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Miscellany

Miscellany image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
September
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Sun ofAnahuac publishes ïhe following letler from Lieut. Whipple.givng au account of his capture and tretmert as a prisoner: Quatepec, July 19, 1847. Dear Sir:- I have been a prisoner at lis place Uva days, nnd have the honor to report myself as a live man. I ara credibly informed ihat my frind, private Barnes, escnped with life. The paiticulars of thecapture were as fullows : Induced by the lively description of Mr. Barnes, [ visited ■ Catholic buryingground oulside the city walls of Vera Cruz. It proved faither thnn I anticipated, bul as muiy pèople ere on every side of me, I neer tiiought of danger, though Barnes was wholly unarmeci, nut having even a lick, and myself was without pistols, eilher in my holsters or about my person, and armed with my word onl-, wbioh, under any tolerable advnntages, would be ril! a soldier! migl.t ask. We dismounted anci hitched our horsesnear the gnte and fnlered the yard, which is surrounded by a very high brick wall. llere 1 leisurely obered thenovelties ofthsfiist Cntholic burial piare I liad ever teen; and as we c:mie ïlirougli a small gate we were surprised by t!n- e men on horseback, ' wiihin tweiuy Peet, riding loward us with camines presenled and demanding meto urrender. At first I could not believe these men to be in earnost, a subject on vvhich I soon saw tliey enterlained no doubt, for seoing me plant rny back ogainst the wall and draw my sword,t!ey dismounted, Minde a flourisli wit!) tbeir carbines, repeatiug their drmand of surrender. I advanceJ townrd thein one or tw o paces toget stnking dilrince, when tliey ol! drew tlieir swonls and made toward me - one of thein a Mexican captain I have Miicelearned, José Mar a Prieto, mnde a sirong blow nt my fiead; ju.st as they drew and advanced my l'riond Barnes, not having a single wcapón, turned the gate nnd I saw no more ofhirn. 1 fortunately broke the forca of the blow by a parry, not, however, n senson to preven ti.e ca)iain's blade making such a striking impression on my sfcifU as neiirly to stun me,, but Bot sufficiont owng, as I iliinlc, to the dullness of bis blade and my cloth cap, to inflict a g.-islu Of course 1 reciprocated his atlenlion ly a strong cut at his nrck, when he and ihe other two soldiers wfio had been kept back by the swing of my blade sprun back about five paces lVoin me, threw their swords upon the ground nnd dve up their carbinep.which ihey had retaine in their left hands, aimed deliberately n my head, all cocked, and ngain demonded asurrender. I then stood with my back to the wall and the three men on the other threa sides all beyond my rench and so far irom each oiher as to give me no chance to strike r,t them or iheir weapons. I then asked them what they wantod, in ordor to ain time, afiecting not to know whether they wanted my money or inyself. They soon seeined aware of mv inten't, and although from the beginning it vvs obviousthey wished to avoid discharging their pieces so near tlie cily, I saw unmistakable signs that the time ot parley was closed. (Jnable to reach my horse or fcttack them, I surrendered to the captain and the ihree bringing my nrms behind me and tefcing the end of the ropo wiih which they had tiedmy hands, one of them mounled my horse and putting me on n mustang rode off at full speed. Farther particulars of my journey I shall wrile liereafler. I arrived wiihin ten miles of tlu's place late at night- slept a short time in as good lodging as any body- on the pieinises of a few scnttering rancheros; rose and got here about seven in the morning. From the tirno of my capture I was honorably treated by tho captain as a piisonerofwar. Afier crossing a deep river he locised my arms nnd we weul on. - Strange lo say, wiih that perversity of character which never fails me, I rode on through ihe deep forests, the sequestered palhs abounding in new and beaulifu! flowersand vines, nnd all tliat my'heart ever conceived of lovelines in Nature, so lost in ndmiration of the unsurpassnble glories of the way as to feel almost forgetfui