Chapter Ten

Preparations for March to Mexico. Our Friends J. P. Schatzell, Marks, and Strother. Protest against ironing our Men. March for Monterey under charge of Colonel Savriego. Held as Hostages for the good Conduct of our Men. Interview with them in Prison. Arrival at Caidereta. Bad Treatment. Letter to Ampudia. Arrival at Monterey. Character of Colonel Savriego. Quartered at Colonel Bermudez's. His Character and Family. Interview with Governor Ortega.

January 10th and 11th were employed in writing and preparing for our march. Several American gentlemen called upon us and offered their services, among whom we recollect with gratitude Mr. J. P. Schatzell, Mr. Marks, United States vice-consul, and Mr. Strother. These gentlemen were of infinite service to our men in furnishing money, blankets, and other absolute necessaries, without which they must have suffered much more than they did. While they have laid us under lasting obligations for such kindness, our country should not feel less proud of such friends, nor be slow to requite such services.

Having learned that it was in contemplation to march our men in irons to Mexico, and that they were in preparation to be placed upon them, Colonel Fisher and myself remonstrated against it in the strongest terms. General Ampudia, in answer, said that Colonel Canales, the officer who was to take charge of them to Monterey, insisted upon having [127] them ironed, and that he would not undertake to guard two hundred and twenty Texians with less than one thousand Mexicans; but that he had overruled the order for ironing them as violative of his articles of capitulation.

January 12th. Early in the morning preparations were made for starting, and I applied to General Ampudia for permission to take with us our interpreter, Daniel D. Henrie, and my servant, Samuel C. Lyon. I will here remark that Lyon was not my servant in the ordinary meaning of the word, but that we had lived next-door neighbours for six years, and I knew I could greatly serve him by having him with me. I informed the general that such courtesies were common for us to extend to Mexican officers when our prisoners, and he gave the order for them to accompany us. Colonel Fisher, myself, Dr. Shepherd, Adjutant Murry, Interpreter Henrie, and S. C. Lyon, were each furnished a horse, and placed under charge of Lieutenant-colonel Savriego, who had under his command about forty cavalry. In the morning previous, not expecting the privilege of seeing our men, I addressed them the following note, in which Colonel Fisher joined me: