THE BOY C4PTIVE 
 
 OF THE TEXAS MIER 
 . EXPEDITION
 
 AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 
 ROBERT 
 
 ERNEST COWAN 

 
 ; 
 
 .
 
 Painting by Bock "I ve kept my promise
 
 TflEB01T(&PTIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 TEXAS 
 
 GOOCH-IW 
 
 I 
 
 BY 
 
 BERS 
 ART, 
 
 Author of 
 
 Face to Face With the Mexicans," "Christmas in Old Mexico, 
 and other Short Stories, Sketches and Essays 
 
 Revised, Reprinted and Republished by the Author 
 Illustrations by Bock
 
 Copyright, 1909, by 
 Mrs. Fanny Chambers Gooch Iglehart 
 
 PRESS OF 
 J. R. WOOD PRINTING CO.
 
 DEDICATION. 
 
 It has been my purpose herein to portray the dra 
 matic and picturesque story of the young Texas lad 
 who was the hero of the fated Mier Expedition. 
 That was a stern and stressful period, and one lit 
 by revolutionary fires, in which men, women and 
 children bore a part. It is, therefore, fitting that this 
 volume should be affectionately dedicated to the pio 
 neer mothers and fathers who early espoused the 
 cause of Texas independence, and through their supe 
 rior courage, energy and intelligence won the price 
 less treasure of this Great Southwestern Empire. 
 
 This book is affectionately inscribed to Mrs. Re 
 becca Gilleland Fisher, who, as a child of six years, 
 was rescued from the Indians by Albert /Sydney 
 Johnson as one who lived the life herein portrayed.
 
 PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 The stirring scenes and events as chronicled in 
 these pages were but the outcome of the border con 
 tiguity of the Latin and Anglo-Saxon races, and the 
 struggle of each for supremacy. No unnatural con 
 ditions existed, but Latin ownership and occupancy 
 of the coveted territory for several centuries, made 
 their aggression to them a matter of just and right 
 eous enterprise. The Anglo-Saxon, a newly consti 
 tuted power, claimed the right to overthrow the Latin 
 and take possession of his territory, and thus, moved 
 on the bitter feud and contention. What is known 
 in Texas as the Mier Expedition is only one of the 
 many bitter episodes forming a successful issue in the 
 possession of Texas. 
 
 In the preparation of the romantic and picturesque 
 life of John C. C. Hill, a boy of thirteen years of age, 
 he having been an integral part of the Mier Expedition, 
 it has become necessary to recount the mishaps and 
 misfortunes of the more tragic parts of this Expedi 
 tion- In doing so, the author has had no desire 
 whatever to arouse a feeling of bitterness or antago 
 nisms upon the part of either the Mexicans or the 
 Texans, for her sympathies have been deeply enlisted 
 upon each side of the question. The wrongs and 
 mistakes, if any, as carried forward by both sides 
 at the time, have passed far down upon the receding 
 pages of history, and not one person lives today 
 who participated in this affair. Each opposing ele 
 ment did what it felt was right at the time ; succeed-
 
 ing generations will judge fairly and justly the mer 
 its of both sides. 
 
 With Christmas of 1910, will be recorded the 68th 
 anniversary of the siege of Mier, and in this auspic 
 ious year is being celebrated the great centennial of 
 Mexican Independence. Border complications have 
 ceased to exist and a firm and lasting friendship has 
 long since been established not only between Mexico 
 and the United States, but Texas, the old time enemy 
 and erstwhile colonial dependency of that grand com 
 monwealth, is now a good friend whose citizens, in 
 large numbers, take up their residence successfully in 
 that country. Such unexpected possibilities could 
 only have been achieved by that great hero, patriot 
 and Statesman, General President Porfirio Diaz, to 
 whom has been given the power to redeem and save 
 his country and representatives from the whole world 
 have been invited to come within his broad domain 
 and assist in celebrating one of the most remarkable 
 and perfect successes in nation-building, known to 
 modern man. In the brief space of thirty -two years 
 has all this been achieved, and General Diaz has ac 
 complished, in brief space mentioned, what it would 
 have required 100 years in any other country. 
 
 The Author of this story who has recorded the 
 scenes and events nearly three quarters of a century 
 past, begs to extend her heartiest felicitations to Gen 
 eral Diaz and his brave and patriotic people in the 
 wonderful advancement made. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 THE AUTHOR.
 
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 
 
 In connection with this story, readers of this book 
 will appreciate and enjoy the beautiful drawings and 
 etchings of Mr. Charles Peter Bock, the gifted Texan 
 artist and well known landscape painter. Mr. Bock 
 is an American, of German parentage, born in Ger 
 many, and in every sense, is a true American. He was 
 an honor graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, 
 and later travelled and studied in the various art cen 
 tres of Europe ; after which on his return to America 
 he became a citizen of Texas, and he has elected with 
 his brush to make known the beauties of the solitude 
 of the semi-desert country lying between Dallas and 
 the Staked Plains, and his landscapes painted in 
 this isolated region are marvels of beauty, and with 
 his brush he is showing a portion of Texas never be 
 fore shown in art, and which will soon become a 
 memory. San Antonio is soon to become the home 
 of this accomplished artist. 
 
 To Dr. Alfredo J. J. Austin, an English physician 
 who has resided at Mier for almost forty years, the 
 writer is deeply indebted for photographs of scenes 
 in and about Mier, and also for much valuable histor 
 ical data, which has enabled the author to correct 
 numerous errors which have been continuously pub 
 lished in histories referring to scenes which were en 
 acted at this period.
 
 To Mr. Frederic B. Guernsey, the able editor of the 
 Mexican Herald, for much interest in the publication 
 of this volume. 
 
 To Mr. Fenton R. McCreary, charge de affairs for 
 the United States, now minister to Honduras, I am 
 deeply indebted. 
 
 To Mr. Percy Cox, Mexico s great photographer, I 
 am under obligations for photographs which I could 
 not have otherwise obtained. 
 
 To the Reverend Fathers of the Cathedral, who 
 gave Mr. Cox access to the Archbishop s Gallery, that 
 he might obtain the portrait of the Archbishop 
 Posado. 
 
 To Mr. W. F. McCaleb, and the Hon. Carlos Bee, 
 of San Antonio, for many courtesies and also to the 
 Hon. Enrique Ornelas, Mexico s Consul at San 
 Antonio. 
 
 Engravings and etchings planned and executed by 
 Mr. Frederic B. Wieners, Southern Division Mana 
 ger Barnes-Crosby Company, San Antonio. 
 
 To the Press of Texas, and to the Superintendent, 
 Principals and Teachers in the public and private 
 schools of Texas, and to the Mothers Clubs through 
 out the State, for their generous recognition of this 
 story.
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 I The Young Volunteer . . . 23 
 
 II Old Foes and New Troubles . . 35 
 III San Antonio de Bexar . . . 51 
 
 IV On the Trail ..... 71 
 
 V At Laredo 91 
 
 VI "Mier" The Battle . . /. 115 
 
 VII The Surrender . . . . 133 
 
 VIII The Little Captive . . . . 1 39 
 
 IX Another Kind of Courage . . 153 
 
 X Prisoners Start to Matamoros . . 167 
 
 XI AtCamargo 181 
 
 XII Arrival at Matamoros . . . 193 
 
 XIII At the Archbishop s Palace . . 209 
 
 XIV Before the Great Dictator . . 227 
 
 XV General Green s Account . . 245 
 
 XVI The Drawing of the Bean . . 255 
 
 XVII Santa Anna and Orlando . . 275 
 
 XVIII Off for Home 293 
 
 XIX Juan s Later Career . . . . 30 1 
 
 Addenda 3 1 I
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Painting by Bock "I ve kept my promise" 
 
 Title page drawing, The Boy Captive 
 
 Portrait of the author Page 
 
 A typical pioneer Home . . . . .27 
 
 Sam Houston ....... 37 
 
 The dashing and gallant Capt. Jack Hayes . .41 
 San Fernando Cathedral . . . . .53 
 
 The Alamo 53 
 
 Big Foot Wallace 59 
 
 Mission Concepcion ...... 75 
 
 Floating down the Rio Grande . . ..91 
 
 Breakfast on the Plains 99 
 
 Map 118 
 
 Glimpses of Mier . . . . . . .119 
 
 Cock Fighting . . . . . . . 1 30 
 
 "I ve kept my promise 1 . . . . . 1 35 
 
 General Pedro Ampudia . . . . .141 
 
 Juan Christobal Colon Gil . . . . .155 
 
 Noisy cart with pancake wheel . . . . 1 68 
 
 Desolation . . . . . . . . 1 76 
 
 A cattle corral . . . . . . . 1 88 
 
 Headquarters of General Ampudia at Matamoras 1 93 
 A man Juan met on the road . . . .197 
 
 Window in garden of the Archbishop s Palace . 209 
 Entrance to Archbishop s Palace . . .210 
 Archbishop Posada . . . . . .212 
 
 General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna . .227 
 Vice-President Gomez Farias . . . .230 
 
 General Jose Maria Torn el . . . . .232 
 
 General T. J. Green ...... 245 
 
 The Bishop s Palace, Monterey . . . .247 
 
 Old building in which the beans were drawn . 257 
 
 The Plaza in Mier 259 
 
 Big Foot Wallace Lost in the Desert . . . 265 
 Orlando Phelps 291 
 
 (From an old portrait taken at the age of fifty years) 
 
 John C. C. Hill . . . ... .303 
 
 (This photograph -was taken on the occasion of his first return 
 home at the age of 26 years, having graduated as a mining engi 
 neer from the Mineria College.) 
 
 Juan C. C. Hill and his descendants . . . 309
 
 INTRODUCTOEY CHAPTER. 
 
 THE Spanish flag has been called "the flag 
 of gold and blood," but it might well be 
 called The flag of poetry and romance." 
 Wherever it has waved it has been a magician s 
 wand conjurng up brilliant scenes from the fairy 
 land of song and story. 
 
 La Huella de los Espanoles, (Footprints of the 
 Spaniards), have traversed regions far and wide, 
 extending from the far north to the last limit of 
 La Tierra del Fuego (land of fire and heat) the 
 length and breadth of the Americas but the signifi 
 cant fact remains that no matter in whatsoever coun 
 try of the New World the Spaniard planted his 
 footsteps, or wrote his firma, neither passing of cen 
 turies nor later occupation by the stronger Saxon 
 race has been able to obliterate or dislodge them. 
 The laws of these countries continue to be read in the 
 original Spanish ; the Castillian tongue is still spoken ; 
 the architecture retains its time honored place, and 
 the cities, mountains, streams, trees, flowers, and 
 shrubs still are known by their sweet, Spanish names. 
 Some of the wide expanse of territory conquered 
 by the Spaniards in North America has been lost. 
 This is true of Texas, Nevada, California, New Mex 
 ico, Arizona, half of Colorado, all of Utah, a part of 
 the Indian Territory, and of Kansas. The Latin 
 loves an even, warm climate, so that the more north-
 
 16 The Boy Captive 
 
 era portions of these provinces were never made the 
 actual dwelling places of the early Spanish colonists, 
 but in the southern portions Spain obtained the best 
 results, and the history of these regions is replete 
 with Spanish conquest and Mexican revolution. 
 
 The charm of the mystic spell which hovers over 
 any country in which Spain has held dominion, lends 
 and unfailing interest to those early Spanish regions 
 of which Texas was once a part. 
 
 Permanency was given to the Spanish occupation 
 of Texas about the year 1731, when by order of the 
 King of Spain, four hundred families of the better 
 class in the Canary Islands were bidden to establish 
 the right of title of his Majesty, the King, to the prov 
 ince of Texas, known then as the New Philippines." 
 But only about sixteen of these families responded to 
 this call, consisting of about fifty-six persons. They 
 landed at Vera Cruz, and proceeded slowly, taking 
 many months, perhaps a year, over the long journey 
 through Mexico to San Antonio. These were the first 
 to erect homes and give an aspect of permanency to 
 the settlement. Subsequent political developments 
 placed the Anglo-Americans in possession of several 
 Spanish countries. Among these was Texas, and in 
 this domain the practical-minded American mingled 
 with the romantic Spaniard. 
 
 Many states contributed to Texas men of iron will 
 and exalted character, worthy of the citizenship of 
 any country. The first was Moses Austin, who was a
 
 The Boy Captive 17 
 
 native of Connecticut, but had lived for some time in 
 Missouri, and hearing good accounts of the new terri 
 tory in the southwest, conceived a plan for a colony. 
 Stephen F. Austin, his son, organized and made this 
 colony a success. 
 
 David G. Burnet, the first President of the Repub 
 lic, was from New Jersey ; Sam Houston, who, at San 
 Jacinto struck the decisive blow which liberated 
 Texas from Latin rule, a native of Virginia, had 
 been Governor of Tennessee ; Mirabeau B. Lamar, the 
 poet President of the Republic, from Georgia; Anson 
 Jones, the last President from Massachusetts. To 
 their credit, be it said, that several distinguished 
 Spanish and Mexican officers, united with the Anglo- 
 Americans, and among them Lorenzo de Zavala, 
 Ruiz, Navarro, and others who gave their best 
 support to the liberation of Texas, and numer 
 ous others, under the general name of "Texans" 
 united in throwing off the yoke of Latin domination, 
 and Texas, when she decided to enter the Union, en 
 joyed the distinction of coming in, not through dis 
 covery, not through royal grant, not through pur 
 chase, not through conquest but through the heroic 
 efforts of her noble sons. 
 
 In February, 1837, Santa Anna had once again set 
 foot on his own soil. No sooner had he been released 
 by the Texans and returned to his own country, than 
 he began scheming to regain his power. He organ 
 ized a revolution and overthrew Bustamente, who
 
 18 The Boy Captive 
 
 was then President of Mexico, and whom Santa Anna 
 had, himself placed in power. With the reins of 
 government once again in his wily hands, Santa 
 Anna fixed his lynx eyes steadily on Texas, for he 
 claimed after reaching his own country that having 
 been a prisoner when he signed the treaty with 
 Texas, he should not therefore be held responsible for 
 this mistake. In his heart he had never really ceded 
 the fairest and most fertile province of the Mexican 
 Confederation, and now he began to harass the bord 
 ers of Texas with petty incursions. In doing this, his 
 motives were two-fold; he meant to deal a blow at 
 the ambition of Texas, as a free and independent 
 government; she should know that under no cir 
 cumstances should she ever be regarded as other than 
 a colonial dependency of Mexico; and, secondly, to 
 the United States, he would give warning that any 
 recognition on her part, of the claims of Texas, would 
 be in open violation of the laws of nations, and would 
 be inevitably followed by war. Emboldened by the 
 knowledge that soon after the battle of San Jacinto, 
 Texas had been denied entrance into the Federal 
 Union, in the year 1842, he sent three of these invad 
 ing parties into the Texas Country. 
 
 The Mier Expedition, with which the following 
 story deals, was made into Mexican territory, in retal 
 iation for these vengeful acts of Santa Anna. 
 
 Boys and girls who read this true story, will 
 remember that when we speak of "Texan," it is an
 
 The Boy Captive 19 
 
 American of the highest type, who espoused the cause 
 of freedom and volunteered to come into this Indian- 
 inhabited wilderness to help Texas. 
 
 SIX BRAVE BOYS. 
 
 These six beautiful, brave, young boys, of fine 
 appearance, high ideals, and noble characters, all 
 belonged to the finest families of the Republic. 
 
 John Christopher Columbus Hill, the youngest of 
 these boys, less than thirteen, was from near La 
 Grange, Fayette County, Texas; Orlando Phelps and 
 Billie Reese were from Brazoria County; Gilbert 
 Brush, Fort Bend County, Harvey Sellers, Fayette 
 County, and Chris Yocum from Liberty, Texas; 
 none exceeded 14 or 15 years of age. The nearness to 
 the scene of the tragedy of the Alamo, which had oc 
 curred only six brief years before, had been an inspira 
 tion to every man and boy, and each performed the 
 grave duties of men under the heaviest of trials with 
 a heroism and a devotion to duty almost unknown in 
 the annals of any country, which added lustre to the 
 honor and glory of American manhood. Owing to 
 the strange and romantic subsequent life of young 
 Hill, he has naturally become the leading character 
 in this story, but there was no mimic acting upon 
 this great tragic stage, for the name of every indi 
 vidual mentioned in these chapters had a living 
 identity. 
 
 Mr. John C. C. Hill, whose romantic life story is 
 herein reproduced, was among men the most modest,
 
 20 The Boy Captive 
 
 unassuming and un-herolike. The remarkable scenes 
 and incidents which filled his young life, the 
 great men into whose hands as a little prisoner he 
 fell, their extreme kindness to him, caused him to feel 
 in his later years that he wanted this story of his life 
 to be placed in the hands of the children of Texas. 
 Mr. Hill having read "face to Pace with the Mexi 
 cans," and knowing of the long and intimate associ 
 ation of its author with the people of Mexico, the wri 
 ter of this story appreciated the privilege given her by 
 Mr. Hill of receiving directly from himself the real 
 story of a small boy while a prisoner in a foreign coun 
 try. At the close of the full day which he passed with 
 the author in her own home, going into the closest 
 detail of the incidents of his youth, all of which have 
 been carefully placed in their respective chapters. 
 Mr. Hill turned his kindly face to the writer and said : 
 
 "When your book about Mier is finished, if I am 
 not here, please tell this story to the children of Texas 
 with my love." This is now my highest mission, 
 and I give it to the people of Texas as well as 
 the bright young children of this state with the 
 hope of an approving audience, upon the subject of 
 one of the most romantic and tragic military episodes 
 known in the annals of Texas history, and the only 
 small hero known among our many great ones. 
 
 In reading this story it must be borne in mind that 
 the events which make it complete are told in the
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 21 
 
 easy pioneer fashion in which the English language 
 was written and spoken at the period of the occur 
 rences named. Small boys were not blessed with edu 
 cational opportunities and the older ones spoke in the 
 easy manner known to the pioneers. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 THE AUTHOR.
 
 A YOUNG 
 VOLUNTEER
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A YOUNG VOLUNTEER. 
 
 THREE boys were playing "mumblety peg" 
 on the ground in front of the house. One 
 of them was tossing the knife, Front palm, 
 back palm, off the knee, break the chick " but be 
 fore they got the chicken s neck broken as known 
 in the game he and his companions were startled 
 by the sound of galloping hoofs. They sprang to 
 their feet in time to see, over the tall fence, the heads 
 of a horse and a man, then the rattle of stones down 
 the roadway, told of the swift descent to the ford. 
 
 The charms of mumblety peg fled with the horse 
 man and with one accord, the boys raced through 
 the open passage that divided the two rooms of the 
 farm-house, and breathlessly joined the men at the 
 corral. "Who was that? What did he want? Is 
 it Injuns?" asked John, Mr. Hill s youngest son. 
 
 "No, it s Mexicans this time. Several hundred 
 prisoners have been taken in San Antonio. Part of 
 the Rangers were in town and are prisoners, but 
 most of them were out scouting in another direction, 
 when the Mexicans slipped into the city, and took 
 possession without a fight. They didn t catch Jack 
 Hays though, for one of the Rangers got away, and
 
 24 The Boy Captive 
 
 headed the rest off before they ran into the trap. 
 Captain Jack was down at Seguin, waiting for help. 
 He has sent runners out in every direction; that was 
 one of the Rangers ! said Mr. Hill. 
 
 Are we going, father ? asked John. 
 
 "We!" said his brother Jeffrey, a manly young 
 fellow. "Father and I are going, but we are not 
 going to take any babies along with us to the war. 
 
 "I m goin too! Aint I, father?" The earnest 
 young face looked up anxiously at the serious face 
 of his father. "I m not any baby; why its only 
 a year since I rode to Austin by myself and recorded 
 the deeds to father s property, didn t I, father?" 
 
 "Yes, my son, you did." 
 
 "Then I m goin , too." 
 
 Jeffrey gave a derisive laugh: but James Mon 
 roe, the other brother, looked at his father, and 
 waited for his answer. The two visiting boys, sons of 
 one of the neighboring settlers,also listened with keen 
 attention. 
 
 "I don t know " said the father, taken by sur 
 prise. " It s just as your mother says. 
 
 "All right then, I m goin ." 
 
 It was nearly sunset. The heavy line of timber 
 that marked the river bank caught the light on its 
 topmost twigs. The lower part was dusky. Shrill 
 calls of jays hunting their leafy bed-chambers made 
 the air noisy. Young mocking birds were practicing 
 their vespers while the older ones were scolding and
 
 The Boy Captive 25 
 
 chasing feathered trespassers from off their favorite 
 roost. Big mule ear rabbits went loping through the 
 long grass like (mimic) kangaroos, and their smaller 
 brethren, the little "cotton-tails" were hunting their 
 evening meal among the tender herbs. High against 
 the fence the dusty weeds grew tall and rank, and 
 battalions of sunflowers lined their golden shields all 
 along the wagon trail that led up from the ford to 
 the low log house that faced the river bottom. 
 
 Prom the rear of the corral came the low of the 
 cow, for although relieved of their milk, they still 
 lingered around the calf-pen trying to coax their off 
 spring through the close cedar pickets to follow them 
 to pleasant pastures. 
 
 But the little calves were safer in the pen; for the 
 woods and the open prairie alike were filled with 
 wolves. "With the coming of dusk, fierce panthers 
 would rouse themselves in their thirst and lie in wait 
 for some smaller and weaker animal to satisfy their 
 hunger. Clumsy bears wtih their shaggy cubs sham 
 bled through the bushes hunting for nuts and other 
 delicacies. Fox and coon, possum and skunk waged 
 war on the poultry, and the pack hounds that did 
 guard duty often engaged in fierce battle with the 
 marauders until the uproar of snarls and yelps and 
 growls brought their human allies to the rescue with 
 rifles. These were the conditions at the time of our 
 story.
 
 26 The Boy Captive 
 
 If the calves and poultry had many foes, so had the 
 dwellers in the farmhouse, for this was the middle of 
 September of 1842. 
 
 The farmhouse was the home of a Texas settler, 
 Mr. Asa Hill, who brought his family from Georgia 
 to the beautiful rolling prairie land near La Grange, 
 Texas. 
 
 The little group of settlers of whom he was one 
 had not only the wild beasts and reptiles of the wild 
 erness to encounter. They lived ever in dread of wan 
 dering bands of Indians swooping down on their 
 scanty herds of cattle or driving off their horses. 
 The same tragedies of burning farmhouses and scalp 
 ing the inmates, of carrying children and women into 
 captivity, worse than death, were repeated here on 
 these smiling praires with their grassy billows break 
 ing against the scattered motts of timber, as two cen 
 turies before were enacted among the hills and val 
 leys of rocky New England and the forest depths of 
 Old Virginia. 
 
 The supper table was waiting under the sheltering 
 roof of the open passage or hall. Simple and homely 
 as it would seem at this day, its furnishings were 
 far superior to the average settlers; for the Hills 
 were of old colonial stock and although they had left 
 many luxuries and comforts behind, they had brought 
 their refinement with them. The supper cloth was 
 scrupulously white and clean, and some few pieces 
 of silver were interspersed among the plainer crock-
 
 HOME OF GEN. EDWARD BURLESON 
 A Typical Pioneer Home
 
 The Boy Captive 27 
 
 ery. Everything that their farm did not supply had 
 to be hauled in big freight wagons perhaps one hun 
 dred and twenty-five miles from Houston through the 
 unsettled country; and these "freighter-wagons" 
 were the especial mark for the Indians, whose depre 
 dations made the business of freighting a costly and 
 dangerous venture. 
 
 Therefore when glasses got broken or cups and 
 bowls grew scarce, gourds took their places. Easy of 
 culture, various in shapes and of all sizes they were 
 used as dippers, pans, pails, and baskets ; two of them 
 strapped on a horse made a very good substitute for 
 trunk or satchel. 
 
 If the table furnishings were simple, the food was 
 both plentiful and good. Deer were so numerous that 
 the settlers had much trouble to keep them from de 
 stroying the crops; so venison was more common on 
 the table than bacon. Prairie hen and quail whirred 
 through long grass in every direction, and the pecan 
 groves by the side of the river were noisy with the gob 
 bling of wild turkeys. The negroes had brought the 
 news of the Ranger s call when they brought in the 
 milk, and Mrs. Hill and her daughters knew all the 
 sad news. They watched the hungry men devour the 
 hot venison steak in silence, half dreading to ask what 
 they were almost sure of; that their men would an 
 swer the call for help. 
 
 Bacon and hominy vanished as by magic and the 
 little darkeys were kept busy trotting back and forth
 
 28 The Boy Captive 
 
 with relays of hot cornbread. A gourd loaded with 
 transparent combs of amber honey was largely pa 
 tronized by the small boys, and many gourds of but 
 termilk were necessary to quench their thirst. 
 
 The tallow candles threw their flickering light over 
 the table and the shadows of the eaters danced gro 
 tesquely on the log walls hung with saddles and bri 
 dles, guns and powder-horns. Several large deer 
 horns made excellent racks for the rifles. The dogs 
 prowled restlessly around watching with eager eyes 
 the hungry humanity at the board. 
 
 "Will you get off in the morning, father?" asked 
 one of the girls. 
 
 "We ll be across the Colorado and nearly to Plum 
 Grove before sunrise, won t we father?" declared 
 John, with his mouth full of corn bread and honey. 
 
 "We!" said his mother. "You are not going to 
 take that child, Asa? Ton are not going, John!" 
 She laid her knife down and gazed with alarmed eyes 
 at her husband. 
 
 "Well, he wants to go pretty bad," said Mr. Hill, 
 looking at his plate, and avoiding his wife s eyes. 
 
 "It s my turn now, mother," said John cheerfully 
 turning a beaming countenance upon her. You know 
 James Monroe had his chance at the Mexicans at San 
 Jacinto and father has promised me over and over 
 again that the next war we had I could go." 
 
 "Well, he never dreamed that there would be an 
 other," said his mother.
 
 The Boy Captive 29 
 
 "That don t make any difference, he promised just 
 the same. 
 
 "You are too little ," began his little sister 
 
 excitedly. 
 
 "Well," said John, sitting up erect and eyeing his 
 sister beligerently, "I d like to know who took the 
 deeds to Austin ? I m some bigger than I was then. 
 
 An appreciative grin went around the table, save 
 for poor Mrs. Hill who gazed at her youngest son 
 with troubled eyes. 
 
 After supper the boj s went out to see about the 
 horses and the father and mother discussed the situa 
 tion while Mammy Lou cleared the supper table. The 
 mother urged the youth of the boy and his slender 
 physique against the hardships and dangers of the 
 expedition. Patiently and sympathetically the father 
 listened and then he answered that the boy, though 
 small, was no younger than others who had served in 
 the war with Mexico. That it was time he was train 
 ing for the life that every man had to face who made 
 his home in a new country so beset with foes as was 
 Texas. That it was better that he should make his 
 first venture under the protection of his father and 
 brother. 
 
 "0, Asa, he is so delicate looking! It is as bad as 
 taking one of the girls ! said the anxious mother. 
 
 "Now, mother, that is just the reason that I would 
 like him to go. He isn t any girl if he is as pretty as 
 one. No boy of his spirit is going to stand being left
 
 30 The Boy Captive 
 
 at home with the women. In a few years he will be 
 for having a home of his own and then what will you 
 do? You can t keep him tied to your apron strings 
 many years longer! Best cut loose now. But do as 
 you think best," he added kindly, "I won t inter 
 fere." Here the conversation ended. 
 
 Preparations for departure went briskly on. Guns 
 were cleaned, bullets moulded, bowie knives sharp 
 ened, powder-horns replenished, water-gourds and 
 blankets made ready, and all the saddles looked care 
 fully over. John found a chance to whisper to his 
 mother. 
 
 "You goin to let me go, mother? I must go to 
 take care of father and Jeff ! 
 
 His mother gave a faint smile as she looked at the 
 eager face of the boy. How often she had said that 
 to him when he was allowed to accompany them on 
 some hunting trip. 
 
 "My son, I must take it to the Lord in prayer," 
 was her answer and John said no more. Perhaps 
 intuition told him that the prayer was to be more of 
 resignation than entreaty, for he quietly made his 
 preparation with the others. If his father noticed, 
 he gave no sign, nor did either of his brothers make 
 any remark. James Monroe took down a small rifle 
 which he seldom used and cleaned it carefully. He had 
 used it at San Jacinto and sometimes he allowed John 
 to take it on a hunt. Perhaps he thought it would be 
 well to have all the fire arms in readiness in case of an
 
 The Boy Captive 31 
 
 attack by Indians, as he had to defend the family in 
 the absence of his father and brother. 
 
 Long before the sun arose, while the sleepless 
 mother lay upon her pillow, damp with tears, cau 
 tiously a little figure slipped into her room. The 
 mother noticed the beseeching eyes and saw they had 
 tears in them. 
 
 Oh, mother. Do let me go ! " he whispered. I Ve 
 got to go along to take care of father and Jeff ! 
 
 "I have prayed and prayed, my son, that God 
 would give me wisdom to decide; and at last it 
 seems to me that it would be best to let you go! I 
 have the feeling that you may help your father and 
 brother ! Mrs. Hill was a very religious woman and 
 believed implicitly in the power of prayer. God alone 
 knew the struggle she had undergone with her desire 
 to shelter him from danger. But she believed she 
 was following the commands of God in allowing this, 
 her youngest son, to go to war. 
 John was overjoyed at the thought of going and 
 rushed out hurriedly to saddle his own fine little 
 pony, "Jim Dandy." All his other preparations were 
 made and even his mother caught a little of his enthu 
 siasm; for John was of that magnetic temperament 
 that affected everyone with whom he came in contact. 
 His little sisters hung around him enviously and ad 
 miringly with their tear-filled eyes, and felt indeed, 
 that it was a great thing thing to be a boy and go to 
 war with men.
 
 32 The Boy Captive 
 
 James Monroe came into the hall where his mother 
 was sitting looking sadly at the busy scene. 
 
 Well, mother ! I came back from San Jacinto all 
 right and I am going to give John my little rifle for 
 luck. It is small, and he knows all about it. Calling 
 John up he gave him the rifle saying: 
 
 "I carried this rifle at San Jacinto and it did good 
 service; I ll give it to you now, since I can t go, and 
 remember, its never to be surrendered to a Mexican. 
 
 The crowning touch of happiness was given. John 
 felt himself indeed a man and straightening his little 
 figure looked his brother in the eye and said: 
 
 "I ll remember. No Mexican shall ev&r shoot this 
 rifle." 
 
 As the small cavalcade rode down the trail that led 
 toward Seguin, Jim Dandy was far in advance and 
 the graceful little figure of the small rider turned 
 once more to wave farewell to the dear mother and 
 sisters who stood watching the party till they disap 
 peared in the hazy distance of the Indian Summer 
 morning. 
 
 "I shall never see him again," said Mrs. Hill sink 
 ing into a chair, as she gazed at the little group 
 passing out of her sight. "That is just what you 
 said when he took those papers to Austin all by him 
 self. He is a man, mother, if sense and courage 
 count. You said the Injuns would kill him, and the 
 bears or panthers catch him ; or else the wolves would 
 eat him, or the Mexicans steal him; but instead he
 
 The Boy Captive 33 
 
 rode the ninety miles all alone into Austin, recorded 
 his papers as good as if he were fifty, had the best 
 time he ever had, and came home as healthy as a 
 young wild-cat. 
 
 Well, he ought never to have gone. It was tempt 
 ing Providence to send a twelve year old boy on a 
 journey of ninety miles all alone in a country full 
 of Indians," said his mother. 
 
 Well, what made you let him go, mother ? Father 
 left it to you to say, said James Monroe, smiling sig 
 nificantly. 
 
 "I couldnt help myself. Something seemed to say 
 Let John go! besides when John wants anything, 
 he s just got a way with him that would coax the 
 birds off the bushes. He is so good and sweet that 
 there isn t one of us who can bear to cross him." 
 
 "Well," said James Monroe reflectively, "I reckon 
 he ll carry his gift right along with him, and if the 
 Mexicans catch him, why I 11 bet in twenty -four hours 
 they ll be dancing to his tune. That little brother 
 of mine was born to good luck, mother, and he s got 
 a rifle, and that s better than luck. Say, there s a big 
 flock of turkeys down in the bottom; they are after 
 the pecans. I am going to get one for dinner.
 
 OLD FOES AND NEW 
 TROUBLES
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OLD FOES AND NEW TROUBLES. 
 
 IT was bad news the ranger brought. He said that 
 General Woll had entered San Antonio in com 
 mand of about two thousand Mexicans, and finding 
 the courts in session there, had taken as pris 
 oners many of the more prominent citizens, 
 together with the officers of the court. San 
 Antonio de Bexar was the largest as well as the 
 oldest town in Texas, and it was also the nearest to 
 the Mexican border; therefore it was the first to suf 
 fer. In the previous march, General Vasquez had 
 swooped down on the unsuspecting town, securing 
 much plunder and taking many prisoners, and was 
 back over the border before the startled settlers fairly 
 realized what had happened. Again in July another 
 raid was made into the country at El Salado six 
 miles southeast of San Antonio, but they were inter 
 cepted before much damage was done. The sur 
 rounding settlements became terrorized. Indians 
 were enough without this menace hanging over their 
 peace. The settlers on the Guadalupe fled eastward 
 to the Colorado with their wives and children and 
 their scanty household furniture. The men returned 
 to cultivate their crops and to protect their posses-
 
 36 The Boy Captive 
 
 sions from the depredations of marauding savages or 
 wild beasts. The incursion of General Woll naturally 
 caused much excitement and indignation among the 
 Texans, and they resolved to follow the enemy to 
 recapture their unfortunate friends, and retaliate 
 upon the Mexicans wherever they found them. It was 
 a noble ambition to attempt to rescue their friends 
 who were held as prisoners and were now being 
 marched away to unknown prisons. The Texans de 
 termined to make an effort to retaliate upon the 
 Mexicans, and the regular army was reinforced 
 by many volunteers, and General Houston gave the 
 command to Adjutant General Sommervelle. 
 
 After the affair at El Salado in July when the 
 people contemplated revenge against the Mexicans, 
 President Houston, through the newspapers of the 
 day said: "The government will promise nothing 
 but authority to march and furnish such supplies of 
 ammunition as may be needed for the campaign. 
 They must look to the Valley of the Rio Grande for 
 remuneration." The government will claim no por 
 tion of the spoils ; they will be divided among the vic 
 tors. The flag of Texas will accompany the expe 
 dition." 
 
 Later in October, President Houston s order to 
 Brigadier General Sommervelle, under date of Wash 
 ington, Texas, Oct. 3, 1842, read: 
 
 "Sir You will proceed to the most eligible point 
 in the Southwestern frontier of Texas, concentrate
 
 The Boy Captive 39 
 
 with the force now under the command, all troops 
 who may submit to your order, and if you can ad 
 vance with the prospect of success, into the enemy s 
 territory, you will do so at once. You will receive 
 no troops into your command but such as will march 
 across the Rio Grande under your orders, if required 
 by you to do so. If you cross the Rio Grande you 
 must suffer no surprise, but be always on the alert. 
 You will be controlled by the most civilized warfare, 
 and you will find great advantage of exercising great 
 humanity towards the common people. In battle let 
 the enemy feel the fie\rceness of a just resentment and 
 retribution. You alone will be held responsible to the 
 government, and sustained by its resources. 
 
 "I have the honor to be, 
 
 Your Obt. Servant, 
 
 SAM HOUSTON." 
 
 It is but a just tribute to the men who composed 
 this expedition to say that they were of the highest 
 character and enjoyed the confidence of all who knew 
 them in their own country. They were patriots, tried 
 and true, but ignorant of the language, habits, cus 
 toms and powers of the enemy whom they were to 
 meet and punish in his own country, with no artil 
 lery, and naught but their braA e and determined 
 efforts with their rifles, was a great and a serious 
 undertaking. 
 
 Numerous expeditions have been recorded in the 
 history of our great country, but most of them were 
 
 3
 
 40 The Boy Captive 
 
 for the purpose of exploration or development. They 
 have been rich in great results, the one thought of 
 the explorers having been for the good that would 
 come to the United States. But what is known in 
 history as the "Mier Expedition" was purely for 
 punishment and revenge. It seemed more than the 
 new republic could bear, to begin anew the struggle 
 to maintain her hard won independence. 
 
 Recognizing the necessity of such an organization, 
 General Houston promptly authorized the dashing 
 and gallant Captain Jack Hayes, a young surveyor 
 living in San Antonio, to form a company of scouts 
 whose business it should be to keep watch on the 
 Mexicans as well as on the Indians. The headquar 
 ters of the brave band was in San Antonio, but they 
 ranged the entire western border. Hayes, although 
 very young, had won a name for his courage and 
 good sense in fighting Indians, and the young men of 
 the border were anxious to serve with him. In enlist 
 ing his men, he demanded that every man bear a good 
 character for courage and honesty, be sober and own 
 a horse that was worth not less than one hundred dol 
 lars; the last essentials showed his good sense, for 
 there was much hard riding connected with the work 
 and the lives of the men would frequently depend 
 upon their being mounted on better steeds than the 
 Indians. This was the beginning of the famous 
 "Texas Rangers" under the republic, whose deeds 
 are worthy to be sung by a Macauley or a Prescott.
 
 The dashing and gallant Capt. Jack Hayes
 
 The Boy Captive 43 
 
 When the Hills joined the other recruits at La 
 Grange, from their little settlements, they were much 
 annoyed to hear that another company of fifty men 
 who were under Captain Nicholas Dawson, were 
 twelve or fourteen hours ahead of them. It seemed 
 that the news had reached them a little sooner for the 
 reason that one of the young men of Plum Grove 
 settlement was at Gonzales, where he and his father 
 were gathering their corn. They were of one of the 
 unfortunate families, who, abandoning their homes 
 on the Guadalupe, fled to Plum Grove in the Colorado 
 Valley, fifty miles away. Mr. Morrell was a Baptist 
 minister, known throughout the country not only as a 
 good man, but as a very brave one. He fought side by 
 side with his neighbors when they had their terrible 
 battle with the Comanches at Plum Creek. So he 
 turned back promptly with Colonel Caldwell on hear 
 ing this bad news, and left his son to carry the news 
 and the corn back home. 
 
 When John heard that Colonel Caldwell was also 
 ahead of them, he fairly groaned, so sure was he that 
 the Mexicans would be killed before he could get 
 there to assist in their destruction. All along the 
 trail the number of Texans was being increased by 
 recruits who had received the warning given in 
 pioneer fashion by repeating the blowing of a horn 
 from settlement to settlement, and they pushed rapid 
 ly on. 
 
 In the meantime Captain Jack Hayes had a stroke
 
 44 The Boy Captive 
 
 of luck. When he received warning that the Mexi 
 cans had again crossed the border, he sent two of the 
 bravest of his men to Austin to get more ammunition. 
 The road between Austin and San Antonio had no 
 settlements, and it led through the Indian country. 
 When he had to retreat to Seguin, he supposed that 
 Wallace and Mallon would return to San Antonio 
 the same way and the Mexicans would capture all 
 the ammunition, as well as two of his most efficient 
 scouts. Great was his joy to see them ride into 
 Seguin a short time after he and his company reach 
 ed there. They had come that way because they 
 did not wish to risk fighting Indians, while loaded 
 with a keg of powder. 
 
 The ammunition secured, Colonel Caldwell and 
 Captain Hayes with their men moved promptly back 
 toward San Antonio. They numbered about two 
 hundred, but the Mexicans within the City were 
 thirteen hundred strong, and also had several field 
 pieces with them. 
 
 Unheeding the difference in numbers, Captain 
 Jack resolved to draw them out for a skirmish ; so he 
 and six of his men rode up near the Mexican quar 
 ters as a challenge. They thought the cavalry would 
 send out a small detachment to chase them, and it 
 was their intention to decoy them toward the foot 
 hills some miles away, where, concealed by the mes- 
 quite, thirty or more of the Rangers lay in waiting. 
 The plan succeeded, only instead of a few men, sever-
 
 The Boy Captive 45 
 
 al hundred turned out, and a brisk chase followed. 
 The little band in the mesquite managed to fall back 
 and rejoin Caldwell. The Mexican cavalry circled 
 around their hiding places, and then joined their 
 own command, but not without losing several men 
 by the deadly rifles of the concealed Texans. 
 
 Later in the day General Woll appeared on the 
 prairie in the rear of the Texans. He was between 
 them and their homes, and they knew that they 
 must fight without waiting for further reinforce 
 ments. Colonel Caldwell was a member of the Texas 
 and Santa Fe Expedition which left Austin May 1st, 
 1841, who had once been held prisoner by the Mexi 
 cans and had only been freed a short time previous, 
 urged upon the men to fight, saying that he, if cap 
 tured again, would be shot. Rev. Mr. Morrell, the 
 minister, made a glowing speech that put heart and 
 courage into them all, for they knew him to be a man 
 of deeds and as brave as his words. 
 
 The Texans were sheltered behind the little foot 
 hills and the mesquite completely concealed them from 
 view. The first shot of the enemy s cannon cut the 
 twigs off the mesquite and sent a shower of 
 leaves down on them, but did no further damage. 
 It was followed by a burst of music from their band, 
 then the glittering array of uniformed men advanced. 
 Behind the hill the shabby unkempt men waited with 
 rifles ready. Not until the enemy was within thirty 
 feet did the Texans fire. The effect was terrible.
 
