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The main body of the colonists missed their road in the night, and before they· found out their mistake, were at the upper ford, immediately opposite the.town. They then struck across, for a short cut, to the position occupied by the van-guard. Their route led through a muskeet thicket. The muskeet is a tree of the lornst family, full of thorns, and at a short distance, resembles the common peach tree in size and appearance. While the parties were treacling their way through this thicket, the horses of some of them started in affright at an object beneath a bush. The rider checked his horse and said, "who's there." A voice answered in Spanish. One of the party supposed that he recognised in the voice an old acquaintance of La Bahia-and asked if it was not such a one, mentioning the name. "No," was the reply, "my name is l\lilam." Col. .Milam is a native of Kentucky. At the commencement of the Mexican war of independence he engaged in the cause. and assisted in establishing the independence of the country. When Iturbide assumed the purple, Milam's republican principles placed him in fetters-dragged him to the city of Mexico, and confined him in prison until the usurper was dethroned.- When Santa Anna assumed the dictatorship, the republican Milam was again thrust into the prison at Monte Rey. But his past services and suffermgs wrought upon the sympathies of his hard hearted jailors. They allowed him the luxury of the bath. He profitted by the indulgence and made arrangements with an old compatriot lo place a fleet horse suitably equipped upon the bank of the stream at a time appointed. The colonel passed the sentinel as he was wont to go into the water-walked quietly on-mounted the horse and fled. Four hundred miles would place him in safety. The noble horse did his duty; and bore the colonel clear of all pursuit to the place where our party surprised him. At first he supposed himself in the power of his enemy-but the English language soon convinced him that he was in the midst of his countrymen. He had never heard that Texas was making an effort to save herself. No whisper of the kind had been allowed to pass to his prison. When he learnt the object of the party, his heart was full. He .could not speak-for joy. When the company arrived at the lower ford they divided themselves into four parties of twelve men each. One party remained as a guard with the horses. The other three, each with a guide, marched by different routes lo the assault. Their axes hewed down the door where the colonel commanding the place slept-and he was taken a prisoner from his bed. A sentinel hailed-and fired. A rifle ball laid him dead upon the
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