Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-03-06

From the Democratic Review for January.
CAPTAIN DAN HENRIE.
HIS ADVENTURES WITH THE WOLVES
Every body remembers the famous es-
cape of Capt. Dan Henrie at En- carnacion.
This reckless and daring ranger has proba
bly, passed through greater number of
perilous and singular adventures than any
other man Of the same age in the SERVICE
though one O. the most lighthearted NOR
tails that the warm sun ever smiled upon
Yet he has careless knack of getting into
the most desperate scrapes on every posi-
BILE occasion, and then of course, he fights
his way out again with the most dashng
galantry.
Mark you, DaE never got into scrapes
with his own people ; he was far too kindly
and. generous for that but he had hatred
for the "cussed yellow bellies" end 'cop-
per heads as he called the Mexicans and
In oians, which was refreshihgly orthodox
His hatred Of the Mexioans was amusing
ly bitter and contemptuous while you list
ened to him talk of them; but when this ha-
tired came to be expressed in action, it was
of the most savage and deadly character.-
At Encarnacion, when the little band found
themselves surrounded by the heavy masses
Of Minon's cavalry, the proposition: which,
we believe, originated with Cassius M.
Clay, was made to stand to their arms end
fghtit out with the Mexicans, to the last
gasp, in spite Of the disparity of NUMBERS
Lieutenant Dan, who was then guide: SEC
onded ths proposition warmly, and went a.
bout among the men, urging them Ito
stand up to the rack" as he called it, rep
resenting that they could hope for nothing
but bad faith resulting in cold booded mas
sacre if they surrendered to the Mexicars.
He reminded them OF GoliaG, and the Mer
surrender, and of his own experience IN the
last case. After showing, to his own sat
isfaction, that the resolution Of fighting
their way through was the only possible
chance of safety or honorable death left them
he concluded, with tne characteristic piece
of advice, 'shoot low, boys-shoot them
through their bellies, 60 that their groans
will frighten their comrades-onc grolner Is
worth half a dozen dummies J"
His perfect knowledge of the Mexican
character, as we'll as his mortal hatred Of
them, was fully displayed in his advice
1 Dan knew perfectly that there would be nj
chance for him, for he had already beer
recognized as one ofthe Mcr men by seve
raj Mexicans, whose faces he remembered
we'll the surrender, therefore, placed hin
in desperate prcdicamcnt. He knew
perfectly, that whatever faith they mi CHI
keep with other lr soners, they would keep
none with him, although his safety had been
provided for in un express stipulation of the
terms of surrender. have never seen the
mode of his escape correctly related yet,
that it is worth while to give it in bis owl
version. The Mexcans have a mortal ha
tired of the Mier prisoners, one and ali-bu
most particularly do they detest those o
from Perote. Dan had, unfortunately. no
only been prominent in both these affairs
but from the fact of speaking the languag
as well us q native, he had always acted a
an interpreter, and thus been put forwar
more conspicuously than any one ofthe othe
prisoners. Besides this, he had made him
self very notorious. too. as a ranger. AL
these causes combined 10 make his recog
milton general and sure at almost any poin
on the whole route to Mexico; and even if il
had not occurred Immediately, there was
no telling at what moment it might occur
and Of course, when his body might bt
made the target of their cowardly hate.
He saw those men who bad recognized
him whisper among themselves, and from
his knowledge of the Mexican character, fel,
sure that so soon as the commanding Off
GERS had retired and left them in charge o.
the guard, he would be shot from the ranks
1t fortunately occurred, that when they
:, were started, Minon and his staff was mo-
wing in the same direction down the lines
of the Mexican force. COL Gaines rode Q
very swift and beautiful mare. Dan rode
up to his side and whispered to him the dis
coveries he had made, his fears and his de-
termination. Gaines at once, with a gener.
Gus promptness, proposed that he shod' take
his mare to make the attempt upon, as hel
high blooded, mcttle would distance any
Mexican horse with ease. This was pre-
CT sely what Dan desired, and he eagerly
accepted the offer. The officers had moi
yet been deprived of their pistols, and the
holsters of Gaines remained on the saddle
The mare was very spirited and fiery, and
Dan silly reused up oil her mettle by touch
ing 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 O
pen their line occasionally. Dan kept il
up for some minutes so as to remove all sus
picon, and watched his chance. until he
saw the guard were beginning to come care
less, and regarded those unruly capers rath
er with amusement than otherwise. Their
seeing his way open as they moved s)owl,
through the equadrons of green-coated cav
airy, he suddnely refined up The mare in The
midst Of her capricolngs, and punging thu
spurs into her, she darted off like an arrow
loosed from the bow, v lille he stopped, lay
ing himself close along her side, after tn
manner of the Camanche Indians show
er Of balls was fred hurriedly after MIN
} but without effect, rs they all passed owe
him. The plain to the foot of the mour
tains was very narrow just here; and he ha
observed, before he made his break, tn,
they were opposite road which cam
down narrow valley. He made for tn
gap. running the gauntlet between sever
squadrons Of cavalry, before he reached j
shelter. Just AZ he was diving into it,
lwhirlcd in his saddle and anlidet the wits