penning-
tons and Gays companies, and travel.
led abou, eighty miles towards this place
on the PaIomas road, and finding no en-.
envy and hearing nothing Of him. bore
westward and passed the mountain into
the plain, through which the Aqua Nue.
va road passes, which struck between
the hacienda lnoa,Nacion and San SALIVA.
dor. At this Place J met with many
Mexicsns, who gave me the most posi-
live assurances that there was no Mex
can army in the neighborhood, and il
being late in the evening Of the third day
of my reconnaissance, and my men be-
ing very tired and hungry, determined
to 90 to the hacienda, about Ten miles
distant, and spend the night.
Al this place me, with Mai. Borland.
Of the Arkansas cavalry, with abou, forty
men, who had been there three days,
awaiting the arrival of an additional force,
to enable him to attack Detachment, OF
Il enemy, two hundred strong. then
said TO be at the town Of Salado. about
forty miles distant. Our united forces
we considered equal to the undertaking ;
and on the following evening. a little be.
fore night, we started on this enterprise.
After travelling about twelve miles we
met with some Mexlcans. who assured
US there were no Mexican soldiers at Sa.
Iado, and that the distance vas n, least
sxt, mile<. We had no guide. the nigh,
va, yeiy darn, and tremendous storm
was coming mp. These facts. together
"l.h tbr information given ~ uf lke non
"Xlsttur" If she I ,sny Ia the n.iatbor.
hood, determined Us to return to tie ha.
rlecda. Had We continued cur route
one or twp hours longer, we should have
met Gen. Mlnon with 5000 cavalry.
On the following morning we found
ourselves completely eucompassed by
Ibis force. and lIule after sunrise their
bugles sounded on all sides. which We
answered with our solitary bugle and
three cheers ,vice told. Their troops
approached On one side, and white nas
on another. We required their troops
In retire. previous 10 any conference,
which being complied with, the flag ap.
preached, and the result was, that in one
hour we wodld answer their admonilion
to surrender. We had &C men and 6 Of.
iicers, with about twenty rounds of am
munltion each--no water. no bread, no
meat. They said they had 1900 men
present, aud the demonstrations around
us left us but little room 10 doub, it's
truth substantially. The result of our
deliberations was, that we would hear a
proposition from them, in answer to
which they proposed TO send in an Off
Ger with equal rank with myself, willis,
| repaired to their camp. This being
done, | rode out, received Il propositions
Of The general, returned, and stated them
TO our officers, WHO agreed TO them -
again returned 10 the general, and about
ii o'clock We surrendered as prisoners
of WARTIME terms being that we were
entitled 10 the mist liberal and extended
privileges to which prisoners under any
circumstances are entitled.
Notwithstanding the great disp ri,y o.
numJers-about forty to one-our men
exhibited thirst for the fight truly as.
lonishing. lfihere was a single individ.
ual who felt the slightest disinclina,ion to
the conflict, ), could not be detected. and
many, very many, actually shed tears at
the necessity of surrender. To have
allowed them TO fgh, under the circum.
stances would have subjected them to in
evilable destruction, without rendering
ony valuable services to their country
Whatever may be thought Of this mis(or-
tune by our counlyymen, all we ask is,
that thew will be slow in passing CEN
sures until they can hear from us more