 46 The Boy Captive 
 
 So many were killed that those in the rear would not 
 advance any farther. For a short time the fighting 
 lasted, the Mexicans suffering heavily, for they were 
 fully exposed to the foe in ambush, their artillery 
 was useless to them as it was directly in their rear 
 and could not be trained on the Texans without rak 
 ing their own ranks. Suddenly a horn sounded for re 
 treat and the astonished Texans beheld their foes 
 turn their backs in flight. Believeing it a ruse to 
 draw them out of their shelter, they did not pursue 
 them. A short interval of suspense and the artillery 
 of the Mexicans roared again, but this time the fire 
 was turned in the opposite direction, and the sharp 
 cracking of rifles told them that another body of 
 Texans had approached the rear of the enemy. Be 
 fore they could gather to the support of their friends, 
 the firing ceased and they saw that the Mexicans 
 were successful. 
 
 It lacked an hour of sunset. The concealed Tex 
 ans saw General Woll in all the glittering bravery of 
 his uniform, stand on one of the cannon, and make a 
 ringing address to his men: the huzzas that followed 
 told the meaning of his eloquence, and they knew 
 that beyond the foe lay the lifeless or mangled bodies 
 of their brave neighbors from the Colorado. 
 
 With music playing and drums beating, the Mexi 
 cans moved to their quarters ; but all night they were 
 carrying their dead and wounded into the city. 
 
 All night the little company lay in the shadows of
 
 The Boy Captive 47 
 
 the mesquite waiting their opportunity to go to the 
 bodies of their friends. They saw the stars of heaven 
 shine out one by one, shaming the puny lights of the 
 soldiers hunting for the slain, but the fever of their 
 anxiety was not cooled. The scouts had confirmed 
 their suspicions and they knew that is was the men 
 from LaGrange. The minister sat in silent anguish, 
 for he knew that his son was among them. Off in the 
 distance the hoarse bark of the cayote could be heard. 
 Dread scavangers! 
 
 With the first glimmer of dawn they were on the 
 fatal field; but the dreadful cannon had so mangled 
 its victims that they were hardly able to identify the 
 thirty-five mutilated bodies. And here the good 
 minister showed his great nature, for although torn 
 with anxiety in regard to the fate of his son, yet he 
 remembered the other sorrowing hearts that would 
 be, when this sad news was carried back to the homes 
 of the slain, and he took his note book and made an 
 entry of each body he identified; and nearly every 
 one of the thirty-five men was known to him, for he 
 was a faithful servant of the Lord, and labored over 
 a wide field. 
 
 They had neither ax nor spade with which to dig 
 graves, and they found it slow and tedious work, for 
 they were tired and worn with the strain of the last 
 few days. It was on Sunday the little battle took 
 place, and on Tuesday morning the little band of 
 two hundred had grown to five hundred, for the vol-
 
 48 The Boy Captive 
 
 unteers were responding promptly to the call to arms ; 
 and among them were more of the men from La- 
 Grange. Aulcy Miller, one of the men with Dawson, 
 had escaped and had ridden bareheaded back to 
 Seguin with the news. He said that they heard the 
 firing of the Texans, but were mistaken in locating 
 them,and marched right out in sight of the Mexicans. 
 They retreated into a clump of mesquite, but the 
 Mexicans turned the cannon on them. When Cap 
 tain Dawson saw that it was hopeless to try to escape, 
 he raised the white flag, but the enemy did not 
 see it until they had nearly wiped out the company. 
 They had twelve or more prisoners; among them was 
 the minister s son. 
 
 Revenge is a sharp spur, and among the later com 
 ers were near kinsmen and neighbors of the dead. 
 When word was brought that the Mexicans had 
 evacuated San Antonio, and were in retreat to the 
 border with their prisoners, the burial of the dead 
 was abandoned and the men mounted for pursuit. 
 
 It was nearly dark when on the next day the Tex 
 ans overtook the enemy at the Hondo. They had a 
 sharp skirmish and pressed them so hard that they 
 abondoned the cannon. But night came on, the fight 
 ing stopped, and under cover of darkness, General 
 Woll evaded his pursuers. 
 
 Daylight made the situation plain to the Texans, 
 there were many sore and angry hearts among them. 
 Captain Hayes was anxious to follow on immediately,
 
 The Boy Captive 49 
 
 as Woll was only six miles ahead, and could not move 
 rapidly with foot soldiers and prisoners. Mr. Mor- 
 rell begged them to go, for his son was captured, and 
 it filled him with horror to think that he was being 
 carried off to a Mexican prison. 
 
 Had Captain Jack s advice been followed, this 
 story would not have been written, for General Woll 
 admitted in his report to his government, that he 
 had six hundred men killed; so, at the time of the 
 retreat he could not have numbered more than seven 
 hundred. But other leaders had come, and with 
 them, strife. 
 
 The Texans rode slowly back to San Antonio, but 
 there were many sore and angry hearts among them. 
 The minister was indignant that no attempt was 
 made to rescue the unfortunate prisoners, abandoned 
 the effort, and returned to his home. 
 
 And John felt that this was indeed a hard fate, to 
 be cheated out of a chance to avenge the massacre of 
 Dawson s men.
 
 SAN ANTONIO 
 DE BEXAR
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SAN ANTONIO DE BEXAB. 
 
 HOW many Texans did you say there were 
 in the siege?" asked a tall, slender, fair- 
 haired youth. 
 
 "Dead ones or live ones?" asked Orlando, with a 
 smile. 
 
 "Both." 
 
 "0, shucks!" said the first speaker, Billie Reese, 
 "where have you been hiding, Sellers? Every baby 
 in Texas knows the story of the Alamo ! 
 
 "Well, I ain t a baby," said Harvey, his face flush 
 ing. 
 
 "Neither am I ! said the smallest of the boys stand 
 ing in front of the ruins of the old Alamo in San 
 Antonio. "I don t know how many Mexicans were 
 there, alive or dead." 
 
 Well, said Orlando, " I don t know, either. But 
 the letter that Colonel Travis sent out the first day 
 asking for help, said that there were over a thousand 
 in front of the walls; and it is said they were rein 
 forced till they numbered six thousand. There were 
 one hundred and eighty-two Texans inside, and they 
 held out for eleven days. Then, at last, when the 
 awful siege was over and all of the brave Texans
 
 52 The Boy Captive 
 
 were killed, Santa Anna ordered their bodies burned. 
 For these and other deeds the Texans hated him." 
 
 General Houston had very hard work at San Jacin- 
 to to save him from the vengeance of the soldiers. 
 In trying to commit suicide, Dr. Phelps, a surgeon 
 in the Texas army, saved his life, and then took him 
 to his home at Orizimbo on the Brazos, near Velasco, 
 where for some months Santa Anna was in the 
 hands of Dr. Phelps, where many kindnesses were 
 shown him. About the middle of May, 1836, 
 David G. Burnet and other distinguished Texans 
 went there to get Santa Anna to sign a 
 treaty of peace in which he would also acknowledge 
 the Independence of Texas. This he did. He was 
 then sent to Washington, the capital of the United 
 States, where President Jackson, a great friend of 
 General Houston, was to intercede with Mexico in be 
 half of the young republic. General Houston had 
 been elected President of Texas; he thought it was 
 wise not to keep so powerful a man as prisoner, but 
 many of the Texans did not approve of letting Santa 
 Anna leave Texas. 
 
 "Father says the siege of the Alamo beat the fight 
 of Thermopylae." 
 
 "What fight was that?" asked John, eagerly. 
 
 "It s one that took place hundreds of years ago 
 over in Greece. A captain, Leonidas, held a moun 
 tain pass with three hundred men against thousands, 
 until he and all of his men were killed.
 
 SAN FERNANDO CATHEDRAL 
 From the top of this cathedral Santa Anna bom 
 barded the Alamo 
 
 THE ALAMO
 
 The Boy Captive 55 
 
 "How long did they fight?" asked Gilbert Brush. 
 
 "I don t remember," said Orlando, hesitatingly. 
 
 Orlando was quite young at the time, said Billie, 
 demurely, "and you can t expect him to remember 
 all about it." 
 
 "They say the Texans in the Alamo killed fifteen 
 hundred Mexicans. How many did those Greeks kill, 
 Orlando?" 
 
 "I don t know. I " began Orlando. 
 
 "Came away about that time, didn t you, Or 
 lando ? said Billie, teasingly. 
 
 "Well, it s a good while since I read about it," 
 said Orlando, modestly. "I ll send you the book, 
 John, when we get home." 
 
 "Say, John, would you have stuck it out like they 
 did, or would you have surrendered?" asked Chris 
 Yocum. 
 
 "I reckon I d have to stick it out; for I promised 
 James Monroe that I d nev&r surrender this rifle to a 
 Mexican." 
 
 "It s a little beauty!" said Billie, looking at it 
 with a critical eye. 
 
 "It surely is!" said a soft, drawling voice behind 
 them, with a decided Virginian accent ; and you keep 
 your grip on it now, for that thieving red-skin over 
 there has been eyeing it for half an hour. 
 
 The boys turned and looked up at the pleasant 
 dark-eyed young man who spoke. He was a verit 
 able young giant, being considerably over six feet
 
 56 The Boy Captive 
 
 and built in good proportions. He wore a broad- 
 brimmed slouch felt hat, somewhat the worse for 
 wear, but it looked well on his curly black hair. A 
 buckskin shirt elaborately fringed, a pair of fringed 
 leather leggins over black trousers and beaded moc 
 casins, constituted his costume, unless his revolver 
 and bowie knife be included. 
 
 "Why, I never heard you come up at all!" said 
 John. 
 
 "No?" said the new-comer, grinning cheerfully 
 down at the bright-faced boy. "I don t aim to make 
 much noise when I move round. It won t do in my 
 business. Ain t your name Hill?" 
 
 "Yes. How did you know that? I don t know 
 you." 
 
 "Anybody can tell a hill when they see it, if it is 
 only an anthill." said Billie, the wag. 
 
 Look here, Billie, somebody will put you out some 
 day, thinking you are a fire; you are so awful quick 
 and bright," said Harvey, crushingly. 
 
 The tall young man laughed joyfully at the joking 
 boys and answered John s question. 
 
 "I heard you say that James Monroe gave you 
 that rifle, and I knew a man at LaGrange by that 
 name. Besides, you look like the Hills. I used to 
 live down that way. My name is Wallace." 
 
 "Big Foot Wallace?" chorused the boys. 
 
 This tribute to his reputation that the breathless
 
 The Boy Captive 57 
 
 accents of the boys paid, was appreciated, but the 
 daring young scout gave little sign. 
 
 "Christened William," he remarked, drily. 
 
 "It was you that brought the ammunition to 
 Seguin, said Billie. 
 
 "Say, Mr. Wallace, tell us, how you happened to 
 come back that way?" 
 
 "There ain t no settlements between Austin and 
 San Antonio," said Wallace, lifting his hat off his 
 glossy black curls, and wiping the sweat from his 
 forehead. "Injuns are mighty bad just now. Mal- 
 lon and me helped bury a man they killed and scalp 
 ed while we were there. So we concluded that it 
 wouldn t do to fight a lot of red-skins with a keg of 
 powder on my saddle. Besides, we knew we could 
 get plenty of corn for our horses by coming that 
 way." 
 
 "You lived in Austin, too, didn t you?" asked 
 John. 
 
 "Uh-lmh," said Big Foot. 
 
 "Say," said Billie, "those Injuns are coming over 
 here. You watch out, for that old buck is full of 
 whiskey. 
 
 "Don t you give them any money," said Wallace 
 under his breath, "and, son, don t let him put his 
 paws on your rifle." 
 
 The group of Indians came up and stood in stolid 
 silence gazing at the boys. The six boys had buck 
 skin shirts on, for the deer had been so plentiful in
 
 58 The Boy Captive 
 
 the vicinity, that many of the men had employed 
 their time in dressing the skins and making shirts 
 and leggins. John had felt very proud of his shirt 
 with its fringe ; but when he saw that of the big chief 
 with its beautiful bead embroidery, his own seemed 
 quite commonplace. The chief had a very unpleasant 
 appearance, for his eyebrows and lashes had been pull 
 ed out and a broad streak of red and yellow paint 
 went across his face, and around his eyes. His ears 
 had large brass rings swinging from the lobes. The 
 other Indians were dressed in a similar garb, but 
 not so gaudily. All had guns and knives. Although 
 the boys knew that these were friendly Indians and 
 were employed in Captain Hayes company as govern 
 ment scouts, they did not enjoy the silent scrutiny of 
 the strange eyes of the Indians. 
 
 "Big Chief, give me four bits," said the leader, 
 addressing Wallace. "Want whiskey." 
 
 "Captain Jack says we must go dry if we ride 
 with him. 
 
 "Huh! Give me four bits!" repeated the red 
 man. 
 
 "Ain t seen that much money in a month of Sun 
 days. Wait till Sam Houston sends our pay. 
 
 "That chief is sharp," said Big Foot, admiringly. 
 "Somehow, I never thought an Indian had much fun 
 aboard of him." 
 
 "I reckon they don t feel funny when they see 
 you; you are generally fighting them-"
 
 Big- Foot Wallace.
 
 The Boy Captive 61 
 
 "That s right! But one of them played a joke on 
 me that I am bound to get even with him for." said 
 Big Foot, wagging his curly head. 
 
 "What was that?" asked the boys, eagerly. 
 
 "Settin s as cheap as standin ," said Big Foot, 
 calmly squatting on the ground ; and the boys prompt 
 ly "hunkered" in an admiring circle. 
 
 "When I went up to Austin, the government folks 
 and the high-toned foreign ministers wanted to build 
 some good houses. Most everybody was living in tents 
 or little cabins, and that won t do for the capital of a 
 republic. There was lots of money to be made if a 
 man had the courage to go up the river to Mount 
 Bonnel where the big cedar grew. Most of the men 
 were afraid to go because it is a regular stamping 
 ground for the Injuns. I got a pretty good price 
 for rafting cedar down the Colorado. Billie Fox 
 and me had a cabin in the town. He was an awful 
 lively fellow, always joking and having his fun out 
 of everything. One morning here comes a man, hot 
 foot, on the trail to our door, and jumps on me and 
 says I stole some of his truck. I asked him how he 
 made that out, and he said he had tracked me from 
 his cabin straight to ours. Billie Fox said I had not 
 been out of the house. I was awful mad, and reached 
 for him, but then I thought I would wait a bit, seeing 
 he was not so big as me. So I says show me the 
 tracks. We went out and sure enough, there was 
 the tracks, moccasins just like I wore! Well, says 
 
 4
 
 62 The Boy Captive 
 
 I, they ain t my tracks, and I set my foot down in 
 one of them. It was two inches longer than my moc 
 casin." 
 
 " It s old Big Foot Injin," says Fox. "Can t 
 you see how the toes point in? That thieving old 
 Injun spent most of his time skulking around Shoal 
 Creek bottom. Everybody knew of old Big Foot. 
 He is nearly seven feet high, and he must weigh near 
 ly three hundred. Well, the man, he felt awful cut 
 up, and apologized, and we all took a drink on it ; but 
 Billie Fox would tell the story on me. 
 
 "Did you catch old Big Foot?" asked Harvey. 
 
 "No," said Wallace, "poor Fox took to calling me 
 Big Foot Wallace and I swore that I d kill old Big 
 Foot for revenge. One day Fox was workin in a 
 little patch of corn he was trying to raise, and that 
 Injun killed him. I have hunted him ever since, but 
 could never get within rifle shot. I reckon that name 
 will stick to me as long as I live." (It did. The 
 young scout became famous for his deeds of daring 
 and carried the nickname to the day of his death.) 
 
 "Say, how much longer do you suppose we will 
 wait before we follow the Mexicans?" asked Harvey. 
 
 "We have to wait till this row about Burleson and 
 Sommervelle is settled," said Orlando. "Most of the 
 men say they have the right to choose our leader ac 
 cording to the constitution. But President Hous 
 ton says, that s his business. There it is. We chose 
 General Burleson, he chooses General Sommervelle.
 
 The Boy Captive 63 
 
 Everybody knows that Burleson never backs out, 
 always fights and never gets whipped. Who knows 
 about Sommervelle ? " 
 
 Quien sdbe," said Wallace, softly. 
 
 "Lots of men have gone back," said Harvey, 
 "since they know General Sommervelle is going to 
 lead them." 
 
 "What a pretty branch that is over there," said 
 Billie. 
 
 "That s no branch; that s a cequia, (a made ditch) 
 and it ll take a good many twists of your tongue, 
 Johnny boy, before you ever roll these funny Spanish 
 names off your tongue right," said Big Foot. 
 
 "Well, you just watch me, Mr. Wallace, and some 
 day I ll speak it equal to any Mexican in the land," 
 responded John. 
 
 "Boys," said Big Foot; "you better stop joking 
 and think a little. Keep your eyes open and you ll 
 see a lot of strange things here in this old town of St. 
 Anthony. Them old Spanish fathers certainly had 
 a keen eye to business. Just look at the water of this 
 river ; how they Ve dug ditches until it s a regular net 
 work of water runin over miles and miles of this 
 barren region. No sooner did they clap their eyes on 
 this here river than they began to plan about making 
 the Injuns dig ditches and irrigate this land till it 
 would blossom like the rose, and comin generations 
 would rise up to bless them for fixin this water so 
 convenient, showin that them old fathers had busi-
 
 64 The Boy Captive 
 
 ness sense and lots of judgment as well as religion. 
 
 "An old Mexican woman," continued Big Foot 
 "told me the names of the main cequias. The Paja- 
 lache, or Mission Concepcion, is the oldest of all, be 
 gun in 1729. It runs right up yonder from a dam 
 they made the Injuns build across the river, away 
 down below where we are campin at the old Mission 
 Conception. Then besides, just think of that tunnel 
 the old fathers made the Indians build running from 
 San Pedro Springs to the Mission Concepcion. It 
 was made to protect the fathers and the friendly 
 Indians from the sudden attacks and the barbarous 
 Indians. You see how deep andcl ear it is? Well, 
 them redskins had to go up and down it in a little boat 
 and clean it out, for the water had to be drunk and 
 used for every sort of purpose at the Missions. 
 Then there are the San Pedro, the Alamo, and the 
 Upper Labor ditches; to say nothing of the miles of 
 little ditches connectin these big ones and making 
 a perfect network all over this valley. 
 
 "Wish I could see the place where this pretty river 
 starts from," said Billie. 
 
 "So do I," chorused the other boys. And Big Foot 
 no more than a big boy himself, told them "all right," 
 and away they went at a brisk canter Jim Dandy, 
 with his light rider, leading the way. 
 
 "How deep and clear and pretty the water is, just 
 boiling right up in all these springs, and making such 
 a pretty stream as it goes.
 
 The Boy Captive 65 
 
 In some places it looks like you can jump across 
 it, but runs fast, though going everywhere them old 
 Spanish fathers wanted her to ; for a long time after, 
 the old San Antonio river, from source to mouth, be 
 longed to the King of Spain, and right along on its 
 banks the priests were smart enough to build their 
 missions. 
 
 "Look," said John. "I threw in a dime, and it s 
 a shining, down maybe twenty feet, like a diamond." 
 mond. 
 
 "Time s up," said Big Foot. "We ve got to go 
 to the Mission for our dinner, and it s high time we 
 were off ; it s four or five miles from here. 
 
 As they followed the course of the Pajalache ditch 
 Billie said: 
 
 " I d like to bathe in this water. 
 
 "They don t allow bathin in these cequias," said 
 Big Foot, cheerfully. 
 
 "But when we get to the Mission we will try a 
 plunge in the river. 
 
 "Come on, Mr. Wallace; let s be movin . Look at 
 that store over there," said Gilbert. "Looks like the 
 Mexicans handled it pretty rough. 
 
 "No," said Wallace, beginning to laugh. "That s 
 John Twohig s store. He heard that the Mexicans 
 were coming and he swore that they shouldn t steal 
 his stock like they did last March, and he fixed some 
 powder and blew the whole thing up."
 
 66 The Boy Captive 
 
 "He did a good a job," said Billie, eyeing the ruins 
 with deep interest. "I bet provisions were never so 
 high in San Antonio." 
 
 "I think," said Orlando, " Billie s stomach must 
 be empty, and his brain is working too hard. We 
 must get him something to eat and quiet him. 
 
 Riding slowly along these historic by-ways, an al 
 most profound silence fell upon the little group of 
 adventurers Big Foot suddenly broke the silence by 
 saying, "Well, boys I guess you haven t thought 
 much about Santonie and them first Spanish settle 
 ments away back, too long ago to be remembered? 
 The King of Spain had the charter and the families 
 who first came to live here were from the Canary 
 Islands, with the finest Spanish blood in their veins, 
 and all these old Missions hereabouts shows up them 
 old fathers as being mighty earnest and pushing in 
 their labors to make Christians out of the heathen, 
 barbarous Injuns. Jest think boys what stuff them 
 priests was made of, to ketch up them wild fighting 
 Injuns jest like they was horses or cows and hang 
 on to em by main strength or awkardness, corral em 
 in pens, or inch by inch, by work, by prayer, by beads, 
 by every sort of thing known to man, till the poor 
 savages, or a few of them at least, was made into 
 Christians. They were instructed by able masters in 
 this way to carve or make images and saints was 
 taught to sing the ways of the Catholic priests, and in 
 the fields and gardens were taught to train vines, to
 
 The Boy Captive 67 
 
 weave vloth, make baskets and all sorts of work in 
 domestic life but its mighty strange, when you think 
 about it, that in little more than a century of time, 
 with patience and a deep love of labor, they succeeded 
 in getting about seven thousand of them redskins to 
 get a religious move on em. 
 
 The Alamo Mission that the boys had just visited 
 stood near the center of the town, which when the 
 monks abandoned it, was used as a fort; for the 
 Fathers, too, had to reckon with the hostile savages, 
 foes alike to themselves and their converts. 
 
 Now the boys had gazed on these crumbling ruins, 
 for the walls had been cannonaded by the Mexican 
 troops in 1836. It was here that the little garrison 
 of San Antonio intrenched itself and vainly waited 
 for re-inforcements, and after eleven days of fighting, 
 left not one man to tell the story. 
 
 But their sacrifices were not in vain. They left 
 their countrymen a victorious war-cry, "Remember 
 the Alamo," that won the field of San Jacinto. 
 
 Alamo is the Spanish name of the cotton-wood tree, 
 and the Mission was built in a grove of these beauti 
 ful trees. In plain view, in and out, rippled the 
 beautiful clear water of the San Antonio river, one 
 of the loveliest streams in the world. Back and forth 
 it wound among the houses of this old town, and 
 numerous acequias led it to the fields and gardens 
 where the crops were irrigated. 
 
 The wives of the American settlers with their child-
 
 68 The Boy Captive 
 
 ren had fled in March when Vazquez made his raid. 
 Many of the Spanish settlers had left to live in Mexico 
 or had retired to the old town of San Augustine ; but 
 the Mexican population remained in happy indiffer 
 ence begotten of contented poverty. They had nothing 
 to lose and everything to gain from the presence of 
 soldiers, Mexican or Texan, since it furnished a mar 
 ket for their simple edibles and gave the women a 
 chance to reap a little profit from laundry work. 
 
 Big Foot Wallace and the boys rode through the 
 pleasant crooked little streets with much enjoyment. 
 Often they passed groups of women washing clothes 
 at the river s edge under the shade of the great 
 cypress and pecan trees. 
 
 One place was very pleasant to look at with its 
 garden full of fig trees and pomegranates; several 
 china trees with their shining dark green crowns gave 
 much beauty to the place. It was the home of Mr. 
 Sam Maverick, one of the men who had been captured 
 a few weeks before. 
 
 "Mr. Wallace, I want to know," said Harvey, "did 
 you know that Sam Maverick s body-servant, Griffin, 
 was killed with Dawson s men?" 
 
 " No ! How did he get with them ? 
 
 "He was sent with Mrs. Maverick in March, at the 
 time they sent all the women and childern away. 
 She was at LaGrange when she heard that her hus 
 band was taken prisoner; so she sent Griffin on with 
 Nick Dawson. He had a lot of gold in a belt. He
 
 The Boy Captive 69 
 
 was to try and ransom his master. He could have 
 gotten through the lines to Maverick as easy as noth 
 ing." 
 
 "Whoopee! There s the Mission," and the whole 
 party finished the remainder of the two miles in a mad 
 gallop. 
 
 Harvey had preceded the others, and was stretch 
 ed full length by the side of the acequia drinking 
 freely of the delicious cold water. The rest of the 
 party sprang from their horses and followed his 
 example. 
 
 "I don t see," said Big Foot, "I don t see why 
 Injuns are so crazy for whiskey when there is such 
 good water as that." 
 
 "Huh," said Billie, cutting a knowing look at Big 
 Foot, "You don t drink whiskey?" 
 
 Only for pleasure, said Big Foot blandly. The 
 Indian, he makes a business of it."
 
 ON THE 
 TRAIL
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ON THE TRAIL. 
 
 TWO long months had dragged their weary 
 length since the call for volunteers had 
 sounded, and at last a force of seven hun 
 dred men had been gathered. A slow and tedious 
 process; for every citizen soldier had first to provide 
 for the welfare and protection of his household in 
 his absence. 
 
 John and the other boys had faithfully explored 
 the surrounding country, spending much time among 
 the quaint old buildings of the different Missions that 
 cluster around San Antonio. 
 
 Of all the boys, John was the handsomest. His 
 little slender, well-shaped body, his beautiful dark 
 eyes that seemed always laughing, his perfect fea 
 tures, his clear, olive skin, with a glow of health, 
 made him the admired of all. But his unselfish re 
 gard for the rights of others, his anxiety to be of use, 
 his ungrudging admiration of his comrades and un 
 consciousness of any particular merit in himself, won 
 the love of all. 
 
 In the open space before the old Mission Concep- 
 cion, the boys were now lounging, being detailed to 
 watch the camp. 
 
 The western sun threw its last, level rays on the 
 once gorgeous, but now faded front of the old church.
 
 72 The Boy Captive 
 
 Under the vivifying touch of light, the red and blue 
 crosses renewed their coloring. The yellow and 
 orange background gleamed back with its mock" gold. 
 For the hundredth time, perhaps, John sat with 
 dreamy eyes fixed on the inscription over the door 
 way, and its fascinating surroundings, symbolic, to 
 him, of mysterious and unknown things. Over again 
 he spelled the words: "Asv Patrona y Princessa con 
 estas armas Atiende esta Mission, y Defiende el punto 
 de su Pureza." Which translated means: "With 
 these arms be mindful of the Mission s Patroness and 
 Princess, and defend (or vindicate) the state of her 
 purity." 
 
 Though he had been told its meaning, his kind 
 translator had been unable to tell who the Princess 
 was ; and when asked where she lived, he had answer 
 ed gaily: "In a castle in Spain!" at which the boys 
 laughed heartily and John blushed to think that it 
 was he that had caused it. 
 
 "That lariat s done pretty good," said Billie eye 
 ing critically the flagellum circling in and out among 
 the words of the inscription in realistic carving. 
 "But why in thunder did they spoil it with all those 
 knots?" 
 
 "Why, that is meant for the rope they whipped 
 themselves with, and those knots were to make the 
 blood come!" answered John, proud of his bits of 
 knowledge, and glad to share them.
 
 The Boy Captive 73 
 
 "The better they were the more they thrashed 
 themselves! You d have done "just the way they 
 done, cause you would have been one of them; and 
 they did not take the easy way of anything, or they 
 Xiever would have come away out here to these In 
 juns. 
 
 The story of these Franciscan Brothers had made 
 a deep impression on the minds of the boys. This 
 massive building with its quaint carvings awoke new 
 thoughts within these young minds. Little by little, 
 John had gleaned its story from the men who were 
 awaiting marching orders. There were many students 
 among them; college graduates jostled arms with the 
 illiterate hunter; the trained soldier ate his vension 
 side by side with the hardy scout; the grandson of 
 Patrick Henry joked with the little German musician. 
 
 John, with that instinctive delicacy of preception 
 that characterized him all of his life, had soon learn 
 ed whom and when he might safely catechise on this, 
 to him, most interesting subject. 
 
 His family were Methodists ; and as all of the Tex 
 an Protestants were still sore and resentful at the 
 Catholic yoke forced on them by the Mexican govern 
 ment, it was not strange that he regarded the Catholics 
 with contempt and suspicion. 
 
 The story of these men, Roman Catholic of pro 
 nounced type, who had renounced all that the world 
 can give in wealth, pomp and power, even the good 
 ly heritage of their noble names, and laid these offer-
 
 74 The Boy Captive 
 
 ings on the altar of religion, and lived and died in 
 an unknown wilderness among untutored savages for 
 the love of Christ and to save souls, seemed incredible. 
 
 And yet these buildings were indisputable proof of 
 thir energy and zeal. That the Indians had per 
 formed much of the actual labor added to the im 
 mensity of the task, for John was well aware of the 
 redman s deep rooted aversion to work. 
 
 The sun had gone down, and the splendor of the 
 mission had vanished. John was the first to speak, 
 saying : Look boys, this fire s about out, and the meat 
 has to be cooked." 
 
 "Come on, Orlando, let us go get the wood," said 
 Billie, flinging off towards the river. 
 
 "Guess we ll eat supper at the Medina to-morrow 
 night," said Harvey, as he raked the coals out on 
 one side and set the coffee pot on. 
 
 "I say," said Billie, sinking his voice to a con 
 fidential pitch, "have you heard the men talking 
 about the General? They say that if Burleson had 
 held on, instead of giving up to Sommervelle, there 
 would have been four or five thousand men. Believe 
 it?" 
 
 "I don t know ," said John hesitatingly, "four 
 
 or five thousand is a good many. But lots did go back 
 on account of General Burleson s not leading. Fath 
 er said so." 
 
 Well, there are only seven hundred now ; may be a 
 few more. Can t tell till they get together; the rea-
 
 75 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 son the camps have been kept scattered was so the 
 Mexican spies could not tell how many there are." 
 
 Familiar with the garb of the frontier it did not 
 occur to these young minds that there was anything 
 new, peculiar or picturesque in the appearance of 
 these hardy men who constituted the command. But 
 there was buckskin, broad cloth, trousers of coarse 
 jeans, flannel, blue or whitet cotton shirts, all were as 
 plentiful as the deerskin hunting shirts. In the 
 
 Mission Conception 
 
 haste of preparation each man had worn what he had, 
 without a thought of what he looked like. 
 
 The attention of the boys was distracted by the 
 arrival of three young men wearing leather overalls.
 
 76 The Boy Captive 
 
 These were commonly called "chaps," perhaps with 
 reference to being worn when riding through the 
 chapperrel after cattle. Each wore a gay silk hand 
 kerchief knotted around his sunburned throat, each 
 pushed his wide-brimmed hat as far back on his head 
 as safety would allow, thereby showing a little rim of 
 white forehead between the thatch of hair and the 
 sunburned face. He recognized them as part of the 
 famous "Cowboy" company, and he drew a long 
 sigh of pleasure as he watched them swing out of the 
 saddle as only a cowboy can, and step off in that pecu 
 liar stilting gait, caused by the high heels of their 
 boots, and made musical by the clinking of their enor 
 mous spurs. 
 
 No such sunsets are to be seen as those of West 
 Texas. On the closing of this perfect day, the purple 
 horizone which hung about the scene like an enchant 
 ed veil, dropped by the hand of some genius, gathered 
 itself away toward the northern sky. Brighter and 
 brighter flamed the sunset, bluer and deeper and deeper 
 grew the sky above them ; the pink cloud changed into 
 a black mountain. Suddenly the sun so reluctant, 
 dropped out of sight. The gleaming opal later van- 
 inshed, the cloud bars changed color, the pale evening 
 star shook like a silver leaf above the horizon, the air 
 grew chill, and the golden prairie became sombre. 
 
 They had now reached the beautiful, clear, swift 
 running Medina, and having found a suitable spot, 
 the activities of camp life were soon in full motion.
 
 The Boy Captive 77 
 
 Carcasses of beef and deer were soon hanging in 
 gory nakedness, on poles supported by the forked 
 tops of stakes set solidly in the ground. 
 
 One stout young fellow held John s respectful ad 
 miration. His straight, sinewy figure was clad in a 
 buckskin suit elaborately fringed; on his curly hair, 
 which he wore quite long, as was the custom, a coon- 
 skin" cap rested jauntily, the long tail of the animal 
 had not been cut off, and waved in a most realistic 
 manner as his muscular arms moved. With easy dex 
 terity, he drew the sharp bowie through the red flesh, 
 tossing welcome pieces to the expectant dogs, or hand 
 ing large and more choice portions to the different 
 purveyors at the many camp fires. John never stop 
 ped until he found this gallant young fellow was 
 Captain Ewen Cameron, who commanded the cow 
 boys. 
 
 The many fires twinkled, the stalwart forms moved 
 in and out of the light and shadow. The cooks with 
 hats slouched to shade their eyes from the firelight, 
 maintained a fierce intensity of expression as they 
 skillfully turned the hoecakes, or watched the roast 
 ing meat on the forked stick, twirling it dextrously at 
 just the right moment. Quiet groups of men with 
 slight interest were playing cards, while an outer cir 
 cle participated by lively sympathy in the varying 
 fortune of the players. The group of Indian scouts 
 with their grim visages sat taciturn and seemingly in 
 different to the life that throbbed around them. Off 
 
 5
 
 78 The Boy Captive 
 
 in the gloom beyond the camp light, some weary, 
 homesick man lay prone on the sod, thinking per 
 chance of the wife and little ones, left in the homely 
 little log house to await with anxious hearts, his re 
 turn from pursuit of their foe. 
 
 John felt so drowsy that he was glad when his 
 father and Jeff declared themselves ready for bed, 
 and soon, wrapped in his blanket, he lay on the soft 
 grass and in dreams, the mother once more .claimed 
 her child. 
 
 Once in the night he awoke with a start of fear, 
 believing he had heard the warwhoop of a savage, 
 but it was only the owls down in the pecan and 
 cypress timber that so thickly set the Medina bottom. 
 He could hear the bell of the leader of the pack mules 
 with its clink-clank, clink-clank, slowly climbing with 
 the leisurely movements of the animal as it cropped 
 the rich herbage, and he thought he heard a long, 
 discordant scream, blood-curdling as a maniac s yell. 
 He reached a hand instantly toward Jeff, then with 
 drew it instantly as he recognized the call of a pan 
 ther. Close upon this came the bellow of a steer, 
 which sounded so much louder at night. 
 
 Off on the low hills of the open country, he could 
 hear cayotes barking and snarling or howling pite- 
 ously; and then the dogs in camp would respond, 
 rushing forward in a semi-circle, yelping furiously, 
 then setting back on their haunches, lift their black
 
 The Boy Captive 79 
 
 muzzles up toward the starry vault and give vent to 
 a loud wail of anguishing sounds. 
 
 In the intervals of quiet, between the outbursts of 
 canine melody, John caught the full benefit of a 
 chorus of frogs with a heavy bass voice which kept 
 saying, "Better go home! Better go home! Bet 
 ter 
 
 A turkey gobbled, instantly a chorus arose. Tur 
 keys gobbled, roosters crowed, hens cackled, calves 
 and lambs bleated, and above all arose the long, un 
 canny hoot of the owl, and then a forest of them 
 replied. 
 
 John tried to ask what was the matter, but could 
 not move his lips. Some one shook him. He grunted. 
 
 "Wake up!" his father s pleasant voice said, 
 "Don t you hear the sergeant?" 
 
 An hour later the camp was deserted. The expe 
 dition was on the road to historical fame. 
 
 But they saw only the Presidio Trail. 
 
 They waited many days for the arrival of the artil 
 lery and when it came, to the amazement of the men, 
 it was sent back and the whole command was thrown 
 into a state of frenzied anger. So it was 
 ordered that they should begin their long ride 
 over this uninhabited country with only their rifles. 
 Perhaps the only light hearts among those men were 
 our boy friends, who were over-eager for some devel 
 opment by which they might soon overtake the enemy. 
 They were now upon the identical highway over
 
 80 The Boy Captive 
 
 which only a few weeks ago the San Antonio men 
 had marched as prisoners but for some unaccount 
 able reason they were now ordered to take an oblique 
 cut to the left from the Presidio Trail, through 
 the chaparral to the Laredo Trail, over barren ground 
 covered with cacti and other thorny growth, and 
 roamed over by wild beasts. Now bunches of ante 
 lope would cut across their path and disappear, only 
 to make a wide circle and re-appear on the same side 
 on which they were first seen; these beautiful crea 
 tures have much curiosity, and it often leads to their 
 death. Every hunter in the expedition knew that by 
 fastening something red around him, he could ride 
 within a few feet of the innocent animal before it 
 would take flight. Herds of buffalo, wild cattle and 
 horses were seen almost daily. Birds of every hue 
 and color; and nothing seemed so strange as some of 
 the feathered inhabitants of these great plains. The 
 chaparral cock which seemed to push itself along ; the 
 little desert hawk, which made such an awful screach- 
 ing noise just after night; the chuckling wren, and 
 the plumed quail; red birds, and worlds of other 
 beautiful and interesting members of the feathered 
 songsters of this great uninhabited region, gave the 
 boys great pleasure. 
 
 They had now reached the Nueces, which they 
 found a raging torrent, and Captain Jack told the 
 men he was going to build a bridge. Some thought 
 he would camp and wait for the water to go down.
 
 The Boy Captive 81 
 
 "Wait for nothing! What Jack says he does," 
 said one of the men . "He ain t one of the waiting 
 kind." Without an instant of hesitation, Jack Hayes 
 and Bogart plunged in and swam across. The com 
 panies of Fisher and Mitchell were sent forward to 
 do the work. McMullen spurred his horse down the 
 slope into the muddy flood, and others followed him, 
 and soon John and his comrades saw two giant trees 
 from either side of the Nueces topple, their tops inter 
 locking. The Nueces had a steep, high bluff on its 
 east bank, but the west bank was low and heavily tim 
 bered. The bottom land extended two or there miles 
 before it reached any rise of ground. There had been 
 heavy rains in the upper country, and a stiff norther 
 was on, and the water was icy cold. Yet these daunt 
 less men, waist deep, in the chilling flood, hung with 
 one arm to the trees, while they chopped the limbs 
 off to make a flooring for the bridge. 
 
 There were plenty to help as soon as they saw what 
 was to be done ; but it was not until the next morning 
 that the rest of the expedition filed slowly across the 
 valley of water which was two or three feet in depth, 
 until they reached the actual stream, where they 
 found the newly improvised bridge. John was sur 
 prised to see what a good bridge they had built in so 
 rough a way. Now that he was closer he could see 
 better what they had done. The tall trees he had 
 seen fall were the foundation; close across these were 
 laid the limbs shorn of their smaller branches. Then
 
 82 The Boy Captive 
 
 the smaller branches, twigs and tula grass were used 
 to fill up the spaces between, so that even the little 
 hoofs of the pack mules did not slip through. 
 
 For two days they had floundered through the 
 water-soaked sandy waste, but with spirits unsub 
 dued. In spite of the days of fatigue, night found 
 them as joyful as ever, beguiling the time between 
 supper and slumber with songs, impromptu burles 
 ques, stories and recitations. One of the star per 
 formers at these nightly entertainments was Lieuten 
 ant Daniel Drake Henrie, of the Brazoria company, 
 and a prime favorite with officers and men. He had 
 traveled the world over, had racy gift at repartee, 
 spoke several languages, could tell stories "that 
 would make a dog laugh," and had a voice so sweet 
 that when he sang "The Soldier s Tear," it 
 was difficult to account for the sudden colds that 
 afflicted so many of the men; while "Long, Long 
 Ago" would produce a wave of homesickness among 
 those who had sweethearts or sisters, who sang this 
 sweet melody in their homes so far away. 
 
 However, it was a relief to all when once they 
 found the smooth, firm ground of the trail to Laredo. 
 Once more the luxuriant grass appeared, and the mes- 
 quite that made the plain a waving, shimmering mass 
 of green in the summer. The boughs were laden with 
 the long seed pods and the horses snatched many de 
 licious mouthfuls as they jogged along the monoto 
 nous way.
 
 The Boy Captive 83 
 
 If the animals feasted on the beans of the mes- 
 quite, one of the most nutritious and healthful of 
 foods for cattle or horses, the men also found the roots 
 of the trees of service, for they had to dig down deep 
 into the ground for firewood. 
 
 When night came on, all lay down to rest except 
 those who were on guard. Nor did they heed the 
 signs of the approaching storm. They had no tents, 
 nor did they desire them, for the most of them had 
 become familiar with the rough life of the frontier, 
 and if they had a horse, rifle, and ammunition, they 
 could always find game to eat and the whole earth for 
 a bed; everybody slept. 
 
 There were two hundred pack-mules, which with 
 the horses of the men, made over a thousand head of 
 stock ; these had to graze at night for the men rode in 
 the day. Each man hobbled his horse and then the 
 guard rode the circle at night. Of course, the guard 
 was divided into watches. Usually the men did this 
 duty with cheerfulness, but on this particular night it 
 was an unpleasant as well as dangerous duty, for 
 Jack Hayes and Ben McCullough had left the main 
 division after seeing that the bridge was started in 
 the right manner. They were only sixty miles from 
 Laredo, where a troop of Mexicans was quartered, 
 whom Sommervelle hoped to take by surprise. 
 
 Probably there were Mexican spies watching for 
 the Texan force ; and too, they had been warned that 
 the Nueces river was infested by Apaches, who were
 
 84 The Boy Captive 
 
 even more to be dreaded than the Comanches. 
 
 The night was dark, and the wind which had died 
 down in the afternoon, sprang into fresh fury and 
 brought with it a heavy rain. The men on guard went 
 whistling and singing to keep their horses, which 
 seemed to be scenting approaching danger, in the cir 
 cle, as the cold rain stung like nettles. 
 
 Suddenly it came, and pell-mell, without any seem 
 ing reason, several thousand hoofs were beating the 
 earth in a wild flight from the nameless terror. 
 
 Right over the sleeping camp they galloped. The 
 startled sleepers sprang to their feet terror stricken, 
 not knowing whether it was an earthquake or cyclone, 
 Mexicans or Indians. 
 
