The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-21
ELLIS P. BEAN, ADVENTURE
N AMERICAN WHO HELPED TO
MAXI MEXICO FREE
Started A. n Lad on n T~housand-NTle jour
ney on n Flntbont with n Single Com
panion-HIs Capture In Mexico, Long Inn
prisonment md AttNmpta TO Escape,

frontiersmen OF America whose life stories are
strange and full OF romance, Ellis P. Bean
!, though little known, stands easily among the
first. He was born In the closing year OF the
4 American Revolution OF thrifty parents at
( what Is now Bean Station. near Morrlstown.
East Tenn. There his father. In addition to a
) small farm. operated a successful distillery and
kept the well-known and popular inn ut the
station. Young Bean was reared in an
atmosphere calculated to develop all that
I there was OF the heroic in his COM
position. Here around the blazing FIRE
OF the inn he listened to the recital
by Nollachucky Jack sevior himself OF
the march of the 0verhill men to the defeat of
the gallant Ferguson at Kings Mountain, and
tho desperate conflict which. on that historic
field. turned the tide of war against the British.
Here Andrew Jackson. on his way from Hills
boro. N. O., to Nashville, Tenn. halted for a
week to refresh himself and his horse
and fortify both against the remaining 200
miles OF that wearisome journey, and in
good fell~owship-warmed by the generous
liquor Of the elder Beanie told the
story OF the Buford massacre down at old Wax
haw Church in South Carolina by the merciless
rough riders OF the brilliant but cruel Tarleton.
Here. too. came William G. c. Claiborne. suave
and elegant beyond the wont OF frontiersmen.
destined afterward to I'LL a space in the history
OF the Southwest little short OF Jackson's own.
wa ouSu buIIOuIlulukb pOSo uCNoiOp carry.
At seventeen Ellis was n man. equipped, much
as were the sons OF Rob Roy. for the stern battle
Of life before him. With the spirit Of his age
the desire to travel possessed him. but his
father objected on account of his youth. As a
compromise it was agreed that he and a single
companion-John Ward by name-should drift
down the Tennessee, the Ohio. and the Missis-
sippi ia matter Of only a thousand miles or sol.
upon a flatboaL loaded with -four and whiskey
| for Notnhn1 than - Gnoptah tor-n and Aha
southern limit OF. traffic upon the great river
accorded to the United States by Spain.
The boat went to pieces upon the Muscle
shoals in the Tennessee. and young Ward
turned back, while Bean pushed on with only
So in money and a small trunk. saved from the
wreck. At Natchez he fell in with Philip Nolan,
an adventurous Irish american, who for years
had conducted an Illicit trade with San An
tonic. and, under the cover Of q Spanish pass
port OF doubtful validity. was about to make
another venture. Provided with a horse by
relatives. Bean was easily persuaded to join
Nolan's party OF twenty-one, which. in the ear
ly part OF February, 1900. crossed the Father OF
Waters at Walnut Bluff and set out upon the
journey to the Southwest.
Well equipped and splendidly led for Nolan
was a fearless and experienced smugglerl, they
easily blufed one party Of fifty Spaniards sent
out from Washita to stop them. and turning to
WV oil lCkl Oh Nl-
til they crossed the Red River into Texas at
Old Caddo town. where Shreveport. La, now
stands. Thence turning due west they crossed
the Trinity River six days later and entered
the great prairie near the Painted Spring.
They were nine days in crossing this
prairie to the Brazos. where. finding game
in abundance. they erected a camp and
built pens to catch wild horses, which they
found literally in thousands. They had cap
| fnrad nbput 400 whnD ranaiyinO n Welt from
some Comanches. they went five days journey
to the north to see Chief icoroco. who enter
tanned them royalty for a month and sent an,
escort back to the BraZos with them. These
fellows stole eleven of their gentle horses upon
leaving: but the animals were recovered after
a nine days journey on foot and brought tri-
umphantly back to camp.
-Four days after their return the camp was at
tackled by n party OF $50 Spaniards sent out
from Chihuahua and guided by Indians from
Nachidoches. Nolan fell dead early In the bat
tie which followed. and the party was reduced
to eight fighting men. Bean, who succeeded to
the command. surrendered on condition OF
their being returned to Natchez. After a month
of dreary imprisonment at Nachidoches the I'M
fortunate prisoners. Of whom five were Mexi-
cans. were put in irons and sentto San Antonio.
where they were imprisoned for three months.
Thence they were sent to San Luis Potosi in
Central Mexico. whore they were imprisoned
for sixteen months. during which time Bean
and young Charles King of New York earned
enough to clothe themselves by mendinG shoes
in their prison. Orders being received for their
removal. they were carried to Saltillo. and
thence 400 miles on horseback, to- chihuahua.
Kings soldiers" after which, pending the rati-
hcatton OF the finding. their irons were re-
moved and they were allowed to have the free
Ram 1nIfnn that m alInuaDoa ~ n o,,a.4o. |
Of De@ dollar EFq a day y% Would ID do eli Ilttie mo re- t & h&nG feed
him. decided TO establish himself as a halter;
vanced him sufficient capital for the enterPrise.
employed two native iourneymen and sent out
soen H HeG9ir9 ID such Aon a tTSputSPt tG@f. that IN rs
buy, Of, any, one but Ell AmericGno. His
estalPIishmeWRti e., grew and Gof he employee many
a week he laid up money. and gaining the re-
speSct to q the exc eom1mpnnniIttEy was urged to marry
alluring, as the. prospect was he remained true
f1 dis aa aSte WITH fbIs e to return re- YIax to sa his native sH t
penny, OF his earnings 81 until at the end Of four
years he had several Thousand dollars.
had @di6s een fosw sRS GSfah Fst to to the ans city %fS1 81 %eTico
n1d = th en- Iitt to Mad Maddr ID from which place The
sa5iect Of dipiom psaH @ So 1%eSptSSPs ceG WIt6 tRs
government at Washington. Mr.. jefferson.
H TaR TSs n thf tRa P assG t0 jjS aERs@F FSt e }n hays t9q1d
2 the United States Government, Wearied by
Sne eoh 4 ue escyn,n Sea tbr deteEmiHned at Length to
Comanche country to the United States. and
leaving his shop in charge Of q foreman no
whore he bought, horses, arms and provisions
for himself and a fellow prisoner named
agreed to accompany him. A letter to House
informing him OF his readiness to depart and
hands of one Tony. Waters, another OF the pris-
oners Originally from Winchester. who. hop
over to the commandment. and poor Bean soon
found himself again in prison, and this time in
Of his companions, Joel Pearce Of North Caro-
lima, was brought into his cell. He had fallen
the presence OF . countryman. The tedium OF
solitary confinement was therefore relieved by
the mournful duties of ministering to the last
hours OF q fellow sufferer.
Three days before the death OF Pearce a char
acterlstic incident occurred. A gigantic Indian
murderer who was thrust into the cell had a