Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-10-19

morning he arrived at point near Her
mani, which he knew to be occupied by
an officer and twelve men. These he
carefully reconnoitered, and, perceiying
they were not very yigilant, he boldly
approached them, answered their chal-
lenge, and accosted the officer, whom he
told that he was escorting two criminals
to Carlist fort near the French IRON
tier, and that he had orders to shoot
them if they spoke to any one by the
way. The officer listened unsuspicious-
ly to the tale, and was in the act Of of
fering his interlocutor a dram, when he
suddenly found himself disarmed and a
prisoner. At the same time Elorrio's
men placing themselves between the
soldiers and their piled arms, resistance
became impossible, and the whole picket
were captured, bound and led away
Even the advanced sentries were taken,
under pretence of relieving them. At
daylight. Elorrio entered St. Sebastian,
and few days after he got back his
sister in exchange for the Alcade's wife,
the unlucky husband remaining in
durance vile.
At different periods of the war Flor
rio surprised and carried off every Car
list outpost around st. Sebastian, and
Hermann. His disguises were innumer-
able and most ingenious. The picket
between Urnieta and Hermann he cap
tured by dressing himself and men as
charcoal burners, concealing their short
fuzees between the sacks upon their
iackasses, and thus succeeded in his ia
vorite maneuvre of getting between
the men and their muskets. The
aduanerous, or custom-house officers,
on the causeway of the marsh in front
of Lugariz he surprised by Disgusting
himself and the youngest of his band
as market-women returning from st.
Sebastian. The Carlists stopped them
to demand toll, but were instantly col
Jared, disarmed and carried off. In
May, 1888, he took score of Chapel
churris, or White Caps Ia crack Carlist
regiment so called, in the following
manner: Starting as usual, after dark,
at midnight he arrived at some fortified
iron works about two leagues from Her
mani. On the bridge, he in person, sur
prised sentry, from whom he learned
the force of the garrison; then leaving
an officer who had accompanied him at
some distance in the rear, with whole
company of Chapelgorris, he himself,
with ten or twelve men, attacked the
building, firing at the windows, and ut
tered loud cries. The Carlists, recover
ing from their first panic, and fancying
they were attacked by very small
party, opened the gates and charged
fiercely out. Elorrio and his men had
to run for their lives from the enemy,
having recognized him were ardent in
pursuit of their old and implacable per-
secutor. Having led them on far
enough, the fugitives halted and faced
about. At the same moment the COM
pany of Chapelgorris poured deadly
volley from their ambuscade, and then
rushing on with the bayonet slew or
captured the survivors.
Elorrio's band consisted of twelve
men, increased when required by a
draft from the Chapelgorri. They were
all Basques, very young fellows, won
derfully active, courageous and en-
during, and selected by himself on ac-
count of their knowledge of the coun-
try and distinguished valor. Exempt
from all duty except these wild and
hazardous expeditions, they were con-
stantly to be seen lounging about the
wine shops of St. Sebastian, their great
coats swung from their shoulders, their
cigars between their teeth. They re-
ceived ten dollars for every Carlist
soldier brought in alive, and proper
tionate higher sum for officers, accord
ing to rank. Their leader always kept
his plans profound secret, which main
ly contributed to the great success of
his enterprises. He was repeatedly Of
fered commission, but invariable de-
clined a promotion that would oblige
him to exchange his favorite fuzee for
the less useful sword. AT last he ac-
cepted the breyet rank of ensign, enti-
Ting him to officers uniform without de-
priving him of his customary imple-
ment of warfare. And with this hum
bic rank and small means he managed
to keep the enemy's outposts in a state
of constant alarm, every now and then
striking a blow where least expected,
and doing more real service to the
cause than many pompous Spanish
field-oficer and embroidered aid-de-
camp. The war over, he sank into his
original insigni6cance, and, at the period
at which l saw him, was living con-
tented Basque yeoman, on the produce
of his apple orchard and patch of maize,
in daily and amiable intercourse with
the very men whom he for years had re-
lentlessly and bloodily prosecuted.
N The following lines are supposed
to have been written by young lady Of
remarkable taste and judgment:
/ love the man sincere at heart;
l love the man who takes his part;
! love the man who will be free;
/ I - Al