 There was no more sleep that night for all realized 
 the seriousness of their predicament. Fortunately 
 the men on guard were expecting the catastrophe, and 
 so they rode with the maddened throng, it was 
 not long before many of the fugitives trotted meekly 
 into camp. 
 
 One unfortunate man, the Rev. Edward L. Fon 
 taine, a grandson of Patrick Henry, saw the horses 
 coming, and trying to get out of the way fell into a 
 mass of prickly pear. A most horrible experience! 
 Fortunately the Captain of his company was Dr. Je 
 rome B. Robertson, an able physician, as well as Cap 
 tain, and he began at once to remove the thorns 
 before they had time to work into the flesh, and pro-
 
 The Boy Captive 85 
 
 duce the innumerable tiny, festering sores which are 
 so hard to heal. 
 
 While the men were engaged in an animated discus 
 sion, a thrill of expectation and excitement ran 
 through the command ; they saw Flaco ride into camp 
 and hold a consultation with General Sommervelle. 
 
 He brought news of the capture of two Mexican 
 scouts, which fired the weary men with new enthusi 
 asm. Forgotten were wet clothes, bruises, scanty pro 
 visions, and the lack of blankets ! Forgotten the long 
 monotonous stretches of wilderness, the thorny chap 
 arral, the quagmire ! Forgotten the strife, and dissen 
 sion of leaders ! They only remembered that revenge 
 was now within their grasp. Only sixty short miles 
 away lay the hated foe in unsuspecting ease. 
 
 To march at once before the birds of the air could 
 carry the alarm; to fall upon them; to annhilate; 
 this was the open path with no obstacle. 
 
 "What are you thinkin about, Big Foot, you look 
 so pleased?" said Billie. 
 
 Big Foot stood with a broad grin on his face, and 
 turning to one of the men said, "I m thinkin about 
 how we are goin to walk right up to them Mexicans 
 without any warnin . You see Captain Jack has 
 caught their scouts!" 
 
 But the enemy was not surprised. When the eager 
 Texans overtook Captain Hayes and his little band, 
 they found one very crest-fallen member, enduring 
 the rough jests of his comrades with what grace he
 
 86 The Boy Captive 
 
 might, but with the good humored stoicism of one 
 whose valor being proven can afford to ignore a mis 
 hap that might happen to the wisest. 
 
 What is it ? What are they laughing about ? Jeff, 
 have they found out?" asked John eagerly. 
 
 Why it seems that John Alsbury had one of the 
 Mexicans to guard last night. He was one of the men 
 that helped fix the bridge, and he was just worn out ; 
 so he concluded that when the Mexicans fell asleep 
 he might as well take a little nap himself ; so to make 
 sure of his prisoner, he just made a pillow of him! 
 I suppose he thought he would wake right up if the 
 Mexican stirred. But I reckon the Mexican was 
 shamming, for when daylight came, he found his 
 Mexican had turned into a saddle!" 
 
 "Turned into a saddle?" repeated John. 
 
 "Yes! The doggoned fellow had actually fixed 
 him up comfortably with a saddle for a pillow; I 
 reckon if he had had a blanket, he d a tucked him up 
 and kissed him good-night." 
 
 When the full humor of the affair dawned upon the 
 boys, they gave away to shouts of laughter. 
 
 "He certainly had a kind heart," said Orlando, as 
 he recovered from his wild joy. "Such consideration 
 for an enemy s comfort. I reckon he would apologize 
 to you before cutting your throat." 
 
 "Yes." said John, hilariously, "he would say 
 Pardon, senor, it is painful, but necessary. One 
 little moment, and you ll feel no discomfort." A
 
 The Boy Captive 87 
 
 fresh burst of joy greeted this sally of John s, but his 
 father smiled and shook his head as he cast glances at 
 General Sommervelle. 
 
 "Captain Jack feels mighty sore over this busi 
 ness," said Big Foot, "for his sweetheart is a sister 
 to John Twohig s wife, and he is going to have 
 mighty hard work explaining to those two women 
 why he let the Mexican walk poor John off that-a- 
 way. They think that Jack could whip the whole 
 Mexican army with his little hand full of scouts." 
 
 Noisy, argumentative voices arose from a group of 
 Brazoria men. John caught fragments of the con 
 versation as he sat Turk fashion on the ground. He 
 recognized one of the speakers as Captain Ewen Cam 
 eron, a leader among men. A tall, fine looking man 
 with a physique in keeping with his great strength 
 and endurance, he was a native Scotchman, of an 
 ancient Highland clan; and he had all the courage 
 of his ancestry. 
 
 "I went clear down to Burleson s house," said 
 
 Cameron. "He was more than willing But the 
 
 President said no " 
 
 "I have no grudge against the General," said the 
 Irishman, "but I m hearing it everywhere that Bur- 
 leson s the man for the hour." This speaker was 
 Thomas Murry, who was in Cameron s company. 
 
 "Well, I have," said the first speaker, General 
 Thomas Jefferson Green, "I have a contempt for a 
 man who is willing to head an expedition that plainly
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 declared they wanted another man." 
 
 " Zommerbill is a goot man, poot he iss more beaze- 
 f ul as Purleson, said a German who had been listen 
 ing, while he skillfully abstracted a coal from the fire, 
 spat on it, quickly picked it up and dexterously 
 dropped it into the bowl of his pipe. 
 
 They were camped for dinner when Billie saw 
 Flaco looking at the various groups of eaters with a 
 strange expression on his face. He sauntered up to 
 Flaco with a friendly manner and said, "Why ain t 
 you eating dinner, Flaco? Come mess with me." 
 
 "White warrior eat too much. Move slow. Injun 
 chief no eat on war path. Catch Mexican first, scalp 
 him then make feast! Dance." 
 
 Billie hastened to repeat this biting criticism to the 
 group of Rangers who were resting after a hearty 
 meal. A rather feeble laugh greeted his excellent 
 imitation of the Indian chief, but a thin lipped young 
 man with sandy hair, rose up from the ground and 
 fixing Billie with his steely blue eyes said : 
 
 "Young man, you give Flaco my compliments and 
 ask him if he was talking about the time the white 
 warriors fought Comanches at Plum Creek. He seems 
 to be quite willing to be on our side of the fight." 
 A roar of joy followed this speech for each man felt 
 his honor fully vindicated. The Comanches were the 
 deadly foes of the Lipan tribe and were the most 
 powerful and warlike savages in the Southwest. It 
 was at Plum Creek that the settlers in 1840 met a
 
 The Boy Captive 89 
 
 band of five hundred Comanches and fought them all 
 the way to where the town of Lockhart now stands. 
 It was a great victory for the white men for it gave 
 the Indians a thorough respect for their courage and 
 ability as warriors and made them cautious in ventur 
 ing near the settlements." The speaker was Captain 
 Ben McCulloch, a famous Indian fighter and in the 
 Civil war an able Confederate leader.
 
 AT 
 LAREDO
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 AT LAREDO. 
 
 THE sixty miles to Laredo were traveled as rap 
 idly as the eager Texans could move, stop 
 ping only for food. Day and night alike, were spent 
 in the chase after the Mexican soldiers. 
 
 Just before daylight, the Texans entered Laredo, 
 
 feeling sure of getting into a fight. To their great 
 surprise, not a soldier was to be seen, the escaping 
 scout having reached there in time to warn the sol 
 diers. But the good citizens of Laredo, ever tactful, 
 and living up to the highest standard of Latin diplo 
 macy, did not meet the incoming Texan soldiers as 
 enemies, but in terms of the greatest courtesy and re 
 spect they were greeted with words of good fellowship 
 and good will ; in their own graceful language, they said
 
 92 The Boy Captive 
 
 buenos dias, senares caballeros; nos gustan mucho, los 
 Americanos. Bienvenidos, estranjeros! Bienvenidos! 
 (Good day, gentlemen; we like the Americans very 
 much; welcome, strangers! Welcome!) This was 
 only maddening to the Texans, who could ill conceal 
 their chagrin at having missed the Mexican soldiers, 
 and thus visit a just retribution upon the whole 
 nation. 
 
 The Texans passed through the town and camped 
 about one mile above, but were without food, and 
 there were few blankets among them; and the nights 
 were cold. They insisted upon General Sommer- 
 velle s crossing the Rio Grande and making a fight, 
 but he would not yield to their wishes. The next day, 
 the camp was changed to one three miles from the 
 town. The men were also angry because General 
 Sommervelle did not demand as many supplies as 
 they thought they ought to have, and so, without cere 
 mony, on the second morning of their stay a large 
 number of the men went into the stores and de 
 manded and obtained large supplies of all they 
 wanted. But the next day General Sommervelle 
 sent them all back to their respective owners. The 
 act was considered a reflection upon the honor of the 
 Texas soldiers. The officers held a council, and al 
 most all voted to cross the river, overtake the Mexi 
 cans, whip them and then recross in safety. 
 but the men insisted that he should go to Guerrero, 
 two days travel from Laredo, by horse and on the
 
 The Boy Captive 93 
 
 14th day of December they bent their steps south 
 ward till they arrived at the mouth of the Salado 
 near Carrizo village, just across the river from 
 Guerrero. They found some flat boats and in these 
 they crossed in the town. The Alcalde (magistrate of 
 the town and a Frenchman who could speak English) 
 came to the camp of the Texans. He at once tendered 
 the surrender of the town, but insisted the Texans 
 should camp beyond the town limits, and he would 
 furnish the troops with food and clothing. General 
 Sommervelle agreed to this plan, but the weather grew 
 cold and a drizzling rain set in and the few clothes, 
 blankets and food sent by the Alcalde were far from 
 sufficient to make the men comfortable. Everybody 
 was mad and indignant, and they were especially re 
 sentful toward General Sommervelle, thinking he was 
 too easy on the Alcalde. 
 
 On the morning of December 19th, General Som 
 mervelle made up his mind to return to Texas and 
 bring the whole command along if they would come. 
 
 Accordingly 350 men obeyed the command of the 
 legalized officer and availed themselves of the chance 
 to return to their homes; General Sommervelle lead 
 ing the way. On this day 1842 begins what is in 
 history known as the "Meir Expedition of Texas, 
 the three hundred men who declined to return 
 home, re-organized and re-formed into companies 
 under command respectively of Captain Ewen Cam 
 eron, Wm. H. Eastland, I. G. W. Pearson, Wm. N. 
 
 6
 
 94 The Boy Captive 
 
 Ryan, Claudies Berster, John R. Baker, and Charles 
 K. Reese, with Captain Wm. R. Fisher as colonel, 
 who was familiar with the language, customs and 
 habits of the Mexican general, an ally of General 
 Canales, of the Federal Mexican war, and Colonel 
 Thomas Jefferson Green as second officer and in com 
 mand of the boats in which they were to embark from 
 Guerrero. 
 
 While the men were earnestly discussing the situ 
 ation as to pushing ahead to seek revenge upon the 
 Mexicans, Mr. Hill cast longing glances at his young 
 est son. Finally he said: 
 
 "John, you had better be careful how you talk 
 to the other boys about going with our new command- 
 It might become a matter of life or death, and you 
 don t want to be the innocent means of bringing sor 
 row to their people." 
 
 John obeyed; he did not wish any such awful 
 responsibility to be laid at his door by an accusing 
 conscience. He felt a chill of dismay steal over him, 
 and he followed his father about, without his usual 
 happy smile or the cheerful greeting that endeared 
 him to his comrades. But his anxiety was soon re 
 lieved by his beloved chums making their appearance 
 at the camp fire with all the gayety and assurance 
 of Dumas three heroes. The six brave little boys 
 went forward with the new organization! 
 
 "The navy," as General Green called it, was duly 
 organized on December 20th, and all who were not
 
 The Boy Captive 95 
 
 ordered to go by land and take charge of the horses, 
 embarked on the boats. 
 
 The boys found it wildly exciting, for of course, 
 they were a part of the marines. General Green was 
 the commander of the fleet and Samuel Lyon, a 
 former sailor, was made sailing master, a title that 
 probably carried more honor than responsibility. Dr. 
 Brenham was appointed marine surgeon and Colonel 
 Bonnel, lieutenant, and each of the boats had its com 
 mander; so "the navy" was well organized, consider 
 ing the simplicity of its purpose, which was to carry 
 the troops more speedily down the river; secondly, to 
 give them an opportunity to destroy the boats of the 
 Mexicans, so that the pursuit by water was impossi 
 ble, and as the Rio Grande was in no place fordable, 
 they could in future engagements, if pressed, retreat 
 to their boats, gain the Texas side of the river, and be 
 safe from the enemy. 
 
 And now, while the navy is floating down the river, 
 let us try to understand the reasons for their course. 
 It is not possible, however, to explain the motives of 
 each and every man in the expedition, but we can 
 give the general reasons which their leaders have 
 given. 
 
 It was the desire of the Texans to avenge the first 
 Mexican raid of the previous March; but the Texan 
 Congress was fearful of making any move that would 
 seem a declaration of war with Mexico, as Texas was 
 in no financial condition to raise and maintain an
 
 96 The Boy Captive 
 
 army. Not until September were any decisive steps 
 taken, and then the utmost caution was used, as nom 
 inally, at least, peace was supposed to exist between 
 the two countries. 
 
 The men who organized under Fisher believed that 
 they had been sent to keep the Mexicans from making 
 any more incursions into the territory of the Texas 
 Republic. They believed they were to give battle to 
 any force they chanced to meet. They believed they 
 were expected to levy on the towns or villages for 
 needed supplies, as was the rule in military warfare, 
 and in this belief they were confirmed, because they 
 had been furnished barely sufficient rations to last 
 them to the border; and in case these supplies were 
 refused they could forage for themselves, or inflict 
 such punishment on the place as their leader saw 
 proper. 
 
 They did not believe that President Houston had 
 forbidden Sommervelle to cross the border to fight. 
 They attributed his failure to exact supplies to a 
 want of courage- To this same reason they attrib 
 uted their forced march through the chaparral. 
 When he disbanded them, they felt themselves within 
 their rights to elect a leader, according to the law 
 made by the Texas Congress in January, 1840, which 
 General Green quotes in support of their action. 
 They believed that their government had sent them 
 on this expedition for good reasons and they did not 
 see any change in the reason, although they had
 
 The Boy Captive 97 
 
 changed their leaders. The purpose for which they 
 had been sent remained unaccomplished and if Gen 
 eral Sommervelle felt inadequate to the task set be 
 fore him, that was no reason why they should aban 
 don it, since there were others who felt willing to 
 undertake it and confident of success. 
 
 The boys found it very exciting, for the General 
 had arranged for them to participate in the naval 
 maneuvers. These consisted in burning the boats 
 they found, and in levying on the small villages for 
 provisions. 
 
 The boys felt that war was glorious, but rather 
 easy. A few frightened villagers fleeing to the chap 
 arral and hiding among the sand hills leaving their 
 poor little possessions to the mercy of the invaders. 
 
 The days were cheerful once more, for their stom 
 achs were full, but the nights were cold and blankets 
 scarce. The saddle and the chaparral had worn thin 
 and made grievous rents in the apparel of the men, 
 so all were glad when they reached the town of Mier, 
 six miles from the Rio Grande, the first place of any 
 size since they left Guerrero. 
 
 On the 22nd day of December, leaving their horses 
 on the Texas side with a guard, for of course they 
 must always be on the alert for the Indians, they 
 moored their flat-boats to the west bank, detailed a 
 guard to watch them and marched into the town of 
 Mier, demanding surrender.
 
 98 The Boy Captive 
 
 The Alcalde and the principal men of the town con 
 ferred with Colonel Fisher and General Green and 
 readily agreed to supply them with everything need 
 ed. They supposed this troop to be a small detach 
 ment from a larger force secreted on the other side. 
 
 *An Alcalde, in our country is simply a magistrate 
 and his office is administered in a modest, unpreten 
 tious manner. But in Mexico, he becomes a man of 
 more importance in the administration of his office. 
 The insignia of this functionary is a cane with either 
 a gold or silver head, to which is appended a big 
 bunch of silk tassels. The Alcalde cannot preside, 
 nor are the people expected to obey him, without the 
 insignia of his office in his hand. 
 
 With his cane, he is an Alcalde, without it he be 
 comes a private citizen. Seldom are oaths adminis 
 tered, but when they are, the Alcalde lays his fore 
 finger with his thumb over the head of the cane. 
 
 So keen had been the disappointment for the men 
 when at Guerrero, the supplies had proven so inade 
 quate to the demand, Colonel Fisher determined to 
 protect them by taking precaution against a breach 
 of faith on the part of the Mexicans. 
 
 Night was drawing near and although the order 
 was being rapidly filled, some delay in getting trans 
 portation for so large a quantity of goods was inevit- 
 
 * Oilliam s Travels in Mexico, pase 265.
 
 =
 
 The Boy Captive 101 
 
 able. The Colonel ordered the men to return to their 
 camp. 
 
 To John s surprise he saw a Mexican gentleman in 
 the rich and picturesque costume of the hacendado, 
 mounted on a horse, which was all gaily decked out, 
 while by his side strode General Green and a strong 
 escort of men. As the General marched by with his 
 distinguished prisoner, Billie Reese was regarding 
 him attentively and thought he saw him wink. 
 
 It had been a topic of much discussion as to what 
 should be done with the next Alcalde in order to 
 secure supplies. Each boy would give his ideas on 
 the subject artfully led on by General Green, while 
 the officers would sit and listen with much amuse 
 ment at the blood-thirsty plans of the "fire-eaters," 
 as the boys were called. 
 
 So many of the men having returned to their 
 homes, the boys from the different companies natu 
 rally saw more of each other. One boy named Chris 
 Yocum from Liberty county, was much liked by all, 
 as he was a nice, manly little fellow, though only 
 fourteen. He and another boy named Gilbert Brush 
 were active members of these fierce councils of war, 
 and General Green used to laughingly say to his 
 brother officers, that if he had a regiment composed 
 of boys like them, he believed he could make a new 
 conquest of Mexico. Each of these boys was a fine 
 shot, and as for riding, the world can show no better 
 rider than the Texan. Indian raids, and fights with
 
 102 The Boy Captive 
 
 Mexicans were the daily topics of their lives. So 
 their plans lacked nothing in variety of daring; but 
 after each had launched his scheme on the stream of 
 public opinion, and perhaps run foul of some rock, 
 then John, who was always regardful of others, 
 would say politely, "Now what would you do, Gen 
 eral?" And the General would always reply, "Wait 
 and see ! " 
 
 Although the sight of the distinguished hostage 
 was reassuring as to the supplies, it failed to make 
 the men as gay as usual. The six miles that lay be 
 tween them and their boats were not pleasant walk 
 ing. Their shoes were full of holes and the sand and 
 rough gravel cut their tender feet, for they were used 
 to riding and had had little experience of long 
 marches. The sun had ceased to shine, the sky was 
 gloomy and leaden in hue, for another storm was 
 gathering. The ugly clumps of thorny underbrush 
 seemed more unsightly, since their glimpse of the 
 pretty little town they had just left, and no doubt 
 many of them felt twinges of homesickness. 
 
 The little band trudged on through the sullen twi 
 light in depressing quiet. John s eyes rested on 
 Yocum s back, for the boys as usual managed to keep 
 together. His mind turned to his home. It was the 
 time they usually had supper. He wondered if his 
 mother missed him at the table. He knew just where 
 each one would sit! His mind revelled in the feast 
 his fancy depicted. He could see Mammy Lou s
 
 The Boy Captive 103 
 
 kindly black face as she buttered the hot cornbread 
 for his little sister, or served a fresh relay of fried 
 chicken. Oh, for one good drink of that buttermilk 
 with little flecks of gold on its foamy surface! He 
 was sure they had fresh pork for supper, as it was 
 time to kill the hogs. "Nearly Christmas! Yes, 
 surely they must have killed the hogs, and that meant 
 
 sausages, spare ribs ." A shot rang out on the 
 
 air at the same instant Yocum threw his arms up, and 
 fell prone on the gravel. So sudden was it, that poor 
 John, who was just behind his young companion, 
 stared dazed at the prostrate figure. Exclamations 
 ran through the straggling lines and each man 
 brought his rifle into readiness while they halted in 
 obedience to command. It was too dark to see more 
 than the shadowy silence. Even the men near Yocum 
 did not know who shot him. Then an unhappy man 
 in front of him said the branch of a tree had struck 
 against his rifle and so discharged it. Soon the sad 
 news drifted through the lines. It was not an ambus 
 cade as they had feared, but all felt sorrow not only 
 for the loss of this brave little comrade, but for the 
 unfortunate man who had been the instrument of his 
 death- What words of comfort could they give him ? 
 John s happy dream was over. Tired, but no 
 longer conscious of either hunger or fatigue, he 
 moved on to the boats with the Test of the command. 
 The water lapped on the beach with that musical 
 sound so pleasing to the ear. He heard the noise of
 
 104 The Boy Captive 
 
 the men s feet as they tramped into the boats, the 
 heavy knock of their guns as the stocks struck the 
 bottom of the boats. No one whistled, no one sang, 
 no one laughed, no one carelessly cursed in that free, 
 unconscious way of the soldier. All were thinking of 
 the limp, young figure borne between four of the men. 
 Death in battle was a thing to be met with a laugh. 
 But death slipping in, in this stealthy fashion and 
 seizing so young a victim, was horrible. 
 
 The men cooked their scanty suppers and soon 
 were joking freely about the Alcalde and the supplies. 
 The hopeless Don Juan sat on the ground in his gor 
 geous raiment and his dark eyes roamed restlessly 
 over the scene before him. The ragged, unkempt men 
 stalked in and out the firelight, fierce and wild 
 looking with their long hair, their unshaven faces and 
 their grotesque costumes. Hardly would mothers or 
 wives have known them as they squatted in front of 
 the fire and broiled the meat on the coals. 
 
 Fitful gusts of a cold northwest wind swept down 
 over the sand hills laden with dust and grit, beating 
 the fire flat, filling the men s eyes with smoke and 
 covering their meat with ashes; now fanning the 
 flames to fierce pillars of light that illumined the 
 mounds of sand, the sharp rocks thrusting their ribs 
 through the thin coating of earth, the scraggy clumps 
 of cacti and dwarf mesquite, only for a moment, then 
 all was obscurity and the wind passed on softly over 
 the open space where the men were digging the grave
 
 The Boy Captive 105 
 
 for their boy comrade. John sat silently in the back 
 ground of the little knot of men which composed his 
 particular company. His father stole anxious, kindly 
 glances at the set little face, which, pillowed on its 
 hand, gazed with somber eyes off into the darkness. 
 
 Harvey and Billie called him to come and see how 
 General Green was taking care of the Alcalde- They 
 went on without him, however, and Orlando slipping 
 out of the shadows threw an affectionate arm over 
 John s shoulder. Although held as a prisoner, the 
 sympathetic instincts of the Mexican character were 
 strong in the Alcalde. Looking at the body of the 
 dead boy, he exclaimed with a mist in his eyes, 
 "Pobre muchachito, tan inocente, lejos de sus padres 
 y su hogar, querido." (Poor little boy, so innocent, 
 so far away from his father and mother and his be 
 loved home.) 
 
 Later on the men lined up around the open grave. 
 The burial service of the Episcopal church was read 
 by the Rev. Edward B. Fontaine, with heads uncov 
 ered, they watched the lowering of the body wrapped 
 in a blanket. "When the last clod was thrown in place, 
 each man placed a rock on the grave ; this was to pre 
 vent the coyotes from desecrating the body. They did 
 not fire a salute for ammunition was too scarce and 
 precious in a hostile country to be used in empty cere 
 monial. 
 
 Soon the camp was asleep save for sentinels who 
 made their lonely rounds, now facing the keen wind
 
 106 The Boy Captive 
 
 which blew with steady fury, now stumbling over the 
 loose stones and cursing softly, or halting in the shel 
 ter of a thick clump of bushes, and pausing to rest 
 and think. 
 
 The horses, having eaten their corn, stood with 
 drooping heads backed to the storm. Occasionally 
 some vicious broncho would snap his teeth at a com 
 panion, whereupon a temporary confusion of squeals 
 and stamping hoofs would ensue then all would re 
 lapse into black shadows again. 
 
 From far off, among the sand hills, the coyotes 
 raised their discordant miserere, and from the chapar 
 ral close by, the owls answered in demoniac glee. 
 Poor Don Juan lay in sullen misery, one leg held as 
 in a vise, between the two stalwart sinewy pillars 
 of the redoubtable "Commodore Verde" as the Al 
 calde called General Green, seized an unwilling host 
 age, yet he had pictured only a little tedious waiting 
 in the comforts of an elegantly appointed tent be 
 tween the ideal and the real. There was a wide dif 
 ference between the appointments of a Texan "Com- 
 mandante" and those of the Mexicans. Sleep did 
 not cast her balm on his hurt mind, nor warm his 
 chilled and stiffening limb. 
 
 Only a little way from him lay his young Texan 
 namesake, sleepless) too, although sheltered under the 
 blankets between his big brother and his loving 
 father.
 
 The Boy Captive 107 
 
 Over in Mier, a dark-eyed senora was weeping 
 before the shrine of her apartment, praying for the 
 release of her husband from the American bandits. 
 
 Hundreds of miles away, in the farm house on the 
 Colorado, a white-robed figure was kneeling, and im 
 ploring that her dear ones be saved from all harm 
 and be restored to their homes- 
 
 The morning of the 24th was as dreary as the pre 
 ceding evening. The wind was cold and piercing, 
 and the little heap of rocks that marked the grave of 
 Yocum gave a touch of sadness in a landscape already 
 replete with mournful suggestions. John, Orlando 
 and Harvey were backed against the north side of a 
 little gully, to be out of the reach of the wind, and 
 were watching the direction in which they expected 
 to see the supplies from Mier. 
 
 "I think it will be hard to cheer the Alcalde. I 
 saw him and the Colonel eating dinner together," 
 said Harvey with a giggle, "and he looked mighty 
 sick and low-spirited, but General Green, he was 
 strutting around and spouting poetry, something 
 Lord Byron wrote, and Dr. Sinnickson was laughing 
 so he could not eat and Colonel Fisher looked like he 
 would burst a blood vessel trying to keep in." 
 
 The men needed all the cheerful nonsense to keep 
 up their spirits, for, although they moved their camp 
 down the river to Los Arrieros, the looked-for sup 
 plies failed to make their appearance. I^oor Don 
 Juan suffered more keenly than they, for while all
 
 108 The Boy Captive 
 
 felt the pangs of hunger and the discomfort of insuffi 
 cient warmth, still they had companionship and free 
 dom, while he was held captive by a set of men 
 whom he regarded as outlaws or highwaymen. 
 
 Christmas eve saw the poor Alcalde once more the 
 unwilling bed fellow of the robust general. Few of 
 the men could sleep. The situation was serious. 
 
 When General Sommervelle left the three hundred 
 Texans at Guerrero, Captain Jack Hayes, Ben and 
 Henry McCulloch, Tom Green, C. C. Cady, Ephriam 
 McLean and a few others declined to return with 
 Sommervelle, but they also would not unite with the 
 new organization under Fisher. Still they were 
 deeply interested in the outcome of the new command 
 and being the best scouts they remained until the first 
 entrance of the Texans into Mier, and were among 
 the first to enter the town. But wise men and scouts 
 as they were, experienced rangers with a record of 
 long service, they wisely withdrew on hearing that 
 General Ampudia, Brigadier and General in com 
 mand of the northern division of the Mexican Army, 
 with an overwhelming force, was coming to meet the 
 Texans, and would prove dangerous to the smaller 
 force under Colonel Fisher. 
 
 When the Texans returned to their camp, these 
 scouts had remained on the other side to watch the 
 movements of the Mexican troops in the vicinity of 
 Mier. It was an anxious time, for the scouts had not 
 been heard from, and fears were entertained of their
 
 The Boy Captive 109 
 
 capture. Soon after this, Jack Hayes and the other 
 scouts named, returned to Texas. 
 
 Early on Christmas Eve morning, however, two of 
 the scouts brought in a Mexican, and from him they 
 learned that two Mexican Generals, Ampudia and 
 Canales, were down near the river, about two miles 
 with seven hundred men and two cannon. 
 
 Excitement ran high, and all were unanimous in 
 wishing to cross at once to fight. At two o clock on 
 the afternoon of Christmas Eve day. The rest of the 
 command were crossing the Rio Grande, save those 
 who were toled off much against their will, to remain 
 with and guard the horses. At four o clock, all the 
 companies were on the west bank, ready to begin 
 the tramp across the sterile waste that lies be 
 tween the plains of the Rio Grande and Alamo rivers. 
 It was very unpleasant weather, for although the 
 wind had died down, a mild, drizzling rain had set in, 
 and the feet of the men were poorly shod for the road 
 that lay before them. 
 
 But wet clothing and tender feet were forgotten 
 when, a little later, McMullen met them with the news 
 that Baker and his scouts had had an encouter with 
 the Mexicans and that they had almost caught Sam 
 Walker as he was climbing a fence they caught his 
 boots and he had, by a quick movement, left them in 
 their hands. Baker wanted re-inforcements at the 
 lower ford. With all speed they hastened to the as 
 sistance of their comrades, but when the Mexicans 
 
 7
 
 110 The Boy Captive 
 
 saw the new division, they ceased fighting and moved 
 into the city. 
 
 It was seven o clock and very dark. The Texans 
 were now occupying Mexican territory on the high 
 bluff of the Alamo river. Colonel Fisher thought it 
 best to try to cross the river between the two regular 
 fording places, and in doing this they ran more dang 
 er than they thought. El Cantaro ford has a smooth, 
 pebbly bottom, the ground sloping gently toward it 
 on either side ; but, both above and below the ford, the 
 bed of the river had many jagged rocks, and holes 
 seemingly bottomless and full of water even in a 
 drought when the river bed looks like a stony desert. 
 
 Here the men were halted, given orders to rest, 
 and to keep the guns covered so that their loads 
 would not be damp, while Capt. Reese was to take a 
 man and attempt to find out whether the Mexicans 
 had placed their pickets. 
 
 With the rain beating softly in his face, John sat 
 straining his eyes at the darkness, holding his rifle 
 close to his heart trying to distinguish objects on the 
 opposite bank; but there was neither moon nor star, 
 and save for red flashes from the guns of the pickets, 
 it might have been deserted- 
 
 Billie had been silenced by the fusillade from the 
 opposite side. He watched anxiously to see the re 
 turn of the brother whom he idolized. Meanwhile 
 the news crept through the ranks that General Green
 
 The Boy Captive 111 
 
 had heard the clanking of the calavry who were lying 
 in wait at the ford. 
 
 Colonel Fisher sent Baker and his spies to attract 
 their fire, while the remainder of the men were to 
 climb down the bluff and follow the streams, until they 
 found a place to cross. 
 
 "How can we find a ford in this darkness?" asked 
 John. 
 
 "General Green has turned the Alcalde over to 
 Sailing-Master Lyon. I reckon he had had his in 
 structions what to do in case Don Juan makes any 
 mistake about the right place." 
 
 Hush ! said Billie. Is that Charlie ? 
 
 "Something has happened. There goes Dr. Sin- 
 nickson. 
 
 Poor Joe Berry had fallen down one of the steep 
 gullies in the bank of the river and had broken his 
 hip. Seven men with Dr. Sinnickson were detailed 
 to get him out, and they were left to carry the poor 
 fellow into an old deserted adobe house standing not 
 very far from the river s bank. 
 
 Their comrades moved on, slipping and sliding 
 down the treacherous wet clay banks, grasping at 
 bushes to save themselves, following the narrow path 
 along the water s edge till they came to a place where 
 they could wade the swift current. The water was 
 above the knees of the men, and John found it hard 
 work to keep his footing, and hold up his precious 
 rifle out of the water.
 
 112 The Boy Captive 
 
 The noise of their crossing was drowned by the 
 rushing of the water over its rocky bed- A lucky 
 thing ! For some of the men could not restrain their 
 tongues when they slipped on the uncertain bottom 
 and raked their shins against the sharp edge of the 
 rocks. 
 
 At last all was over, and as yet they were not 
 discovered.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MIEB. 
 
 THE sleepy, peaceful little town bearing this 
 name is situated about six miles from the 
 Bio Grande river, in the state of Tamauli- 
 pas. The river Alamo makes a very pretty curve 
 about the town, passing on the north side then grace 
 fully flowing southeast into the Bio Grande, so that 
 the town has the river for its northern and eastern 
 boundary. On this little river there are two promin 
 ent and well-known fording places, and these are 
 used to this day, just as they were at the time of our 
 story. The banks are very steep and rugged in 
 many places, but constant travel at these crossings 
 keeps them in fairly good condition. 
 
 The Texans crossed at the north ford which was 
 called then, as now, El Cantaro (the water bottle). 
 Like everything else in Mexico even this name is sur 
 rounded by a halo of tradition. The most credible is : 
 that at this crossing, there once grew a very large hui- 
 sache (wee-sache) tree and on the limb of this tree 
 was a fungus growth of remarkable size shaped like a 
 cantaro or Mexican water bottle. Another reason 
 has been given for the name: the bottom of the
 
 116 The Boy Captive 
 
 river is of solid rock and immense holes resembling 
 contaros are in the bottom of the stream. Also the 
 town of Mier itself was built upon a limestone hill and 
 there are places dug out of the rock resembling a 
 water bottle. 
 
 The Texans entered the town and secured a few 
 supplies, but the Alcalde had failed to give them as 
 much as they had asked for and so without ceremony 
 they took him prisoner. It was when they were ford 
 ing the Alamo river that one of the Texans asked the 
 Alcalde, "What is this place?" he, thinking they 
 meant the crossing said: "El Cantaro," when the 
 Texans thought he meant the name of the river. The 
 answer was accepted as meaning the river, and to 
 this day all the histories in which this expedition is 
 mentioned, the name of the river Alamo is called 
 Alcantra or Alcantara, when no such name ever 
 existed. 
 
 The little town was noted for the blankets which 
 were woven there. In almost every house might be 
 seen the primitive loom for their weaving. There 
 were no great factories with tall chimneys vomiting 
 soot and smoke on the pure air. The people spun 
 their own yarn, manufactured their own bright dyes 
 from the roots or bark of native shrubs and herbs, and 
 the different processes went on in the peaceful en 
 vironments of home. Nor were they so pressed for 
 time or money that they could not afford to sit at any
 
 The Boy Captive 117 
 
 time for a neighborly visit, or take a long siesta after 
 the morning s work. 
 
 The first settlement and the naming of the pueblo 
 of Mier occured in 1753 when in honor of its illus 
 trious namesake, Senor Don Jose Sernando Tereza 
 de Mier D. D. delegate to the Spanish Cortes for this 
 section, High Mass was said with great pomp and 
 ceremony to Nuestra Senora de la Immaculada Con- 
 cepsion de Mier; little did these people dream of the 
 glory that was to fall on this obscure little town. 
 
 The following entry in the archives of the town 
 is the only reference that was ever made in its "blue 
 books" upon the Mier Expedition. Viz: "In 1842 
 a battle was fought between the Mexicans and Texans 
 in this city in which more than three hundred prison 
 ers were taken, and where we saw their pride hum 
 bled and all their arms laid at the feet of our brave 
 soldiers. The Mexican Army fought under the com 
 mand of Brigadier General Don Pedro Ampudia and 
 Colonels Don Romalo Diaz de la Vega and Don An 
 tonio Canales. In this battle three officers were 
 killed : Captain Don Miguel Asnal de Ampudia, first 
 Lieutenant Don Manuel Infantte and a second Lieu 
 tenant of Reynosa whose name was unknown." 
 
 THE BATTLE. 
 
 In all Mexican cities there is a large open square 
 or park, called the plaza, around which the public 
 mercantile buildings are faced, and also where the 
 population gather at night or on festal oc-
 
 118 The Boy Captive 
 
 casions. The town of Mier had about four thousand 
 citizens at the date of this story, and its military 
 plaza was the center of the city. The Alcalde s office 
 was on the east side of the plaza, and, as it was a 
 military station the government warehouses were in 
 close proximity- Across the plaza on the west were 
 the cathedral and the residence of General Garcia. 
 
 To prevent the Texans from reaching the plaza and 
 thus gaining access to the government supplies, the 
 Mexicans placed their cannon at the northeast and 
 southeast corners of the plaza, thus commanding the 
 two streets that led from the east. But the Texans 
 made a line for the northeast street, thus avoiding the 
 fire of the cannon. They forced an entrance into the 
 two buildings on the adjacent sides of the street. 
 
 Once inside the shelter of these rock walls, it was 
 only a matter of strength and time to make breaches 
 in the partition with the aid of some crow-bars which 
 they were lucky enough to find. 
 
 The cannon kept up an active roar, and, as the 
 balls struck the outer walls of the building, loosened 
 rock and mortar would fall to the pavement below. 
 The Texans promptly utilized these breaks as loop 
 holes from which to rake the enemy with their deadly 
 rifle fire. Near midnight, the last dividing wall was 
 breached, and John found himself within a large 
 building, only fifty yards from the cannon. Captain 
 Cameron had placed his men in the courtyard, and 
 used the heavy wall as a protection for his firing
 
 GLIMPSES OF MIER 
 
 The building- on the extreme left was used as Ampudia s 
 headquarters. The old church with the tower at the right is 
 the building: in which the prisoners were confined. The siege 
 of Mier occurred on Christmas eve and continued through 
 Christmas day, the surrender taking- place at early twilight 
 Christmas day, 1842.
 
 The Boy Captive 121 
 
 line, while on the left side Captain Reese s 
 and Captain Pearson s companies had forced 
 their way, so that they held the building on the ad 
 jacent corner. The best riflemen were picked and 
 stationed so that they could command the position of 
 the artillery. Faithful to his promise, General Green 
 gave the "fire-eaters" a place upon the azotea where 
 better protection would be given them. 
 
 "Now boys," said he, "that battery of theirs makes 
 too much noise. You must stop it! It might kill 
 somebody by accident!" (The General could always 
 joke.) "Every time you see a man try to load that 
 cannon, take good aim and hit him in the head. 
 Don t fire at the same time, keep cool, and don t quit 
 until you get your orders." 
 
 The boys obeyed. From across the street another 
 division was firing. John felt himself in a dream. 
 A horrible dream it was, full of powder stench and 
 flying bullets and cannon balls and groaning men, 
 and over all, the wild shouts of the Texans. That all 
 was motion and excitement he was dimly conscious, 
 but he kept his eyes fixed on the cannon and as his 
 turn came, he steadily took aim and kept his record. 
 He winched when he missed, but the other boy was 
 sure to hit. One hour after daylight the artillery was 
 deserted, for all but five of the gunners were dead, 
 and the five were disabled. 
 
 The fighting went steadily on. It was rifle against 
 rifle now. The Texans felt jubilant for they were
 
 122 The Boy Captive 
 
 better riflemen than their foes. If only their am 
 munition would hold out till they could make a rush 
 for the warehouse of the government supplies. 
 
 Six hours later, and the Mexicans, fearful the Tex- 
 ans might secure the abandoned cannon, were en 
 deavoring to lasso the big guns. It was a deadly task, 
 for the luckless head, or hand that came within range 
 of those rifles in the corner buildings. At last they 
 were successful in getting their ropes over the pon 
 derous machine and slowly the cumbersome wheels re 
 volved under the steady pull of the straining arms at 
 the end of the rope, and the "fire-eaters" knew that 
 they might turn their deadly attention to others of the 
 enemy. 
 
 Meanwhile on the other side of the river, in the 
 old adobe hut, the right men who were detailed to 
 get poor Joe Berry out of the gulch, were sitting where 
 they could see their comrades fighting. It had taken 
 them sometime to get their unfortunate comrade upon 
 the high ground and to the shelter of the house. Then 
 it had taken their united strength to hold the poor 
 fellow while the Doctor set the broken limb. But 
 they had heard the roar of the cannon and the crack 
 ing of the rifle, and they knew the fight was on and 
 they were condemned to uselessness. It was seven 
 teen hours since they had heard the first noise of the 
 battle, and all night long the ground shook with the 
 roaring of the cannon, but, with the coming of day, 
 the firing had grown farther apart, till at last it had
 
 The Boy Captive 123 
 
 ceased, and only the popping of rifles told them that 
 fighting was still going on- 
 Poor Joe muttered and groaned in the delirium of 
 fever, and it was hard work to keep him still on the 
 miserable pallet. They could see men on the house 
 tops firing at those below. Long and anxiously had 
 they gazed with the pent-up ferocity of a chained bull 
 dog, with a vagabond just out of reach. 
 
 Suddenly they saw a detachment of sixty cavalry 
 men coming up from the ford. They dashed by the 
 old adobe house unsuspecting, for they were on the 
 lookout for the expected Texan re-inforcement from 
 across the Rio Grande. 
 
 "When this clanking, glittering band came in range 
 it was more than these men could withstand, reck 
 less of the consequences, with one impulse each reach 
 ed for his gun and took aim and each brought down 
 a victim. 
 
 The cavalry, taken by surprise, scattered in con 
 fusion. But alas ! another detachment had seen the 
 rash Texans. These had a field-piece. They trained 
 it on the house. 
 
 The Texans knew the first shot would crumble the 
 walls to dust. If they ran the house would not be 
 fired on, and Joe might have a chance, while they 
 might, perhaps, gain the river, get over on the other 
 side and join their companions. They made the wild 
 dash but the foe was on the alert, and the three fore 
 most bit the dust never to rise again ; Tom Davis and
 
 124 The Boy Captive 
 
 Joe s brother, Bate, reached the other side dripping 
 and hatless, but bearing their guns in safety, and soon 
 were in the thick of the fighting they had been watch 
 ing so long. 
 
 Dr. Sinnickson and the other two were captured, 
 and they supposed that Joe would be taken to a hos 
 pital. What was their horror to see a soldier walk 
 up to the poor fellow tossing in his fever and de 
 liberately stab him, then the three captives were 
 marched over the river to the headquarters of the 
 two Mexican generals. 
 
