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TEXAS ST.\TE LIBRARY
desires and limited services. I was immediateiy appointed Colonel , and ordered to march to Colotiin to organize all the forces possible aud move witl1 them to the Rio Grande garrison, taking all Euro- peans prisoners as I went.' Before this time the aforementioned chiefs had received notice o'f the counter-revolution carried through in Vexar by various individuals who were impelled by their ambi- tion to be in command, and who had arrested Sefior Cazas, appointed GoYernor in Vexar by Seiior Ximenes, Ignacio Aldama, the )lar- shall, and Father Zalazar, who ,,ere passing that way to the United States with a very important commission from the supreme chiefs. This fatal incident greatly saddened Commander-in-Chief Ayende1. and Captain-General Ximenes, siuee the very important mission of Senor Aldama, as ·well as the plan which they had adopted and done the l10nor of revealing to me, had been frustrated. In substance, their plan was this: to unite all the forces of the four provinces, in order that these, when united with the army which was in Saltillo, might oppose the factions Coyejas and prevent his entering said provinces, while the Commander-in-Chief and others, ,vith a divi- sion which was conducting them! should reach the capitol of Vexar and there receive the armament which Senor Aldama was to l,uy in tile United States and send with the greatest promptness. Seiior Aldama was likewise to receive all volunteers who should come from said states to enter the service. By these means he was to equip a powerful army to assure communication with the North and to return against the factious pal'ties at our back. Seeing the very great importance of executing this plan, principally because of the great resources which we should expect from the immense advan- tage of communication with a powerful nation, although those resources should only be the aid which we could obtain through our own money, and being impelled by the desire of executing the adopted plan and of sacrificing myself in the service of my country, I could do no less in this case than oj]'er myself to my superiors for the purpose of overcoming all obstacles and' entering the United States where I could do mueh, going vested with ample powers and instmctions which should be given me. by the government, which for this purpose should be formed at the Rio Grande garrison, (a place which had been indicated for the rendezvous), and bein~ furnished by the government with letters of credit, all possible amounts in gold, an escort of fifty men chosen by me from troops of the Rio Grande garrison, .and an efficient secretary which I had asked for, I should take up my march, travelling through the barba- rous nations of the north and should enter the United St11tes in a few clays. A secret council of the principal officers was·held imme- diately, the project was laid before them and received general appro- bation. I was appointed and recognized as plenipotentiary. The same council decided that the government should be formed in the Hio Grande garrison, and that I should be supplied with everything I re11uired for carrying out so important a mission. At the snmc time it was eonsiclcred expedient that I should go down to Coloniu to cnrry out tile first order; 11nmely, thnt of obtain- ing all possihle forces from thnt province an<l of hl'inging th<'lll up to the point of remlc;wous on the mo Grnnde. I npprovNl of it all,
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