501
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
all hands sworn to Secrecy, and this was what released Santa Ana, and not that Houston expected any benefit from Santa Ana, on his arrival in Mexico- 'fhe money was sent to New Orleans, and paid by the house Lezardi to Sam Houston, or to his order, and to those of his accomplices.- He told me much more about it; but as It was a long tale, I only noted down the particulars, and thought but little more about it until some time a£ter I arrived in Mexico, I was awakened by another confirmation from a very respectable gentleman, an American of Louis- iana whose name I can give if called on so to do. His words as far as I can recollect, are these.- "Do you know Sir," said he- That General Houston received a very large sum of money from the friends of Santa Ana;" and that he has always ever since pre- tended to be very poor, and that I understood that he had the money carefully deposited with some particular friend of his in New York, in order to keep it a secret" lviy answer was, that I heard something to that amount; but could not say much about it, as it was so foreign to any thing I had expected, that I had understood that Santa Ana had been released in order that he might bring about the .Recognition of Texas.- The gentleman then remarked, "That he was intimate with the house of Lezardi, and that one morning while in said House; one of the clerks told him- "Well we have paid the hundred thousand that was sent us!" "What hundred thousand dollars do you speak" of said the gentleman! 0, you know it came fro:rµ Mexico; and we have paid it over-but I dare not tell you any further; but you know the man"-- The clerk gave him to suspect, and even indirectly to understand that it was paid to the order of Sam Houston. Again in the month of December 1840 on my way from reconnoitering the south Pacific coast of. l\fexico in the town of Silan I fell in with a l\fr Thompson a Phisician established in that place.- and he the said 'l'hompson from a Conversation with him upon the subject of Sam Houston's affair with Santa Ana, goes still further to corroberate the fact, informed me, that it was no doub\ a fact, at least that he had no doubt, but Sam Houston received the money & that the money was paid over by the house Lezardi in New Orleans, and that a man named Christy of New Orleans done the business, I believe he said was a. Notary Public from Silan, I went to Mexico, and stated what I heard from Doct Thompson, to the same gentleman who had spoken to me on the subject- He then informed me that he had been making some enquiry relative to the affair of Santa Anna's release, and was given to understand that the government of Mexico made up 10,000$ and re- mitted the same to the United States for the release of Santa Ana, and that Santa Anna's wife mortgaged the estate and raised the amount de- manded by Houston, save a 8mall amount made up by Santa Ana's friends in the State of Vera Cruz. These remarks which I have above to your Excellency's view, if you think them worthy of notice, and of any use, you can at any time by writing me receive further information on the Subject, and even the names of the two first individuals spoken of A letter written me and sent to Wm Bryan Orleans will be received by your Respectfully AS. Wright
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