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PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
prevailed upon to ask for babtism, which was given him in the name of Jose Maria." As soon as the town was thoroughly ransacked and plundered Lieutenant Fernando Rodrigus was despatched with Seventy men to the banks of the Sabine on the Ormigues road, with instructions to devastate the country as he went, and to capture, not only the fuga- tives of Long, but the peaceful settlers also, who had abided many years in the Province with the acquiesence of its authorities. Perez himself, with the main body of his army proceeded to the Sharbono Crossing, where he found encamped on the opposite bank of the river, a party of Regular troops from fort Jesup, which ha,d been directed to this point, for the purpose of repelling any attempt on the part of the Spaniards to invade the territory or violate the rights of the United States. A short correspondence ensued between the two au'- thorities-the precise nature of which we do not understand-when Perez returned to Nacogdoches, executing in his march, with the ut- most rigor, the execrable instructions which he had given to Rodrigu8 -making indiscriminate captures-seizing upon women and chldren- firing the dwellings of the poor-driving off their stock, and destroy- ing their subsistence. He boasted that he had burned 30 habitations; and had spared nothing that was destructible. "I left nothing"- said he in his report- "which might possibly serve them in future; except the extensive fields which they have opened for cultivation." According to his own account, his course was one of rapine, desolation and cruelty. The ferocity of the Superior was equalled by that of the subaltern. Rodrigus, who had been sent on the Ormigues road acquitted himself to the satisfaction of his Chief. 'rhe instruction which he had re- ceived, were fulfilled to the letter. He laid waste to everything which he could not appropriate. On arriving a,t the Sabine, about eight or nine o'clock at night, he encountered no one on the west side of the river, ex- cept the old man Critchfield and his family. After taking quiet posses- sion of the premises, he placed a small party in ambush at the ferry, and secreted the balance of his force. His arrival wa,s unknown to the Americans on the opposite bank; for he had taken all possible precau- . tions to conceal his being there; so that any one who might attempt to recross the strea,m that night must inevitably fall into his hands. It happened that Captain Wormsley had an occasion to return to Critchfield 's domicil. His business was the recovery of some articles which had been left with that family by Mrs. Long and it was at the request of this lady that he went-taking with him a negro fellow, by the name of Bill-the body servant of the General. The boat, how- ever, had scarcely touched the western bank, when the servant was seized by the secreted soldiers. Wormsley sprang to his rescue; but finding himself suddenly surrounded, and likely to be taken by the insolent foe, he fired his pistol; and attempting escape, was thrust through the body with a bayonet; and was supposed, at the time to be mortally wounded. Himself, Bill and the Critchfields were all made prisoners. The noice and confusion in the American Camp, was so great, that the report of Wormsley's pistol was either unheard or not
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