Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-02-01
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From The Democratic ReUie,O for Jan. I849.
Captain Dan Benrie,
HIS ADVENTURE WITH THE WOLVES

nerilous and singular adventures than any
ntber man of the same age in the service
thouoh one of the most lght-hearted mof-
tails that the warm sun ever smiled upon
Yet he has careless knack OF getting In
to the most desperate scrapes on every pos
sibIe occasion, and then, of course, he
fights his way out with the most dashlng
galIantry.
Mark you, Dan never got into scrapes
with his own people; he was far to kind
and generous for that; but he had hatred
for the " cussed yellow bellies" and coop
per heads" as he called the Mexicans and
Indians, which was refreshingly orthodox,
His hatred of the Mexicans was amusingly
bitter and contemptuous while you listened
to hear him talk of them; but when his
hatred came to be expressed in action, 1t
was of the most savage and deadly charac-
ter At Encarnacion, when the little band
found themselves surrounded by the heavy
masses of Minon's cavalry, the proposition,
which, we believe, originated with Casslus
M. CLAY, was made to stand to their arms
and fight it out with the Mexicans, to the
last gasp, in spite of the disparity of num-
bers. Lieutenant Dan, who was then guide,
seconded this proposition warmly, and went
about among the men, urging them " to
stand up to the rack" as he called it, rep
resenting that they could hope for nothing,
but bad faith resulting in cold'blooded mas
sacre if they surrendered to the Mexcans
He reminded them of Goliad, and the Melr
surrender, and of his own experience in
the last case. After showing, to his own
satisfaction, that the resolution Of fighting
their way through was the only possible
chance of safety or honorable death left
them, he concluded, with the Characteristic
piece of savage advice, 4" shoot low, boys
shoot them through their bellies, SO that
their groans will brighten their comrades
one groaner is worth half dozen dunn
mics p
His perfect knowledge of the Mexican
character, as well as his mortal hatred of
them, was fully displayed in his advice
Dan knew perfectly that there would be no
chance for him, for he had already been
recognized as one of the Meir men by sew
eral Mexicans, whose faces he remembered
well the surrender, therefore placed him
in a desperate predcament lie knew,
perfectly, that whatever faith he might keep
with other prisoners, they would keep none
with him, although his safety had been pro.
vided for in an express stipulation of the
terms of surrender. have never seen the
mode Of his escape correctly related yet, so
that it is worth while to give it in his own
version The Mexicans have mortal ha.
tired Of the Mer prisoners, oDo and all
but most particularly do they detest those
of them who rose at the Salado and escaped
from Perote. Dan had, unfortunately, not
only been prominent in both these affairs,
but from the fact Of speaking the language
as we'll as native, he had always acted as
interpreter, and thus been put forward more
Conspicuously than any one of the other
prisoners. Besides this, he had made him;
self very uoLOTto"n, TOO, Ms tdil9et' All
these causes combined to make his recog-
milton general and sure at almost any point
on the whole route to Mexico; and even if
it had not occurred Immediately, there was
no telling at what moment it might occur,
and of course, when his body might be
made the target of their cowardly fate.
He saw those men who had recognized
him whispering among themselves, and from
his knowledge Of the Mexican character,
felt sure that so soon as the commanding
officers had retired aud left them in charge
Of the guard he would be shot from the
ranks. 1t fortunately occurred, that when
they were started, Minion and his staff was
moving in the same direction down the
lines Of the Mexican force. Col. Gaines
rode very swift and beautiful mare. Dan
rode up to his side and whispered TO him
the discoveries he had made his fears, and
his determination. Gaines at once, with a
generous promptness, proposed that he
should take his mare to make the attempt
upon, as her high-blooded mettle would dis
lance any Mexican horse with ease. This
was what Dan precisely desired, and he ca
gerly accepted the offer. The officers had
3 not yet been deprived OF their pistols, and
the holsters of Gaines remained on the sad
die. The mare was very spirited and fiery,
and Dan silly reused up all her mettle by
touching her with the spur She began to
pitch and plunge, and throw out her heels.
This compelled the escort, or rather guard,
which rode on either side of the prisoners
to open their line occasionally. Dan kept
it no for some minutes so as to remove all
suspicion, and watched his chance, until he
saw the guard were beginning to become
careless, and regard those unruy capers
rather with amusement than Otherwise
Then seeing his way open as they moved
slowly through the squadrons of green
coated cavalry, he suddenly rained up the
mare in the midst of her caprolicings, and
plunging the spurs into her, she darted off
like an arrow Ioosened from the bow, while
he stopped, laying himself close along her
side, after the manner of the Camache In
dans-a shower Of balls was fired hurried
ly after him. The plain to the foot of the
mountain was very narrow just here; and
he had observed, before he made his break,
that they were opposite road which came
down narrow valley. lie made for this
gap, running the gauntlets between several
squadrons of cavalry, before he reached its
shelter. Just as he was driving into 1t, he
whirled in his saddle, and amidst the whist
ling of balls, shook his clenched hand at
them, and shouted back his defiance. This
sudden escape caused great uproar and con.
fusion among the Mexicans, and several
hundred men started at full speed in the
pursuit; but the gallant mare soon left
them all far enough behind and she clat'
tered with sparkling hoofs along the deep
ravine. Before the first two miles had been
passed, they were out of sight i'll the rear.
The valley-road, which he had taken at hap
hazard, without the slightest idea where it