 The battle had gone on steadily on the other side, 
 and John and his companions were now turning their 
 attention to the men on the azoteas of the buildings- 
 Captain Cameron and his men had suffered much 
 in the yard and now sent in for re-inforcements. 
 General Green sent as many men as he could spare, 
 for the Mexicans were now coming on the north side 
 of the square, and the news that Colonel Fisher had 
 been wounded, threw more of the responsibility on 
 his shoulders. Still, they knew they were getting 
 the best of the encounter and felt that their wounded 
 was nothing in comparison to the piles of Mexican 
 dead. 
 
 "We are beating them!" cried Billie, smearing his 
 grimy face with his ragged sleeve. 
 
 "They are getting awful tired," said Orlando. 
 
 "What is that for?" exclaimed all of them. The 
 men stared at each other for they heard the sound of
 
 The Boy Captive 125 
 
 bugles, and then the firing in their rear ceased and 
 silence followed. 
 
 The tired men leaned on their rifles, weary but 
 jubilant, so sure were they that the victory was theirs. 
 
 Judge of the scene that followed when they found 
 that the Mexicans had demanded their surrender. 
 
 Colonel Fisher, weakened from the loss of blood 
 and the lack of food, for they had eaten nothing in 
 twenty-four hours or more was completely disheart 
 ened and recommended that they surrender as their 
 ammunition was exhausted and they had no food. 
 He had been associated with General Ampudia and 
 knew him to be an honorable man who would respect 
 the usages of war. 
 
 The unfortunate Dr. Sinnickson had been compell 
 ed to bring the message under the white flag and 
 could give his comrades no information beyond that 
 contained in the message from the Mexican command 
 ers, for he had not had an opportunity to see how 
 large a force they had at their command. The mess 
 age from General Canales said: 
 
 "We have 1700 regular troops in the city and ex 
 pect 800 additional in a short time." 
 
 The wildest confusion prevailed among the Texans. 
 One hour was allowed for the truce, and the scene 
 baffled description. 
 
 General Green was opposed to any consideration of 
 terms of surrender, and quoted the fate of Colonel 
 
 8
 
 126 The Boy Captive 
 
 Fannin s men, Captain Reese, Captain Cameron 
 and Captain Pierson also preferred to beat their way 
 to the river with the butts of their guns rather than 
 trust to the honor of the foe. Thus had the actions of 
 one bad man destroyed the faith of the Texans in the 
 honor of the Mexicans. And they were right, for 
 Santa Anna was the head of the government and none 
 dared disobey his orders without facing very un 
 pleasant consequences. There are few people that 
 will run unpleasant risks for those who are not bound 
 by close ties of affection or self-interest. The Tex 
 ans well knew that no matter what terms the Mexican 
 generals made, Santa Anna would disregard them if 
 he did not approve. 
 
 General Green knew that he could expect little or 
 no mercy because he had had some unpleasant as 
 sociations with Santa Anna s imprisonment while in 
 Texas. Some of the men of the Texas and Santa Fe 
 Expedition had been in Mexico as prisoners before 
 and had been released only a short time. 
 
 At last a number decided to do as Colonel Fisher 
 advised. The men opposed, gave way to wildest up- 
 braidings and taunts, but even as they raved they 
 saw their comrades march by and lay down their 
 guns on the pavement. 
 
 The order of Capitulation read: 
 
 Camp of Army of North, 1st Division. 
 
 Viz: Agreeable to the conference I had with Col 
 onel W. 8. Fisher, I have decided to grant.
 
 The Boy Captive 127 
 
 1st. That all who will give their arms will be 
 treated with the Consideration which is in accordance 
 with the Magnanimous Mexican Nation. 
 
 2nd. That conformably to the petition which said 
 General Fisher has made me, all p&rsons belonging 
 to the Santa Fe Expedition will receive the same 
 treatment and guarantees as the rest. 
 
 3rd. All who desire <> avail themselves of these 
 terms will enter the square and there deliver up their 
 arms. 
 
 Pedro D Ampudia. 
 
 The note of surrender from Colonel Fisher to Gen 
 eral Ampudia read: 
 
 Mier, Dec. 26, 1842. 
 "8*:" 
 
 The forces which through the chances of war, I 
 now surrender to you, are composed of the most vali 
 ant and intelligent citizens of Texas. They have 
 contended manfully against yowr superior force and 
 have yielded only when it was deemed folly longer to 
 contend. Your well established character as a brave 
 and magnanimous officer, is a certain guarantee to me 
 that they will be treated as brave men deserve to be. 
 
 I have the honor to be most respectfully yours, 
 W. S. Fisher, Commanding. 
 
 The aggregate number of Texans engaged in this 
 battle was two hundred and sixty-one, their loss being 
 ten killed, twenty-three badly wounded and several 
 slightly. The aggregate number of the Mexican
 
 128 The Boy Captive 
 
 forces engaged was, twenty-three hundred and forty, 
 composed of the Zapadores battalion, the Yucatan 
 regiment, a portion of each of the 7th and 12th regi 
 ments, and the artillery company of sixty men, re 
 gulars in all, 1240, also 800 mounted "Defensors" 
 under Colonel Canales and not less than three hun 
 dred volunteer citizens. The Mexican report of their 
 loss on the evening of the surrender was 430 killed 
 and 130 wounded.* 
 
 But, when General Green realized that a capitula 
 tion was the only alternative, he stepped forward and 
 handed his sword to General Ampudia, who in receiv 
 ing it said: "I appreciate fully, the feelings of the 
 brave, but such is the fate of war. My house and 
 friendship are yours and I hope you will consider 
 yourself my guest and will call upon me for any serv 
 ice in my power." The two Generals then walked 
 together over the field of battle, nothing definite hav 
 ing been known at that time of the mortality. Gener 
 al Ampudia, caught sight of his own beloved son, 
 Don Miguel Arsnal de Ampudia, Adjt. General of the 
 Mexican forces, writhing in the death agony. With 
 choking voice and streaming eyes General Ampudia 
 said; "There, is my own beloved son. He has re 
 ceived a death wound and must soon die, he was the 
 hope of the army, the pride of the service. General 
 Green made an effort to console General Ampudia, 
 saying, "I hope you will accept my sympathy in this 
 your great sorrow, but this is the fate of war. The 
 
 * Green s Mier Expedition, pa&e 120.
 
 The Boy Captive 129 
 
 brave in all ranks share our sympathy-" General 
 Green pays a high tribute to this accomplished young 
 officer, a graduate of Chapultepec Military College, 
 and one who gave pleasure to all who came within 
 the radius of his fine personality. 
 
 Later, says General Green: "General Ampudia 
 visited the church with me to see the wounded and 
 carried them many bandages. Drs. Sinnickson, Bren- 
 ham and Shepard were attending them. All were 
 cheerful, though most of them badly wounded. I 
 have never yet seen a calamity so great befall the 
 Texans as to prevent their making fun, and when I 
 asked them, how are you off for rations, they re 
 plied : Oh, we have plenty of brains, General. 
 
 "When the commotion and terror of the siege were 
 over, old Padre Garcia, who was the resident priest 
 at the time, at once began calling troops, the alcaldes, 
 alguacils, and the general faithful to mass for the rest 
 of the souls of the Mexican dead. After mass, the old 
 padre in person inaugurated the feria, a fair of eight 
 to fifteen days duration, where dancing, drinking, 
 chicken fights, polos, bull fights and gambling went on 
 with unimpeded success." 
 
 * Page 110 Green s Mier Expedition.
 
 THE 
 SURRENDER
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE SURRENDER. 
 
 RIND AN sus armas! Eindanse." (Lay down 
 your arms! surrender.) 
 A painful silence followed his peremptory 
 command. 
 
 One two then three of the gaunt, haggard Texans 
 slowly came out of the shadow of the doorway, and, 
 with a glare of stifled hatred at the Mexicans, who 
 awaited their action with ill-concealed interest, re 
 luctantly laid their guns on the pavement, then 
 stepped aside with sullen composure to await their 
 comrades. 
 
 One by one the others followed with weary de 
 spairing steps, ready even then to retract and fight it 
 out although death be assured. Among the last was 
 Big Foot Wallace, who strode out a powder-stained, 
 grimy giant scowling down at the slender, dark little 
 men who gazed at him with wondering and admiring 
 eyes. He was empty handed having broken his gun 
 in despairing rage, that he should be compelled to 
 repeat the fate that had overtaken his brother, one 
 of the men who had fought with Fannin. It was the 
 murder of this brother that had brought "Wallace 
 from his old Virginia home for vengeance. 
 
 Behold the end of his vengeance! A lion in a 
 trap.
 
 134 The Boy Captive 
 
 It was over. Even the Santa Fe men had slowly 
 followed their comrades out to what they considered 
 a certain death. 
 
 The Mexicans watched with keenest interest every 
 movement of the Texans. All had laid down their 
 arms save one. 
 
 Just one more! A little slender lad stood facing 
 them. 
 
 He stood near the doorway. His large dark eyes 
 were eloquent in their appealing look. His lips were 
 drawn back in tense lines over his white teeth. His 
 cheek all grimy with the smoke of powder, lay in mute 
 caress on the barrel of the small rifle that he held in 
 close embrace, even as one who holds a cooing dove. 
 
 One moment he stood before the astonished Mexi 
 cans a mute figure of despair. Then his eyes flashed 
 fire and defiance and whirling his gun in the air, he 
 skillfully caught it by the barrel and springing for 
 ward with the litheness of a panther he struck the 
 upraised weapon with all of his force upon the edge 
 of the stone pavement. The stock fell a splintered 
 wreck leaving the barrel in his hands. 
 
 One moment he gazed upon his ruined treasure. Its 
 mission was ended. Between his clenched teeth he 
 muttered: "I ve kept my promise." 
 
 The gun-barrel fell from his nerveless hands with a 
 sharp clink on the stony edge of the pavement, then 
 rolled into the gutter. With a sudden revulsion of
 
 Painting by Bock 
 
 "I ve kept my promise
 
 The Boy Captive 135 
 
 feeling he turned and leaned against the adobe wall 
 hiding his face on his arm- 
 
 A rustle of relaxation went through the tense 
 crowd. Even the haggard prisoners forgot their own 
 misery in the sorrow of their boy comrade. Not a 
 man among them but knew the story of the rifle. 
 
 Not so with the Mexicans. Officers and men but 
 dimly guessed the motive that prompted the rash 
 act. To them it was a daring deed of defiance, and 
 coming from one so young it filled them with en 
 thusiastic admiration. A low murmur of sympathy 
 ran through the crowd of soldiers, while exclamations 
 of "Pobredtol Pobrecito! El tiene mucko valor." 
 (Poor little fellow! Poor little fellow! He has a 
 great deal of courage) came from among them. 
 
 The report of the boy s daring deed spread rapidly ; 
 he had scarcely fallen back into the pitiful group of 
 prisoners when a special messenger from General 
 Ampudia appeared with a command for the little 
 prisoner to be sent to him immediately. 
 
 Poor little hero! To him the command was the 
 forerunner of a death sentence. He had violated the 
 ethics of war. He must pay the terrible penalty. 
 
 He gave one last lingering look at his father s face, 
 sunken with fatigue and creased with lines of anxiety 
 and suffering. Poor Jeffrey, who was badly wound 
 ed, did not even look at him but hung his head in 
 sick despair. Father and brother both feared the
 
 136 The Boy Captive 
 
 * 
 
 worst. Past impressions had taught them to expect 
 no mercy from a Mexican. 
 
 The eyes of the prisoners followed the little figure 
 as he walked with head erect and rigid composure be 
 tween his guards- 
 
 As he turned the corner and passed from their 
 sight, his father gave a groan which found an echo 
 in every heart of that valiant but vanquished band.
 
 A 
 LITTLE CAPTIVE
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A LITTLE CAPTIVE. 
 
 WITH unseeing eyes as one in a vision, John 
 walked between his guards. Low murmurs 
 of pity accompanied his progress but they 
 fell upon deaf ears. Neither did he see the pitiful 
 forms that lay along his path, silent and unheeding 
 their foe, as he walked past them, a captive. 
 
 His mother s face rose before him. His mother s 
 voice rang in his ears. He should never see her again. 
 
 They crossed the grand plaza and entered a large 
 building, John still following the movements of the 
 soldiers with unconscious precision. 
 
 In the rear of the spacious sola grande of the Garcia 
 Mansion, General Ampudia was seated, a command 
 ing figure enhanced by the splendor of his uniform. 
 Around him were gathered his staff-officers and num 
 erous orderlies, all brilliant in their regimentals. An 
 outer circle of big-hatted soldiers made a fit setting to 
 the gorgeous group. 
 
 All eyes were turned on the little figure with its 
 martial escort. 
 
 Could this be the defiant captive? This child f 
 
 * Incidents of this chapter were related by Juan C. C. Hill, 
 hero of the story.
 
 140 The Boy Captive 
 
 Under the battery of dark eyes the boy stood, a 
 breathing image. The beauty of his face, though 
 marred by the powder-grime, was apparent to all, 
 and they marked the traces of tears. General Ampu- 
 dia looked long and earnestly at the pathetic little 
 figure- He noted the soiled and ragged garments that 
 bore silent but eloquent witness of the terrible quag 
 mire, the thorny chaparral, long rides under rainy 
 skies with no protection from the weather. One 
 grimy, tanned little hand clutched the remnant of 
 his weather-stained hat, while the other was clenched 
 in a close, beligerent coil, mute sign of defiance. 
 
 It is no wonder that General Ampudia, having at 
 that very hour lost his own son, was deeply affected 
 by the appearance of this brave little hero before 
 him. 
 
 As the General looked at the young face, pinched 
 and drawn from the lack of food, the loss of sleep, 
 and terrible fatigue and strain of battle, his heart 
 filled vrith pity. His eyes grew misty as they met 
 the look of despair in the dark eyes of the young 
 captive. 
 
 "Mi hi jit o! (my little son) Do not fear. I shall 
 do you no harm!" 
 
 John s mind dulled with fatigue and dazed with 
 apprehension, failed to comprehend. He still stood 
 with a steadfast gaze fixed on the General s face. 
 
 "Queridito (dear little one), come nearer, said
 
 General Pedro Ampudia
 
 The Boy Captive 143 
 
 the General extending his arm. The kindly gesture 
 awoke the boy s bewildered consciousness and with a 
 step forward, he heaved a sigh of relief as he felt the 
 comforting shelter of the protecting arm. 
 
 "You are very young to be a soldier. Have the 
 Texans so few men that they must send their little 
 ones to battle?" 
 
 "I am no little one," said John resentfully, "I 
 am nearly thirteen years old." 
 
 "A thousand apologies, seiior," said the courtly 
 Mexican. "I did not know. It is a manly age. A 
 faint glint of amusement shone in his eyes. A gleam 
 of white teeth and an audible stir in the room as the 
 interpreter translated the foregoing, caused Joho to 
 look away from the General at the swarthy faces sur 
 rounding him. Distrust again seized upon him. 
 
 "What is your name hi jit o mio?" 
 
 "John Christopher Columbus Hill. 
 
 "Juan Cristobal Colon Gil," jepeated the General 
 with a faint smile, "And what did you expect to 
 discover in Mexico?" 
 
 "I came to fight Mexicans." 
 
 "Have you no father?" 
 
 "Why yes, he is out there with my brother, Jef 
 frey," nodding his head in the direction of the plaza. 
 
 Well, how is it when you had a father and brother 
 to send to war that you did not stay with your 
 mother?" 
 
 "Why, I came along to take care of father and 
 
 9
 
 144 The Boy Captive 
 
 Jeff. My other brother, James Monroe, is at home 
 with my mother and little sisters. Besides, it 
 was my turn to fight. James Monroe helped lick 
 the Mexicans at San Jacinto. I was not old enough 
 to go that time, so it was my turn now." 
 
 "Were you born in Texas?" asked the General. 
 "No, sir," answered the boy, "I am a native of 
 Columbus, Georgia. I was the first white child born 
 in that town. 
 
 An indescribable look went over the General s face. 
 The boy had forgotten his surroundings. 
 
 "Well, Senor Don Juan, the Mexicans are the 
 victors this time. Why did you break your rifle, 
 Juan?" 
 
 Under the kindly manner of the courtly gentle 
 man, John s fears had taken flght and, with the art- 
 lessness of youth, bred in the straightforward simpli 
 city of frontier life he poured forth the history of the 
 little rifle and its active service at San Jacinto ; of his 
 desire to join the expedition, and his mother s re 
 luctance and final consent- 
 She had prayed all night, said he, and at last it 
 seemed to her that God said, "Let John go, he v/ill 
 help your husband and son." With simple eloquence 
 he told of his brother s gift of the rifle and the 
 solemn charge concerning it. As he finished his re 
 cital his tired little figure straightened involuntarily. 
 He threw his head back with an air of pride and his
 
 The Boy Captive 145 
 
 eyes flashed as once more he exclaimed "I ve kept 
 my promise!" 
 
 Life is full of antitheses. The scene in some re 
 spects recalls the time when Prince Edward, son of 
 Henry VI, was brought before Edward IV, the usurp 
 ing King. The Prince on being asked the insolent 
 question as to how he dared to invade the kingdom 
 of Edward IV, replied with the diginity suited to his 
 position, "I came hither to claim my just inherit 
 ance." On receiving his answer, the king struck his 
 boy prisoner and youthful rival in the face with his 
 gauntlet, which was the signal for his willing sycop 
 hants to dispatch the young Prince with their dag 
 gers. 
 
 Contrast the action of the ignoble king with the 
 considerateness of the Mexican general. 
 
 "Tell me, Juan, are you one of those boys who did 
 such deadly work with Captain Castro s battery?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," answered the boy. "General Green 
 put the boys and me with some of the men to pick 
 off the men at the cannon. He told us to take good 
 aim and not miss or the cannon would tear the wall 
 down and and kill a Whole lot of us. So we were 
 very careful. 
 
 "Of that, my son, I am assured." Encouraged by 
 the General s kindly manner, John continued his 
 story of the battle by saying : 
 
 "I can count twelve of your men, it may have 
 been fifteen that I picked off with my little rifle; but
 
 146 The Boy Captive 
 
 I am not sure of but twelve. The boy looked stead 
 ily and fearlessly into his questioner s eyes, while the 
 General listened and watched, as only a Mexican can, 
 every expression that flitted across the boy s face, 
 every tone that vibrated in the childish voice. 
 
 Courage and truth have no nationality- All the 
 world loves a hero. "What wonder that General Am- 
 pudia felt that this life was too precious to suffer the 
 mischance of a prisoner of war. 
 
 A murmur of astonishment went around the room. 
 It had already been discovered that the men who had 
 belonged to the battery, had been found dead with a 
 bullet hole through the brain. In reflecting on the 
 remarkable skill of the young Texans, it must be re 
 membered that they were forced to learn the use of 
 firearms at a very early age. It was utterly im 
 possible for any settler, old or young, to venture out 
 of reach of his weapons night or day, for he could 
 never know what savages might be lurking near. 
 Deer were so plentiful that herds of them would de 
 stroy the crops if careful watch was not kept. Panth 
 er, bear, wolf and prowling Indian, made a true eye 
 and steady aim necessary to self-preservation. Am 
 munition was precious and not to be wasted when the 
 lack of a charge might mean the loss of a life. 
 
 The Mexican officers were generally gentlemen of 
 noble descent, but their common soldiers at that 
 period were mostly drawn from the criminal classes 
 and were forced into the service, so it is no wonder
 
 The Boy Captive 147 
 
 that their marksmanship did not equal that of the 
 Texans. They had neither the training nor incen 
 tive that led to such excellence. 
 
 The low hum of voices died away at General Am- 
 pudia s next question. 
 
 "Who were your companions, hijito miof" 
 
 "Harvey Sellers, Orlando Phelps, Billie Reese and 
 Gilbert Brush were with me. 
 
 "Repeat the names, Juan, slowly." 
 
 As John repeated the names, General Ampudia 
 wrote a message and beckoning one of his orderlies, 
 gave him instructions in such rapid, smooth flowing 
 sounds that Juan, who had acquired a little "Mexi 
 can," as he called it, was unable to distinguish one 
 word. 
 
 But presently the General turned and placing a 
 hand on Juan s head said : 
 
 My boy, you are a brave little fellow and you and 
 your young companions make fine soldiers, because 
 you obey orders. You must be weary. Follow this 
 officer and he will see that you have food and rest-" 
 
 On this interview with General Ampudia, our 
 young hero loses his good old American name, John, 
 and will be known through the remainder of the story 
 as Juan, with the prefix Don, according to the cus 
 tom when addressing one of equal rank, the gentle 
 Latin appellation given him in this, his first inter 
 view with his distinguished captor.
 
 148 The Boy Captive 
 
 Juan opened his lips, faltered, closed them and look 
 ed at the General piteously. 
 
 "What is it, Juan?" 
 
 "My father and Jeffrey, they " his voice broke. 
 
 "They will be cared for. All the men will be fed 
 and sheltered." 
 
 "But they they think I am going to be shot!" 
 gasped Juan. 
 
 "Oh no, hombrecito (My little man) they shall 
 be told and tomorrow you shall see them. Haste 
 luego" (I will see you later.) 
 
 When Juan quitted the presence of General Am- 
 pudia, in spite of hunger and fatigue, he felt cheerful 
 for youth is buoyant, and he had escaped death by a 
 little. His father was alive and Jeff yes, Jeff was 
 wounded but it would heal and they would all see 
 mother and home again. Great was Juan s surprise 
 and pleasure to find Billie, Harvey and Gilbert wait 
 ing for him in the apartment to which the orderly led 
 the way. 
 
 The boys were too tired to talk over the events of 
 the day and, after washing the dirt and grime from 
 their tired bodies, were glad to eat the bountiful sup 
 per served them. 
 
 The comfortable cots with their abundant supply of 
 clean linen and blankets, were very enticing to the 
 boys, who had lost so much sleep, and as they knew 
 they would not see their comrades till the next morn 
 ing, they were soon asleep.
 
 The Boy Captive 149 
 
 General Green and Colonel Fisher also lodged in the 
 same building and were treated with the courtesy 
 belonging to their rank. General Ampudia was pre 
 viously acquainted with Colonel Fisher. The terms 
 of the surrender assured the Texans they would be 
 treated with the consideration due to prisoners of 
 war, and that they would be held on the frontier un 
 til the two governments could make arrangements for 
 their release or exchange. 
 
 Upon request, General Green was allowed to visit 
 the men in their prison, and to procure such neces 
 sities for the wounded as he could afford. 
 
 He found the men most unpleasantly situated- In 
 one small apartment were crowded not less than 
 one hundred. There was nothing strange about this, 
 as the little town was not prepared for such a large 
 number of prisoners, and from what you have read 
 you will readily agree that they were wise to secure 
 such daring reckless men. But it was natural that 
 General Green should feel resentful and bitter, for he 
 had opposed with all his force, the surrender under 
 any terms, however fair. Nor was his frame of mind 
 improved by seeing the men. 
 
 Sam Walker, the bravest, finest scout they had, was 
 captured in the preliminary brush with General Can- 
 nales "Defensors" at the ford; and, as he was con 
 fined where he had a full view of the battle, he knew 
 the condition of the Mexican forces. He told the un 
 fortunate Texans that they were taken by strategy.
 
 150 The Boy Captive 
 
 That the Mexicans were defeated and had no expect 
 ed reserves within call; that the great gates of the 
 cathedral yard were opened and the officers horses 
 ready, saddled for flight, in case they refused to sur 
 render; that they sent Dr. Sinnickson with the flag 
 of truce because he had not been within their ranks 
 long enough to find out their real condition. 
 
 All this was maddening to men who were deprived 
 of their arms and ammunition. The boys could not 
 have slept so soundly had they known it, or how the 
 men were quartered.
 
 ANOTHER KIND OF 
 COURAGE
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ANOTHER KIND OF COURAGE.* 
 
 POOR Juan lay down on his clean, comfort 
 able bed with the unhappy feeling that his 
 father and brother were sleeping on the 
 hard floor, a poor exchange for the soft mesquite grass 
 and the pure air under the starry vault of heaven. 
 Sleep finally came, and he closed his eyes to the pain 
 ful realities he was powerless to help. 
 
 He dreamed that James, his brother, came to him 
 with a sad face and asked him, " Where is your rifle, 
 John?" and then his dear mother came and looked at 
 him oh, so pitifully and said, John, take care of 
 your father and brother." He awoke with a start 
 to find himself in an unfamiliar room with the morn 
 ing sun shining on the white walls and the three single 
 beds in which his comrades had slept were empty. 
 
 The boy looked about for his clothes, but not one 
 garment was to be found. The boys must have had 
 their clothes. An orderly entered the room with an 
 elegant suit of clothes hanging on his arm such as 
 might be worn by a Castillian Prince. 
 
 Here was a good roof and a thick wall to keep off 
 the air and dew of heaven. Of what avail to one who 
 enjoyed the bivouac on the ground. Walls for the 
 illimitable space of the plains. Windows for the 
 
 * Incidents of this chapter were g-iven the author by Mr. 
 J. C. C. Hill in person.
 
 154 The Boy Captive 
 
 transparent atmosphere, redolent with purity and 
 vitality. 
 
 The little captive gazed about him with som 
 ber eyes. He wondered how Jeff felt. He knew 
 the wound was very painful, though Jeff would be 
 sure to say it was nothing. And maybe father had 
 not slept for thinking about Jeff and the trouble they 
 were all in. 
 
 He wished he was with the men sharing their hard 
 ships, for Juan was the true mettle, he could not fully 
 enjoy the comfortable surroundings, when he thought 
 of his brave companions. 
 
 The 26th day of December, 1842, was the turning 
 point of Juan s life. But as is generally the case, 
 he did not recognize this fact till long years had 
 passed. Few would care to face a problem so diffi 
 cult, a situation so fraught with delicate considera 
 tions as this young boy was called upon to meet. One 
 hour fighting with all the ardor and desperation born 
 of a just cause against an unjust foe. The next hour 
 the recipient of unexpected and undesired kindnesses 
 from the leader of the hated enemy. 
 
 It was, at General Ampudia s own table, that Juan 
 ate his breakfast. The General was in the elegant 
 Garcia residence which was furnished with all the 
 luxurious appointments that wealth could purchase. 
 To Juan, who for several months had been living in 
 the savage simplicity of the camp, it was overwhelm 
 ing in its splendor, and he felt embarrassed and
 
 Juan Christobal Colon Gil
 
 156 The Boy Captive 
 
 awkward. This feeling soon passed away under the 
 tactful courtesy of the General, who listened with 
 evident enjoyment while Juan related some of the 
 hunting adventures of himself and brothers. The 
 cordial, kindly manner of the General encouraged 
 Juan, and he asked if he might see his father and 
 brother. The General turned his keen black eyes on 
 the slender boy who stood before him. What a con 
 trast to the ragged, pitiful little figure of yesterday, 
 with its powder-grimed face, haggard and pinched 
 from fatigue and anxiety. The dainty white linen, 
 the short black jacket and the red silk sash knotted 
 around his lithe young waist; and in his hand 
 was the finest specimen of a soft felt Mexican 
 sombrero, with its magnificent silver trimmings, which 
 set off his handsome face and figure to great advan 
 tage. He might have been of Castillian descent, 
 thought the General, while he gazed with undisguised 
 admiration upon his captive guest. 
 
 "Queridito mio, you shall see them at once and 
 we will send them some breakfast." Turning, he 
 issued some orders to the servants; in a few minutes 
 Juan, accompanied by an orderly and followed by 
 two mozos, (men-servants) bearing trays, stepped 
 briskly through the big doors across the open space 
 between the Garcia residence and the cathedral, where 
 the wounded men were lying. He looked anxiously 
 firound in the dim light of the interior at the various 
 pallets to see which was his unfortunate brother. At
 
 The Boy Captive 157 
 
 the sight of his father, still haggard and unkempt, his 
 manly composure gave way, and flinging his arms 
 around the beloved neck, he sobbed, "Oh, father! 
 father! father!" 
 
 "Hush, Johnnie boy," said his father, tenderly 
 stroking the dark head with loving, tremulous hands. 
 "You ll wake poor Jeff." He glanced at a pallet 
 near by. 
 
 "I m awake," said Jeff. "Don t cry, John. We 
 are all right. I ain t got nothing but a scratch. 
 What you got there, little brother?" 
 
 "I brought you some breakfast," said Juan, mop 
 ping his eyes and trying to steady his voice as he 
 beckoned the servants with the trays. The mozos 
 came forward, openly showing their sympathy in 
 their kind, dark faces. The mozos tried to pre 
 serve an impassive countenance, but their expressive 
 eyes were strong in silent contradictory eloquence. 
 
 While Jeff and his father ate their breakfast, Juan 
 related all that happened since he marched from 
 their sight to meet a death sentence. 
 
 "My boy, your mother s prayer is being answered. 
 God has you in His care." 
 
 "But, father, I want to be with the rest of you- 
 Here I am in all this silly finery, and look at the rest 
 of you. They took my clothes away from me," said 
 Juan, his voice quivering again, "and I had to put 
 on these."
 
 158 The Boy Captive 
 
 "Small loss," said Jeff, philosophically. "I wish 
 you could get me some like these! 
 
 "Would you wear them?" asked Juan, who far 
 from feeling any pride in his elegant appearance, 
 was humbled to the earth, that he, John Christopher 
 Columbus Hill, a loyal Texan, should be rigged up in 
 the outfit of a Mexican ! He, who had helped the gay 
 Billie revile Mexican costumes, was now arrayed in 
 one of the most ornate of the despised habiliments. 
 It was true that Billie and the other boys were also 
 in Mexican garb, but their degredation was less, as 
 their garments were plainer and more like their 
 habitual garb. 
 
 "John," said his father, looking at him kindly, 
 "John, you must not condemn every Mexican for 
 what Santa Anna has done. You saw our men obey 
 General Sommervelle, because he was the leader. 
 There were plenty of us yesterday who were not will 
 ing to surrender, but our leader, Colonel Fisher, 
 thought it for the best. General Ampudia is an hon 
 orable gentleman, I believe, and we know he is a 
 kindly one, you fought well. You were conquered. 
 You expected death and instead you are shown great 
 kndnesses. Accept that kindness in the spirit in 
 which it is given and try to show General Ampudia 
 and the other Mexicans, that a Texan can be brave in 
 more ways than fighting." 
 
 Juan listened respectfully and in silence. His
 
 The Boy Captive 159 
 
 father was not given to homilies, being a quiet man 
 whose deeds were his best sermons. 
 
 "But, father, I just wanted to be with you and 
 Jeff. It looks so hard for me to be dressed in fine 
 clothes and eating good things and sleeping in a soft 
 bed when you and Jeff and the others are fixed like 
 this. I promised mother to take care of you ! 
 
 "You can help us a great deal more where you are, 
 my boy, than if you were shut up wtih us. I thank 
 God you have not this to endure. It is the only 
 bright spot in all this trouble ! 
 
 "Yes, indeed, John, I am awful glad you are out 
 of it. Father and I are big, strong men; and while 
 you are spunky, you ain t got your growth yet and 
 you cannot stand what we could. We will be 
 kept on the border, Colonel Fisher says, and 
 when we are sent home we don t want to take 
 any little skinny boy back to mother. Eat all you 
 can, little brother, and if you feel lonesome among 
 the Mexicans, why, just think how glad father and 
 me are that we don t have to worry about you. Here 
 comes Dr. Sinnickson to dress my wound. You go on, 
 John." 
 
 Jeff was suffering a good deal of pain, but knowing 
 the loving sensitiveness of this beloved younger 
 brother, he exerted himself to deceive the tender dark 
 eyes. He and his father deeply sympathized with the 
 loyal little soul that was grappling with such a novel 
 situation. 
 10
 
 160 The Boy Captive 
 
 "Well, Senor Don Juan, good morning!" said Dr. 
 Sinnickson as he shook hands with John. "You 
 seem to have fallen on your feet, young man," run 
 ning a critical eye over the elegantly attired young 
 figure. 
 
 "He don t think so," said his father with a quiet 
 smile. But Jeff and I feel differently. We would 
 not have this nice breakfast if it were not for his 
 good fortune. Have some of it, doctor?" 
 
 "Well, I should say! Why you young scoundrel, 
 you have a gold mine in that good looking young face 
 of yours ! 
 
 "There you go!" said John, "always my good 
 looks! A fellow can t help his looks. I wish I was 
 ugly as " 
 
 "As I," said the doctor. "Just so! and where 
 would you be ? And what good could you do ? Don t 
 be a fool, boy ! Every man, Mexican or Texan, knows 
 you can fight. I think maybe they are afraid of 
 you, you young tiger. You go on back and scare 
 them into giving you some good things for these poor 
 lantern-jawed, knock-kneed, crooked-nose, red-headed 
 sinners like myself and Jeff. Go, Don Juan, and 
 attend to those dozen or more funerals that are your 
 own private business, and don t forget to send us our 
 dinners!" 
 
 "And the trousers," said Jeff. 
 
 "See if you can get Jeff some wine, son!" said the 
 father, putting a coin in his hand.
 
 The Boy Captive 161 
 
 Juan put it back into his father s hand. 
 
 "See, father," he said, a red flush dyeing his 
 olive cheeks and slipping his hand in his pocket, he 
 drew forth a handful of coins. See, father, what the 
 General has put in my pocket. 
 
 "Get out of here," said the doctor, "before I rob 
 you! Take your minions and depart, Senor Don 
 Juan Christobal Colon Gil!" 
 
 "Get my trousers with pocket linings, just like 
 yours!" said Jeff. 
 
 And Juan departed, but not before he had visited 
 the other pallets where some half dozen men lay 
 wounded. 
 
 The interview with his father and brother, and the 
 good humored jesting of the doctor, with its under 
 current of good advice, put John in a very different 
 train of thought, and when he stepped out of the 
 cathedral door into the light and freshness of the 
 open plaza, a feeling of gratitude rose from the 
 depths of his heart. 
 
 Across the plaza he could see the scene of yester 
 day s battle. The bells of the cathedral were tolling 
 solemnly for the souls of these bodies, the souls that 
 were in another land and would return no more. 
 
 And I might have been one of them!" said Juan 
 to himself- After all it might be as well to make the 
 best of it, as Dr. Sinnickson has done. The doctor 
 had been captured the day before and then forced to 
 carry the white flag to his comrades, with the demand
 
 162 The Boy Captive 
 
 for their surrender. He was not whimpering. He 
 was going around cheerfully and helping the sick and 
 having a pleasant smile for everybody. 
 
 "So will I," thought John, and turning a beaming 
 smile on the dark-eyed soldier who was his guard, he 
 jingled his coin and said in his best Mexican; 
 "Quiero comprar vino." (I wish to buy wine.) 
 
 A broad smile that displayed every tooth in the 
 full red-lipped mouth, greeted his effort at Spanish, 
 but whatever his opinion of Juan s accent, the Mex 
 ican understood the remark and soon the wine and 
 trousers were purchased. After delivering these pur 
 chases, Juan returned to his apartment, where he 
 found Billie and the other boys disporting themselves 
 on the upper balcony that overlooked the patio. 
 
 Billie was in high glee. He had seen General 
 Green and the General had told him the best joke on 
 the Mexicans. 
 
 "Yesterday after they were through fighting, and 
 General Green and Colonel Fisher were fixing up the 
 papers about the surrender, General Ampudia said 
 he was going to send the cavalry after the men we 
 left with the horses; and he said that Colonel Fisher 
 better send one of our men with them to tell them to 
 surrender and come back with the cavalry, so there 
 need be no fighting." 
 
 "Billie, that is one of your yarns," said John se 
 verely. 
 
 "Gospel truth! Ain t it, Harvey?"
 
 The Boy Captive 163 
 
 Uh-hu ! I reckon Ampudia thought they was too 
 bashful to come without an invitation!" 
 
 "He must think they are fools! Free and on the 
 other side of the river, with all the horses and their 
 guns, to come over here and give themselves up as 
 prisoners!" 
 
 "That is what General Green and Colonel Fisher 
 thought, but they only said they hardly thought the 
 men would do it. General Green asked if he might 
 send Sailing Master Lyou after his papers and his 
 journal. He wanted to secure his valuable maps, et 
 setterys, especially the et setterys. So General Am 
 pudia was awful polite about it, and Sammy Lyon 
 was sent with the cavalry to call the boys to take sup 
 per with us and bring all their baggage with them, 
 as they were invited for a long visit ! 
 
 "Of course they just broke their necks to get here 
 in time," said John, derisively. 
 
 Yes, they was so tickled, when they got the invite 
 that they started for home on a dead run to tell their 
 folks about it." 
 
 "What did they do, sure enough, Billie? Quit 
 joking." 
 
 "Why, old Lyon has got a voice on him like a bull; 
 that is why General Green sent him. He is used to 
 roaring orders at sea in a high wind. When they 
 reached the river, the captain of the cavalry did not 
 want to scare them before they got their orders, so he 
 held in his men behind the chaparral and told Lyon
 
 164 The Boy Captive 
 
 to holler across for the boats. Lyon, he gets as near 
 as he can, then he yells: "Boys, we are all prison 
 ers! There are several hundred cavalry close by in 
 pursuit of you. Take all the good horses and put!" 
 
 "And they put!" said John, enthusiastically. 
 
 "You bet. A jack rabbit would be plum dizzy 
 trying to keep ahead of em!" said Harvey. 
 
 "But the General s papers and maps? Did he get 
 them?" 
 
 "It was the et setterys the General was worried 
 over. The et setterys are safe on their way and I 
 guess those maps of the General s is in their heads! 
 So everything is safe." 
 
 Account is taken from "Green s Mier Expedition."
 
 PRISONERS START TO 
 MATAMORAS
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PRISONERS START TO MATAMORAS. 
 
 IT was New Year s day and they were marshalled 
 into line to start. The sun shone bright, and 
 although the Texans had lived through so many ter 
 rible experiences the last being their surrender, they 
 were more cheerful than might have been expected. 
 Relying upon the promises as given by General Am- 
 pudia, they would soon be exchanged, then home to 
 wife and children. 
 
 The prisoners had attracted much attention from 
 the common people, and the women had shown them 
 many little kindnesses, in the way of gifts of goods. 
 Themselves poor, they were full of sympathy for the 
 ragged men. If they regarded them as filibusters or 
 brigands, it was a compliment, since none were more 
 honored among the peasants than the ladrones who 
 made the roads of Mexico a path of terror to the 
 wealthy traveler. 
 
 Don Domingo Mericio was Italian by birth, but 
 had resided in Mier for a long time. He kept a little 
 inn that was very popular, not only for its excellent 
 cuisine, but for his very pretty daughters. The fame 
 of their beauty and charm extended far and wide. 
 It was in his house that the Texans had intrenched 
 themselves, the family having fled, and its battered
 
 168 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 walls and the bullet holes in the iron plates of the 
 massive doors bore evidence of the fierce fire the Mex 
 icans had poured upon it. 
 
 "Lyon! There s the Alcalde!" shouted a young 
 man. 
 
 "By me soul! I ain t seen the craft since he cut 
 his cable and drifted off in the fog Christmas night ! 
 said Sailing-Master Lyon- 
 
 "He s been hid out in the chaparral, Sammy. He 
 was afraid General Green would want to go home 
 with him and share his bed." Joyful roars greeted 
 this sally, and the Alcalde disappeared, judging 
 rightly that he was the cause of the mirth. 
 
 The little town of Mier wore an appearance of 
 bustle and excitement utterly foreign to her usual 
 sleepy calm. Strange were the people and their ways. 
 Whatever business they had, it was not allowed to 
 distract their attention from the interesting spectacle 
 of the military and their luckless captives. 
 
 Despite their forlorn condition the prisoners were
 
 The Boy Captive 169 
 
 amused and entertained with the many strange people 
 and things that the surrounding country had sent in 
 to see them take their departure. Those towering, 
 squeaky, ponderous carts, known then as "Carretas 
 de Rueda de Panocha" (noisy carts with pancake 
 wheels), were of especial interest to the Texans. The 
 wheels were made of three pieces of timber morticed 
 together, the tires being of rawhide. These wheels 
 were the only ones known in this section until the 
 arrival of General Taylor s army in 1846. These 
 carts piled high with corn and golden pumpkins, 
 came groaning and creaking on their ponderous 
 wheels filling the air with discordant squeaks and 
 shrieks that would have thrown an American ox into 
 a panic. But these sleek, Mexican bovines moved in 
 slow, majestic calm, and when the drivers stopped in 
 order to participate in the general excitement, and 
 the hideous noises ceased, each yoke or pair fell in 
 stantly into that sleepy meditation that belongs to 
 the cud chewers; a natural proceeding, since there 
 were six or eight of them to do what an ordinary 
 pair of oxen should pull without any trouble, and 
 no yoke to tire their necks, for they were fastened 
 with rawhide thongs which were passed around their 
 big, wide-spread horns and attached them to their 
 clumsy load. 
 
 This was indeed a pitiful New Year s procession 
 that was ready to leave Mier and go on to the mili 
 tary headquarters of General Ampudia.
 
 170 The Boy Captive 
 
 To the ragged Texans who for five days had been 
 closely confined in buildings, the return to the fresh 
 air and the blue sky was not unwelcome, although 
 the long tramp through a country, the abomination 
 of desolation; but whatever they felt in their hearts, 
 no complaints crossed their lips, and the usual laugh 
 ter and merry gibes went on, as two by two they 
 stood captive, ready to move forward between the 
 files of infantry, who with bayonets set, guarded 
 either side. The cavalry were to protect the infantry 
 on the outside of the columns, and with cavalry as 
 van-guard, and rear-guard, the unfortunate Texans 
 were about to begin their journey toward Matamoras. 
 
