The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
SANTA ANNA's CORK LEG.
An Old Texan Tells How He Aided in
It's Capture and Carried 1t or.

DaliaS NleA) News.
Dallas has the honor of claiming as one
of her citizens the Mexican war veteran
who at the battle of Cerro G0rdo, in 1877,
captured Santa Annals cork leg and came
near capturing the Napoleon of the West
himself The veteran is named NJ. ID.
Tenney. He is stationed here as a lecturer
for his church. He has lived for a number
of years in South Texas at Bay City, be-
tween Galveston and Houston.
With Mr.. Tinney is his Wife to whom he
alluded yesterday as the young lady with
whom L was corresponding when / was in
that campaign, and whom 1 afterward
won" Mr.. Tenney is nearly seventy eight
years Of age. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Tenney
are as hearty and as lively APPARENTLY as
young couple.
Mr.. Tenney was a member of the Fourth
Illinois Regiment, Col. +. G. Baker, and of
Company G, Capt. Ed Jones. He was with
General Scott, who landed at Vera Cruz
and marched and fought his way for two
hundred miles inland and unfurled the
stars and stripes over the palaces of the
Mexican capital. Mr.. Tenney thus de-
scribed the campaign during which he cap
tured the cork leg Of Santa Anna.
AFTER landing at Vera Cruz and reduc-
ing the defenses we went on to the interior
in the direction of the City of Mexico. the
objective point. We were stopped at Cerra
been fortified heavily by the Mexicans.
This is about fifty miles northwest of Vera
Cruz. The road led over and through the
hills. and the pass was guarded by the
ION the night of April Il, 1s47, it was de-
cided to make a road around the left of
the mountain. This was completed the next
morning. Then the charge began, some of
us going around, some charging up the
heights after the intrenched Mexicans.
ION the night of the 18th, ] and thirty
nine others Of my detachment got sepa-
rated from our comrades, and wandered
around, lost. Early in the morning we saw
a road through the trees and made for II.
Before we reached the open we saw a
large number Of Mexican soldiers. We
had come upon the national road TO the
City of Mexico, and had come in behind the
Mexican army.
Santa Anna was there in his carriage.
yer dollars. A regiment OF lancers and
some other troops were guarding this i'm
portant end of the army.
"Well, we forty men began to file out of
the chapparal, shooting as we went The
Mexicans thought the whole American
army had come upon them. They fled, TAX
ing path into the chapparal on the other
side of the road. Santa Anna was in the
midst Of his body-guard, and we did not SEQ
him. We ran out and captured the carriage
that he had just vacated. We found there
his cork leg. which he had taken off. so
that he could ride through the thick chap
paral on a mule which had been cut loose
from the carriage If we had been five
minutes earlier we would have caught
Santa Anna himself.
1--WE also found in his carriage the gen.
erals breakfast bottle of wine, some
cheese and cakes. The carriage resembled
the cabs we on the streets, but 1t was
much larger and rougher and more bungle-
some.
81 carried that leg my right shoulder
all the way to our next encampment. 1t
was sent back to Illinois, exhibited there.
in New York and I'm other places, and is
now in the museum in Illinois.
what we enjoyed most of all that morn
ing was the Mexicans breakfast, which
they were just preparing. 1t had been a
long time since we had had anything TO
eat, and we were dog tired from working
and from wandering in the woods. We ate
their black beans and their corn bread with
all the relish IN the world. Santa Anna
wine and cakes did not go far. you know.
the pass after the retreat of the Mexicans
not remember. His mustache was white
as snow, and he was very much excited.
All the boys swore that he was frothing at
the mouth when he rode through that pass
after the fleeing Mexlcans.
Some little while before the army
reached the City OF Mexico my time ex-
pired and / returned home. On the way
back through Cerro Gordo I went up on
the heights to look at the bodies OF the dead
Mexicans. / had always heard that they
ate so much pepper and the like that no
animal would touch their corpses. 1 went
up on the side of the hill. month had
passed. There they were. lying with their
faces down the slope, just they had
fallen when shot. The country was full of
jackals and other ravenous beasts, but L
never found q single body that had been
touched by an animal.