99
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
taking. John Hewitt and John G. Purnell were deputed to com- municate these proceedings to the deposed chieftain; which they did in a letter of wonderful impudence, telling Trespelacios that they were willing to retain him and Genl. Long as members of the Supreme Coumcil, and that suitable provisions should also be made for his Mexican friends; but that the garrison and all its stores as well as whatever funds he might have in his possession belonging to the enter- prise, should be turned over to Col. Drennon, whom he would regard· for the future as his Commanding Officer. The letter was delivered by Hugh Crawford, who had but a short time previously, been cashiered by a Court-Martial, and very soon after the present occur- rence died drunk in the streets of New Orleans. Drennon now writes a most social and affectionate letter to Major Milam at Bolivar Point, and Purnell addresses another to Genl. Long saying to him that he will doubtless be greatly surprised at their proceedings, but hopes he will give to them a cheerful acquiescence, and winds up with the following language - "please permit my respects to 1\frs. Long and accept my best wishes for the prosperity and happiness of your family.'' Drennon however, did not return to Texas to enjoy his honors; things at Bolivar Point remained ''in stafa quo"; and we know nothing further of our pesuedo commander than what we gather from a single sentence in a letter from Almonte to General Long. The writer says - "It appears that Drennon began to look out. He says that he is going to Canada; but God knows whether his Excellency will be able to clear out without first _going to goal." - And so ends the matter. ·while Trespelac.ios was thus harrassed by Drennon and others in New-Orleans, General Long at Bolivar Point was equally annoyed by the Col. Santiago Madella, whose mutinous conduct, however, had a more tragical termination, as will be seen in the next Chapter.-
Long's Expedition.
1821
Of Don Santiago Modella, mentioned in the preceding Chapter, we know nothing more than that he had suffered at Ravanna with Trespalacios, and in the capacity of private Secretary had a·ccom- panied him to Texas, where he was received into the service with the rank of Colonel, and was also made Secretary of the Supreme Conncil. Nor can we speak with much certainty about the precise origin of his difficulty with Genl. Long; but from a few hints variously gathered, we discover that a woman was connected with the affair; and that supercedes the necessity of seeking any further cause. Mary Crow did not belong to the upper ten-thousand; although she was almost equal to ten thousand in many respects--especially in the liberal exercise of her tongue. No orator could excel her in fluency, and certainly none ever surpassed her in the provoking character of her rhctorick. Her freedom of speech, as well .as of manners, became finally, a source of great annoyance to the ladies in
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