471
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
the course of which he addressed himself directly to the perfidious priest, and exclaimed, is it possible Padra Zanbrannon that you are willing to preserve your life by not only by deserting a cause which you have taught us to believe was holy and sacred, but by sacrificing your friends- your honor and your Country, and bringing shame upon your religion, and eternal infamy upon your name?- if so then I have only one re- quest to make, which is this-that you will take my life immediately, and not surrender me to the bloo<l thirsty Gauchupins, as I desire to die by the hands of my own countrymen. The appeal however had no Yisible effect upon either Zambrannon, the soldiery or the populace, for all other feelings of nature seemed to be overcome & destroyed by the terror inspired by the capture of Hidalgo, and the dreadful apprehen- sions of that sanguinary vengeance which would follow the return of Saucedo and Herrera. Inspite of his eloquence and the general ap- preciation of his talents and virtues, Aldama was taken to Chihuahua together with Casso, where they were both doomed to ignominious deaths. In three days after their Execution, the head of Casso was exhibited on a pole in the streets of Bexar; whilst the hopes of Padra Zambrannon were more than realized, for he was not only pardoned all his past political offences, but was rewarded for J1is recent fidelity to his King by bein& made Commandant of the garrison as well as·being still recognised father of the Church- On hearing of the capture of his chiefs, Guiterez changed the direc- tion of his journey and instead of proceeding to Texas, went to Revilla, his native village, where he arrived on the 17th of April; and after tarrying a few days, returned to Monclover. for the purpose, as he says of effecting the release o-f Hidalgo; but finding on his arrival there that the captive had been taken to Chiahuahua and being himself regarded by the authorities with some suspicion, he deemed it necessary to go into concealment for the preservation of his life; in which situation he remained until the middle of July when he was visited by a patriot from Bexar, one of the family of the l\Ionchacas, who was flying the persecutions of Solcedo and Herrera. He received the fugative in his house as a friend and compatriot, and gave him all the protection & security which he himself enjoyed. Guterez had not abandoned his original intention of proceeding to the United States, but was secretly en- gaged in malting arrangements for his departure; for notwithstan[din] g the desperate state of his own affairs, as well as the discouraging con- dition of the cause in which he was engaged, he still cherished a strong hope that such foreign assistence might be procured as would enable him to give a new impulse to the Revolution and turn the current of events in favor of the patriots. He found in nf.onchaca a ready sup- porter of his views, who was willing to embark with him in the arduous enterprise and share his destiny. In a short time these two patriots left the city in disguise, &C-accompanied by twelve followers, and commenced their long and perilous journey, which they had to prose- cute through devious and untravelled ways to avoid apprehension. In passing through the various tribes of Indians, Guiterez had the address, not only to escape their barbarity, but to cultivate amicable relations with them; and succeeded in establishing a partial alliance with some, who agreed to unite with him against the Gauchupins on his return from the United States. Worn down with hunger and fatigue, and all
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