San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-02-28
"reminiscences OF q Texas yeteran-..The
Santa Fe Expedition, etc.
BY O. ERHARD.
LvIII.

Following close upon the heels Of
this party of Americans, or but three
or four days later, came still another
caravan belonging to MIR. Samuel
McG Coffin, a native Of the United
States, at this time a merchant Of Chi
huahua, who was now on the way to
that city with more than forty wagons
heavily laden with goods. Mr.. Nc
Coffin sent us word through Mexi-
can, that he had an interview with
Armijo, who had granted him permis-
sion to visit us, but as he had not
brought written order to that effect
the old alcalde would not allow him
to approach within a hundred yards
of our prison house. BY the same
messenger we were informed that we
need not be under the least appre-
henson for our lives; and in addition
he brought the positive assurance
that I was shortly to be liberated, the
governor not having any charges
against me, and not wishing to de-
tain me after the termination of his
expedition against the party of Tex
ans now approaching under Gen. Nc
Leod- This was good news; too
good, as then Justly thought, to be
true, although at that time, I have
little doubt, Armijo intended to give
me my liberty, and-would have done
it had it not been for Lewis.
From McGoffin we received geI-
erous supply of coffee and tobacco,
luxuries more welcome than anything
he could have sent us. The old
alcalde furnished us regularly with
tortillas, atole, and occasionally with
and earthen pot of boiled mutton
but as we had saved our meney, we
had the means to purchase occasional
ly sheep, eggs, good bread, ard
any little necessaries we might wish
for; and now that we had coffee and
tobacco, and had no employment
save the dressing and cooking of our
meals, we Jared most sumptuously.
We contrived to manufacture excel
lent pipes of corn cobs; for stems
we were indebted to a amonkey faced
Mexican, named Juan Sandobal, who
brought us some branches from a
small bush growing upon the river
bank the pith OF which could be easily
extracted. This fellow Sandobal was
o regular loafer in and about our
premises, ready at any time to mend
our shoes, run on errands, wash our
handkerchiefs or play us rude air
on cracked mandolin of which he
was the proprietor, and all for ga con-
He invariably contrived
TO cheat us in every transaction we
had with with him, and we as invar-
iably made it point to tell him that
we considered him an arrant knave
yet the fellow had made one trip with
The traders to st. Louis, spoke some
half dozen words of English, and as
he had associated on the road with
Americans in the capacity Of servant,
made bold to call us his amigos, or
particular friends. There was no
such thing as getting rid of his i'm
portunitie s; hints he would not un-
derstand and kicks he appeared to
10 look upon as little innocent fanil
iarities between intimates.
Our principal cut-door agent when
bis time was not otherwise occupied,
was Tomas Bustemente, the same
person who purchased the sheep for
rs on the morning after our first ar
rival at San Miguel. Don Tomas,
rs we called him, was always bring
ng information of all the movements
1f Annlo, and was ready at any time
10 make up a story in case nothing
had occurred that might be of any in
terest 10 us For us he always man.
Tested the greatest friendship, and
md - be was q speciouE honest
seeming and opeD-cOuntenanced fel-
.ow, accommodating 10 q fault, and
With far more integrity than Sando-
bal even pretended 10, 10 him was al
rays intrusted our important c..
Missions. All our little Purcisz e.
Esre made by him; and VITA sneh
sz1p1loss eEsctness did be give