 Groups of men were squatted at ease on the ground 
 watching with indolent interest the maneuvers of 
 cavalry in their gay uniforms; pretty girls and with 
 ered old women passed on their way to the cathedral 
 and gazed from out of their rebozos at the busy, noisy 
 crowd. 
 
 Busy and noisy it was indeed. The vendors of 
 fruit and dulces, tamales, chile-con-carne and other 
 edibles, such as guisado, candied fruits, pumpkins, 
 pilloncilla, and the inevitable tortilla, were working 
 their way among the throng calling their wares. The 
 officers were calling out stentorian orders to their 
 sandaled troops. The cavalry made a most musical 
 jingling with their silver-mounted bridles, their short 
 swords, and their enormous spurs. The beauty of 
 their horses was most striking, though, perhaps, some
 
 The Boy Captive 171 
 
 of it was due to the splendor of their trappings. The 
 saddles were veritable works of art, the leather carv 
 ings being of infinite delicacy of design and execu 
 tion. The bridles and bits were mounted with silver 
 or gold, and their huge spurs, the very acme of cru 
 elty, were gilded instruments of torture. The officers 
 themselves were pleasing to look at, for their uniforms 
 were bright in color and gay with silver and gold, 
 braid and lace, and their hats filled the boys with 
 astonishment; that any man should be willing to put 
 on so strange a head-covering was a problem. Per 
 haps the Mexicans may have felt the same when they 
 saw the coon-skin caps that some of the Texans wore. 
 
 Our boy friends, however, were not overcome with 
 the serious aspect of the situation, and their bright 
 eyes were quick to detect every amusing object. 
 
 Seeing that each officer had one or more burros 
 for his own individual effects, struck them as being 
 very funny. Observing that the boys were watching 
 the loading of the burros with keenest interest, Cap 
 tain Castro went near to explain about the peculiari 
 ties of the burro. 
 
 He told them that when the arriero was ready to 
 start, that each little mule knew his particular bur 
 den and would always walk up to it in the morning 
 and wait patiently to be loaded. Sometimes a new 
 comer would get confused among so many loads, but 
 the others always kicked it, if it came near them and 
 so it soon learned its own burden. The meek little
 
 172 The Boy Captive 
 
 burros looked very ludicrous, even to those who pitied 
 them for their huge burdens- Billie found it amus 
 ing to try to make an inventory of the contents of one 
 load, but gave it up. 
 
 Captain Clement Castro was the commander of 
 the unfortunate battery that the boys had "taken 
 care of." It would be impossible to analyze Juan s 
 feelings as he came in daily contact with this gallant 
 young Mexican, who elicited admiration and affection 
 from all within the radius of his charming personal 
 ity. Even General Green was loud in the praises of 
 Captin Castro; a most flattering tribute under exist 
 ing circumstances, for the General was not in the 
 mood to recognize anything pleasing in Mexico or its 
 people. 
 
 Captain Castro was outspoken in his admiration 
 of the boys, who had fought bravely, and never 
 seemed to feel resentment at the loss of his men. If 
 Juan had known from what class the rank and file 
 of soldiers were drawn at that time he would not have 
 been so puzzled at the indifference to their deaths. 
 Neither could the democratic little American from 
 the frontier understand the feelings of one who was 
 the product of centuries of caste and prejudice. The 
 loss of life in the Texan ranks meant the loss of a 
 friend or near kinsman, perhaps, and in any case, 
 it meant as much to the officer as it did to the men, 
 for he was one of their number, elevated to his rank 
 by their vote.
 
 The Boy Captive 173 
 
 "I bore a charmed life, my little friend, or you 
 would have finished me too," said Captain Castro 
 with a smile. 
 
 "If I had known you," said Juan gravely, "I 
 could not have fought the artillery so hard as I 
 did." 
 
 In those days no such thing was known as great, 
 towering ambulances drawn by spirited mules, in 
 which the officers might ride over this dreary stretch 
 of 160 miles to Matamoras, but all, even the great 
 generals, were mounted upon fine, sleek horses. 
 
 The famous Zapadores military band, still at this 
 date one of the grandest in Mexico, accompanied this 
 unfortunate procession. At all the towns through 
 which they passed glad strains of martial music min 
 gled with the enthusiastic rejoicing of the people. 
 
 General Ampudia had promised Juan he would 
 give his father a horse to ride, and Juan had come 
 over to the prison early to assure himself that his 
 father was really provided with a horse. Jeff was 
 still unable to march, and he, with other wounded 
 men, was left in the hospital under the care of Dr. 
 Sinnickson. When their wounds would permit, they 
 were to join their comrades at Matamoras, where all 
 were to be held until released or exchanged for Mexi 
 can Captives- 
 
 But all the gayety of those brave men could not 
 dispel the haggardness of their countenances, the 
 raggedness of their clothing or the dilapidation of
 
 174 The Boy Captive 
 
 their shoes. When Captain Cameron and his cow 
 boys came swaying out on their high-heeled boots, 
 Juan felt a lump rise in his thoat, for he knew well 
 how ill-fitted for a long tramp, were those heels made 
 to steady a man, when riding in the stirrup to rope a 
 wild and angry steer. 
 
 Captain Reese was looking pale and stern, for he 
 had little faith in the promise of General Ampudia, 
 or any other Mexican. Orlando greeted the boys with 
 a cheerful "Hulloa" that roused a spirit of resent 
 ment in Billie s breast. 
 
 General Ampudia signed for Juan to ride beside 
 him, and the boys and the Texan officers were as 
 signed to places in the rear with Captain Castro. 
 
 Between the glittering line of bayonets, unused to 
 walking and weak from the confinement in close quar 
 ters and the lack of regular exercise, the prisoners 
 plodded wearily on ; tired and thirsty ; they could not 
 halt, for they must reach Camargo by night. 
 
 Perhaps it was not from any real inhumanity on 
 the part of the Mexicans. The Texans were men who 
 laughed at danger and hardship. How were their 
 captors to know their sufferings from tender feet used 
 to a stirrup and unaccustomed to the stones and sand 
 of a rough trail. 
 
 A sudden silence fell on all and the tramp of many 
 feet, the beat of the horses hoofs, the clanking of bits 
 and the jingling of spurs, were all the sounds on the 
 still air.
 
 The Boy Captive 175 
 
 The little town of Mier was soon left behind, and 
 bare and brown the country stretched away, until 
 the eye reached the sky line and wandered over the 
 sapphire dome only to return wearily to the desolate 
 brown earth. 
 
 Through the bare hills, the road wound in and out. 
 The only vegetation was the stunted clumps of 
 thorny vines and shrubs that made the dreadful chap 
 arral, and the inevitable cactus that increased in 
 height as they journeyed toward the south. The 
 loose sand drifted in waves across the road, if road 
 it could be called, for with every windstorm, the sand 
 shifts its base, and the traveler must seek a new path ; 
 nothing more wearing to a poor beast can be found 
 than the journey through the loose sand into which 
 it sinks up to the fetlocks. Mile after mile of the 
 road passed beneath the hoofs of the horses and Juan 
 sat loosely in the saddle, his thoughts turning to his 
 mother; to poor Jeff, fever-stricken and pain-racked; 
 to his dear sisters; and then by some strange caprice 
 to Big Foot Wallace, whom he had seen that morn 
 ing, towering like Saul above his comrades. A smile 
 crept over his face- Again he saw the swarthy little 
 vendors of fruits and dulces pass up and down the 
 line of men calling their wares. He remembered he 
 had seen Big Foot look down into the trays borne 
 upon their heads, and when they passed he raised 
 his arm and reaching with a long sweep, gathered up a 
 gigantic handful and divided spoils with his near 
 ii
 
 176 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 comrades, while the unsuspecting merchant went on 
 plaintively calling his wares. Mexicans and Texans 
 alike enjoyed the joke and watched eagerly for the 
 next victim; nor did their countrymen warn them 
 of the pilferer. 
 
 Desolation. 
 
 Then his mind dwelt on Orlando, whom he loved, 
 and to his home company headed by Captain East- 
 land, who was so brave and quiet. Face after face 
 of the men with whom he had been sharing every 
 vicissitudes passed before his mind. Why should he 
 have been separated from them? There was no an 
 swer to this inward reflection. 
 
 A stumble of his horse as it struck a rough place 
 awoke General Ampudia to his surroundings ; through 
 his half-closed eyes he studied the pensive face oppo 
 site as it stared from under the broad brim of the 
 sombrero. There was a pathos in the beautiful dark 
 eyes, in the droop of the tender mouth. The half 
 slouched position of the little figure that thought itself 
 unobserved was in itself a revelation of inward de-
 
 The Boy Captive 177 
 
 gpair ; and so the General read it. 
 
 It was the first time that Juan had given rein to 
 his feelings for he had been bravely living up to the 
 proud example of fortitude and cheerfulness set by 
 his unfortunate comrades. But the lonely road, the 
 isolation from his young companions, and the drowsi 
 ness of the General had all tended to throw him into 
 a sad train of thought. 
 
 General Ampudia felt his heart yearn toward the 
 little captive ; but a keen student of human nature, he 
 had soon discovered that nothing could wound this 
 proud young soul so deeply as to treat him as a 
 child. He opened his eyes and gave a loud yawn. 
 As by magic the young figure straightened in the 
 saddle. 
 
 "The country is barren, desolate, tiresome," the 
 General smothered another yawn. 
 
 "Its worse than coming down the river on the 
 other side," said Juan. "Chaparral is bad to ride 
 through, but you are sure to stay awake- On the 
 plains the chaparral isn t so thick, but riding through 
 the mesquite thickets make you think you re going 
 through a peach orchard," continued he. "Prickly 
 pear s as thick as it is on the Texas side of the river, 
 can t see any good it can be to any living thing." 
 
 "Here," said the General, "the cattle eat it, but it 
 is first thrown into the fire and the thorns burned off 
 after that the cattle keep fat on it. What would 
 you be doing if you were at home?"
 
 178 The Boy Captive 
 
 "I guess I d hunt, work on the farm, ride after 
 cattle, might go to school a little not any schools 
 in the Republic yet father says it ll be a long time 
 before there ll be schools or colleges there I never 
 thought much about an education till we got to San 
 Antonio. We camped at Mission Concepcion. There 
 were some words over the door. I did not know what 
 
 they meant, and I tried to find out " a dreamy 
 
 look stole in his eyes, and he relapsed into silence. 
 
 "Did you find out the meaning?" 
 
 Oh, yes ; among our men there were plenty to tell 
 me. There were men that had graduated at Harvard, 
 Yale and the University of Virginia; there were sev 
 eral from Oxford, that is in England you know. The 
 Germans, they know most everything. Lots of the 
 men don t like them, but I think they were awful 
 nice. Heaps of them knew." Juan heaved a little 
 sigh. In spite of all the sadness, he had rather a 
 pleasant time. General Ampudia s generosity had 
 given him many hitherto unknown pleasures, and 
 being a healthy, normal youth, he did not waste his 
 time, in vain regrets over what could not be helped. 
 He knew that his father had one of these nice blank 
 ets, and a horse to ride, and he felt quite cheerful 
 only that he knew Jeff must stay behind. The thought 
 grieved him very much for he might never see him 
 again. 
 
 They halted at a hacienda (farm) for their noon 
 day rest. It was the usual collection of adobe houses
 
 The Boy Captive 179 
 
 all built around a hollow square. The big double 
 doors were always kept closed, but there was a porter 
 who watched it by day and locked and barred it at 
 night; thus rendering the house within, secure from 
 wild beasts and the dreaded ladrones. There was a 
 small stream of water that flowed through the ha 
 cienda, and over it the cottonwood trees and the ever 
 graceful retama and mesquite cast a pleasant shade. 
 Very tall and beautiful they seemed over the low 
 mud roofs of the hacienda. 
 
 One of the strangest sights the boys noticed in this 
 hacienda was two men drawing water from a well. 
 
 A rope, as long as the well was deep, was fastened 
 about one man s waist; this was suspended to a pul 
 ley and then the bucket of water was raised by the 
 man running the length of the rope, when the other 
 emptied the water into a reservoir for that purpose. 
 They were told that for six months each year cattle 
 were watered in this way.
 
 AT 
 CAMARGO
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 AT CAMARGO. 
 
 THE Texan officers and the boys were lodged 
 at Don Trinidad s, a popular hotel of the 
 town, and could find no fault with their treat 
 ment. The house was the usual type of the well-to-do 
 Mexican s residence. The rear of the house opened 
 on a beautiful garden and orchard and the boys en 
 joyed the fine orange trees very much. A mozo 
 brought them chocolate and milk and some nice rolls 
 before they were out of bed. 
 
 I feel like I was home ! said Billie with a benign 
 ant smile. "Orlando would turn green if he could 
 see this. I heard him say he wished he could wake 
 up in the morning and see his darkey bringing him 
 his coffee. 
 
 Soon after, in company with Captain Castro, the 
 boys went for a stroll about the little town- It was a 
 pleasant place, and they would have enjoyed it 
 very much, indeed, under different circumstances. 
 The streets were full of people, and Juan, remember 
 ing that it was New Year, thought perhaps they were 
 going to celebrate the holiday with some especial fes 
 tivities. 
 
 As they neared the plaza, a sound of cheering was 
 heard down one of the streets that led to the river. 
 Juan saw Captain Castro stop, half turn, and give
 
 182 The Boy Captive 
 
 a puzzled, hesitating glance at General Green; then 
 he seemed to be asking a question which was inaudible 
 
 to Juan, but the answer he heard "Certainly 
 
 not! We wish to see everything!" General Green 
 threw his shoulders back and carried his head high. 
 
 "General Green has got a chip on his shoulder!" 
 said the sharp-eyed Billie. "Let s step up and see 
 if anybody dast knock it off!" 
 
 "It ain t much to have a chip on your shoulder 
 when you aint got your gun with you ! said Harvey 
 with a grin, but before the boys could get near enough 
 to hear the General, the appearance of a mob of 
 children, leaping and dancing in great glee at the 
 head of a procession, diverted their attention. 
 
 High above the heads of the shouting, grimacing 
 throngs they saw a long motto stretched between two 
 poles carried by young men. 
 
 On it was printed in large letters 
 
 "GLORIA Y GRATITUD al BRAVO 
 CANALES!" 
 
 A little farther back was still another 
 
 "ETERNAL HONOR al IMMORTAL 
 AMPUDIA!" 
 
 The boys needed no interpreter for these obnoxious 
 mottoes. 
 
 Crowds of people were filling up on either side. 
 Fire-crackers were popping, the bells of the cathedral 
 were ringing gaily, the band was playing martial 
 music, and "vivas!" rent the air for the triumphant
 
 The Boy Captive 183 
 
 Mexican Generals. It was a great day for Camargo. 
 They had had sufficient time to notify the country 
 that a feria would be held in honor of the great vic 
 tory at Mier. The good padres took much care to 
 provide amusement for their flocks, and this was 
 merely the preliminary to a general jollification. 
 Feasting, drinking, gambling, dancing, cock-fighting, 
 horse-racing, and many other amusements, would be 
 carried on for two or three days. 
 
 Silent and stoical, the Texans marched between 
 their guards around the open plaza, mid the ringing 
 of bells, firing of an old anvil instead of a cannon, 
 and the popping of crackers, while the dogs barked 
 and yelped hysterically at the unwonted excitement, 
 and the people laughed and screamed and cheered, 
 wild with enthusiasm. 
 
 But, though the crowd was noisy, they did not try 
 to insult or hurt the captives, and, when the latter 
 were safely lodged in the three buildings allotted to 
 their use, they dispersed good naturedly to the many 
 diversions awaiting them. 
 
 The boys no longer cared to avail themselves of the 
 privileges of parole, and, retracing their steps to 
 Don Trinidad s, took refuge in the privacy of the 
 garden- They had no desire to participate in festi 
 vities based on their own humiliation. Billie and 
 Harvey talked vigorously out under the orange trees. 
 Whenever they paused, Gilbert started them afresh
 
 184 The Boy Captive 
 
 by recalling to mind some detail of the procession 
 particularly galling. 
 
 Juan sat silent wondering what would happen next, 
 a human paradox. To the eye he presented the ap 
 pearance of a high born young Mexican on whom 
 Dame fortune had lavished her choicest gifts; when 
 in reality he was a fierce young Texan, ready that 
 minute to join his comrades in a desperate break for 
 liberty. 
 
 But it is a strange fact that eating has a soothing 
 effect on the normal mind and as the boys munched 
 the good oranges, the luscious juices acted as a 
 quieting potion and reluctantly to themselves they 
 admitted that, perhaps it might be only a natur 
 al thing to rejoice over the capture of an enemy and 
 the people did not know how it was done any way ; so 
 when a good old woman brought them some little cakes 
 and sweets, they smiled on her like the real nice boys 
 that they were, instead of scowling like vanquished 
 warriors ; and she smiled amiably back at them. Her 
 long, black hair fell in neat braids over her bare 
 brown shoulders, from which the rebozo kept slipping 
 in a careless fashion ; and they soon grew used to the 
 sight of bare legs beneath the short skirts, nor did 
 they notice the little children of either sex, nude 
 or only with one garment, so quickly does one be 
 come used to customs. 
 
 The next day the march was resumed in much the 
 same order as when they left Mier. Juan had only
 
 The Boy Captive 185 
 
 a few minutes each day with his father, Mr. Hill be 
 ing with the prisoners, although he was mounted and 
 rode with the cavalry. 
 
 It was a bitter humiliation for the Texas prisoners 
 to tramp between the cheering masses of the streets 
 of Camargo. But it was an experience that grew 
 familiar as it was repeated at every town through 
 which they passed on their way to Matamoras. 
 
 General Ampudia rode at the head of the staff 
 with his boy captive by his side, and they made a 
 fine appearance with the showy, handsome uniforms 
 they wore. The General bowed gracefully to the 
 people in acknowledgement of their "vivas," and 
 smiled genially on the crowd. The sight was galling 
 to General Green, who had vehemently opposed the 
 surrender at Mier. As for Colonel Fisher, he had 
 not only to suffer this humiliation, but he also knew 
 how bitterly many of the officers and men felt toward 
 him. He was now in a position to appreciate General 
 Sommervelle s dilemma. It sometimes takes more 
 courage to carry out disagreeable commands in the 
 face of popular opinion than to charge an enemy. 
 Let him who covets the glory of leading, count first 
 the pains of disaster; then if his desire still remains, 
 he is truly a great man- 
 Both General Sommervelle and Colonel Fisher did 
 what they conceived to be their duty. Each had 
 ardent adherants, and each had active opponents. 
 Both were honorable, brave men.
 
 186 The Boy Captive 
 
 While officers and men felt the indignity of their 
 position, yet they managed to conceal their feelings 
 under a sullen composure; but Billie swelled with 
 rage and mortification and kept poor Harvey and 
 Gilbert in an agony of apprehension for fear he would 
 be over-heard and sent back with the prisoners. 
 Only the stern silence of the Texan Commanders 
 kept him within bounds. 
 
 Poor Juan found himself in a strange predica 
 ment. Sorrow, shame, and rage alternately rose with 
 in him and in his struggle to maintain his composure 
 he stared moodily ahead, looking neither to the right 
 nor to the left. The cries of the people were unin 
 telligible to him ,save that he knew they were cheer 
 ing General Ampudia, and he attributed the smiles 
 and covert glances of the officers of the staff toward 
 himself to their desire to see how he bore the ordeal. 
 His handsome face with its proud, firm mouth, his 
 dark eyes eloquent as their own, his ease and grace 
 in the saddle, his seeming indifference to their hearty 
 cheers, all convinced the people that the handsome 
 little caballero was General Ampudia s own son: and 
 the General was not displeased. He thought of his 
 own beloved son whose life passed out at Mier. Per 
 haps it strengthened the growing desire to benefit 
 this little captive. Luckily no one enlightened Juan 
 as to his part in the ovation until Camargo was far 
 behind. 
 
 The prisoners moved very slowly. Their feet were
 
 The Boy Captive 187 
 
 much swollen from the march from Mier. It is said 
 that a native Texan will chase a horse five miles in 
 order to saddle him for a ride of half a mile. Al 
 though this may be an exaggeration, it is not far 
 from true ; it should be said that they always keep one 
 horse saddled for emergencies. At the end of ten 
 miles it became evident that the prisoners were unable 
 to make the usual march, so they were quartered 
 at a ranch, and as there were no buildings large 
 enough to house so many men, they were turned 
 loose in a corral (cow pen) a large yard enclosed 
 by high and thick pickets of timber whose lower ends 
 were set deep in the ground while the upper extrem 
 ities were bound by rawhide strips to horizontal tim 
 bers. Disgusting as this was, there were many of the 
 young Texans who bravely looked on the humorous 
 side of it. They dropped on all fours and pawed 
 the earth and bellowed like bulls. Cows lowed and 
 calves bleated for refreshments. The poor Mexican 
 soldiers on guard were first amazed, then frightened 
 at the strange antics of their charges. They thought 
 the prisoners had gone mad; but when the meaning 
 of the performance dawned upon them they laughed 
 so heartily that the Texans would have found it an 
 easy matter to have overpowered them and made 
 their escape; however, the opportunity passed and 
 the poor boys had to make the best of the filth and 
 vermin incidental to such a place. 
 
 All along the weary march the Texans were quar-
 
 188 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 tered in these sheep or cattle corrals. General 
 Thomas Jefferson Green kept his diary of events and 
 records with a smile and a tear, and sometimes an 
 oath, their varying fortunes and their unvarying for 
 titude. 
 
 War is always horrible and one cannot expect to 
 find the captive enemy lodged in luxury or exempt 
 from hardships. That Juan C. C. Hill was a singular 
 exception to the rule, is what makes this true tale like 
 fiction. 
 
 Riding with the General and his escort, he could 
 but admire the courtly manner of the Mexican officers, 
 nor could he resist their genial ways. Some of them 
 could speak a little English and he found himself ac 
 quiring some every-day Spanish with a quickness 
 that delighted the warm-hearted Captain Castro. 
 
 It was at Reynosa that the boys forgot their cha 
 grin, although the preparations to greet the victor 
 ious army were unique as well as extensive. There 
 
 A Cattle Corral.
 
 The Boy Captive 189 
 
 were many triumphal arches made of reeds bound to 
 gether, and poverty or simplicity had decorated them 
 with gayly colored handkerchiefs, shawls and even 
 bright colored petticoats had been pressed into this 
 unusual service. Appropriate mottoes were suspend 
 ed from these arches; but that which filled the boys 
 with amusement and made even the footsore prison 
 ers laugh, were the fantastic demonstrations of the 
 Careese Indians. General Green wrote of it in his 
 journal and the description is so excellent that it is 
 literally quoted: 
 
 " * * * Just as we entered town, riding in 
 company with General Ampudia and staff, the war 
 riors of the Careese tribe of Indians, naked, with the 
 exception of the breech-clout and painted after their 
 war fashion, suddenly popped into our path, at the 
 same time giving the warwhoop, and firing their guns 
 in our faces. Then suddenly wheeling off to reload, 
 the same maneuvers were repeated several times. 
 This excited mirth rather than surprise, and was fol 
 lowed by something more ridiculous still! About 
 twenty little boys between the ages of ten and fifteen, 
 were led by a little old man of sixty, who was no 
 larger than a boy of twelve years old, all most fan 
 tastically dressed with different colored handker 
 chiefs and ribbons fixed about them, with small mir 
 rors fastened upon their heads so as to form an obe 
 lisk of four sides. Each held in his hand a long 
 handled gourd, decorated with blue and yellow paper,
 
 190 The Boy Captive 
 
 with small gravel inside. They were attended by 
 several fiddlers and suddenly appeared before us, 
 led by their old leader, dancing in regular time to the 
 music, first upon one foot and then upon the other. 
 They so contrived that while one foot was hopping 
 to the music, the other was shaking to it, and the 
 long-handled gourd and pebbles of each kept good 
 time with the fiddlers and the motion of the little old 
 man. 
 
 He would lead his little band close to our horses 
 heads, and as we advanced, by motion of his arms, 
 his double file of juveniles would wheel to right and 
 left, precede us thirty or forty yards, and perform 
 the same maneuvers over, always keeping time, in step 
 and motion. Thus were we danced to our quarters 
 about half a mile." 
 
 The amusement caused by these unique manifesta 
 tions of joy was shortlived with General Green if not 
 with the other Texans. Much to his disgust they 
 were all taken to mass at the cathedral, and this cus 
 tom was faithfully observed at every cathedral town 
 on their line of march. 
 
 There was very little religious toleration at the date 
 of this story, and the antagonism that raged between 
 the Roman Catholics and Protestants was deep-root 
 ed in hereditary prejudice. 
 
 Juan came of a family whose religious convictions 
 were fervent and genuine. Yet he could but respect 
 the evident sincerity of the Mexicans, who knelt to
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 191 
 
 the Holy Mother and implored her beneficent approv 
 al and protection. 
 
 12
 
 ARRIVAL 
 AT MATAMORAS
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MATAMORAS. 
 
 LONG before General Ampudia and General 
 Canales reached Matamoras, they were 
 met by coaches filled with enthusiastic 
 friends and admirers anxious to be the first to con 
 gratulate the returning victors. Happy wives and 
 sweethearts, too, hastened to greet their loved ones 
 for a large proportion of the soldiers were from Mat 
 amoras. 
 
 Alas! the victory of the Mexicans had cost them 
 
 Headquarters of General Ampudla at Matamoras.
 
 194 The Boy Captive 
 
 dear, for hundreds of men had lost their lives 
 that fatal Christmas night and the day following- 
 Many a woman wept out her heart s sorrow before 
 the crucifix that night, that had thought to tread the 
 gay fandango with her hero. 
 
 Matamoras is some thirty miles from the mouth 
 of the Rio Grande and being on the border of Mexico 
 and Texas, was a military station. The city present 
 ed a bright and bustling scene with its elaborate 
 gala day dress of flags, streamers and garlands. 
 Numerous triumphal arches spanned the streets 
 through which General Ampudia and General Can- 
 ales passed. Long lines of military drawn up on 
 either side of the road, and, as the columns of the 
 returning troops with their ragged captives passed 
 on their way to the cathedral to attend high mass, 
 they in turn fell in ranks behind the victorious army, 
 thus making quite an impressive procession. 
 
 After the mass, the two Texan leaders, their aides 
 and the four boys were taken by Captain Castro to 
 General Ampudia s headquarters; but the main body 
 of the prisoners were paraded through the principal 
 streets in order that the populace might appreciate 
 the large number of captives taken at Mier. 
 
 As the boys rode to their quarters they could hear 
 the huzzas of the people; could see the lovely women 
 waving their snowy handkerchiefs and fans at the 
 elegant officers on their proud stepping horses, who 
 with easy grace sat in their beautiful saddles, the
 
 The Boy Captive 195 
 
 very personification of romance and chivalry, sweep 
 ing courtly acknowledgements with their hats to the 
 plaudits of their admirers. Poor, poor Texans ! 
 
 That night a great ball was given which all of the 
 Mexican officers with General Ampudia attended, and 
 so a strange officer had charge of the Texans. About 
 half -past nine a detachment of soldiers came to 
 General Ampudia s headquarters and took General 
 Green, Colonel Fisher and their aides, Murray and 
 Lyon, and hurried them away to an empty room in 
 an old barrack, there locked them up securely, and 
 placed a guard over them. This was an outrage for 
 these officers were on parole. 
 
 Filled with wrath at the wanton violation of their 
 privileges, General Green managed to write a note 
 of remonstrance to General Ampudia at this uncall 
 ed for outrage and unkind violation of their terms 
 of surrender. 
 
 Some hours later they were released and carried 
 back to their original quarters. It was an eventful 
 night. 
 
 In the gayly decorated ballroom the myriad wax 
 candles of the immense chandeliers threw radiance 
 over a lovely scene. Light, love and laughter, the fra 
 grance of flowers; sparkling eyes more bril 
 liant than the jewels on the raven hair and more 
 dangerous than the Texans rifles. The officers re 
 turned the battery with fiery glances fully as danger 
 ous to the fair foe, and the brave civilians in their
 
 196 The Boy Captive 
 
 evening costumes of black set off the gorgeous bou 
 quet of lovely dresses and bright uniforms. 
 
 Stately and calm and beautiful the highbred dames 
 sat and watched their lovely daughters, exchange 
 confidences behind their fpns, or chatted graciously 
 with the gentlemen who hovered near- The dainty 
 satin slippers of the senoritas tripped in unison with 
 the dancing pumps of their partners as the languor 
 ous witching music of the Mexican band filled the 
 air with its intoxicating sweetness. Paderewski says 
 there are two races born musicians: The Gypsy and 
 the Pole. All others have acquired their music. 
 Paderewski should have made it three : the Mexicans. 
 
 Conspicuous among the gay throng was General 
 Ampudia. A Polish gentleman of patrician decent, 
 his smiling face and gay demeanor gave little token 
 of the storm that must have raged within. His or 
 ders awaited him on arrival at Llatamoras. They 
 were briefly summed up in the following: "All 
 Texan prisoners captured at Mier to be forwarded 
 immediately, via. Monterey to the City of Mexico. 
 The Texan leaders to be sent in advance as hostages 
 for the good behavior of the men." 
 
 Meanwhile only a few blocks away were the un 
 happy causes for all this gayety. The tired men 
 were glad their long march was over. But they were 
 hungry, for although they were furnished food, it 
 was not the kind to which they had been accustomed 
 and did not seem to satisfy their hunger. Their
 
 The Boy Captive 197 
 
 anxiety about their homes as well as the uncertainty 
 of their own futures, gave them plenty to think 
 about. The Texas soldiers were many of them land 
 holders, not a few of them had many slaves, all of 
 them regarded themselves as the peers of any in their 
 country, and they could not understand this petty 
 pilfering. 
 
 The prison they were in was very dark, for there 
 was only one window with heavy iron bars. The great 
 door was locked and barred and outside two sentinels 
 shuffled slowly back and forth in their sandaled feet 
 at intervals calling the hated Centinela alerta!" 
 
 The Texans had been divided in three sections and 
 were quartered in different prisons; in the inky 
 darkness of their cells, with nothing but the floor for 
 a couch, they planned to make their escape ; for these
 
 198 The Boy Captive 
 
 men were not on their parole like their officers- 
 Many of the men understood Spanish and they had 
 already gleaned enough information to feel sure that 
 they were not to remain at Matamoras, but were to 
 be taken somewhere in the interior. 
 
 "They know they can t keep us here," said one of 
 the men, "It s too near home and besides there are 
 too many Americans here. Boys, we ought never to 
 have surrendered. It was a mistake. We must 
 break loose before they carry us away from the bor 
 der. Here we have friends and can easily get over 
 the Rio Grande into our own country. How many 
 are for trying it ? " 
 
 Some of them, while more than willing to make 
 the attempt, were held back by fear that the lives of 
 General Green and Colonel Fisher would be for 
 feited. Long and late did the discussion last and no 
 definite plan or decision was reached. 
 
 Through the window came the sound of singing; a 
 group of soldiers off duty were carrying a part-song, 
 and their voices blended sweetly and harmoniously. 
 It was only a little catch or glee in praise of Santa 
 Anna. The prisoners had often heard it sung before 
 but tonight it had a joyousness that struck with pain 
 ful intensity on their aching hearts and they sank 
 into silence but not into slumber. There were too 
 many fleas for that. 
 
 Singing voices, violin and guitar were wafted on 
 the strong Gulf breeze that blew in the open window
 
 The Boy Captive 199 
 
 of Juan s sleeping apartment. The streets were 
 bright from lighted houses and noisy with footfalls of 
 pedestrians, clatter of hoofs, and rolling wheels. 
 Firecrackers were popping and rockets shot like fiery 
 serpents across the night sky and mimic constella 
 tions burst frequently into brief splendor, then van 
 ished, to be succeeded by other beauties equally 
 brilliant and as evanescent. 
 
 Across the street they could see into the gambling 
 saloon evidently run by an American- The floor 
 was covered with sawdust and nail kegs served for 
 seats, but the long counter behind which a glittering 
 array of bottles and glasses lined bravely up on 
 either side of a mirror, gave a specious brillancy to 
 the scene. From the ceiling hung a make-believe 
 chandelier constructed with barrel hoops and wire 
 and thickly set with tallow candles. Under this, faro, 
 monte, chuck-a-luck and roulette rivaled each other 
 and the row of gambling tables never lacked a circle 
 of intense, swarthy faces, as well as the paler Anglo- 
 Saxon. 
 
 The odor of tobacco and the scent of liquor taint 
 ed the pure breeze. Juan watched the strange and 
 fascinating scene until his weary eyelids refused him 
 further vision and he slept. 
 
 Day dawned. The gambling soldier thrust his 
 hands into empty pockets for coin to buy his break 
 fast, then shrugged his shoulders and drawing out his 
 empty hands, rolled him a cigarette, and, with blood-
 
 200 The Boy Captive 
 
 shot eyes but contented mind, reported for duty. 
 Women with black rebozos slipped quietly to early 
 mass; some of the faces were tear stained and hag 
 gard; others were wan from the night s dissipation. 
 The peddlers and laborers began their daily avoca 
 tions. The priest in his long, black robe and the 
 American in his frock coat each hastened to their 
 respective shrine. Alas! It was often a very poor 
 specimen of our countrymen, who came to the fron 
 tier towns of Mexico and Texas, to prey on the vices 
 or weaknesses of the young men seeking fortunes in 
 these new fields. The weary sentinel gladly gave 
 place to his fresh comrades and hastened joyfully off 
 to his breakfast, and if fortune favored him, to make 
 good the lost opportunity of night, by a cock-fight, or 
 some other gambling device. 
 
 The prisoners woke but half refreshed and longing 
 for a square American breakfast without any red 
 pepper. 
 
 The Texan officers were already receiving visits 
 from sympathizing Americans, and promises of 
 money and little comforts made the morning seem 
 brighter than any since the battle of Mier. 
 
 Alas! that General Ampudia should, with his apo 
 logies for the unpleasant episode of the preceding 
 evening, be compelled to dispel the cheerfulness with 
 the bad news of Santa Anna s command- A direct 
 and flagrant violation of the terms of capitulation 
 drawn up at Mier.
 
 The Boy Captive 201 
 
 No blame should be attached to General Ampudia 
 for this breach of faith. Rumor had reached Santa 
 Anna of Ampudia s clemency toward the Texan 
 prisoners ; and jealous of his own prerogatives, The 
 Napoleon of the West," as he styled himself, assert 
 ed his supremacy by disregarding the agreement of 
 his general to hold the prisoners on the border until 
 exchanged or released. 
 
 On the 12th of January, 1843, Colonel Fisher, 
 General Green, Adjutant Murry, Sailing Master 
 Lyon, Dr. Shepard, and the gay and genial Dan 
 Henrie, who served as their interpreter, all set forth 
 on their journey to the Mexican capital under the 
 care of General Canales (whom General Green 
 heartily disliked as much as he admired Captain 
 Castro). General Green, declared Sailing Master 
 Lyon to be his body-servant and he was enabled to 
 keep this old friend with him, thus saving him many 
 of the hardships he would have had if he had re 
 mained with the main body of prisoners. Dan Hen 
 rie had served in the United States navy, had seen 
 many parts of the world, was a grand forager, always 
 happy, could speak a little of several languages, and 
 was a delightful acquisition to the party of men in 
 the very unpleasant situation they were facing. 
 
 Two days later, poor Juan saw his father go out 
 of Matamoras with his unfortunate comrades, and 
 it was with a heavy heart that he saw the double file
 
 202 The Boy Captive 
 
 of prisoners, Billie, Harvey and Gilbert as well as 
 his loved friend, Orlando Phelps. 
 
 As Asa Hill walked slowly with his fellow captives 
 on the road to unknown dungeons, perhaps the one 
 drop of sweet into the cup of bitterness was that Juan 
 would be spared the horrors of prison life. General 
 Ampudia had, with Mr. Hill s consent, placed Juan 
 at the best school in Matamoras; and to insure him 
 kindly and courteous treatment, he was registered as 
 Juan C. C. Hill de Ampudia. Thus as the adopted 
 son of an illustrious and powerful man, he reaped all 
 the pleasures and benefits incidental to such a posi 
 tion. But Juan had that magnetism born of a heart 
 full of kindness and a soul full of truth and these 
 qualities assure friends independently of wealth or 
 position- 
 He enjoyed much freedom in roaming over the 
 town, and to the country boy it was full of interest 
 ing sights and happenings. Like all frontier towns, 
 it possessed a mongrel population and the shabby 
 frame house of the American jostled elbows with the 
 squat building the Mexican delights in. 
 
 It was in the distinctively Mexican quarters that 
 Juan found it most interesting, for here all was 
 Btrange as in a foreign land. The houses were most 
 ly unpretentious, flat-roofed buildings of brick stuc 
 coed with white or yellow; one door and an iron-bar 
 red window in front on the street. These houses 
 were built around a square so as to enclose a large
 
 The Boy Captive 203 
 
 courtyard which was the common property of all. 
 Through a large double doorway, the arrieros drove 
 their loaded charges and having relieved them of 
 their burdens, the burros would be turned into a 
 smaller yard, where food and water was provided. 
 In the center of the main yard numerous stalls dis 
 played all the necessities, and many of the luxuries 
 the common people used. 
 
 Sometimes Juan would rise early and stroll 
 through one of these courtyards. Many of the peo 
 ple would be seated at little tables drinking coffee 
 or chocolate and eating bread and fruit, for the Mexi 
 can eats a much simpler breakfast than the Ang 
 lo-American. Poor Juan, it made him homesick 
 when he looked at the breakfast. How he longed to 
 sit down at the home table and enjoy the vension 
 steak, stewed rabbit or bacon and sausage, the hot 
 biscuit, cornbread, battercakes with "good old mo 
 lasses" or honey. But he had to acknowledge that 
 people seemed to enjoy their simpler fare as much 
 as the home folks did their heartier meal. 
 
 In the center of the court were peddlers of vegeta 
 bles, fruits, eggs and poultry. Seated on the ground 
 they waited quietly and seemingly indifferent to sales. 
 Some had little stalls where gay colored handker 
 chiefs and gaudy cheap dress goods tempted the 
 dark-eyed damsels and matrons. Blankets, sombre 
 ros, and baskets were heaped in profusion ; cheap clay 
 pottery and gay little toys all lay in ambush for the
 
 204 The Boy Captive 
 
 small coins of the careful housewife, the gay young 
 dandy, the pretty girl; the little ones were assailed 
 in every direction by dulces, and Juan often fell a 
 victim to these strange compounds of sweetness. 
 
 At any hour of the day, there was something new 
 and diverting in the ugly little town. If only he 
 could have had the boys or his father with him to 
 enjoy it; for it was all an every day matter to his 
 new friends; besides his slight knowledge of Spanish 
 prevented a free interchange of thoughts- And so he 
 often wandered alone, unconscious that he was an 
 object of interest to others. 
 
 Often he watched the drill of the big-hatted sold 
 iers, who never marched in step or seemed to notice 
 the rhythm of the band s fine music. He enjoyed 
 the little half-clad children lassoing cats, dogs, om- 
 niverous goats, patient bwros, good-natured passers- 
 by or each other with untiring energy and unceas 
 ing enthusiasm. 
 
 Cock fights were everywhere save inside the 
 churches, and indeed the almost inevitable adorn 
 ment of the poorer classes, was a fine game cock teth 
 ered in one corner of the room with a little dish of 
 corn and another of water, flapping his wings and 
 crowing defiance to his feathered brethern in adja 
 cent houses. 
 
 Juan grew familiar with these simple houses with 
 beaten clay floors and no furnishing save a little chest 
 or box that held the superfluous clothing of the en-
 
 The Boy Captive 205 
 
 tire family; a little pile of mats represented their 
 bedding; some earthen pots and jars for food and 
 water, and the indispesable metate, or mill for 
 grinding corn. These were the furnishings of the one 
 room that served the family for sleeping room and 
 living room. Fortunately, the balmy climate enabl 
 ed them to live in the open air the greater portion 
 of the year. 
 
 At night the open doorways often framed a strik 
 ing picture: a group of muleteers squatted near a 
 fire engaged in the fascination of gambling. The 
 flickering light fell on their dark faces half hidden 
 by the great hats gleaming with silver braids and 
 tassels. It threw their witchlike shadows long and 
 fantastic in dancing mockery, and from all sides of 
 the courtyard other shadows were dancing wierdly to 
 meet them, for each house was open wide and its in 
 mates happily engaged in pleasure or domestic duties. 
 Some were cooking, some were dancing, some were 
 singing. Children played in and out the many 
 groups with shrill voices and happy laughter. Now 
 and then some sentimental burro, moved by sympathy 
 with the gay throng, would lift his sonorous voice and 
 contribute to the harmony, whereupon every skulking 
 dog, and these seemed innumerable and of all de 
 grees of mongrelism, would rise and bark and 
 bark and bark until some indignant citizen would end 
 the bedlam by kicks and ejaculations of "Cst! Cst!
 
 206 The Boy Captive 
 
 Sal!" or "Collate, Collate la boca!" Get out, or 
 Shut your mouth!) 
 
 Juan s experience at Matamoras was of short 
 duration. Just as he was becoming accustomed to 
 his new surroundings, and able to put a less divided 
 mind on his studies in the unfamiliar Spanish, an 
 other change in his varied career was announced. 
 
 General Ampudia received a letter from Santa 
 Anna requesting that the young Texan, (Juan 
 Christobal Colon Gil) be forwarded by way of Tam- 
 pico and Rio del Monte to the City of Mexico. This 
 was a source of great distress to General Ampudia, 
 for he was growing more attached to the boy each 
 day. He desired to keep him in school at Matamoras 
 although all the fine government schools were at the 
 capital. But of this Juan knew nothing, and only 
 consoled himself by thinking that perhaps after all 
 he might hear something of the fate of the other 
 Texans, and share the imprisonment of his dear 
 father, brother, and beloved chums. He had written 
 to his mother and Jeffrey, and General Ampudia as 
 sured him that the answers should be forwarded 
 promptly on their arrival at Matamoras, a great com 
 fort, for military dispatches were prompt, but mail 
 facilities were the poorest.
 
