Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-05-26
From the WoOkly Post"
CAPTAIN DAN HENRIE.
ny q. W. wEnnEN.

Every body remembers the famous es-
cape of Capt. Dan Henrie at Encarnacion.
This reckless and daring ranger probably
passed through greater number of peri
lous and singular adventures than any
other man of the same age in the service
Though one of the most light-hearted
mortals that the warm sun ever smiled
upon, yet he had a careless knack of get
ting into the most desperate scrapes on
every possible occasion, and then, of course
fought his way out again with the most
dashing gallantry,
Mark you, Dan never got into scrapes
with his own people; he was far too kind
ly and generous for that but had ha-
tired for the "cusSed yaller bellies" and
cooper heads" as he called the Me1i-
cans and Indians, which was refreshingly
orthodox. His hatred of the Mexicans
was amusingNy 'bitter and contemptuous
while you listened to him talk of them :;
but when this hatred came to be express
ed 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 Min
on's cavalry, the proposition, which, we
believe, originated with Cassius NJ Clay,
IL out with the. MeXicans, to the last gasp,
in spite of the disparity ofnumbers. Lieu
tenant Dan, who was then their guide,
seconded this proposition warmly, and
went about among the men, urging them
to "stand up to the rack" as he called it,
representing that they could hope for no.
thing but bad faith, resulting in cold bloc
ded massacre, if they surrendered to the
Me1icans, lie reminded them of Goliad.
and the Mcir surrender, and of his own
experience in the last case, After show
ing, to Lis own satisfaction, that the res
olution of lighting their way through was
the only possible chance of safety or hon
orablc death left them, he concluded, with
the characteristic piece of savage advice,
Shoot low, boys-shoot them through
their bellies, SO that their groaus will
frighten their comrades-one groaner is
worth half dozen dummies -
His perfect knowledge of the Mexican
character, as well as his mortal hated of
them, was fully displayed in this advice.
Dan knew perfectly we'll that there would
be no chance for him, for he had already
been recognized as one of the Meir men
by several Me1icanS, whose faces he re-
membcred well; the surrender therefore,
placed him in a desperate predicament
He knew, perfectly, that whatever faith
they might keep with other prisoners they
woulk keep none with him, although his
safety had been provided for i'll an express
stipulation Of tho terms of surrender
have never seen the mode of his escape
correctly related yet, 80 that it is worth
while to give il in his own version.
Tho MpyiTnuc l,uvn n r,nvtn1 botrn1 Of
the Mcr prisoners, one and all-but most
particularly do they detest those of them
who rose at the Sslado and escaped from
Perote. Dan had, unfortunately, not on
ly been prominent in these affairs, but
from the fact of speaking the language as
well as a native, he had always acted as
interpreter, and thus been put forward
more conspcuously than any one of the
other prisoners. Besides this, he had
previously made himself very notorious,
too, as Ranger All these causes combi-
ned to make his recognition general and
sure at almost any point on the whole
route 10 Mexico and if it had not occur
led 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 hate.
He saw those men who had recognised
him whispering among themselves, and
from his knowledge of the Mexican char
acter, felt sure that so soon AS the COM
mandiug officers had retired and left them
IN charge of the guard, he would be shot
from the ranks, 1t fortunately occurred,
S!a' when they were started, NIinion and
MS s'"ll was moving in the same direction
Noown tne lines Of the Mexican force.-
81 T'. ""''''S % Gooe very swift and beauti-
whispered to him the discoveries I Io SaJ I
made, his fears, and his determin III at;o,, ,'"N
Gaines at once, with generous rron,n, :
ness, proposed that he should take Ills
mare to make the attempt upon, as her
high blooded metal would distance any
Mexican horse with ease. This was pre-.
cisely what Dan desired, and he eagerly
accepted the Offer The officers had no
yet been deprived of their pistols, and the
holsters Of Gaines remained on the sad
die.
Ihe mare was very spirited and fiery
and Dan silly reused mp all her mettle by
touching her with the spur. She began
to pitch and plung. and throw out Iel
heels. This compelled the escort. or ra
ther guard, which rode ON either side ol
the prisoners, to open their line occasion
ally. Dan kept it up for some minutes,
60 as to remove all suspicion, and watched