The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-04-18

s
and convent. and the riaemen suffered
severely The ammunition soon be-
gan to fall In The convent. and Gen.
Rincon asked santa Ana for a supply.
and for re-enfoFcements. but was told
that aall bad been given that could
be, and he must defend himself to the
last extremity Santa Ana did, how.
ever. send the San Patrlcio 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 It On account Of
their muskets being Of small caliber.
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 1t at the point Of the bay
onet, Santa Ana thereupon fed. and
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. but
now, with their retreat cut OF, and
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
tiercely upon the deserters. They were
driven into stone corral which ad,
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 riflemen 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 hays won7 You are disgrace
ing yourssIves forever. Save these
men for tie galIows.D
"WeIl.s says Israel, eve stopped
then, but II 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. / 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 II it 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 more romantic coloring to
follow the lead cf other writer's. and
represent the final act as bringing the
San Patricios and the Contra guer-
rIllas into deadly combat. But surely
the tale is romantic enough.
More than a hundred OF the San
Patiici0 men were made prisoners. in
cluding Capt Reilly. They were tried
by court-martial and all who deserted
on or after the Sth day Of May, 1876
(the date Of the battle OF Palo Alto)
were condemned TO death. Those who
deserted before that time, 1t war
found. could not be executed. because
state Of war was not then in exist
ence: nevertheless, ample punishment
was meted out TO them. Al Few were
pardoned because OF their youth and
one because his son had remained
sple to the flag. but SO were hanged
lnose condemned to death were as
signed to the regiments from which
they had deserted and hanged by theIl
| former comrades. The first lot of II
was hanged at the town of San Angel
on Sept. .. 1s47. by the riflemen. Or
the following day four more were
hanged at Mixcoac, and the 18th. 81
more. at the same place. Those no
hanged or pardoned were "whippes
with so lashes each. the letter D. fol
deserter, being branded with a rex
hot Iron upon the cheek. and then con
demned to wear an iron yoke WEIGHING
eight pounds, with three prongs. eacl
about 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'
then to have their heads shaved an,
to be drummed out Of the service
Those who were spared we're ais
compelled to dig their comrades
graves. Surely war Is . what Gen
Sherman called 1t.