 AT THE ARCHBISHOP S 
 PALACE
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AT THE ARCHBISHOP *S PALACE.* 
 
 "* f MIB order of Gen 
 eral President 
 Antonio Lopez 
 de Santa Anna knew 
 no modification, it was 
 imperative, and now 
 the young captive who 
 had these months been 
 as an honored guest at 
 the headquarters of 
 General Ampudia, must 
 
 be sent to Mexico City. Much as he desired to keep the 
 little boy with him, yet well did the General realize 
 that in his superior officer and the President all in 
 one, were combined the "Mildness of the lamb and 
 the fierceness of the enraged tiger." The boy must 
 go! 
 
 Juan by his amiability, adaptability and his ever 
 obliging and happy nature, had won the love and 
 respect of not only the General himself, but his staff 
 officers and all who had come in contact with this 
 remarkable youth. 
 
 * Almost this entire chapter, word for word, was received 
 from Mr. J. C. C. Hill in person.
 
 210 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 "Under safe escort," read the order of President 
 Santa Anna, but General Ampudia knew the dangers 
 attendant upon sending a boy over that long, and al- 
 
 Entrance to Archbishop s Palace 
 
 most untraveled route, for bandits abounded in all 
 directions, making extra precautions necessary. 
 
 Every arrangement was now completed, and an 
 escort provided of a captain, a lieutenant, one or two 
 orderlies, and a dozen or more soldiers, all thorough 
 ly equipped for a safe journey. General Ampudia 
 had presented to Juan a beautiful little horse, bridle 
 and saddle, the latter gorgeously decorated after the
 
 The Boy Captive 211 
 
 Mexican fashion, and now with his own hands assisted 
 our young hero into the saddle. The officers about 
 headquarters had assembled to bid goodbye to the 
 little protege of the General, and as the calvacade mov 
 ed away the clear voice of the General rang out: 
 " Adios mi hijito!" (Goodbye my little son.) "Adios 
 mi nino!" (Goodby my child) "Dios te bendige!" 
 (May God preserve thee.) 
 
 Our young traveler turned in his saddle waving his 
 hand, and with all the eloquence of his grateful heart, 
 he returned to the General and other officers the 
 pathetic, parting salutation: "Adios." 
 
 It is a long distance from Matamoras to the Capital 
 by way of Tampico over a then very rough, bar 
 ren and uninhabited region. Only an occasional 
 haciendo, (plantation) or pueblito (little village) 
 was to be seen on that entire journey, save when they 
 passed through Tampico and one or two places of 
 the same size and importance. The kindly people 
 along the route were always curious and interested 
 to know something about El Muchachiio Americano, 
 al prisonero. (The American boy prisoner) which 
 one of the escorts explained to them. "Pobrecito! 
 Probrecito!" (Poor little fellow) fell upon Juan s 
 ears many times on that long journey. 
 
 At last the domes and turrets of the churches in 
 the Great Capital of Mexico gleamed in the morning 
 sunlight, and though perhaps a little weary, but not
 
 212 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 discouraged, our young captive felt prepared to meet 
 anything that might come to him. 
 
 The captain in charge had been given positive in 
 structions by General Ampudia that Juan was to be 
 delivered only to His Excellency General Presidente 
 Santa Anna. On halting before the National Palace 
 to carry out his orders, the Captain was informed 
 
 Archbishop Posada 
 
 that His Excellency was ill and unable to see the boy 
 then, but he had arranged for him to go at once to 
 the Archbishop s Palace, which was just across the 
 street, where he would receive proper care until he 
 should himself be able to receive him. 
 
 The Captain and Juan were soon ushered into the 
 great zaguan (hall of the palace) and were met by
 
 The Boy Captive 213 
 
 a young friar, and by him were conducted into the 
 presence of the great head of the church of Mexico. 
 At every step Juan took he was saying to him 
 self: "I wonder what an Archbishop looks like. 
 Will he be cross and crusty and say hard things to 
 me ? His heart was in his mouth as he followed the 
 Captain and the friar and now stood facing a new 
 problem. But instead of a grim, disagreeable, old man, 
 "who would look cross," Juan beheld a genial, 
 kindly, elegant looking old gentleman who at 
 once extended his own white, velvety hand and took 
 the tanned, little brown hand of Juan which hung by 
 his side, and in kindly words said : "My young friend, 
 the President told me that you were coming, and that 
 you should remain here with me until he is well 
 enough to see you. I bid you welcome to the Arzo- 
 bispado (Archbishop s palace) where you must feel 
 at home, and where we shall do all we can to make 
 you comfortable. The President is quite sick now." 
 
 The Captain took an affectionate leave of Juan 
 and for his kindness and attention to him on the 
 long journey, Juan thanked him sincerely. 
 
 By this time Juan was both speaking and under 
 standing the Spanish very well and was greatly en 
 joying this knowledge. 
 
 The Archbishop asked him if he were tired. "No, 
 Your Reverence," said Juan, "I am not a bit tired, 
 been riding a horse in Texas ever since I could stand 
 alone."
 
 214 The Boy Captive 
 
 The Archbishop now asked the boy about himself, 
 and at once the whole story about Mier followed. 
 The good man became deeply interested and observ 
 ing that the boy was suffering mental anxiety about 
 his father and brother, kindly laid his hand upon the 
 boy s head saying: "My son, these things are all in 
 the hands of God : we must pray to the Holly Mother 
 to intercede and bring your dear ones to you in 
 safety." 
 
 These comforting words fell like a gentle balm upon 
 the spirit of the heartsick boy. The Archbishop 
 observing the effect of his words wisely requested the 
 young frair to take Juan into the garden. In Mexi 
 co these gardens are all inside the houses, and are 
 called patios or courtyards, and in houses so exten 
 sive as the Arzobispado there might be two or three 
 of these courtyards. 
 
 Juan was dazzled by the beautiful trees, shrubs, 
 flowers and plants, which he beheld on every side. 
 There were fine, old olive trees which the friar as 
 sured him were brought from Europe ; grand banana 
 plants, and many lemon and orange trees, and cling 
 ing to every possible support were rare, large, double, 
 red and pink roses, and white and yellow jasmine 
 filled the air with their fragrance; camelias, violets, 
 japonicas, carnations, hibiscus, and a bewildering 
 array of gorgeous vines and flowers which he had 
 never before seen, greeted his delighted eyes at every 
 turn. It was growing late, Juan was given a light
 
 The Boy Captive 215 
 
 repast and he and the young friar now went into a 
 large room and each taking one of the snowy, single 
 beds, the boy was soon lost in a blessed and refresh 
 ing sleep. 
 
 Early the next morning a white-clad mozo served 
 Juan his coffee and roll, saying the Archbishop would 
 like to see him down stairs. Responding, he soon 
 found himself in one of the large reception rooms 
 of the Palace- The Archbishop was at that moment 
 engaged with some visitors, but an attendant told 
 him to be seated near the front window, where he 
 could view the scenes of the street. There seemed to 
 be a multitude of widely-excited people and Juan 
 craned his neck as far as he could before the iron 
 grating to see what it all meant. 
 
 A man approached ringing a bell, the throng be 
 gan to drop down on their knees and call out:. .Dios 
 viene!..Dios viene!" (God is coming.) There came 
 a coach drawn by two fat, sleek mules and in the 
 coach was a priest, and walking behind the coach 
 were a dozen friars with lighted candles chanting as 
 they moved in double file. On hearing the bell all 
 the young priests and attendants in this room and 
 about the Palace, dropped on their knees, murmur 
 ing something the like of which Juan had never 
 heard before. But what the priest did, Juan did not 
 see, for an exclamation of disgust from the interior 
 of the room called his attention from the street, and 
 he beheld the Archbishop Posada standing with bow-
 
 216 The Boy Captive 
 
 ed head, while by his side knelt a young man who 
 glared upon Juan with anything but a pious expres 
 sion. 
 
 Filled with astonishment at the menacing look, 
 Juan stood like a statue awaiting developments. 
 From out the street the tinkling of the little bell and 
 chanting of the friars rose with an oppressive solem 
 nity that fell upon Juan s buoyant young spirit like 
 a black shadow. The sound passed on, and, immedi 
 ately in its wake he heard the reviving stir of the 
 crowded street. 
 
 The Archbishop raised his kindly face and said 
 pleasantly: "Good morning my son." Then turn 
 ing, he spoke rapidly but quietly to the young man, 
 now erect, and raising his hand, dismissed him. 
 
 "My son," said the Bishop, looking seriously at 
 Juan, "Though you rejected the Holy Mother, do 
 you not worship the Holy Son, Our Lord Jesus?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," faltered poor Juan in astonishment. 
 
 "Then why do you fail to make your devotions 
 when He passes by, going to the dying faithful?" 
 asked the Bishop a little sternly. 
 
 "I don t know anything about such things," said 
 Juan. I am sorry to have appeared rude to you, 
 and hope Your Reverence, you will overlook it this 
 time, it was all from not knowing, that I seemed 
 impolite and without respect for the religion of your 
 people." 
 
 The Archbishop then explained that the passing of
 
 The Boy Captive 217 
 
 the Sacred Host was the carrying of the Holy Sac 
 rament to the bedside of some dying person. Juan s 
 mistake had been in not kneeling when a Sacred Host 
 was carried by. 
 
 The Archbishop now turned to Juan and in an 
 earnest, kindly manner said: "My son, you must be 
 baptized in the True Church, then you will under 
 stand and appreciate the beauty of these ceremonials ; 
 they are all symbolic of the life of our Blessed Savior. 
 I will appoint a time very soon for you to be bap 
 tized." 
 
 Baptize me ! " said Juan, looking up in amazement 
 at the Archbishop. "When an infant I was baptized 
 in the arms of my mother into the Methodist church, 
 and I am still a member of that church. It is the 
 church of my parents and all my people, Your Rever 
 ence, and I don t see how I could leave it." 
 
 "Why, that is no church at all. Did not our Sav 
 ior say of St. Peter, On this rock will I build my 
 church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
 it ?" And the Archbishop, warming to his theme, 
 enlarged on the duties and privileges of St. Peter as 
 embodied in the Holy Catholic Church. 
 
 Now Juan was a good boy and a believer in the 
 religion of his mother, but he was not able to cope 
 with so learned a scholar upon a subject so entirely 
 unfamiliar to him, so he waited quietly till the Bishop 
 had finished his eloquent appeal. Thinking over his 
 long separation from his mother, of his brother
 
 218 The Boy Captive 
 
 wounded and in the hospital at Mier, of his father 
 somewhere on a desolate road in need of him, the 
 tears rose and he turned and gazed out of the window 
 with unseeing eyes. A great wave of homesickness 
 and heartsiekness swept over him. His slender, boy 
 ish figure outlined against the pleasant morning sky, 
 had a droop to the square shoulders that was infinite 
 ly pathetic and appealing. 
 
 The Archbishop must have felt this appeal for he 
 said in a gentle, kindly voice: "The Holy Mother 
 loves a good son and God is merciful." Then as the 
 silence continued and the boy still gazed out of the 
 window, he continued: 
 
 "Let us not quarrel mi nino (my child) it is all 
 in the hands of God. But, Juan, if the Sacred Host 
 is carried by, you should at least uncover your head 
 besides, hijito mio, if you do not, the ignorant people 
 may fall upon and hurt you because they may think 
 you show disrespect to their most sacred belief. 
 
 Juan found it very pleasant to have the freedom 
 of the beautiful orchards, and to move in and out 
 among the servants at their work, for of all of the 
 strange things he saw, nothing struck him as being so 
 odd as their kitchen furniture. To see a woman mak 
 ing tortillas was a familiar sight, and something that 
 never lost the charm of novelty; he felt the same in 
 terest in the primitive range, a bench or ledge of 
 brick or adobe that ran along the side of the wall ; it 
 was perhaps two or three feet high and two feet
 
 The Boy Captive 219 
 
 broad, and the little fires of charcoal were built for 
 each savoury dish. Juan wondered how Mammy 
 Lou" would like to cook on it. He laughed to him 
 self when he thought of the great logs in the hearth at 
 home, where the family cooking was done, for as yet 
 cookstoves in any numbers had not reached Texas, 
 and the sight of one would have filled him with more 
 astonishment than the charcoal cooking of the Mexi 
 cans- 
 
 The water carriers with their heavy jars seemed 
 to have the right-of-way; their peculiar manner of 
 strapping their burthen around their forehead pre 
 vented them from looking up and avoiding obstacles 
 in their path; so ladies with close drawn rebozos, 
 priests in shovel hats and long robes, and gentlemen 
 with lower parts of their faces wrapped in handker 
 chief or muffler, for the night chill had not as yet 
 yielded to the sun, these and other pedestrians step 
 ped courteously aside. 
 
 Little mouse-colored burros loaded with charcoal, 
 were guided on their tortuous path by half-naked In 
 dians yelling "carbon! carbon!" (charcoal). In an 
 other direction long lines of little burros crept slowly 
 on their way loaded with wood, vegetables, corn, jars, 
 baskets, anything and everything that was used in 
 the domestic life of the Mexican. Now and then in 
 this strange procession there would come another 
 Indian with a long crate strapped to his head and 
 hanging down his back who, as he trotted along, call-
 
 220 The Boy Captive 
 
 ed at the highest pitch of his voice, "huevos! huevosl 
 (eggs). Juan could not resist smiling as he thought 
 how that man would look if one of the scantlings 
 tied to a little burro near him, should accidently hit 
 the crate with its frail contents. But no accidents 
 happened to mar the slow going pace of the proces 
 sion. The burros dragged their clumsy loads of tim 
 ber in and out threading their way through the 
 crowd, the arrieros, (mule drivers) beside them call 
 ing encouraging words and seeming never to be hur 
 ried, angry, or in any way troubled at the slow 
 progress they made. In fact no one seemed in haste, 
 and all were good natured. 
 
 Many of the men had panniers of vegetables, and 
 others had tall coops full of poultry, cackling and 
 crowing in the most animated fashion as if discussing 
 their first impressions of the city. 
 
 Indians were plentiful swinging along at a little 
 dog trot with a big basket or crate loaded with fruit 
 or vegetables, or a wardrobe or bureau, everything 
 in fact that the burro carries except timber or 
 wood- The peddlers of pulque presented a very odd 
 appearance, indeed, for they carried this popular 
 beverage in the skin of a sheep, or pig, even the legs 
 in entirety ; it seemed rather repulsive to Juan and he 
 mentally resolved not to drink any pulque. 
 
 Many of the Indians seemed to have brought their 
 entire family, the procession headed by the men in 
 their white cotton trousers and faded zarapes dang-
 
 The Boy Captive 221 
 
 ling from their shoulders, their wide brimmed hats 
 with conical crowns often decorated with a bit of 
 silver or gold braid; next would come the women in 
 their short skirts, their dark or black rebozos serving 
 as bonnet and shawl, and the inevitable baby, half 
 concealed by its folds, hanging behind, and often 
 below the vegetables, or tucked in one arm while the 
 other carried some small contribution to the family 
 stock in trade; then a small mob of various-sized 
 children naked and half-naked, each bearing their 
 small burden to be disposed of at the general market 
 at the grand plaza. Sometimes this burden was an 
 armful of fruit or vegetables or a pair of doves, or 
 maybe a fowl. Whatever it was, they bore it with 
 cheerful pride and amiability, and a supreme con 
 sciousness or indifference to the fact that one man 
 might easily have carried the collective burdens with 
 out injury or inconvenience. 
 
 It was interesting to watch the pantomime of a bar 
 gain, for although the swift flowing speech was be 
 yond Juan s limited vocabulary of Spanish he had 
 already recognized that they sold as much with their 
 hands and shoulders as other nations do with their 
 tongues. Such shrugging of shoulders ! Such waving 
 of arms! Such flexible fingers! Such intensity of 
 expression through all, and when from appearances 
 he thought the deal a failure, what a surprise to see 
 the vendor call, the would-be purchaser turn, and the
 
 222 The Boy Captive 
 
 beaming smiles of both at the happy conclusion of 
 this momentous affair. 
 
 When friends met there was an interchange of 
 embraces, and bows, and graceful gesticulations that 
 were an astonishing revelation to the Texas lad. 
 
 As Juan gazed up the street, the narrowing vista 
 was met by a mountain wall. As he gazed down the 
 street the same barrier ended the perspective, and 
 over the housetops in front, he could see the same 
 grand range with the terraced roofs, the bell-towers, 
 and the domes outlined against the porphyritic rock 
 that completely encircles this beautiful, quaint, old 
 city. 
 
 Over all and through all it seemed to Juan, there 
 were always bells ringing. Sometimes one bell would 
 begin quite softly, then a chorus of smaller ones 
 would join then a grand uproar of very large ones 
 would take up the good work and drown the smaller 
 bells in a very ocean of sound; then a brief silence 
 would follow in which the lesser noises of humanity 
 would assert themselves once more. 
 
 Beggars were everywhere! Standing on the street 
 corners; sitting in the doorways, crouched under the 
 wayside shrines; stationed at every church entrance 
 infesting the public buildings; it seemed to Juan he 
 met an outstretched hand or heard a whining voice, 
 in whatever direction he turned. 
 
 Juan was a close observer and he soon discovered 
 that the City of Mexico was laid out with geometrical
 
 The Boy Captive 223 
 
 precision. The houses, mostly towering three stories 
 high, were closely built together without intervening 
 spaces or glimpses of yards from the street ; the roofs 
 were flat with parapets to guard the edges. It would 
 have made a very monotonous skyline, for there were 
 no chimneys to break the straight lines, but it was 
 much diversified with numerous church towers and 
 cupolas that graced each square. 
 
 Convents and cloisters were everywhere. The 
 streets were full of priests and friars, and to Juan it 
 appeared that the people did more praying than work; 
 no doubt this was so, for it was the Lenten period. 
 Even as he gazed, a little tinkling of bells rang 
 through the noisy street; as by magic the people 
 faced the center of the street and knelt- Women in 
 black or blue rebozos, an Indian girl in cotton chemise 
 and short skirt, a man s hat shading her long black 
 braids, ragged lazarones, gayly dressed arrierros, 
 soldiers in uniform, mozos, (men-servants of the 
 household) in white cotton jackets and wide flowing 
 trousers, Mexican cdballeros (gentleman) in pictu 
 resque elegance, and portly gentlemen in sedate frock 
 coats, were to be seen at any hour of the day. 
 
 Juan heard a bell ringing and said to himeslf: 
 "Now that s another Sacred Host coming along, 
 guess I won t miss it this time," so off came his hat, 
 and onward came the crowd, leaving an open path 
 for the passage of the Sacred Host, priests and friars. 
 The entire populace in the street was on its knees. 
 
 14
 
 224 The Boy Captive 
 
 The boy was feeling at home. Everyone about the 
 Palace treated him very kindly and he realized each 
 day that he was, indeed, fortunate, but this feeling 
 was always checked by the thought of what his father 
 and brother might be suffering, also the other Texans. 
 Despite his own good fortune he bemoaned the fate 
 of those near and dear to him. 
 
 One day, greatly to his surprise and delight, a let 
 ter came to him in the familiar handwriting of Gen 
 eral Ampudia. Upon the envelope the address read: 
 "A Juan C. C. Hill, de Ampudia," "Palacio Na- 
 cional Mejico;" and enclosed was a letter from his 
 beloved mother, the first he had received. His heart 
 swelled with pride as he tearfully read her loving 
 missive and then the affectionate greetings from his 
 good friend, General Ampudia, gave him great pleas 
 ure. The letter had come by special government cou 
 rier, and was followed at intervals by others of the 
 same kind, and they were always addressed to Juan 
 C. C. Hill de Ampudia, and inside they read: "A mi 
 querido hijito, (to my dear little son).
 
 BEFORE THE GREAT 
 DICTATOR
 
 CHAPTER XIV- 
 
 BEFORE THE GREAT DICTATOR. 
 
 H 
 
 IS Excellency, el 
 Sefior General 
 Presidente Anto 
 nio Lopez de Santa 
 Anna, wishes to see mu- 
 chacho Hill, the Texas 
 boy." 
 
 This was the announce 
 ment of an aid upon the 
 staff of General Santa 
 Anna at the National Pal 
 ace, and an orderly was 
 
 Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna dispatched to CSCOrt OUr 
 
 young captive guest from the Archbishop s Palace 
 into the presence of his "serene Highness." The 
 order was emphatic, there was no escaping the dictum 
 of this most dreaded of men according to Juan s 
 estimate of Santa Anna. Like an electric flash the 
 boy was startled from head to foot; visions of ter 
 rible experiences through which he had passed; the 
 siege of Mier, the capitulation, the breaking of his 
 treasuerd gun, the order to come into the presence 
 
 * Contents of this chapter were given by John C. C. Hill in 
 person.
 
 228 The Boy Captive 
 
 of the august General Ampudia; what followed 
 and the terrible sufferings of the Texans crowded 
 rapidly through his mental retina. But now, to face 
 a new danger, and be subjected to the ordeal worse 
 than death in meeting the awful Santa Anna, who 
 would undoubtedly have him killed; all these 
 thoughts passed through his mind. True, that all 
 these months he had been recognized as a prisoner, 
 but owing to the great kindness of General Ampudia, 
 and later of the Archbishop of Mexico, it was in name 
 only, for he had been as free as a bird from the mo 
 ment of his coming into the presence of the General; 
 in fact had General Ampudia been his own father, 
 he could not have been more tender or gentle in his 
 treatment of the boy. 
 
 But there was now no time to grieve over the possi 
 bilities of fate, nor to cross rivers before he reached 
 them, so with his usual courage and adaptability, he 
 laid aside the book he had been reading, and, giving 
 a finishing touch to his faultless attire and passing his 
 hand lightly over his glossy locks, he stepped forth, 
 following in the direction of the young officer. Santa 
 Anna was living in the National Palace which fronts 
 the Zocala (an open park or square) just across the 
 street from the Archbishop s Palace on the Calle De 
 Moneda (street of money) both establishments being 
 in close proximity to the Cathedral and Military Bar 
 racks.
 
 The Boy Vaptive 229 
 
 Juan had time and again gone over every inch of 
 ground in and about these notable establishments, 
 save of course, the inner home of Santa Anna. This 
 was one place in all the world that the boy hoped he 
 should never see. He did not feel afraid to see any 
 man that breathed, but what could this all mean now, 
 that he must appear in person before this butcher of 
 human beings but the orderly moved forward rap 
 idly and soon they were inside the door of the vast 
 room in which this awful man sat upon a dais 
 (throne-like rise of the room) with draperies of gor 
 geous gold and red, held in artistic lines on either 
 side. Here was the man in whose hands rested the 
 destiny of Juan and the fate of his father and broth 
 er! Notwithstanding the deadly silence which was 
 over-awing in its intensity the boy hastily took in the 
 magnificence and splendor of that entire room. Por 
 traits of Mexico s great men were on all sides, and, 
 in a conspicuous place, hung a life-size portrait of 
 George Washington. Juan felt like bending his knee 
 because this was a sure enough saint for all men to 
 worship. The room itself was truly the abode suited 
 to an emperor. 
 
 With the utmost composure, ease, grace and dig 
 nity, sat Santa Anna, his dark eyes though penetrat 
 ing, looked up kindly at the boy, and the clothes 
 he wore were simple and unostentatious. Later Juan 
 saw him in the grandest clothes a man ever wore;
 
 230 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 Vice-President Gomez Farias 
 
 his breast literally cover 
 ed with the decorations 
 and honors given by his 
 appreciative countrymen. 
 Juan had reached the 
 dais on which the grim 
 Dictator was seated and 
 he, noting the advance of 
 the picturesque little fig 
 ure with a face of rare 
 beauty and brightness, ex 
 tended his hand and in 
 vited the boy to come 
 nearer, saying : Well, 
 my young friend, I am glad to meet you for I have 
 heard a great deal about you. Although you are 
 still a very small boy, you have made for yourself a 
 flattering reputation. General Pedro Ampudia has 
 told me much of your character and conduct at Mier. 
 Few boys in any country could have met and over 
 come the same difficulties that you have, and I am 
 glad to know you in person." 
 
 Juan felt his face flush and his ears tingle and he 
 began to tell the General that he deserved no credit 
 for having done his duty under these great trials. 
 
 Santa Anna gave a little wave of his hand indicat 
 ing that the boy must not depreciate his own fine 
 deeds. There was a slight stir and he turned in the 
 direction indicated by the penetrating glance of
 
 The Boy Captive 231 
 
 Santa Anna who nodded to two other gentlemen, who 
 now approached and from their dress and manner 
 Juan was sure they were men of position. At this 
 moment General Santa Anna introduced General 
 Jose Marie Tornel, then minister of war, formerly 
 Minister to the United States, the most erudite and 
 scholarly man of his times and a strikingly handsome 
 and elegant looking man, who came forward with ex 
 tended hand and beaming countenance, speaking to 
 the boy in good English. 
 
 The other distinguished man to whom Juan was 
 formally presented was General and vice-President 
 Gomez Farias, an able diplomat and scholar, a man 
 notable in the history of his country; and among his 
 many fine deeds was that he was the first to recom 
 mend the taxation of church property. 
 
 Instead of deadly and unrelenting foes with ani 
 mosity flashing from every feature, he beheld in their 
 faces benevolence, wisdom and intelligence. They 
 had been called by Santa Anna in special consultation 
 to settle upon some plan looking to the future welfare 
 of the boy. This meeting of these three wise and able 
 men, taken in connection with the character and his 
 tory of the boy, was perhaps one of the most notable 
 and altogether remarkable ever recorded. The results 
 were far-reaching and were bounded by the best qual 
 ities of mind and heart of which these three great 
 men were possessed. Juan s destiny was in the hands 
 of these notable men !
 
 232 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 The story of his fearless courage had reached them, 
 and his beauty, magnetism and charm had won them 
 at a first glance they were eager to do the best for 
 him. The fact that Santa Anna had no living sons 
 was the animus for the idea of his adopting him as a 
 son, then to have him educated at Chapultepec to 
 become an officer in the army- This Santa Anna now 
 formally proposed to do, suggesting the military col 
 lege as a suitable school ; and, in his most courtly and 
 sympathetic manner the proposition was made. 
 
 The suddenness as well as the magnitude of this 
 great offer was almost overwhelming to the boy; he 
 could hardly believe his own ears; he began to stam 
 mer out his thanks, saying his father would have to 
 decide this matter for him. Santa Anna urged his 
 
 claim with increasing cour 
 tesy and emphasis, to 
 which Juan replied: 
 
 Your Excellency, I 
 thank you for this great 
 kindness; to attend some 
 of your fine schools here 
 would greatly please me, 
 but the other matter of 
 being adopted by you as 
 your son would seem im 
 possible, when a boy like 
 
 General Jose Maria Tomel m y Self is bleSSed b ^ the
 
 The Boy Captive 233 
 
 most loving and devoted parent s. These things 
 must all be settled by my father should he live to 
 get here; besides I cannot serve in your army, for if 
 a war should break out between Texas and this 
 country, I would go home and serve in the ranks. I 
 should never fight my own country." 
 
 An amused smile played over the countenances of 
 the three great men at this uncompromising answer. 
 It was this straight-forward courage of Juan s that 
 made him so many friends. Also the fact that he was 
 really unconscious of anything unusual in his course. 
 A thing was right or it was wrong, in his simple 
 creed. He tried to do that which was right. 
 
 "Well, if you do not wish to become a student at 
 Chapultepec, where would you like to go?" asked 
 Santa Anna gently, after a pause. 
 
 "Your Excellency," said Juan, "with all this un 
 certainty as to the fate of my father and brother, it 
 is impossible for me to tell you whether I want to 
 go to school or not; at any rate not until I am sure 
 my dear ones are safe and alive and that I shall see 
 them again. I should love to go to a good school, but 
 not now." 
 
 Continuing Juan said, "When my mother con 
 sented for me to go to the war with my father and 
 brother, I made her a solemn promise to take care 
 of them. This I did the best I could as long as I was 
 near them, and I think I helped father a good deal 
 before we left Mier, for when I told General Ampudia
 
 234 The Boy Captive 
 
 that I had given mother this promise, he gave father 
 a horse to ride all the way from Mier to Matamoras. 
 But when you sent that cruel order for all the Texans 
 to be marched to this capital, I could do nothing but 
 pray to God for the protection of my poor old father. 
 Jeff is still in the hospital at Mier, and all these 
 months I have not heard a word from mother, and 
 here I am alone in this country and still not a word 
 can I get from any of my people. Every day and 
 hour that I live my heart aches more and more over 
 the thought that I shall never see them again- It 
 seems sometimes like I can t live through any more 
 anxiety and suspense. In my dreams I often see 
 father and Jeff lying by the roadside, dying or suf 
 fering untold agony in a dismal prison, and when I 
 wake up I still see them suffering. In this touching 
 recital the bright, fearless eyes of the boy did not 
 wander from the deep, dark eyes of Santa Anna. 
 There was a little quiver in the voice, but not a sob 
 escaped the firm lips. 
 
 There was a mist in the eyes of Santa Anna, and 
 the heads of the other two great men were turned 
 away. Either one or all of these men who had listened 
 would have gladly gone in search of the father and 
 brother, or done anything else in their power to com 
 fort and console this heart-sick boy. 
 
 Santa Anna was the first to break the silence. 
 Taking the boy s hand in one of his own, and tend 
 erly placing the other on his head in measured words
 
 The Boy Captive 235 
 
 of kindness, he said: "Mi hijito (my little son) try 
 not to grieve so, without doubt your father and 
 brother are safe and will soon reach this capital. I 
 will do all in my power to find out something about 
 them, and, in the meantime, I insist that you come at 
 once to the palace and be as a son to my wife, the 
 Dona Dolores de Tosta and myself. We shall do all 
 in our power to cheer and comfort you. But you 
 must come immediately." 
 
 "But, your Excellency, if they do come, will you 
 send them home to mother ? The boy had forgotten 
 himself forgotten the relations between himself and 
 the man most dreaded in all Mexico he stood like 
 one transfixed, gazing into the eyes of Santa Anna, 
 but to him it seemed there was no hope for a favor 
 able answer. 
 
 A deep silence fell upon the room. Santa Anna 
 narrowed his eyes and looked steadily at the boy, 
 who met the gaze unflinchingly. He was unconscious 
 of any breach of discipline. General Tornel gave one 
 fleeting, sidelong glance at Santa Anna, then gazed 
 out of the window. General and vice-President 
 Gomez Farias fixed his eyes steadily upon the boy. 
 
 Juan now ventured to speak, and with a feverish 
 light in his eyes and a gentle tremor in his voice, he 
 faltered: "Your Excellency, when my father comes 
 he will be exhausted from the long march on foot, 
 and you will, I know, be unwilling that a man so old 
 and gray-haired as my father should remain a pris-
 
 236 The Boy Captive 
 
 oner, when it won t do anybody any good and mother 
 wants him to come home. 
 
 The boy was quick to take advantage of the strange 
 and continued silence upon the part of Santa Anna, 
 whose face still remained inscrutable- Juan was the 
 first to speak, he said: "Your Excellency, my 
 brother, Jeffrey, was severely wounded at Mier, and 
 if he lives he may soon be able to come here to be shut 
 up in prison, how awful ! 
 
 Boyish egotism, moral force, heroic courage, or 
 mysterious foresight, call it what you will. The won 
 derful intuition of this extraordinary boy told him 
 that in dealing with a many-sided character like 
 Santa Anna, he must bring to bear all the strongest 
 forces of his own nature. This he did, and still gaz 
 ing fearlessly into the eyes of Santa Anna, Juan felt 
 that everything that life held dear depended upon his 
 own actions. So he ventured to say: "Your Excel 
 lency, when my father and brother come, you will 
 give them their freedom, will you not?" 
 
 Santa Anna could no longer hold out against the 
 earnest persuasions of the boy and with a generous 
 and spontaneous warmth of manner he replied : Yes, 
 mi hi jit o, when they come and your father consents 
 for you to remain and accept an education, and you 
 are willing to do so, then I will liberate them both and 
 send them home in safety to your mother. 
 
 Juan heartily shook the hand that held his own ; he 
 laughed amid his fast falling tears, for that young
 
 The Boy Captive 237 
 
 heart so long over-burdened could no longer hold out 
 when such an assurance had been given him by Santa 
 Anna. Juan finally found words to murmur his grat 
 itude and thanks to the Dictator, but he only waved 
 his hani at the boy. 
 
 "It is a pleasure to serve so brave and good a little 
 boy," said Santa Anna. The other two great men 
 came forward with warm congratulations over his 
 success in obtaining the promise of freedom for his 
 father and brother. 
 
 But what about a choice of schools ? asked Santa 
 Anna. 
 
 "It is impossible yet for me to express an opinion 
 as to that, your excellency. Father and brother 
 must first arrive, and then father can settle that mat 
 ter for me, to the satisfaction of all. But, Your Ex 
 cellency, I am pleased with what General Tornel says 
 about the Mineria, and if all these other matters are 
 settled I shall be glad to accept your kind offer of an 
 education, and that of General Tornel to live in the 
 Mineria and attend that school." 
 
 General Tornel and vice-President Farias had lis 
 tened earnestly to the conversation of the boy and 
 Santa Anna. General Tornel, who was the Director 
 of the Mineria, the finest college in all Mexico, which 
 was founded by the Spaniards 300 years before for 
 the sons of miners and mine owners, turned to Santa 
 Anna, saying:
 
 238 The Boy Captive 
 
 "Your Excellency, I feel sure our young friend 
 would like the Min&ria and if you will permit me I 
 shall be glad to have him come into my family as a 
 third son and he shall have two nationalities, and not 
 have to fight either." 
 
 Would the earth open and receive this boy why 
 he could not believe his own ears. Two of the very 
 greatest men in all that land and country planning 
 to adopt a simple, inoffensive little boy who had only 
 done his duty. It was no idle dream. 
 
 General and vice-President Gomez Farias then 
 came forward saying, "In this great privilege of pro 
 viding for the welfare of our young friend, am I to 
 have no voice ? 
 
 "You are kind indeed to express a desire to help 
 me and contribute to my welfare," said Juan- "I 
 shall be glad to visit you at Chapultepec, whenever it 
 seems convenient for His Excellency to permit me to 
 do so." 
 
 And he did often visit General Farias at the mili 
 tary college. It was all settled between the three 
 great men that later on the boy should enter the 
 Mineria. With most peculiar sensations as well as 
 gratitude for the friendly interest of these disinter 
 ested and newly found friends in an enemy s coun 
 try with a strange language, without money or friends 
 of his own kind to help out, how could he be the bene 
 ficiary of kindnesses so great and unexpected? He 
 began the usual form of departure, when Santa Anna
 
 The Boy Captive 239 
 
 called him to his side, and again taking his hand in 
 his own he said: "Now remember, my son, that 
 immediately you are to come to this palace and live 
 with my wife and myself." 
 
 "How good of your Excellency, I do not deserve 
 half so much kindness and my deepest gratitude goes 
 out to you and to all who have been so very kind to 
 me. If only my mind could be put at rest and this 
 terrible doubt and uncertainty be removed, but as it 
 is now I feel that no palace, however grand, could 
 satisfy me unless my father and brother could come, 
 and go home." 
 
 As the little figure was moving away from this re 
 markable trio, General Tornel called to him, "But 
 remember to the Mineria, my son, you are to go to 
 school and with my sons be made happy ." 
 
 Oh, yes, thank you, General, but first of all father 
 and Jeff must come and go home." A wave of the 
 hand, a gentle adios, and Juan went again to the 
 the true purport of the visit. 
 
 Poor Juan came away from his first interview with 
 this famous man, thoroughly bewildered. He ex 
 pected a monster; he beheld an amiable gentleman, 
 tall, well-proportioned, and graceful in every move 
 ment in spite of his wooden leg. So great was the 
 charm of his manner, so tactful his conversation, 
 Juan forgot his distrust and prejudice, and it was 
 only after leaving the Dictator of Mexico, he realized 
 the true purport of the visit. 
 
 15
 
 240 The Boy Captive 
 
 He, the lonely little Texan, separated from his 
 father, from his brother, his fellow-captives, had but 
 lately felt the bitterness of parting from his new 
 found friend and protector, General Ampudia he 
 had now found, not only one great friend in the most 
 powerful man in all Mexico, but he had found three 
 notable men doing all in their power for him. 
 
 Juan became a great favorite in the palace of Santa 
 Anna and both the General and his wife made every 
 effort to make the boy feel at home even the simple 
 servants were unfailing in their attention and never 
 grew tired of serving him. Everything in and about 
 the home of these kind people was at his order and 
 there he really felt "he had his home." But a sad 
 time came, the Dona Dolores fell seriously ill, friends 
 and physicians gave no hopes of her recovery, and 
 soon the Sacred Host was to be brought forward in 
 her behalf. Certainly to the mind of a boy like Juan 
 such splendor had never been equalled. Several thou 
 sand soldiers in line passed under a canopy which 
 covered the street for several blocks. Bands of music 
 at intervals pouring forth their low, soft, chanting 
 music. His good friend the Archbishop in the most 
 prominent place, with priests, friars, mendicants, 
 boys with bells, splendid carriages of state, and every 
 grade and phase of humanity was in that procession, 
 all bent on saving the life of this good woman. All 
 went well and the Dona Dolores was duly restored to 
 her accustomed health.
 
 The Boy Captive 241 
 
 Among the greatest pleasures of the boy were the 
 frequent walks and drives Juan took with this amia 
 ble couple, going to cock fights with Santa Anna, and 
 visiting many fine houses and other places of which 
 he knew nothing. Juan was soon proficient in the 
 Spanish language, but Mr. Gilliam in his Travels in 
 Mexico, speaks with regret that in showing him over 
 the Mineria (1844) he had forgotten the English for 
 many words had lapsed into Spanish. He was mis 
 taken. Juan never forgot his English, nor his coun 
 try, nor his religion. 
 
 General Tornel called frequently at the Palace and 
 had many long conversations with him, when he 
 found that the little Texan had not changed his con 
 victions with his costumes. That he believed in the 
 independence of Texas, and cherished the intention 
 of fighting under her flag if war should be declared. 
 He conceived a strong liking for the boy and re 
 spected the courage and loyalty of the little alien. 
 
 He had brought his sons, Augustin and Manuel, 
 to see him, and a warm attachment had already 
 formed between the boys, although somewhat retarded 
 by their limited knowledge of each other s language; 
 on Juan s arrival at the Archbishop s Palace, he 
 found Manuel and Augustin Tornel waiting for him 
 and they started out for a walk and had the great 
 good fortune to meet General Waddy Thompson, Min 
 ister of the United States. This gentleman had done 
 much to obtain the release of the Texans who were
 
 242 The Boy Captive 
 
 captured in the ill-fated Santa Fe Expedition and 
 this Juan knew. General Thompson at once recog 
 nized the boy for he, too, had heard the story of the 
 rifle and he was much interested. 
 
 Saying to Juan: "As for yourself, my boy," 
 "I think you have nothing to worry about. It is 
 evident the President has taken a great liking to you 
 and in that case, you will get everything you ask- 
 He does nothing by halves. Keep up your courage, 
 and, when your father comes, ask Santa Anna 
 straight out to give him his freedom ; as for you, why 
 you as good as have it now." 
 
 "Thanks for your kind suggestions," answered 
 Juan, "but His Excellency has already given me his 
 word that he will send my father and brother home 
 when they come." 
 
 "Then do not fear, he will keep his word," said 
 General Thompson.
 
 GENERAL GREEN S 
 ACCOUNT
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 GENERAL GREEN *S ACCOUNT. 
 
 T 
 
 HE news had reach 
 ed Santa Anna of 
 Ampudia s clem 
 ency toward the Texan 
 prisoners; and jealous of 
 his own prerogatives, 
 "The Napoleon of the 
 "West," as he styled him 
 self, asserted his suprema 
 cy by disregarding the 
 agreement of his general, 
 to hold the prisoners on 
 the border until exchanged 
 or released. For this, per 
 haps, no blame should be attached to General Am 
 pudia. 
 
 On the 12th of January, 1843, Colonel Fisher, Gen 
 eral Green, Adjutant Murry, Sailing-Master Lyon, 
 Dr. Shephard, and the gay and genial Dan Drake 
 Henrie, who served as their interpreter, all set forth 
 on their journey to the Mexican capital, under the 
 care of General Canales (whom General Green heart 
 ily disliked as much as he admired Captain Castro). 
 By a little fiction regarding Lyon as General Green s 
 body servant, he was enabled to keep this old friend 
 
 General T. J. Green
 
 246 The Boy Captive 
 
 with him, thus saving him many of the hardships he 
 would have suffered had he remained with the main 
 body of prisoners. Dan Drake Henrie had served in 
 the United States navy, had seen many parts of the 
 world, was a grand forager, always happy, could 
 speak a little of several languages, and was a delight 
 ful acquisition to the party of men in the very un 
 pleasant situation they were facing. 
 
 The Texans took up the line of march under the 
 charge of Colonel Canales with six hundred infantry 
 and cavalry guards and one piece of artillery. They 
 went by way of Scarte upon the San Juan River, by 
 way of Monterey, which is two hundred and seventy- 
 five English miles. The officers going in advance of 
 the men, reaching Monterey on the 22nd of January, 
 and were given quarters at the hospitable mansion of 
 Colonel Bermudez at the mayor de la plaza. 
 
 The men made slower progress, and at their first 
 stopping place determined to charge upon the guards, 
 but a misunderstanding of Captain Cameron s order 
 prevented carrying it out. 
 
