Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-03-07

and convent, and the rihemen suffered
severely. The ammunition soon be-
gan to fail In the convent. and Gen.
Rincon asked Santa Ana for supply,
and for re-enforcements. but was told
that 'all had been given that could
be, and he must defend himself to the
last extremity" Santa Ana did, how
ever. send the San Patricio men and
few others to the convent. as well as
a wagon load OF ammunition. OF which
the deserters made good use. but the
others could not use 1t on account OF
their muskets being OF small cal Der.
After nearly two hours of hard fight
ing. part of Worth's brigade worked
its way TO the rear of the tete-de-pont.
and carried IL at the point OF the pay
onet, Santa Ana thereupon He'd, ana
the guns In the battery were turned
against the convent. Up to this time
the deserters had been making terri
BILE havoc in the American ranks. Dur
now, with their retreat cut on. ana
their own guns turned against them,
the outlook began to grow dark. In
vain Rincon and Anaya rallied the
men for defense The rifiemen leaped
the stone wall, and hurled themselves
| fiercely upon the deserters. They were
driven into a stone corral which al
joined the convent building, and was
without doors or windows, save one
opening. Here they threw down their
arms and held up their hands In token
of surrender. But the rihemen were
not taking prisoners that day. Smith.
who had led the final charge. seeing
his men shooting down helpless pris-
oners boldly jumped down OF the wall
in front of them, and threw up his
arms.
Men" he shouted, "for Gods sake
stop. Are you going to lose all the
glory you have won? You are disgrace
ing yourselves forever. Save these
men for the gallows."
Well" says Israel, I'VE stopped
then, but If Smith had not interfered
we would have killed every one OF
them. Every man in the regiment
thought the world of Smith. He didn't
know what fear was. l saw him after
ward, at the storming OF the Belen
gate, standing up there, with grape
and gunshot flying all around him.
thick as hail, and he was not more
scared than If 1t had been hail"
This is the true story of the capture
of the San Patricio battalion at the
battle of Cherubusco. 1t might give
the story a more romantic coloring to
follow the lead of other writer's, and
represent the final act as bringing the
San Patricios and the Contra guer
rillas into deadly combat. But surely
he tale is romantic enough.
More than a hundred OF the San
Patricio men were made prisoners. In
Guiding Capt. Reilly. They were tried
; by court-martial and all who deserted
on or after the Sth day of May. 1916
fthe date of the battle OF Palo Alto)
were condemned to death. Those who
deserted before that time, 1t was
found, could not be executed, because
A state of war was not then In exist
! ence; nevertheless. ample punishment
vas melted out to them. A few were
: hardened because of their youth anC
, one because his son had remained
true to the flag, but so were hanged
Those condemned to death were as
i signed to the regiments from which
they had deserted and hanged by thei
: former comrades. The first lot of II
! was hanged at the town of San Angel
: on Sept g. 1S47, by the rifiemen. o.
u the following day four more wer'
{ hanged at Mixcoac, and the 18th, 81
more, at the same place. Those no
> hanged or pardoned were "whippe'
with so lashes each, the letter d. 70
: deserter being branded with a re-
$ hot iron upon the cheek, and then con
: demned to wear an iron yoke weighing
4 eight pounds, with three prongs, eacl
. about a foot in length. around tn
: neck; to be confined at hard labor II
: charge of the guard during the tim
the army should remain in Mexico, an
e then to have their heads shaved an
to be drummed out of the service.
: Those who were spared were ais
compelled to dig their comrades
: graves. Surely, war is -, what Ger
y Sherman called it.