Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-01-26

inil NHa NAlll'N hA tNNilH Ut HNNNN. NNS WN /"
I Near 'ie summit of one Of these elevations,
suddenly rose q sinrulaF wind, which gelheI
. ing in lbs invisible arms tie broLen iiu,s oi
trees aud the dry leaves Of the preceding
yeaf, came rushing down the slopinP hill, and
/ in gldly Whi'ls Gnl pyr tons, crossed lhe
roal ony a shod distance IA advance Of our
parry As Tins siwure freak ol nature trans
pigrd under serene SKY, when ell around
vas calm, and as "a similar cyh'bilnn again
arcercd ug on the evening prior to our erriral
I ~ the NJ rrc where ite Er.ye rud inmrutod
Cameron was murdered, I, made an impres.
sion on the memory o. IL prisoners which az
/ ter years can never eradicate.
/ Scarcely he'd we passed the trag. Of The
lwhirlwird before wide trench, surrounded by
mounds of c0F'h lCu'y rhroNn up, rivetod
our gnze. Contemplating the srcoc for n mo.
/ ucu., ht wfiIrf rymurkcd io hlS com ndcs;
"Tlat looks awluv like M endorsement Of
the comp gossip concerning oar approaching
marN mnm."
: "Ycs" replied the irpurlrss Ryoa, in
crrcr' one, "it ha- Aa.il,llr ,bc appramnce
OF grave arrangements ;or our psi.Ws;itm
repos,. But these lu'char' ATE, at oI. evauls,
corsilrm'r in one 'hioc From the d'm"n'
sions OF the ucuth. thcy seem determined not
70 separate rs N dgu,b, whatever trluTes they
maY iuGict upon cur bodies while living
when we reached the ranch Salsdo, il was
abnu four o'clock ir the afternoon, Here for
our additional security, nnr guard WAS greatly
augmented By fresh troops from TOmpico who,
~ account Of thor supposed bravery, were re-
aardad ns the flower of the Mexican army
Their caps were adorned with red bands, and
with rlumes Of the same tiashv color, f,om
which th6y derived the appraton Of Rcd
Caps" Between the open Ilics and brStIng
bnycncts Of these stern warriors, we were uSh-
cred through the stone court yard into the
walled apartment on the left. But a short
time now elapsed before we were honored by
the ent,nnce of party Of officers, who, nn-
lpxpcclrdlv and without ceremony, made their
Iarproarh. At this uncture the surrounding
wills were alive with armed sentinels, fierce'y
looking down upon MS, and scanning our eve
rs move with intense interest. In front OF the
entrance door the "Red Caps" had been post.
cd in imposinp and formidable array The
curtain WAS evidently on the eve of being lift
ed to unfold some Grand and astounding dra!,
ma. The anxious couHtenancrs Of the soIdic-
nv, and the measured stride and rnrtnnhous
looks of tho grim oisaged offirers, all c9abin-
ed to dcepcn the feeling Of awe already pre-
vaiIing ench beating heart. Gould we have
/ forseen th threatened dagger 10 grappie with
ii face to face as the soldier with his foenan
/ in the din, or battle. there was pot W4g
among the cnptive thrnng that would not hav1
/ met the crisis, whatever it might forbade, with.
the,upratcring intrepidty inseparabe from the
character Of free-born American cttlzen.-
Bot this horrible suspense was not destined 10
be Of long duration
An enaule'ted funct,onayy, with roll Of
parchment in his hand, ordered our officers to
form. When we got into line in front Of the
men. Jas. d Cooke, one Of Virenia's most
chvaIrous sons. though believing we werAt
lnIrSsSasa for sacrifice, insisted upon the priv
lege of assaS17i.sss With MS the post of danger
tween him and the bFdT7g7>s l--Ia--.o., -..-, wn2
had eve, been affectianateiy sohci'ors "F M,
lives and safety of those nndcr his comnop'i,
occurred the following brief cooquy:
.Mojor Cooke, stay where you are" sn'd
Cameron, his firm and manly voice giving
I force and dignity to ne injunction.
81 am an officer" replied Cooke, ''ant my
rank entities me TO form with you. insist
upon my privilege" :,
4
Of prisoners, and lconim nd you to remain
where you are )" observed Cameron, de'ermn-
ed, if possible, to shield one Of his comrades
from the impending slaughter apparently
awaiting the assembled coterie of officers
Now, amid the most death-like sti lness; the
tominous parchment was unroled, The ohcef
sowly and with deliberate emphasis, readsns
/ lis contents, and pausing at every pa pgraph
to enable the interpreters, John Bnnhan and
/ Alfred Thurman, TO translate to The baiance OF
! the men its fearful import. The oftirial dorn-
Imrnt, amoug other things. ated that the 81.
prems government in q spirit Of great mag
,,aa,mitg, had chaeeed the original order, re-
qulrng the death of all the prisoners into oae
demanding the execution Of every tenth meo.
The individuals vho Were to suffer the est re'ue
penalty Of justice for the recent outrage cor.
united at ,ie Salado, were TO he determined
BY means Of lottery, ibirly conducted, under
the superihtandence OF the Mexican otii>rs
appointed Tor the purpose. So reed the iala-
nous State paper.
The lottery, as the Internal scheme for the
selecting of human victims was termed. was
arraneed in the following manner: A hundred
and seventy-six leans, seventeen black and
the balance white, were deposited in a. a.crock,
so covered with a silk hand!t rchief as to con-
cpal the beans. This vessel, sopregnant with
the issues of life and death, stood on low
wall about breast high, which separated the
prisoners from the Mexican officers, and be.
| hind which the latter were assembled to wit
ness and direct the progress Of the most i'm
portnnt raffie that mortal eyes ever behed--
The black bean, to The unfortunate drawer, fore
boded the "sleep that knows no waking;" the
white, exemption from such fate. For the
I purpose, however, Of sacrificing as many Of
the officers ns possible, the latter were placed
at the bottom Of the crock orura, while .ne
former-the black beans-wers permiued &c
remain on top, uaiil the otiieeTs had drawn