 "On the 29th the men reached Monterey, thence 
 by way of Saltillo under charge of about two hun 
 dred and fifty guards in command of Colonel Barra- 
 gan- February 2nd, camped at St. Catherine, twelve 
 miles away and at Rinconada twenty-four miles. 
 Here again they planned an attack upon the guards;
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 247 
 
 the place was not favorable for it but the vigilance of 
 the guards became so extreme that the plan failed. 
 
 "We," continued General Green, "(the officers) 
 arrived at Mateguala (Mat-a-wa-la) at nine o clock 
 at night and found the whole population out to see 
 us. We were hurried through the streets and quar 
 tered at a meson (country tavern or wagon yard). 
 Next morning old Colonel D. Matias de Aguirre came 
 to see us. This old veteran treated us with great 
 
 w* 
 
 m $&&& 
 
 The Bishop s Palace Monterrey 
 
 kindness and ordered us to be removed to better 
 quarters and placed under special charge of a hu 
 mane gentleman and accomplished scholar, a lawyer 
 by profession, D. Manuel Fernandez Palos. During 
 our stay of three days in this city we were furnished
 
 248 The Boy Captive 
 
 from the table of this gentleman with every luxury the 
 city could afford. We were visited by all persons of 
 distinction, among the rest a priest, a gentleman of 
 superior intelligence and liberal feelings, who after 
 wards sent us several rich viands from his table. 
 We also met the Baron De Kaminsky, a member of 
 the traveling scientific corps of the Emperor of Rus 
 sia. A gentleman of extensive acquirements who had 
 been for several years exploring the Northern States 
 of Mexico. This excellent old gentleman expressed 
 for us the kind feelings of a father and upon parting, 
 insisted upon our taking some of his excellent tea, 
 which we highly enjoyed during our stay in Mexico. 
 On leaving these kind friends, Colonel Fisher and 
 myself addressed polite letters of thanks to these 
 amiable and kind gentlemen. 
 
 Continuing, General Green says: "On February 
 6th we had reached the hacienda de Salado, 150 miles 
 north of the city of San Luis Potosi, under Captain 
 Ugatechia and on the 7th Colonel Barragan followed 
 with the main body of the men. Here the Texans 
 planned to escape- All conferred as to the practica 
 bility of charging the guards. Colonel Fisher op 
 posed it, General Green favored it. Sunrise was sug 
 gested, as a time when the horses would be herded 
 and I thought there would be no danger, that a few 
 days of rapid march over the main road would insure
 
 The Boy Captive 249 
 
 success. Our usual time of starting was half an hour 
 after sunrise and as soon as the main body of our men 
 had succeeded in driving their guards, Captain Fitz 
 gerald was to lead the party around the buildings, 
 force the gate and assist us if necessary, against our 
 guards. Captain Romano, contrary to our former 
 custom, had started us about eight or ten minutes 
 previous to sunrise. In this time we had proceeded 
 about three-fourths of a mile when the sun made its 
 appearance over the mountains. I was riding by the 
 side of Sailing-Master Lyon and remarked: "If our 
 boys were going to do anything, now was the time. I 
 had barely made the remark, when I heard the first 
 gun. I knew what it meant, and exclaimed: We 
 have them. The second, third and fourth guns were 
 fired before Captain Romano noticed it. He halted 
 us and sent Lieutenant Arredondo back to see what 
 was the matter. He galloped back a few hundred 
 yards, returned in great haste, reported that the 
 Texans had charged Colonel Barragan, and his troops 
 were flying in every direction. Captain Romano or 
 dered us on from the scene of action at full gallop 
 with his cavalry lances at a charge on each side of us. 
 After going two or three hundred yards, we were 
 halted and made to dismount. The firing had now 
 become very brisk, and the excitement in our party 
 intense. Each had his speculations as to the result. 
 I believed from the first, our men would prevail with 
 a loss not exceeding ten. Colonel Fisher believed the
 
 250 The Boy Captive 
 
 attack was injudicious and the whole of our men 
 would be killed- Most of ours believed with me. At 
 length a short pause was discerned in the firing, then 
 it commenced again brisker than ever, and in a few 
 minutes another pause which was quickly succeeded 
 by a loud shout which we knew to be Texan. This 
 shout for a moment quieted our excitement, but it 
 was quickly succeeded by one of more interest to us. 
 At this time a Lieutenant came up to us at full speed 
 with orders from Colonel Barragan to Captain Ro 
 mano to shoot us and come immediately to his assist 
 ance. He ordered his men to reprime their escopetas 
 and make ready, which was instantly done. This was 
 a critical moment and it was necessary to be met with 
 coolness and promptness on our part. Colonel Fisher 
 and myself asked him, "If he was not bound to obey 
 the orders of Governor Ortega to take us to Mexico, or 
 any subsequent order of Colonel Barragan, and that 
 we expected we were in the hands of a gentleman and 
 a soldier, not a murderer. His eyes were instantly 
 lowered to the pommel of his saddle, and his counte 
 nance underwent hesitation, change and satisfaction, 
 in as many seconds, when he raised himself in his stir 
 rups and proudly clapping his hand upon his bosom 
 ordered the interpreter to say to the gentleman, 
 "That they are in the hands of a gentleman and a 
 soldier, and that I will carry out the orders of Gov 
 ernor Ortega." Thus saying, our horses heads were
 
 The Boy Captive 251 
 
 wheeled towards Mexico and we were forced on at 
 full speed by lancers on either side of us." 
 
 THE CHARGE OVER THE GUARDS. 
 
 "Among the privates foremost in the charge, as 
 well as in bringing about the results and to their 
 lasting honor, we record their names were Dr. R. F. 
 Brenham, S. H. Walker, J. J- Cooke, Colonel William 
 P. Wilson, Patrick Lyons, and others. The officers 
 were generally in favor of the attempt ; and at the ap 
 pointed time, the lamented Cameron, with a quick 
 coolness peculiar to him in trying emergencies, raised 
 his hat, and giving a gentle flourish in the air, said in 
 a distinct tone, a little mixed with his Highland 
 brogue, "Well, boys, we will go it!" Thus saying, 
 and suiting the action to the word, he grappled one 
 of the sentinels at the inner door of their prison-yard, 
 while Samuel H. Walker seized the other. It was the 
 work of an instant to upset and disarm these, and get 
 possession of the outer court where the arms and car 
 tridges boxes were guarded by one hundred and fifty 
 infantry. These men were quickly driven out or made 
 to surrender; and while our men were arming them 
 selves and securing ammunition, the cavalry had 
 formed in front of the outer gate, which was also 
 guarded by the company of "Red Caps." In charg 
 ing through this gate to drive this company and the 
 cavalry, poor Doctor Brenham and Patrick Lyon fell, 
 and several others were wounded. That portion of 
 the cavalry which was mounted, quickly fell back be-
 
 252 The Boy Captive 
 
 yond the reach of our fire, while the "Red Caps" 
 retreated round the main wall of the buildings to 
 the south, through the gate into the courtyard which 
 our party had just before left. A portion of our men 
 pressed around to force this gate, believing still that 
 we were in our quarters. Here Captain Fitzgerald 
 received his death wound and John Stansbury, quite 
 a boy, had his left eye shot out. The company of 
 "Red Caps" soon capitulated and gave up their 
 arms; the only condition which our men required of 
 Colonel Barragan in releasing them was that our 
 wounded should be treated kindly. 
 
 "We had three killed, Dr. Brenham, Lyon and 
 Rice; Captain Fitzgerald and John Higgerson were 
 mortally wounded and died soon after ; Captain J. R. 
 Baker, Private Stansbury, Hancock, Trehern, and 
 Harvey, wounded. The enemy s loss was nine or ten 
 killed and many more badly wounded. From the dif 
 ficulty of getting arms in the commencement of the 
 action it was not possible that more than one-half of 
 our two hundred and fourteen men, with the excep 
 tion of those who fought with brickbats, could have 
 been engaged. 
 
 "When the main body of our men were marched 
 from Matamoras, a negro fellow by the name of 
 Swaney, who some years before had absconded from 
 Texas and taken up his abode in that city, seeing 
 that it was a good chance for him to speculate off his 
 old acquaintances, followed them on to the place, and
 
 The Boy Captive 253 
 
 on the route swindled all who dealt with him for 
 chile, tortillas, frijoles, etc. No sooner, however, 
 did the Texans charge their guard, than he exclaimed, 
 "This is no place for Swaney," and, very wisely, did 
 not wait to suit the action to the word, for his double- 
 quick time had already preceded his prudent conclu 
 sion ; and well it did, as he would have paid dearly for 
 his speculation and insolence had he been taken. 
 
 Green s Mier Expedition pp. 155 157.
 
 THE DRAWING OF 
 THE BEAN
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE DRAWING OF THE BEAN. 
 
 ON THE 25th day of March, 1843, at the Haci 
 enda de Salado, in the State of San Luis 
 Potosi, and one hundred and fifty-three miles 
 from the city of that name, in a great barren plain, 
 filled with Spanish daggers and desolation beyond 
 words to express, a strange scene was enacted. 
 
 One hundred and seventy gaunt, haggard scare 
 crows of humanity were drawn up in lines within the 
 same enclosure, that on the eleventh of February had 
 witnessed their wild break for liberty. A month s 
 wanderings in the wilderness, with a blazing sun by 
 day, and a winter s chill by night, with starvation 
 and thirst almost driving them mad, is not conducive 
 to beauty, strength or suppleness. They had lost 
 their way and wandered in the thorny desert until 
 thirst had forced them to kill their animals and drink 
 the blood and eat the raw flesh. It is useless to at- 
 
 16
 
 256 The Boy Captive 
 
 tempt to depict their sufferings. Words can never 
 equal the reality. Irons were on their wasted limbs 
 and their tattered clothing showed the extent to which 
 they had suffered. 
 
 The first order from Santa Anna was that all the 
 Texans should be shot, but Colonel Mexia, who was in 
 command, declined to carry out the order. He was 
 the same Mexia who espoused the cause of Maximil- 
 lian and was executed by his side. They had not long 
 to wait before a second order was received. 
 
 Colonel Huerta was talking to another officer. 
 Those who understood Spanish leaned eagerly for 
 ward, those who did not, looked at the speaker and 
 then at their more accomplished comrades with keen 
 anxiety on their pallid, unshaven faces. 
 
 All soon knew. Every tenth man was to be shot ! 
 
 There were one hundred and seventy of them. That 
 meant seventeen. Only seventeen out of one hun 
 dred and seventy! But who were the seventeen to 
 be offered up as a sacrifice for their comrades? 
 
 The problem was easy. A common clay jar covered 
 with a cloth was held by a soldier. This jar contained 
 one hundred and sixty white beans, on top of these 
 were laid seventeen black beans. Seventeen black 
 beans! Seventeen brave men to be offered for all ! 
 
 The prisoners names were called alphabetically and 
 the poor fellows at the end of the list felt the cold 
 shudders of nervous suspense, thrill over them, for 
 few black beans had been drawn.
 
 The Boy Captive 257 
 
 The officers led the pitiful procession. Captain 
 Ewen Cameron was first. He drew a white bean- 
 "Dip deep, boys!" he whispered, for he had discov 
 ered that the black beans were on top. The warning 
 was whispered all down the ragged line. Captain 
 Eastland, the commander of the LaGrange men drew 
 the first black bean. 
 
 "Death has no terror for me!" he said. "But I 
 hope some of you will live to see ample reparation for 
 this, and that you ll never lay down your arms till 
 the liberty of Texas is assured." 
 
 Many of the men maintained a rude hilarity, no 
 doubt to conceal their true emotions, for it was a very 
 different kind of courage that was needed to meet 
 this ordeal, than that which faces an open field and no 
 favor. 
 
 One by one they dipped their sunburned hands 
 into the jar of death. Now the smooth boyish hand 
 of a stripling; now a gnarled, rough hand used to a 
 plow. Then a well-shaped hand used to penning 
 deeds and contracts. This steady hand without a 
 tremor, has wielded a surgeon s scalpel. This one, 
 with sinews like little cords of steel, has held the lar 
 iat on many a plunging steer or wilder bronco. The 
 hand of the young the middle-aged the old, all 
 making blind choice of Life or Death! 
 
 Near the end of the line is our friend, Big Foot 
 Wallace. His black head towers above his companions 
 and his face can be seen above all. It looks serene
 
 258 The Boy Captive 
 
 and untroubled as though the jar held a piece of gold 
 for each man. His hand was the largest of all the 
 hands that had been thrust in the small neck of the 
 jar. As he drew it out with some little difficulty, the 
 Mexican caught it in his own small, brown hand and 
 holding it up to view, made some jocular remark re 
 garding its size to the surrounding soldiers. The 
 piercing, black eyes of Wallace looked at his stead 
 fastly, then, without change of countenance, he drop 
 ped the white bean he had drawn- His hand released, 
 he clanked back with Sesinbaugh, his partner in 
 chains, and watched the next poor fellow try his fate. 
 
 At last the dread ordeal was over, and the seven 
 teen freed from their shackles, dry-eyed and calm, 
 were watched by their ragged comrades, dragging 
 their heavy irons along out of the courtyard into the 
 dusty road. The seventeen had done with marching. 
 
 General Green and Colonel Fisher were some dis 
 tance in advance of the men who had made the break 
 for liberty, and so did not know until long afterward 
 the fate of their comrades, nor did they participate in 
 the bean drawing. On arriving in Mexico City, these 
 officers were given temporary quarters in the Arch 
 bishop s Palace in Tacubaya, a few miles from the 
 Mexican Capital. 
 
 Of all the Texans, General Green had the least 
 right to expect clemency from Santa Anna, for he 
 was associated with one of the most unpleasant expe 
 riences of Santa s imprisonment in Texas; and his
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 259 
 
 captivity was fraught with much unpleasantness, for 
 the Texans were full of hatred, yet bore his rule be 
 cause no man strong enough to deliver, had risen as 
 yet to their rescue. 
 
 The Texans never dreamed that the President of 
 Texas had repudiated all responsibility of their expe 
 dition. The expedition he had sent to the border 
 under the leadership of General Sommervelle had dis 
 banded. General Houston now asked of the Mexican 
 Government that the Texans should be dealt with 
 leniently. All this was strictly true, but it is hardly 
 possible that General Houston fully realized the un 
 happy position in which it placed the men. But as 
 Texas was in no position to undertake a war with 
 Mexico, it was hard on everybody concerned. 
 
 The further fact that the men of the Santa Fe 
 Expedition had been free only a short time previous, 
 made their case more desperate, but all this they did 
 not realize until long after. 
 
 The Plaza in Mier
 
 260 The Boy Captive 
 
 Immediately after the arrival of General Green 
 and Colonel Fisher: General Waddy Thompson, 
 United States minister to Mexico, Mr. Packenham, 
 the British Minister, called upon them to offer any 
 thing in their power, in their behalf. Then, as now, 
 no country in the world looks more carefully after its 
 subjects. 
 
 General Green made haste to warn Mr. Packenham 
 in behalf of Captain Cameron, who was a Scotchman, 
 and, as the leader of the attempt to escape, would be 
 apt to suffer the death penalty- The good news that 
 the order for the wholesale shooting of the Texans 
 had been revoked, made all feel easier, but they still 
 were afraid for Captain Cameron. So strong was 
 this young Scotchman s personality, that all the men 
 of the expedition had learned to love him as well as 
 to admire his reckless bravery. 
 
 General Green and his brother officers did not long 
 remain at the Mexican Capital, and from the journal 
 of this fine old patriot and soldier, we read that "on 
 March 25th, we had five leagues this day to march 
 before reaching the Castle Perote. Upon our arrival 
 at the village of Perote, in looking north about one 
 mile, we could see the massive walls of the castle, with 
 its numerous port-holes and dark mouthed artillery. 
 The great extent of ground covered by the castle wall 
 and the earthen embankment around the outer "che- 
 vaux de frise" gave this fortification a low appear 
 ance, and, at first sight we were struck with the mag-
 
 The Boy Captive 261 
 
 nitude of its strength. Upon nearer approach in mak 
 ing our way through its winding entrance, and across 
 the. drawbridge over the great moat, thence through an 
 archway into the great plaza fronting the governor s 
 quarters, amid the roll of drums, the din of arms, and 
 the clank of the chains, opened our eyes to the real 
 ities of imprisonment, and showed us what abler pens 
 than mine have described as the most approved forti 
 fication of the eighteenth century. Here we met in 
 rags and chains fifty of our countrymen, who had 
 been kidnapped from their homes in San Antonio, 
 Texas, the September previous, by General Woll." 
 
 The other Texans who had drawn beans, in heavy 
 chains, now moved on toward the Mexican Capital. 
 Billie, Harvey, Orlando and Gilbert having drawn 
 white beans, were as cheerful as though they had not 
 known this terrible ordeal, and the men also met the 
 situation bravely. But on the march Captain Ewen 
 Cameron s every movement was watched with keenest 
 interest. 
 
 EWEN CAMERON THE LION HEARTED. 
 
 Ewen Cameron was called the "Lion-hearted " 
 from the day the Texans laid down their guns at Mier 
 the intrepid and lion-hearted Captain Ewen Cameron 
 had been the leading spirit in the plans for escape. 
 When these facts were made known to Santa Anna, 
 notwithstanding the fact that Captain Cameron had 
 drawn a white bean, the order came when the Texans
 
 262 The Boy Captive 
 
 reached Tula, that for his leadership he should yield 
 up his life. Upon being apprised of the fact while 
 under close guard, the brave, young Scotchman s last 
 act was to write a letter to the British Minister at 
 Mexico remonstrating against the cold-blooded mur 
 der of a national enemy and a British subject. A 
 priest, as usual at all the Mexican executions, was in 
 attendance. He asked the young soldier if he would 
 like to confess to him- "No," said Cameron, 
 "throughout life I believe I have lived an upright 
 man and if I have to confess, it shall be to my 
 Maker." His arms were tied, elbows drawn back 
 and when the guard advanced to bandage his eyes, he 
 said to the interpreter : Tell them no ! Ewen Cam 
 eron can now, as he has often done before, for the 
 liberty of Texas, look death in the face without wink 
 ing." So saying, he threw his hat and blanket on 
 the ground, opened the bosom of his hunting shirt, 
 presented his naked breast and gave the word: 
 "Fire!" 
 
 Captain Cameron was thirty-six years of age, tall, 
 well-proportioned, and remarkably handsome, weigh 
 ing about two hundred pounds, of extraordinary phy 
 sical powers, which were in keeping with his manly 
 countenance and lion-heart. 
 
 To this noble, adopted son of Texas, a debt of grati 
 tude and a monument for his brave utterances in be 
 half of Texas liberty, is due. No native of the soil 
 could have been more heroic.
 
 The Boy Captive 263 
 
 Tulu is one of the most interesting places in Mexico, 
 and is situated forty leagues from the capital. Here 
 in this ancient town, with its vast amount of pre 
 historic interest, the brave young Scotchman was laid 
 to rest. 
 
 The Texans moved slowly forward, and finally 
 weary and foot sore they reached the Mexican Capi 
 tal, and were at once conducted to the barracks under 
 heavy guard and heavily manacled. 
 
 These gentlemen were deeply interested in the 
 adventures of the Texans, and Mr. Packenham was 
 deeply moved over the taking off of the gallant Ewen 
 Cameron. 
 
 At General Thompson s request, Big Foot began the 
 thrilling narration of the uprising over the guards of 
 the Texans, and of their terrible sufferings. In his 
 own quaint way, Big Foot began saying : When we 
 found we had outdone the guards at El Salado, and 
 were actually free, I managed to get a big mule to 
 ride. At first it was our plan to all stay together and 
 travel night and day till we d got to the border, but 
 even under these trying circumstances of making our 
 escape, some were for this plan while others opposed 
 it. So we all left the highway and boldly set forth 
 into that awful wilderness, thinking to make a short 
 cut to the Rio Grande. Soon this proved to be a mis 
 take and in the midst of this trackless waste filled 
 with only Spanish dagger and everything else that 
 had stickers and thorns, our men broke up into little
 
 264 The Boy Captive 
 
 parties, each hoping to find the way out of that ter 
 rible desert- 
 
 "We suffered horribly after a while for we could 
 find no water and the cactus leaves that we chewed 
 for their moisture made our tongues and lips swell; 
 then we had to kill our horses for food, and some of 
 us drank the blood, trying to slake our terrible thirst. 
 Some of the men died ; a very few could not be be ac 
 counted for, and we hoped they were successful in 
 getting to the border. The majority were re-captured 
 by the Mexican military who were on the alert in 
 every direction, well knowing the awful fate the poor 
 fellows had run upon in their wild break for liberty. 
 They brought food and water in plenty with them, 
 anticipating the terrible condition in which they 
 would find us." 
 
 Continuing, Big Foot said: "I had been without 
 water for five days, when my companions were re 
 taken. I had killed my mule and dried its meat and 
 had it in my wallet. A Mexican soldier had a gallon 
 gourd half full of water and he gave it to me to drink. 
 One of the officers noticing this, warned me not to 
 drink too much at a time or it would kill me. The 
 soldier tried to take the gourd away, but as he was 
 short and I was tall, he could not reach it; several 
 of his comrades tried to assist him, but I easily held it 
 out of their reach, tilting my head back and holding 
 the gourd up till I drained the last delicious drop. 
 The fellow said I fell to the ground and went to sleep.
 
 Big Foot Wallace Lost in the Desert
 
 The Boy Captive 267 
 
 But the little Mexican thought I was dying. I slept a 
 long time and woke up as good as new, and pro 
 ceeded to lunch on my dried mule." 
 
 Big Foot insisted that Billie should tell something 
 about what happened at El Salado, so at once he be 
 gan by stating : "It was on the eleventh of February 
 and every day took us farther from the border." 
 
 "Brother Charley (Captain Charles Reese), was 
 awful worried; he didn t care a bit whether he got 
 out alive or dead, if the rest wanted to try, but he did 
 believe we had one chance in a thousand to get home. 
 There was not a man that knew the country, and you 
 never saw a more God-forsaken region in all your 
 life. 
 
 "It is absolutely waterless and as barren as a des 
 ert. You loll with the heat in the daytime, and freeze 
 to death at night. But Charley would have risked 
 it all, if I would have promised to stay behind! But 
 you bet this child promised nothing! If he went, I 
 went, and his company staid by him, none of us tried 
 to get away- 
 
 "The morning of the eleventh we felt pretty ner 
 vous. Captain Cameron was to give the signal and I 
 thought Charley would change his mind when the 
 time came but he didn t. We had picked up two of 
 the San Antonio men, Archie Fitzgerald and a man 
 by the name of Higgerson, both were killed and so 
 was Lorenzo Bice. 
 
 "We felt pretty blue after it was all over, and the
 
 268 The Boy Captive 
 
 rest were gone. It made Charley sick to think that 
 they might think him a coward, but Dan Henrie 
 heard Ampudia tell Colonel Fisher to warn his men 
 against trying to make their escape; that their lives 
 would be forfeited if the men got away. Colonel 
 Fisher told Captain Cameron to use his own judg 
 ment in this matter, but General Green told them to 
 take the first chance they got and break for home. 
 
 I never even thought when I was fighting, whether 
 I would be killed or not. I didn t care!" "But that 
 bean business was as bad as ghosts, said Harvey who 
 was near at hand. 
 
 "That it was," said Wallace. "Worse than Injuns. 
 I was nearly at the last and I knew that there were 
 about as many black beans as white ones, and the 
 black ones were a leetle the biggest, but they felt just 
 the same. So, I let go, and took two more and fing 
 ered them and then I pulled out my hand and I had 
 a white bean." 
 
 "There was an Irishman who stuck his hand in the 
 jar, and when there were so few beans he jerked his 
 hand out empty. He shook his fist at the officer and 
 he says: 
 
 "Now that s the way ye would desave an innocent 
 man to his destruction. Faith an I ll not draw one 
 of thim. There is only a few banes in the pot ! 
 
 They told him he had to draw. Says he, An it s 
 after murthering me yez are! Ye bloody spalpeens! 
 Ye indacent bastes! Ye not giving a man a joodge
 
 The Boy Captive 269 
 
 nor jury naythar; that s as plain as the noses on yes 
 baboon faces! Let the ither men pick and choose as 
 plazed thim bist from a pot full of banes, an now 
 there s not a doozen left ! 
 
 He stuck his hand in, grumbling all the time, and 
 I declare I could not help but grin to hear him calling 
 them the awfullest names and they not understand 
 ing. But we all watched him, Mexicans as well as 
 us, and he pulled out a white bean! He just took 
 that bean and shook it under the noses of the officers, 
 and he says : 
 
 11 An now there, ye dirty naygurs! It started 
 black, but I offered up a prayer to me saint, and St. 
 Patrick he changed it from a black to a white wan! 
 Hooray for me, St. Patrick and ould Ireland for- 
 iver ! 
 
 "The boys that got the black beans were awful 
 brave about it," said Big Foot after a while. "I 
 reckon they are better off than we are but a man 
 hates to die that way. If ever I get out again, I will 
 even up that score! Ewen Cameron took his chance 
 at the beans like the rest of -us and he was free. That 
 hound Santa Anna had no business to go back on 
 it!" 
 
 "Guess there isn t any difference in the experi 
 ences of any of the Texans, except those unfortunate 
 men who drew black beans. It s about the most hor 
 rible risk I ever took, for I was sure that I d pull out 
 a black one."
 
 270 The Boy Captive 
 
 Turning to Mr. Thompson, Big Foot asked if he 
 had noticed the escopetas the Mexican soldiers use. 
 Mr. Thompson answering in the negative, Big Foot 
 continued : 
 
 "You needn t ever want to shoot one of them." 
 
 "What are they like, Mr. Wallace?" asked Thomp 
 son. 
 
 "Like?" said Big Foot, "why the blamed things 
 they re a kind of a bell-mounted-bull-doggish looking 
 musket, carrying a very heavy ball, which is death by 
 law when it hits, but that is seldom. I never fired one 
 but once, and that was at the battle of El Salado, 
 near San Antonio. During the fight, I saw a dead 
 Mexican with one in his hands. My rifle was empty, 
 so I took his and put the breach to my shoulder; my 
 first impression was that I had been struck with a 
 nine pound cannon ball. It kicked me heels over 
 head, and I suppose kept on kicking me after I was 
 down, for when I "came to" I found that my nose 
 was unjointed, and two of my ribs stove in. I noticed 
 that the Mexicans never put them to their heads. 
 
 The Texans were quartered in the eastern part of 
 the city of Mexico. Soon Billie Reese fell ill at the 
 barracks, and was removed to the hospital de Jesus 
 Nazareno, one of the finest of the many that 
 were established by Cortez, where he remained 
 ill for many weeks. He was unmindful of 
 the crucifix at the head of his bed, nor did he hear the 
 soft, low voices of the sisters of charity who gave him
 
 The Boy Captive 271 
 
 the tenderest attention, nor did he see the face of the 
 Holy Mother that looked down from the wall near by. 
 His mind seemed to dwell upon his boy comrade, poor 
 little Chris Yocum, who had met a tragic death by 
 accident near Mier. 
 
 "They are going to leave him out there alone with 
 the wolves and the snakes and owls ! Put lots of rocks 
 on him! Cayotes are so bad! Poor, poor Chris 
 Yocum! Poor, poor boy!" he exclaimed over and 
 over again. His voice trailed off into a sob and Har 
 vey and Gilbert gulped sympathetically as it all came 
 back to them. 
 
 " ! I m so thirsty ! Won t he let us stop to get 
 some water? Look how cool it looks! Drip drip 
 drip from the bucket. Charley beg him to stop 
 for water! Water! Water! I want water! He is a 
 devil ! The devil won t let people have water ! Water ! 
 Water ! His voice rose to a frenzied shriek. 
 
 "Here!" said Harvey, snatching the water bottle 
 off the table and holding it to Billie s parched lips. 
 "Drink, Billie! Here s water! Drink!" 
 
 "Stop boys, you ll kill him," said one of the older 
 men. "They never let them drink water when they 
 have fever." Everyone near was frightened, for it 
 was the belief of the time that water was injurious to 
 a fever patient. 
 
 "It s too late now," said Harvey, half scared and 
 half triumphant. "He has got a good swig now, you 
 bet! Look, he is going to sleep." The two boys sat 
 
 17
 
 272 
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 in thankful silence, grateful that the ravings that told 
 such dreadful tales of suffering, were hushed for a 
 little while.
 
 SANTA ANNA AND 
 ORLANDO
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SANTA ANNA AND ORLANDO. 
 
 SE 8IENTA un poco triste, El Muchachito, esta 
 mananaf (Is the little boy feeling sad this 
 morning?) The soldier was making his 
 beat, before the great door of the National Palace and 
 Juan was leaning against the portal, gazing wistfully 
 upon the busy scenes of the streets concentrating in 
 front of the Palace. 
 
 Juan turned and looked earnestly into the weaz 
 en, wrinkled face of the old Indian soldier, who 
 was gazing upon the boy with a look of deep con 
 cern. 
 
 "Yes," replied Juan, "I am sad today, am sad 
 every day, how can it be otherwise, when I am a 
 stranger and the fate of my father and brother, as 
 well as all the Texans is still a mystery to me. Here 
 I have been two months, and although everybody has 
 been so very good to me, far better than I deserve, 
 still a fellow naturally longs for his own. It s so 
 strange the Texans don t come on, if any of them 
 are alive." 
 
 "No se apure mas muchachito," (Little boy, don t 
 worry any more now. ) Today I heard in the Palace 
 that some of these prisoners would arrive, perhaps 
 your father and brother, or your friends may be 
 among them; I hope so, and that God may take care
 
 276 The Boy Captive 
 
 of them so that a good and a pretty little boy may 
 see them safe and well," continued the soldier. 
 
 The words had scarcely passed the man s lips when 
 a detachment of four, ragged, dirty, unkempt, almost 
 barefooted young boys, in following their guard almost 
 touched Juan s shoulder. They had passed several 
 steps when Juan s keen eyes detected their identity. 
 Oblivious of every passing object, he breathlessly ran, 
 calling in excited tones: "Here I am, John Hill, 
 Stop, Boys ! Hello there ! Hello ! Orlando ! Billie ! 
 Harvey! Gilbert! All alive and here at least, dear 
 old boys from Texas ! 
 
 The guards halted, and noting the elegant Mexican 
 attire of the handsome youth who ran after the pris 
 oners, were interested to see what it all meant. 
 In an instant the loving boys, after their long sepa 
 ration, their perilous experiences, were huddled close 
 together, their arms on each other s shoulders with 
 endearing intimacy, and who shall say that in this 
 supreme moment joyful tears did not overflow from 
 the youthful eyes of the young prisoners, thus so 
 strangely re-united? 
 
 Juan was the first to break the silence- "Where is 
 father, Jeff, and all the other Texans ? exclaimed the 
 boy. The four answered almost in one voice: 
 
 "We haven t seen Jeff since we left Mier, you know 
 he was there in the hospital, but we know of most of 
 the other Texans; we were with them at El Salado 
 where we drew beans for our lives."
 
 The Boy Captive 277 
 
 "Drew beans fof your lives," exclaimed Juan in 
 breathless amazement. "Oh! horrible! horrible!" 
 
 "Yes, it was horrible, but when Big Foot comes 
 along we ll get him to tell you how awful it was," 
 said Harvey. 
 
 "But your father, we think, is safe, for we saw 
 him after he drew his white bean; but seventeen of 
 our good men drew black ones, the white ones, you 
 know, meant life, the black ones, death," said Or 
 lando. 
 
 "Captain Eastland drew the first black bean," said 
 Gilbert. 
 
 "Terrible! Terrible! such a good man!" gasped 
 Juan. 
 
 "John, old boy, you re lucky not to have been 
 along, you would have had to draw too," said Or 
 lando. 
 
 "Say, John!" said Billie, "how did you get away 
 down here?" 
 
 "How did I get here," answered Juan. "Pshaw! 
 That s easy telling, I didn t have any say so about 
 coming, if I had, I d a stayed right where I was in the 
 hands of General Ampudia; if he had been my own 
 father he couldn t have been better to me. I was 
 going to school, learning fast, had every comfort and 
 luxi^ry in Matamoras, stayed right by the General 
 and he sent me to school in the care of an orderly 
 every day, and in the evening the orderly would come 
 and go back with me. The General took all this care
 
 278 The Boy Captive 
 
 of me just because he was afraid somebody would do 
 some harm to me. Although I couldn t keep my mind 
 off you all and father and Jeff, still General Ampudia 
 and all the officers were so good to me that I couldn t 
 find it in my heart to complain. I guess I d a been 
 there till now, and maybe a long time for the General 
 always called me his son, said he was going to adopt 
 me, but the President heard about me, and so there 
 was no getting around it, I had to obey orders. The 
 General put me in the care of an escort, a captain, 
 a lieutenant, and several soldiers; I was mounted on 
 the prettiest little horse you ever saw, except Jim 
 Dandy, that the General gave me, and a burro, on 
 which were packed all my things. We started over 
 land by way of Tampico and after many long days 
 of travel we finally reached this capital, and here I 
 have been for more than a month. 
 
 "About them fine clothes, John, where d you get 
 em ? You re rigged up like a son of a Mexican Gran 
 dee, wish I could get hold of some such clothes, I d 
 wear em, you can swear to that, and be glad of the 
 chance," said Billie. 
 
 The guards now made the motion to move on in the 
 direction of the barracks, and as they did so Billie 
 called out in a lively way: "Say, John, better keep 
 a close watch, your father might come along any 
 time." 
 
 Juan scarcely left the big door save to eat and sleep, 
 hoping Billie s predictions might come true. A few
 
 The Boy Captive 279 
 
 days after this, he was standing in the same spot 
 straining his eyes up and down the street with the 
 hope of seeing some more Texans. At last he was re 
 warded for his faithful waiting for a group of four 
 old and haggard men were now approaching. 
 
 On the long overland march the older prisoners had 
 worn no chains, but now on arriving at the Capital 
 where the chances of escape were greater, the order 
 was given that all prisoners both young and old 
 should be manacled. They were passing the Palace, 
 and the guards were preparing to place the leg chains 
 on the men. Juan noticed this movement and his 
 heart was in his mouth, for at this instant he discov 
 ered that the aged, haggard and forlorn prisoner 
 upon whom the guards were about to fasten these 
 links was none other than his own beloved father. In 
 an instant he had fallen upon his neck, exclaiming: 
 Father ! Father ! Oh, my own dear father ! Come 
 at last to your boy!" 
 
 The guards stood aghast to see this beautifully 
 dressed young boy looking like a young prince, weep 
 ing upon the neck of this aged prisoner. They could 
 not believe there could be any relationship between 
 the two. 
 
 The guards still holding the links ready to adjust 
 them, called out, "Away, boy, we have our orders." 
 
 "This man is my father, you shall not put those 
 chains upon him, I forbid it ! I will go at once to the 
 President."
 
 280 The Boy Captive 
 
 The guards realized that this boy, staying in the 
 Palace, must be of some importance, and so while 
 Juan went flying as fast as his feet could carry him 
 to find the President, they stood still to see what 
 would happen next. Fortunately, as Juan was as 
 cending the steps he met Santa Anna coming down the 
 stairs, and with the utmost freedom from restraint or 
 hesitation he exclaimed: 
 
 "Your Excellency! My father has arrived, he is 
 down near the door, the guards had stopped to fas 
 ten the leg chains on him, I forbade it ! I would not 
 permit them to put the chains on my poor, old father. 
 Oh! your Excellency, protect my father. You know 
 my promise to mother; and father is pale and tremb 
 ling, is sick and and I can t do anything more, 
 unless you will help me ." The little fellow was 
 shaking from head to foot. 
 
 Taking the boy by the hand in the universal Mexi 
 can custom, Santa Anna in a manner most comforting 
 and reassuring said: 
 
 "Vente conmigo, yo te ayudare," (come with me 
 I will help you), and as the two walked along the 
 courtyard, and were about to pass through the big 
 door, the Dictator, in endeavoring to relieve Juan s 
 nervousness, said: 
 
 "No tengas miedo hi jit o, ellos no le haran nada a 
 tu padre " (Have no fear my little son, no one shall 
 harm your father.) They were soon in the presence 
 of Mr. Hill. After cordial greeting from Santa Anna,
 
 The Boy Captive 281 
 
 an interesting conversation took place. Mr. Hill was 
 sent to the best hospital where every attention and 
 kindness was shown him, and Juan visited him every 
 day, each time taking something dainty, which the 
 good Dona Dolores had herself prepared for him. 
 
 Santa Anna kept himself advised of Mr. Hill s con 
 dition, and when he was restored and requested to 
 come into his presence, Santa Anna at once turned 
 to the subject near his heart, and told Mr. Hill that 
 if he would consent to Juan s remaining in Mexico, 
 and accepting an education at the best school or col 
 lege in the country, there should not be one dollar of 
 expense to him, but that he himself would enter him. 
 
 In a kindly, reassuring way, but still eyeing Mr. 
 Hill with the closest scrutiny, Santa Anna said: 
 
 "If you consent to leave Juan here in my care to 
 receive an education, he shall have the best we have, 
 and upon the same terms as though he were a native 
 of the country, and continuing, he said, I will send 
 you and your other son home in safety, as soon as 
 everything can be arranged to that end." 
 
 So it was all settled, and arrangements looking to 
 the completion of these plans went at once into effect. 
 
 Santa Anna had heard that four young boys had 
 passed the Palace on the day before, and began to 
 question Juan about them. He was calling over their 
 names and when he said "Orlando Phelps," Santa 
 Anna gazed eagerly at the boy, repeating over and 
 over, "Phelps, Phelps, why that is the name of that
 
 282 The Boy Captive 
 
 good and noble man at whose fine home near Velasco, 
 Texas, I was an honored guest. Juan, bring that boy 
 named Phelps to me at once." 
 
 Away went Juan to fulfill the request, and in a 
 short time he returned, bringing with him a tall, dark- 
 haired youth of delicate build, poorly clad, but with a 
 strong, manly face, and a fearlessness of manner 
 which added greatly to his charming personality 
 Santa Anna was simply leaning against one of the 
 pillars which supported the tall ceiling of the room, 
 and in the most informal manner, bade the boys come 
 nearer. He began by addressing Orlando, saying: 
 
 "Juan tells me your name is Phelps, and that you 
 are a son of Dr. Phelps on the Orizimbo plantation; 
 is this true ? 
 
 "Yes, Your Excellency, I have the honor of calling 
 Dr. Phelps father, and although I was a very small 
 boy when you were at our house, still I remember you 
 very well, indeed." 
 
 "Why, your father saved my life and in his home 
 I was treated as a member of the family, and now my 
 son, you must permit me to request you to come at 
 once to this Palace and become the guest of my wife, 
 Dona Dolores de Tosta and myself, for just as long 
 a time as it may please you, and everything that is 
 possible for us to do for you shall be done. 
 
 Orlando gazed with astonishment upon the Great 
 Dictator, and began saying he was not situated so 
 that he could come into such a splendid Palace. He
 
 The Boy Captive 283 
 
 had been away from home a long time, and and 
 
 "Not another word, my young friend," said Santa 
 Anna, "I understand." 
 
 Turning to an orderly, he directed that a room ad 
 joining Juan s be made ready for the young Texan 
 to occupy. His own tailor was commanded to come at 
 once and make the best clothes that could be procured, 
 and they were to be completed immediately. 
 
 Juan and Orlando were now making preparations 
 to go out for a stroll it was the first time the former 
 had put on his new clothes which Santa Anna had had 
 made for him, and both boys were now making their 
 toilet with much care, for they were to visit several 
 places of interest in company with Augustin and 
 Manuel Tornel and some of their Mexican boy friends. 
 
 "Billie is sick; I m sorry he won t be able to go 
 with us and see the sights," said Juan regretfully, as 
 he watched Orlando carefully adjusting his cravat 
 before the mirror. 
 
 Orlando was a philosopher, and his bits of wisdom 
 helped Juan through many a vexing question. He 
 pursed up his lips, and thrust out his chin, as he gave 
 the final wrap to the voluminous tie, and turned his 
 mind on the exact position of the brooch that held his 
 shirt frill in place. This finished, he turned to put 
 on his vest, a dainty, white corded affair with large 
 pearl buttons, which adde^ to the elegance of his cos 
 tume.
 
 284 The Boy Captive 
 
 1 So am I, said Orlando briefly, as he gazed admir 
 ingly at the fit of his trousers that tapered so neatly 
 to the little straps that held them close to the instep 
 of his varnished boots. 
 
 Juan stared in astonishment at the elegant young 
 man of fashion. Orlando was admiring his coat pre 
 vious to putting it on ,and we are sure he was enjoy 
 ing in advance the pleasure of plenty of nice, clean, 
 fashionably made clothing for the first time in many 
 months, Orlando was enjoying it as no one who had 
 not had his previous experience could do. 
 
 "Seems to me," he said, "I enjoy clean clothes 
 more than I used to a home; when a fellow has had 
 to carry a select and large assortment of vermin in his 
 underwear, and knows that his trousers need patches 
 all over, one might say, why I tell you, old man, it s 
 just sublime to to have all this!" he waved his 
 hand around at the luxuriously appointed apartment, 
 and then glanced in the mirror at his faultless appear 
 ance. 
 
 Juan gave a satisfied glance at his own elegant 
 attire, and though it wasn t the kind he d rather wear, 
 still it was truly handsome and he felt nice and looked 
 nice in it. Big silver buttons adorned his short black 
 jacket; double rows of tiny ones studded the outer 
 seams of his trousers; and he remembered the silver 
 braid that ornamented his neck; and then the silken 
 red sash around his slender waist set off the shirt frill, 
 and when he looked at his beautiful hat a flush rose
 
 The Boy Captive 285 
 
 to his face, and he couldn t help a feeling of satisfac 
 tion at his appearance, but what awful things Billie 
 would say ! 
 
