also lhal a large porlion of the enemy's force was encamped on lhis side of Lhc river, and Lhal according lo whal Mr. Carhajal had said from lhe beginning, lhe whole of lheir force was composed of eighteen hundred men, and of lhese, three-hundred arc cavalry; Lhal an inhabiLanL of Guadalupe had also informed him thal Mr. Carbajal had been arrcsled by Lhe Americans; and in lhe olhcr news that he gave him, he only said that Lhe forces of said Americans were in greal numbers; LhaL Lherc was also an advanced parly in Lhe firsl farm of the Colelo, and another close lo the rivulet, their number being, in lhe opinion of Lhe person speaking, about twenty men in both parties; lhat this is all he has lo say upon Lhe subject, and this his declaration being read lo him, he affirmed and ratified it, saying that he was twenty years old, and not knowing how lo write, signed it wiLh a cross, lhe commissioner and secretary also signing it-Mariano Rodriguez.-In my presence, Manuel Sanchez. Afterwards, the commissioned officer caused lo appear before him, Manuel Escalera, from whom, before me the secretary, he received an oalh, which he made by Cod and a sign of Lhe cross, by which he offered lo speak lru Lh in all that he should know, and Lhal should be interrogated; and having been so, as lo his name and occupation, said thaL he is called as is above expressed, and that he is a soldier of the fronlier company of this post. Being asked for the results of his commission in relation to his Excellency the president general, said: that on the 15th day of the current month, he received Lhe commission from general Urrea, to pass lo San Jacinto or Galveston, where Lhcy would fall in with his Excellency the president general, with the object of delivering lo his a paper, which, according lo what ~Ir. Urrea advised him, was nothing more than lo ask him lo what place he wished his baggage to be sent, with which pretext he was lo deliver a small paper privately, and for this purpose the deponent received lhe respective passport; commencing afterwards his march as far as Guadalupe, where he was to see Don Jose Maria Carbajal, in order thal this person migh L give him some instructions 011 the subject, which individual handed a letter to the deponent, telling him not lo advance further, and to sent il lo Mr. Urrea; therefore lw delivered il lo his companion Antonio Sanche~, who carried ii: that said letter contained advice, that an Arncriean eaplai11. t·allctl
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