that I was bound, and wholly cereless about the result of my novel situation. Some ñiint description ofthis Iruly lovely route you shall have hereafier. Now a few woids ofmy treatment - In me, olí that has been said of Mexican cruehy hns been wholly fnlsified. I was placed in the house of the Signora Augus-'na Fernando. She has treated me wilh more than hospitalily. I have rec-eived at her hands the kindness and tendernessof a molher. To-night I cannot devote time to particular, but I earriestly desire ail may know lier kindness to nn American prisoner. But tliis is only a beginning. You will be asttmished to hear that nll the inliabilants of this village have extended toward me more tlian the elegant civilties of refined life - they have received me cordially at their houses - they have given mo assistance wilh a delicacy and propriety which no American community can excel, for insiance, llie signora caused me to befurnished with a clean linen shirt, and had all my dirty clothes (thanks to life in camp) washed. The Calhoüc padre, Manuellde Silvir, furnished me every comfort, and crovvned al! hi-s nttention to me by comrnunicaling in Lntin thatmv friend Barnes had been heard from and was alive. He walleed .vith me arm and arm about the vülnge, visiling the alcalde, a mos! evolent and kind hearted man, and the principal places in the town, and Iris church among ethers, and gave me money and clothes to dress as a cilizen, and save me the mortilication of going to Cordova in Amsrican uniform ; at liis own suggestion. He lias done me thc kindness lo propose to carry, cause this leder to be sent tj Vera Cruz, and in everytliing has been truly a f-iend and n Chrislian- God grant his esnple may be imitated by all clereymen. By means of the Latin,! could learn and communiente most ihat I could ba made to understandjfor no one understood Enghél. Casio Fernando, a citizen here, be stovvedon me every atlention, and gave me money with a delicacy so exquisita os mnko i! impossible lo decline witli g-ace tliough of course I did so. Others made me similar presents, nnd.one young geni tleman, Joso Maria Villegas, of talent and excellent heart, see i,ed to exhaust hs ingenuity i0 make ma happj'. As to comfort, I assure you it never in my I i fe was more consulted by my most miníate frionds. From some reason all wlio approach me, particular}? ot the wliite or Sjxinish blood, iestow upon me more favorsthanl can name, and in a tnanner which I cannot refne. For instance, the young man above named, since I commenced writing this, carne as 1 sat at my table and lianded me a dollar. Of cotirso I declined. He gently put lus arm around iiy herid, clasped it to his bosoin la a manner so tender and a countenance so full of entreaty, that tosay a word more would have been sheer brutality. Another young man veay coolly carne in since I commenced writing and laid Ihroe dollars down on the talile, willi a sort of business air, and when 1 begnn to decline, seemed so lied to be oífended that I said no more. This genileman s called Estevo Ponsy Camp. There are lwo benuiiful and íntei-esting young Iadies who have honored me with every attenlion tliat my situalion requhed. ín short, I cannot describe to you ttie generous tieatment I have reeeived al ihe liunds of this peoplo- never sirnll 1 forget thetn- I would go from Vera Cruz lo visit the lady Signorn Fernando fpr her kindness lo me- God bless her and household, is my fervent ejaculaiion - but it is late and I must close. Let this account of the kindness I have reeeived be publishcd in juslice to ihe Mexicana theniselves, nnd that f our arms are ever turned upon this place, those 1 have nained and all the inhabitants mny be reinembered n mercy. My health s first rate. To-morrovv evening at 4 o'clock I start for Cordova. Tlie Señora sends one of lier tervants to see me well there, and Maiianna Fuster, a fine young Caslillian, has kindly voluneeied to accompanv me ; so you see 1 m kiniily tieated in more waysthan I cun describe. 1 am informed Ighall be kindly Ireated at Cordova as prisoner of war, and exchanged in due time. I am your most ob'dt kertaof, Jït Lt. Adj't, Oth.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News