 "I don t believe I ll go," he said, "Billie loves to 
 make fun of everything. I d rather not go to see him 
 now, he ll say we ve both turned over to the Mexi 
 cans," said Juan- 
 
 Oh, yes, you will go. We 11 take our little dose oi 
 medicine like men, then we will go on our way rejoic 
 ing. Poor old Billie will have a real lonesome time. 
 He don t mean half he says, and it relieves him to 
 blow off steam," said Orlando. "Won t we catch it 
 when old Billie sees our finery; I look like a New 
 York dandy, but you are a Mexican from head to 
 heels! Lindo Caballero!" said Orlando, fanning him 
 self with one hand in imitation of the pretty senori- 
 tas he had seen in the Alameda. 
 
 "Billie is just wild I know," said Orlando, "to 
 think Charley had been taken to Perote. He ain t 
 even glad he is to go home, but declares he is going 
 to ask the President to let him go to Perote and take 
 Charley s place. You know the Captain is engaged 
 to a lovely girl, and I reckon the day was set, for 
 Billie is miserable about it. Poor Charley is caged 
 for sure this time. They say that is the strongest 
 dungeon in the world. Why, besides all the thick 
 walls and that sort of thing, it has a big moat around 
 it ." 
 
 "What s a moat?" interrupted Juan.
 
 286 The Boy Captive 
 
 "A moat is a er er a kind of a big 
 
 ditch," said Orlando, desperately. "Juan, you sure 
 better except His Excellency s offer. I never saw a 
 fellow so anxious to learn everything. You can ask 
 more questions. You are a regular catechism." 
 
 "Oh, well, I didn t know you minded answering 
 them," said Juan flushing up. 
 
 "I don t when 7 know the answer," said Orlando, 
 comically. "The trouble is you make me see what a 
 lot I don t know. I m going to study when I get 
 home; but if His Excellency had made me the offer 
 he made you ." 
 
 "What would you do?" 
 
 "I d fall on his neck and hug him! I d even un 
 screw his wooden leg!" 
 
 "I don t think it screws," said Juan, in a matter 
 of-fact way ,"I think it is strapped on." 
 
 "Why don t you ask him?" said Orlando, teas- 
 ingly. 
 
 "I am afraid he might kick me with it." 
 
 "I don t believe his wife would let him. Dona 
 Dolores is as much smitten with the idea of adopting 
 you as he is. 
 
 "She is a loving lady. She is so good everybody 
 loves her, and those that like him, think heaps of 
 him," said Juan. 
 
 "And those that don t, don t. Just so. He is a 
 wonderful man. Come on, and let s go see Billie, 
 before we start out. You and I have little to grumble
 
 The Boy Captive 287 
 
 about for you have a pretty good chance of getting 
 your father and brother free. Certainly Santa Anna 
 could not expect you to stay here as his son when your 
 real father and brother were in prison. He would not 
 even like you if you were that kind of a boy-" 
 
 The two boys stepped out on the broad corridor 
 that overlooked the patio. The trees rustled softly 
 in the breeze, and the stone pavement below was 
 checkered with lights and shadows. Through their 
 waving boughs could be seen the servants lounging in 
 their quarters. The stamping of horses hoofs 
 mingled with their voices and the harsh clattering of 
 the parrots amusing themselves with the gymnastics 
 favored of their kind. Many mocking birds in cages, 
 and canaries were singing their sweet notes. The 
 dogs stretched out lazily, were trying to snatch a little 
 repose, and now turned to gaze at our young gentle 
 men as they passed, and flowering vines and shrubs, 
 beautiful and strange were everywhere. In passing 
 along the corridor, the boys unexpectedly came upon 
 Dona Dolores with the ladies of her family. She 
 greeted the boys kindly, chatted with them pleasantly, 
 and Juan, who had acquired much Spanish, was able 
 to answer her polite inquiries, as well as to return 
 her courteous interest. 
 
 Orlando was much impressed by the kindness of 
 both Santa Anna and his amiable wife toward Juan 
 and himself and, while walking along, the conversa 
 tion of the boys turned upon the offer 1 of Santa Anna 
 
 18
 
 238 The Boy Captive 
 
 concerning an education for Juan in Mexico. 
 
 "It s a great offer; yes, a remarkable one," said 
 Orlando. 
 
 "But what will mother think of my not coming 
 home," said Juan. 
 
 Well, if you refuse to accept the President s offer, 
 she may have to cry for three instead of one. I don t 
 believe your father and brother would find prison 
 fare a bit sweeter because you shared it. On the con 
 trary, your father said to all of us that it lifted a bur 
 den of distress from his mind because he let you come 
 on this expedition, when he saw Ampudia would not 
 let you suffer the penalty. You better think it all 
 over seriously before you decide that you won t ac 
 cept," said Orlando. 
 
 "Father will settle everything for me before he 
 goes home. 
 
 At this moment Juan recognized the carriage of the 
 President in which were seated the President and 
 General Tornel in their splendid uniforms. They 
 both greeted the boys cordially, bowing in a friendly 
 way till they had passed from view- 
 Juan was the first to speak, and turning to his 
 companion he said: 
 
 "When the President was a prisoner in Texas he 
 stayed at your house, didn t he? Your father 
 pumped the poison out of him the time he tried to 
 commit suicide. Say, don t it seem strange how 
 things turn around, and that you should be here re-
 
 The Boy Captive 289 
 
 turning the President s visit at your house, a prisoner 
 in his hands, and he is trying his best to return the 
 kindness of your family to him?" 
 
 "I was only a small child when all that happened, 
 but I never thought then I d be here in the palace of 
 the President of Mexico, much less a prisoner in this 
 country, but then we never know what s going to 
 happen to any of us," said Orlando. 
 
 They walked from the plaza on to the street on 
 which General Thompson lived, but before they could 
 enter, the big door was opened by the portero (door 
 keeper) and out came Billie walking slowly along; 
 he had barely recovered from a dangerous illness. 
 His first exclamation was : 
 
 "Boys, all the Texans are to be sent to Perote to 
 morrow morning, the order has just been issued, but 
 I don t have to go the President won t let me do a 
 thing but go home. But I d rather go to Perote for 
 you know Brer Charley is engaged to be married, and 
 of course he can t when he is held a prisoner, but then 
 you know we can t have our ruthers in this country." 
 
 "Who told you this?" asked Orlando. 
 
 General Thompson found it out and has just told 
 me." 
 
 "I don t have to go for I m going back to my dear 
 old f adder and mudder, and you ll never find this 
 chicken running around loose, trying to be a prisoner 
 any more," said Billie.
 
 290 The Boy Captive 
 
 "Well," said Juan, "I don t think we ll all have to 
 go, here s three right here that won t, but I m awful 
 sorry that any of them will have to go, but it won t 
 do for me to say a word, because I ve already asked 
 a lot of the President. I can t ask him not to send 
 them there, but then it s kind of on the road toward 
 Vera Cruz, and it will be a little nearer from Perote 
 than from here, when they are all released and can go 
 home. 
 
 The three boys now went along with Billie, discuss 
 ing the prospects of the Texans for getting free. 
 
 General Waddy Thompson, in his "Recollections of 
 Mexico," page 75, makes reference to Santa Anna s 
 treatment of Orlando Phelps in the following words : 
 On the arrival of the prisoners taken at Mier, Santa 
 Anna ascertained that there was one whose name was 
 Phelps. He sent for him, and asked him if he were 
 related to Dr. Phelps, of Orizimbo; the youth replied 
 that he was his son. Santa Anna ordered that he 
 should be released, had him brought to the Palace, 
 and ordered many nice clothes for him. I was in 
 formed of all of this and as there was an American 
 ship of war at Vera-Cruz about to sail to the United 
 States, I wrote Santa Anna a note offering Young 
 Phelps a passage. He replied, thanking me for the 
 offer, but declined it, saying that he felt himself fort 
 unate in having it in his power to return, in some 
 degree, the kindness of Dr. Phelps to him when he 
 was a prisoner in Texas, and that he preferred send-
 
 The Boy Captive 
 
 291 
 
 ing his son home at his own expense; which he did, 
 giving him also a draft on his factor in Vera Cruz 
 for whatever sum of money he might ask for." 
 
 Orlando Phelps.
 
 OFF 
 FOR HOME
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 OFF FOR HOilE 
 
 BILLIE had urged upon Santa Anna the priv 
 ilege of permitting him to go to Perote and 
 stay as a prisoner in the place of his brother, 
 Captain Reese. But Santa Anna steadfastly refused 
 to allow the boy, who was just up from a bed of sick 
 ness, to do so rash and imprudent a thing. Ho had 
 given Billie his freedom to go home, and not to 
 become a voluntary prisoner. 
 
 General Waddy Thompson relates the incident con 
 cerning Billie Reese, as follows: 5 * "Billie said, My 
 brother, Charles, is engaged to be married; and be 
 sides this, I know that he would be much more useful 
 to my father and mother than I would, and I should 
 like, sir, to take his place as a prisoner, and let him 
 go home. "In this," says General Thompson, "he was 
 not acting a part; he spoke under deep excitement 
 and with a glistening eye, and I do not know that this 
 was the only moist eye in the room. 
 
 Billie had taken the well-meant advice of Santa 
 Anna and gone home. Even if Santa Anna had 
 granted Billie s request it is doubtful if the gallant 
 Captain Charles Reese would have accepted the sac 
 rifice; he was the soul of honor, and must have suf- 
 
 Recollections of Mexico, page 98.
 
 294 The Boy Captive 
 
 fered much distress because of having permitted his 
 younger brother to come upon this hazardous expe 
 dition. 
 
 General Waddy Thompson was captivated with the 
 artlessness of Billie s generous nature and did all he 
 could to help the young Texan. 
 
 But Billie was gone, and like Saul, he breathed out 
 threatenings and slaughters. Even Santa Anna was 
 grimly amused, for he told a friend that he had said 
 to this young Texan: "What is the use of freeing 
 you Texans? You ll come right back to fight me." 
 He was thinking of the previous lot of men of the 
 Santa Fe Expedition. To his astonishment Billie an 
 swered promptly : Yes, Sir, I suppose we will ! 
 
 Some little time after Billie s departure, Orlando 
 bade farewell to Juan and the pleasures of the Mexi 
 can capital. General Santa Anna graciously gave 
 him a permit to stop at Perote and see his less fortu 
 nate comrades. Billie too, had been given the same 
 privilege and found upon arriving at the grim for 
 tress that General Green and his brother, Dan Henrie, 
 and John Twohig had an excellent scheme mapped 
 out for their escape, and he might take the comforting 
 assurance to his parents that they would soon see them 
 all at home, and also that those of the boys who cared 
 to risk it with them, could do the same thing- Orlando 
 also was intrusted with this secret but the letters they 
 gave him for the friends in Brazoria said nothing of 
 the hazardous scheme. Though Orlando took along
 
 The Boy Captive 295 
 
 the story of "the black beans," he was able to assure 
 them that many friends were trying to secure their 
 freedom. 
 
 In the letter he wrote to Juan he spoke little of their 
 unpleasant situation, but he did remember to tell him 
 that the moat was 200 feet wide, and twenty feet 
 deep, and could be flooded with water in case of a 
 siege. He also wrote that "the boys" celebrated the 
 twenty-first of April (the anniversary of the Battle 
 of San Jacinto) by making an enormous egg-nog. 
 "They had thirty dozen eggs, seven gallons of vino 
 mescal, and as much asses milk, and a big loaf of 
 sugar. Colonel Fisher, Captain Reese and Lieutenant 
 Clarke beat up the eggs, and Sailing Master Lyon 
 pounded the sugar. General Green was in his element 
 "bossing the job," and Dan Henrie warbled: I 
 reckon he got some of the vino mescal without waiting 
 for the trimmings. All the boys came in to help drink 
 it. I suppose the Mexicans thought it was a Texan 
 Saint day. Trimble got real gay and hooted like an 
 owl, and they all were shouting out toasts. Dan 
 Henrie sang a "Soldier s Tear," while the others 
 sang something else at the same time. Can t you im 
 agine the racket? They banged their old chains on 
 the stone floors to keep time. Trimble goes by the 
 name of "Tecolote" (screech-owl) among the Mexi 
 cans." 
 
 But full as the letter was, it told nothing of the 
 plan for escape that the men had made. Orlando
 
 296 The Boy Captive 
 
 was too wise to trust such a secret to the uncertainty 
 of a Mexican mail bag. 
 
 Juan s father had by this time recovered and was 
 growing more anxious each day to start home, so it 
 was now the boy s time to make a move in the great 
 game of chance in which he proved himself a skilled 
 player. So without fear or trepidation he approached 
 the ever grave, dignified, and seemingly unapproach 
 able Dictator and said: 
 
 Your Excellency, my father is now quite well, 
 and is very anxious to go home. You have shown 
 me great kindness at first I did not realize how 
 great that kindness was. I am only a boy and did 
 not know what being a prisoner meant. Now, I know, 
 I have seen my father, he is willing for me to remain 
 and accept an education in one of your fine schools. 
 You made me an offer. I did not know at the time 
 what you were offering. Now that I have had time to 
 study up your wonderful city I know a little more, 
 and as I have always had a deep desire to get a good 
 education, and father says it will be a long time before 
 there are good schools and colleges in Texas, and as 
 father is now ready to go if Your Excellency will 
 make the arrangements, he will start home at once." 
 
 Several prominent men were that morning present 
 with Santa Anna, and every; one turned upon this 
 brave little hero. 
 
 "Your Excellency, if you. wHl send my father at
 
 The Boy Captive 297 
 
 once, I shall be glad to remain in Mexico and accept 
 your generous offer of an education." 
 
 Without taking his eyes from the boy, Santa Anna 
 said to his secretary : Issue an order for the release 
 of Seiior Hill, send him sufficient money to meet his 
 present expenses and see that when he is ready to 
 leave for Texas he has safe escort to Vera Cruz and 
 free passage on the first sailing vessel for a Texas 
 port. A sigh of relief emanated from the interested 
 group. 
 
 "When your brother comes, I will do the same for 
 him. I will see your father and talk over your future. 
 Now go to him quickly, mi siempre hijito" (always 
 my son), and give him my compliments and tell him 
 he is to go home at once." 
 
 The radiant smile that Juan gave his great friend 
 seemed to cast a glow of good feeling over all, and 
 the over-joyed boy hastened to obey the kindly order. 
 He and the orderly had a joyful neck to neck race on 
 the broad highway, that led to the hospital. 
 
 Out of breath Juan rushed to his father, telling him 
 that he was to be sent home at once and Mr. Hill 
 though overjoyed, gave the boy some wholesome ad 
 vice which was gratefully accepted. 
 
 "You see, John," said Mr. Hill, "we are not going 
 to be helped by our President for he says he sent 
 General Somervelle to the border, and that we crossed 
 over the river without his orders. Our men have not 
 much chance to get free, for Santa Anna has just sent
 
 298 The Boy Captive 
 
 the Santa Fe men home. Santa Anna says he will 
 treat you like a son and after a while you may come 
 home to see us all. You will have chances I could 
 never hope to give you, for it will be a long time 
 before Texas can have colleges. I know your mother 
 will feel mighty bad not to see you come back, but 
 she won t feel so bad when she knows all about it. 
 She will be proud of you, and will want you to study 
 hard and be a good boy. 
 
 If Mr. Hill had any doubts upon any points in 
 volved, he at least comforted Juan, who really liked 
 his new surroundings, but his thoughts turned more 
 upon his mother s disappointment than his own feel 
 ings. The thought that she would be glad of his 
 opportunity to be educated removed his last regret, 
 and he embraced his new life with cheerfulness and 
 resolution. 
 
 Alone, but not friendless, he was the daily recipient 
 of every kindness from those about him. His manly 
 courage, his devotion to duty and outspoken love 
 of his own country, his graceful acceptance of the 
 new conditions surrounding him, his amiability and 
 gracious charm and tact, united with a remarkable 
 beauty of face and form, had made a deep and lasting 
 impression upon his distinguished captor at Mier, and 
 continued on to others of greater importance in the 
 history of their country. Juan Christopher Colon Gil 
 was a prisoner of the Mexicans, but it was in name 
 only, for he possessed the innate qualities of mind
 
 The Boy Captive 299 
 
 and heart which awaken admiration, and esteem with 
 all nationalities, and the Mexicans were no exception 
 to the rule, and so they became more John Hill s 
 prisoners than he was theirs. 
 
 But few young boys could perhaps have trodden 
 so successfully this narrow path, as did our young 
 hero. 
 
 Within a fortnight Juan was informed that his 
 brother with other Texans had passed through the 
 city, but they were not permitted to stop, and were 
 hurried on to the dismal prison of Perote. Under 
 much excitement he ran breathlessly to Santa Anna 
 whom he met as he was about to enter his carriage. 
 He respectfully approached him, and after the usual 
 courteous greetings he said: "Sefior General Presi- 
 dente, my brother passed through the city a little 
 while ago, but was not permitted to stop, he is still 
 suffering from his wound; I did not get to see him, 
 but Your Excellency, will you not release him now 
 and allow him to go home ? 
 
 Santa Anna assured the boy that he would do so, 
 and at once issued the order and dispatched an or 
 derly to notify the guards that Jeffrey Hill, the Texas 
 prisoner, was to be released at once, and an escort be 
 given, and clothing and money were at the same time 
 sent him to defray his expenses to Yera Cruz, thence 
 to his home in Texas.
 
 JUAN S LATER 
 CAREER
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 JUAN S LATER CAREER. 
 
 N SEPTEMBER, 1843, Juan entered Mineria 
 College and very happy he was, too, for now 
 he had Augustin and Manuel Tornel for his 
 daily companions. He found that he was in reality the 
 third son of General Tornel, was blessed with "two 
 nationalities," and did not have to fight either. He 
 studied diligently, and the family in the farm house 
 on the Colorado heard regularly from him and re 
 joiced that he was happy in his foreign surroundings. 
 In a year, by his good record in his studies and 
 amiable manners, he was placed in charge of his dor 
 mitory, a much coveted honor among his schoolmates, 
 and later on, he became professor of English in this 
 great college, and on his marriage took up his life 
 within the walls of this magnificent building. His 
 popularity increased with years both with the boys 
 and the professors. But on each Sunday afternoon, 
 according to a promise made long before, he made his 
 regular call upon General Santa Anna and his good 
 wife, joining them in their drives or in meeting their 
 friends and neighbors in the palace. To some it may 
 seem strange that any influence, however strong, could 
 be produced by this boy s natural enemies, which 
 would induce him even temporarily to remain in 
 Mexico and receive kindnesses and an education from
 
 302 The Boy Captive 
 
 the greatest men of the time, especially from Santa 
 Anna, and finally that his whole life should continue 
 among these people. In gracefully accepting kind 
 nesses from the distinguished men of Mexico, Mr. 
 Hill did not relinquish his identity with Texas, and 
 a boy with ideals so high could not fail to graciously 
 acknowledge the continuous and unfailing attentions 
 and and interest of those about him, even if they did 
 come from enemies of his country. 
 
 The unaffected kindness of the distinguished men 
 into whose hands the boy fell, their great culture, 
 ability, and their extreme considerateness of his loved 
 ones, to say nothing of the charm of life among the 
 Latins, captivated and held this young life under a 
 mysterious and romantic spell. But, throughout his 
 life, in mind, heart and spirit, John Christopher Co 
 lumbus Hill was ever loyally devoted and attached to 
 Texas. He was a member of the Texas Veterans As 
 sociation, and for many years, each year found him in 
 attendance upon their meetings. He never failed to 
 speak out in defense of Texas, not even when under 
 the greatest peril himself. 
 
 When the American troops entered the city, young 
 Hill found himself constantly employed in serving 
 both sides. It was through his intercession that the 
 American soldiers were removed from the Minera Col 
 lege. He was then eighteen, and manly beyond his 
 years. Mexicans and Americans alike appealed to 
 him. Priests came to him for the benefit of hig
 
 The Boy Captive 305 
 
 English and help in many ways, until he was known 
 and called by the nickname : pano de lagrimas" which 
 meant that he wiped away the tears from people s 
 eyes; a very nice nickname, though the writer, when 
 an old man who was eye-witness of many of Juan s 
 kindly deeds told her about it; the old man was still 
 living in the house near the Minera where he had a 
 barber shop at the time of the American invasion. 
 
 The war made little interruption in Juan s studies 
 and in 1850 he was graduated with honors as a mining 
 engineer from the good school of the Minera. He was 
 appointed to a fine position in the reduction works of 
 the San Miguel Regla. From this on, he held one posi 
 tion after another, the best among the gifts of the re 
 public, for good fortune ever attended his footsteps. For 
 years at a time he never heard one word of English 
 nor saw an American face. Would it not seem natu 
 ral that the law of environment would overcome the 
 force of early ties and impressions? The fact is not 
 able, that though sharing the highest honors of the 
 college with native Mexicans a guest of the govern 
 ment receiving his diplomas just as if he were a citi 
 zen, he never renounced his allegiance to the United 
 United States nor to Texas never exercised the right 
 of franchise in either his adopted or his native land. 
 The thought always remained, however, that he would 
 return to Texas and resume his old relations among 
 the scenes of his earlier years. This he attempted to 
 do several times, but each time he returned to Mexico.
 
 306 The Boy Captive 
 
 There were his strongest ties, his loved ones, his life s 
 companions. He enjoyed the friendship of Mexico s 
 greatest men. Saw his patron, Santa Anna, banished 
 to grim Perote, and from his native land saw Maxmil- 
 lian s brief court rise and fall. 
 
 But again he was taken captive on Mexican soil. 
 Love in the guise of a dreamy-eyed senorita, called to 
 him, "Rindan sus armas!" "Surrender." The sur 
 render was complete and instantaneous. He married 
 a sister of Segrada, a noted painter, whose works 
 adorn the walls of the Mexican art gallery. 
 
 Thirteen years had elapsed since he bade his mother 
 and little sisters farewell, before he returned to them 
 a man with a heart as loyal and loving as the dark- 
 eyed lad who rode away on his pony on that fair 
 Indian summer morning in September, 1842. 
 
 Thirteen years before he set forth as a soldier full 
 of revenge, resolved to destroy or be destroyed; he 
 returned to ask permission to wed a daughter of the 
 old-time enemy. 
 
 He received his parent s blessings and returned to 
 the City of Mexico. His happy married life was 
 crowned with four lovely, beloved children. 
 
 The fact that his benefactor and friend, the great 
 Dictator, Santa Anna, had been exiled and returned, 
 and finally died in poverty and filled a pauper s 
 grave ; and that his good wife, Dona Dolores de Tosta, 
 rests in the same grave in the cemetery of the Tepayac 
 filled his mind with saddest thoughts. To these faith-
 
 The Boy Captive 307 
 
 ful friends of his early helpless youth, the Boy Cap 
 tive was ever loyal and faithful. In every way that 
 lay in his power did he seek to ameliorate their help 
 less and saddened condition. 
 
 Having faithfully performed his sacred mission of 
 "taking care of father and Jeff," the curtain goes 
 down upon the life of a boy which should be an inspi 
 ration to all the young people who read this faithful 
 story. 
 
 History records no greater triumph of precocious 
 heroism. Charles XII, at eighteen, led the men who 
 conquered Denmark; Fox entered the comons at nine 
 teen, and Pope sang in numbers at twelve, but neither 
 of them untutored and alone combines in a single act 
 as did the young Texan hero, the courage of youth 
 with the character of mellow age.
 
 ADDENDA
 
 Juan C. C. Hill, the Boy Captive, and his daughter and two granddaug-hte 
 who were educated in the public schools of Austin, Texas.
 
 ADDENDA. 
 
 A FEW words as to the fate of General Pedro 
 Ampudia. In connection with the "Boy 
 Captive of Mier, and for his great kindness 
 to him, the name of General Ampudia will be remem 
 bered with interest. As General in command of a di 
 vision, he capitulated to the American troops at Mon 
 terey in 1846, and in 1852 he joined Santa Anna in 
 his "Plan de Jalisco," and remained with him until 
 his (Santa Anna s) fall in 1854. He generally sided 
 with the church party, and after the fall of Santa 
 Anna he lived as a private citizen at his hacienda "La 
 Soledad," in the state of San Luis Potosi, (now 
 called Villa de Diaz Guiterrez). In 1862 he again 
 joined the church party and incorporated himself 
 with the forces of General Miramon to sustain the 
 Empire; after its fall, General Ampudia returned to 
 San Luis Potosi, and died there in the fall of 1864, or 
 spring of 1865. 
 
 The friendship of General Ampudia for the boy 
 captive remained to the last day of the General s life. 
 
 One of the incidents which speaks volumes for the 
 gratitude of the Boy Captive for his distinguished 
 captor at Mier, he related to the Author that a young 
 brother of General Ampudia, who had also espoused 
 the cause of the Empire was captured by. the Mexi 
 cans and was sentenced to be shot. Juan heard of
 
 312 The Boy Captive 
 
 it and at once determined, if possible, to save his life. 
 Confiding in a lady friend who was in sympathy, they 
 went at once to the prison where the lady exchanged 
 clothing with the prisoner and Juan walked proudly 
 out, for he had saved the life of young Ampudia. 
 
 TEXANS RELEASED FROM PEROTE. 
 
 Letters from General Ampudia continued through 
 out his life. Some of these have been read by the 
 author. 
 
 When Big Foot and the other prisoners were re 
 leased from Perote, says Big Foot, A few miles from 
 Jalapa we were stopped by a company of robbers on 
 horse back, eleven in number, who demanded our 
 money. We told them that we had been prisoners a 
 long time, had just been liberated, and were not flush 
 with money. They asked if we were Texans and if 
 we had passports. I handed them mine signed by 
 Santa Anna. They said Santa Anna was a scoundrel 
 and wanted to know why the Texans didn t kill him 
 while they had him. I told them that if I had had the 
 keeping of him he would not have troubled Mexico 
 any more. 
 
 "They offered to keep us company to Vera Cruz 
 and protect us from further molestation. Night came 
 on, they turned off the main road and conducted us 
 to a large ranch or hacienda that appeared to be a 
 sort of rendezvous for gentlemen of their profession.
 
 The Boy Captive 313 
 
 When the robbers entered, the people in the house 
 exclaimed: How are you Colonel? How are you, 
 Major?" and other like expressions. 
 
 Here an excellent supper was served and we were 
 cordially invited to partake of it. A variety of fruit 
 and excellent wine were placed on the table. I asked 
 the robber chief if that was their usual style of living, 
 and when he repied that it was, I told him if there was 
 a vacancy in the corps, I should like to enlist. This 
 pleased the robbers and they drank the health of the 
 gringo in a full bumper. The next morning they 
 filled our haversacks with provisions, gave us a half 
 dollar apiece, escorted us back to the road and bade 
 us adios with many expressions of good will-" 
 
 When the Texans were recaptured after the affairs 
 at El Salado, Big Foot thus described his own per 
 sonal appearance: 
 
 "As for myself," said he, "I had worn from neces 
 sity the same suit of clothes I had on when we made 
 our escape from the guard, and after traveling in 
 them all this time over dusty roads and sleeping in 
 them at night on the ground, it can be easily imagined 
 my costume was not exactly suitable for a ball-room 
 or a fashionable assembly. But little was left of my 
 shirt, my hat had long since gone by the board, and in 
 its place my head was partially protected from the 
 sun by a red cotton handkerchief, wrapped around it 
 like a Turkish turban. I had but one shoe left which 
 was in a very dilapidated condition, and in lieu of
 
 314 The Boy Captive 
 
 the other, a rawhide sandal strapped on my foot with 
 leathern thongs. My coat was tattered and torn by 
 thorns and like Joseph s, from frequent mending with 
 all sorts of materials, was of many colors. The 
 remnant of my pantaloons hung upon me in shreds 
 that were bound together by thongs or strings add 
 to this a countenance that had been guiltless of a thor 
 ough cleaning, well, I am ashamed to say how long. 
 Such a beauty did I grow that if my old sweetheart, 
 Jenny Foster could have seen me, her heart would 
 have relented and she would have reversed the cruel 
 decision which sent me packing off to Texas some 
 years before. 
 
 One remarkable characteristic of this old pioneer 
 was his ability under the heaviest trials, to see and 
 enjoy the humorous side of everything. He relates 
 an amusing incident of the occasion of the Mier pris 
 oners being removed from one part of Mexico City 
 to another. He said, "some of the lowest class gath 
 ered about them, old women, men and boys, and began 
 calling out, down with the heretics, and other like 
 expressions, until at last the guard told the mob if 
 they did not move on he would turn the whole Texas 
 Cannibals loose on them. The Texans understood 
 what he said and to carry out the joke and make a 
 diversion in our favor, three or four of us grabbed as 
 many old women and boys who had ventured in our 
 reach and made out we were going to eat them with 
 out salt or pepper. I clinched an old squaw who had
 
 The Boy Captive 315 
 
 been making herself prominent and took a bite at her 
 neck, but it was tougher than a ten-year-old buffalo, 
 and though I bit at will and can crack a hickory nut 
 with my grinders I could make no impression on 
 it whatever.* 
 
 This unexpected demonstration on the part of the 
 gringos took the mob by surprise and they scattered 
 like partridges, but we were molested no more that 
 day." 
 
 True to the predictions of Santa Anna, the men of 
 Mier who had been sent home did not fail to again 
 enter the service of the United States and bear arms 
 against their old-time enemy. 
 
 In reading the records of the war between Mexico 
 and the United States, we find the names of many of 
 our friends of the Mier Expedition. Billie and his 
 brother, Captain Reese, fought with honor at Monte 
 rey, and we read that Gilbert Brush was wounded. 
 Johnnie McMullen was an officer, as was our friend 
 Big Foot "Wallace. Dan Henrie Drake not only fought 
 and was captured again, but ran away from a whole 
 company in broad daylight, got back to his own com 
 pany and came up bravely to meet the enemy again. 
 
 Captain Reese returned home and married the girl 
 of his choice to whom he was engaged during the pe 
 riod of his imprisonment. His survivors reside in 
 Brazoria County. Billie also married and emigrated 
 to California, where he died in 1851, leaving children. 
 
 Orlando Phelps still resided at the home of his
 
 316 The Boy Captive 
 
 early youth in Brazoria County, and left several chil 
 dren now living in Houston, Texas. 
 
 Harvey Sellers married and reared a family, and 
 enjoyed a successful business career at Galveston. 
 
 All of these boys who were mere children at the 
 time of this expedition, when Texas needed their help, 
 developed into splendid men who were an honor and 
 credit to their country. Sam Walker, the scout who 
 was captured before the battle of Mier, returned an 
 officer to revenge his old wrongs and died a hero s 
 death on the battlefield at Monterey near the very 
 prison where the Texans were confined when enroute 
 to Mexico City. 
 
 On February 14, 1904, James Monroe Hill, the 
 elder brother who gave John his rifle, died at Austin, 
 Texas, at the age of eighty-five. Two days later, John 
 C. C. Hill, the hero of this narrative, passed away at 
 Monterey, Mexico, at the age of seventy-five. 
 
 It is very interesting to read of the wonderful regi 
 ment of Texas Rangers of which our old friend, Cap 
 tain Jack Hayes, was the honored young Colonel. 
 But the best friends must part and so we will say to 
 all our brave comrades of the Mier Expedition. 
 
 "ADIOS."
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 
 THE BOY CAPTIVE OF MIER. 
 
 Green s Journal of the Texan Expedition 
 
 against Mier Harper & Bro., 1845 
 
 History of Texas Brown 
 
 History of Texas Morphis 
 
 History of Texas Pennybacker 
 
 History of Texas Thrall 
 
 Republic of Texas Anson Jones 
 
 Santa Fe Expedition Kendall 
 
 The Texas Rangers Reid 
 
 Flowers and Fruits Morrell 
 
 Texas, The Coming Empire McDaniel & Taylor 
 
 Texas Indian Fighters Sowell 
 
 Texas Mrs. Holley 
 
 Texas Almanac 
 
 The Mexican War and Its Heroes 
 
 San Antonio De Bexar Cornor 
 
 Recollections of Mexico Gen. Waddy Thompson 
 
 Travels in Mexico Gilliam 
 
 Texas Olmstead 
 
 Letters of Madame Calderon de la Barca 
 
 London, Chapman & Hall 
 
 A Study of Mexico Wells 
 
 Autobiography of Joe Jefferson 
 
 Mexico Priests and Peasants by Wilson
 
 320 The Boy Captive 
 
 Mexico of To-day Griffin 
 
 Letters of Juan de Dios Peza Brantz Mayer 
 
 Mexico as it was and as it is Brantz Mayer 
 
 Newell s History of Texas 1838 
 
 Edward s History of Texas 1836 
 
 Kennedy s History, 2 vols 1842 
 
 St. Isle or Texiana Chas. Hooten, London, 1847 
 
 Bancrofts North Mexican States, 2 vols 
 
 McCullough s Texas Kangers and Scouting 
 
 Expedition 1848 
 
 Mejico Viejo Luis Gonzales Obregon 
 
 Repubb c of Mexico Antonio Garcia Cubas 
 
 Face to Face with the Mexicans 
 
 Fanny Chambers Gooch Iglehart 
 
 Frederick E. Guernsey in Mexican Herald 
 
 The Awakening of a Nation Charles F. Lummis 
 
 Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces 
 
 Wm. Henry Bishop 
 
 Harper and Brothers 
 
 Life of Sam Houston Crane 
 
 Texas Mason Bros., New York 
 
 West Texas A Journey Through, 1841 
 
 Texan Emigrant Cincinnati, 1840 
 
 Early Times in Texas John C. Duval 
 
 Life of Big Foot Wallace John C. Duval
 
 AN 
 ARMISTICE
 
 AN ARMISTICE. 
 
 During the Mexican "War in 1848, and five years 
 after the Mier men had been decimated, an armistice 
 was agreed upon between the two contending armies. 
 The American army was at Concepcion, the most 
 advanced post of the army, and twenty men of Gen 
 eral Walter P. Lane s command, knowing they were 
 only about fifty leagues from the Haciendo de Salado, 
 where on March 24, 1843, the Mier prisoners had 
 been decimated, resolved to make the effort to exhume 
 their remains and bring them to their own country. 
 Five of the men drew beans at El Salado, and John 
 Dusenberry and James Seely remembered the exact 
 spot where their comrades had been buried. By 
 forced marches they reached the spot, but the priests 
 of the village and other important dignitaries bitterly 
 opposed their removal, but finally the Texans carried 
 their point. On reaching the spot they found a cross 
 had been erected over their graves, and the ground 
 had been consecrated. 
 
 The kind-hearted Mexican women kept the grave 
 and the cross decorated with flowers and there they 
 knelt and made their devotions. When the earth was 
 removed and the cross fell, the cry of "Por Dios" or 
 "Oh! God!" went around the circle. The remains, 
 even to the smallest bone, were placed in sacks, put 
 upon pack horses and by forced marches, they safely 
 reached Concepcion. General Woll, the American 
 20
 
 324 The Boy Captive 
 
 commander, made the offer of free transportation to 
 Galveston and Mr. Dusenberry reached La Grange, 
 Texas, in June 1848, this having been the point de 
 cided upon by the Americans for their final resting 
 place. On September 18th of the same year, the Daw- 
 son men who fell in the fight at Salado Creek, six 
 miles southeast of San Antonio, whose remains had 
 been disinterred, were reinterred with the Mier men, 
 and now rest on Monument Hill in La Grange. A 
 monument was erected to them at that place and the 
 State of Texas also erected another which stands in 
 the court house yard, on which are suitable inscrip 
 tions telling of their brave and heroic deeds. 
 
 List of Texans decimated at El Salado, Mexico, 
 March 25, 1849 : L. L. Cash, James D. Cocke, Capt. 
 Wm. Eastland, who went from La Grange, Edward 
 Este, Robert Harris, Thos. L. Jones, Patrick Mahan, 
 James Ogden, Charles Roberts, William Rowan, J. L. 
 Shepherd, J. M. N. Thompson, James N. Torrey, 
 Humboldt James, Henry Whaling, M. C. Wing, mak 
 ing seventeen in all.
 
 GLOSSARY
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Mr. Charles F. Lummis in his admirable book: 
 "The Awakening of a Nation" has this to say in re 
 gard to our debt to the Castillian language: "With 
 the ebb and flow of frontiers ,the innumerable drift 
 wood of the Castillian tongue has lodged here, there 
 and everywhere. And where it once came it was 
 never forgotten ***** Two-thirds of the geo 
 graphical names in the New World to-day, are of 
 Spanish derivation, and the same linguistic tricks 
 are abundant in every other walk of American life." 
 
 Remembering this, and the extensive Spanish colo 
 nial possessions of the United States of America, and 
 the need of a more general knowledge of the Castil 
 lian language, we should find the study of a speaking 
 knowledge equally one of profit and pleasure. With 
 this end in view, the reader will find a brief summary 
 of the pronunciation and glossary of a few groups of 
 words, as well as the Spanish words and phrases to 
 be found throughout this volume. 
 
 The Spanish language is spoken in the throat, not 
 forward on the lips, and all words are deeply ac 
 cented. Accentuation is as follows: 
 
 Regularly, on the last syllable of words ending in a 
 consonant other than S and N. 
 
 Irregularly, wherever written accents occur. 
 
 The letters and combinations pronounced other 
 than English are as follows :
 
 328 The Boy Captive 
 
 i equals i always as in machine, o equals o always 
 as in chaos. 
 
 i equals i always as in machine, o equals o always 
 as in old. 
 
 u equals oo always as in food or u in rude. 
 
 i and u are weak vowels and when used together or 
 in combination with a strong vowel form a dipthong 
 which must be pronounced as a unit sound. Spanish 
 c equals h before a, o, and u, c and s surd, i, e, last 
 pronounced thin in Castile and other parts of 
 Spain, but not in Mexico, Andalusia and practically 
 all of South America. 
 
 g equals g hard as in gate before a, o, u, g equals 
 h in hush, before i and e h silent always. 11 is writ 
 ten and considered as one letter in Spanish; pro 
 nounced like the English 11 in million in Castile, like 
 y in Mexico. 
 
 Below will be found the Spanish words with the 
 English translations which will be found as they 
 occur in the book. 
 La Huella de los Espanoles (The Footprints of the 
 
 Spaniards.) 
 
 La tierra del Fuego (Land of fire and heat.) 
 Firma (Signature in handwriting.) 
 ?Quien Sabe? (Who knows.) 
 Alamo (Cottonwood tree.) 
 Alcalde (Magistrate a justice of the peace.) 
 Hacendado (Gentleman who owns plantations.) 
 El Cantaro (Water Bottle.)
 
 The Boy Captive 329 
 
 Azotea (House top.) 
 
 Feria (A fair.) 
 
 Rindan sus Armas (Lay down your arms.) 
 
 Rindanse ( Surrender. ) 
 
 Pobricito (Poor little fellow.) 
 
 El tiene mucho valor (He has a great deal of cour 
 age.) 
 
 Mi hijito (My little son.) 
 
 Queridito (Dear little one.) 
 
 Hijito mio (My little son.) 
 
 Plaza (Park or open square-) 
 
 Hombrecito (Little man.) 
 
 Hasta Luego (I will see you later.) 
 
 Mozos (Men servants.) 
 
 Quiero comprar vino (I wish to buy wine.) 
 
 Ladrones (Robbers or Bandits.) 
 
 Carretas de Rueda de Panocha (Noisy carts with 
 pancake wheels.) 
 
 Hacienda ( Plantation. ) 
 
 Sombrero ( Hat. ) 
 
 Gloria y gratidud (a al) bravo Canales (Glory and 
 gratitude to the brave Canales.) 
 
 Eternal honor (a l) Immortal Ampudia (Eternal 
 honor to the immortal Ampudia.) 
 
 Vivas (Demonstration of delight.) 
 
 Centinela Alerta (Awake and alert.) 
 
 Metate (Flat porous stone on which cor., and other 
 household materials are ground.) 
 
 Meson (Country tavern or wagon yard.)
 
 330 The Boy Captive 
 
 Escopetas (A peculiar kind of gun.) 
 
 Chile (Meat cooked with much red pepper.) 
 
 Tortillas (Flat corn cakes made of corn meal 
 
 ground on metate.) 
 Fri joles ( Beans. ) 
 
 Adios mi hijito (Goodbye, my little son.) 
 Adios mi nino (Goodbye, my child.) 
 Dios te Bendiga (May God preserve you.) 
 Del Muchachito Americano (The little American 
 
 boy.) 
 
 El Prisionero (The boy prisoner.) 
 Zaguan (Main hall of a house.) 
 Arzobispado (Archbishop s Palace.) 
 Dios Viene (God is coming.) 
 Nino mio. (My child-) 
 Huevos (Eggs.) 
 
 Arrieros (Mule or donkey drivers.) 
 Lazarone s (ragged lazy beggars.) 
 Muchacho ( Boy. ) 
 
 Calle de moneda (Street of money.) 
 ?E1 Muchachito se siente un poco esta manafia? (Is 
 the boy a little sad this morning?) 
 No se apure mas muchachito (Don t worry any 
 
 more now little boy.) 
 Vente conmigo, yo te ayudare (Come with me. I 
 
 will help you.) 
 No tengas miedo hijito olios, no le haran nada a tu 
 
 padre (Have no fear my little son, no no one shall 
 
 harm your father.)
 
 The Boy Captive 331 
 
 Dona (A married lady.) 
 
 Lindo Caballero (Handsome gentleman.) 
 
 Portero ( Doorkeeper. ) 
 
 Pano de lagrimas (Wiping away the tears from 
 people s eyes, giving comfort to the distressed.) 
 
 Buenos dias Caballeros, nos gustan mucho los Ameri 
 canos. Bien venidos! estrangeros! Bien venidos! 
 (Good day, Gentlemen, we like the Americans 
 
 very much. Welcome, Strangers, welcome!)
 
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