PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
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scandal did an opportunity oceur. He should at least have abandoned a command when he saw his cause stained with a crime more infamous than ever characterised a Vandal Chief. Gutierrez did participate, though it may be indirectly, in that bloody act. He sentenced, by his dissimulation, and then, like another Pilate, assumerl to wash his hands of the criminality. It was not a Court Martial that condemned those fourteen wretches as has been erroneously published. Kempe1· and the remainder of the American auxiliaries, horrified at this atrocity, im mediately made active preparations to leave the country, demanding of Gutierrez their dues. Upon the request, however, of Col. Miguel Men chacha and other Mexican officers they continued to remain in San Antonio, to aid the cause of Mexican Independence. It is known with certainty, that a few days after these events Col. Don Ignacio Elisando, wai; on his march from. the Rio Grande towards San Antonio, with an army exceeding two thousand men. Already informed of the massacre of the Governors, and employing the ut most expedition, he arrived at a place called Alazan situated about two miles West of San Antonio. Gutierrez and Perry sallied from the town and encountered him ori the 5th of June 1813. From the towers of the Catholic church, a party of curious boys, in the num ber of which was myself, were regarding through glasses the glitter ing armor and burnished sheen, and listening appalled to the boom ing sound of the cannon. After a combat of four hours, Elisando was defeated. He retreated hurriedly, having i;ustained a loss of four hun dred in killed 1md wounded. He likewise left some prisoners. Gutier rez had but 22 killed and 42 wounderl. Among the killed was his field adjutant, Monsieur Maricot, a young Frenchman, who for ac complishments, valor and per!'onal beauty. could worthily be ranked among- the noblest of Napoleon's Marshall I". Scarcely had Gutierrez and Perrv returnr,d to San Antonio, ere it was known that the Com mandant·General of the Provinces, Joaquin de Arredondo, was en route from Laredo to Bexar, at the head of three thousand men, com prising-the best Mexican troops, and that the defeated Colonel Elisando with the refuge('S from the battle-fielil of Alazan, had aheaclv joined him. At this time, notwithstanding- his victories, Gutierrez began to lose the confidence of his officers and soldins. The barbarous conduct of Gutierrez towards the RSsMsinRte<l Spaniards and the political move ments of Don Jof'e Alvarez cle Tol('do. f'onduced to this result. Thifl Toledo was a Spaniard hy birth, who had been sent from the Court of Cadiz to the Island of San Domingo. PosseRsed of liberal smtiments Rnd disaffected towards the Govern- ment of the kin!!, he now. hailing from the State of LouisiRna, arrived to deprive Gutierrez of his com manil. The star of Gutierrez culminated from its zenith with the same rapidity it had ariR('n. Diflh�artenrd at seeing himself abandoneil,, bv J,is former friends, he left Bexar with a few comrades for th(' United States. - A few days after Gen('ral Toledo took command of the Patriot armv. Gutierr0z haR declared in his manifest of May 25th, J 827, that the patr.iotism of Genrral Alvarez de Toledo was mere pre tence, while in truth he was engaged in Rccret correspondence with the kini; of Spain, for thr purpose of obstructing the progresfl and triumph of the Patriots. - He assigns for proof, that subsequent to the year 1813, Alvarez Toledo returned to Spain, and was not only cordially
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