391
Ps\PERS OF nfIRADEAU BUO.N'APARTE LUIAR
No. 1667.
NOTES UPON :MEXICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. LAMAR [Houston ? Texas, 183- ?l
Don Marino Gimcn.es comanding a Division of the patriot forces, attempted to penetrate into Texas but was not able to proceed in con- sequence of the formidable opposition presented by the Royal forces at Monclover under Govr. Cordero, Yturbe Govr province Colonia, and the forces which had been established at Bexar under the Govr. Salcedo, and H errere- On account of these obstacles Gim~nes was not able to penetrate farther t~rnn Mateguala his forces being unprovided with. any arms & not dis- c1pli11ed nor equal in nos. to the enemy. Bernardo hearing of the em- barrassmts of Gimenes attempted to spread disaffection among the Royal Troops and win them over to the Patriot cause by means of pr?clamatfons strongly appealing to their patriotism & love of liblert.r [sic] ; these proclamations introduced at great hazzard, had the desired -effect; many of the Hoyal Troops deserted and repaired to Gimenes' <!amp. Lieutenant Sanes, belonging to Yturbe's divlision, deserting the Royalists & joining the patriots, took some of these proclamations to Bexar which had the immediate effect of causing the Royal forces there to proclaim, as well as the whole people en masse in favor of the patriots; the Govrs Salcedo & Herrere were taken prisoners & all their suit. His success being equal to his expectations, he sets out to join Gimenes, and meets with him at the Hacienda of Santa Maria, where was also Hidalgo 38 an [ d l Allende In consequence of these acts & Bernardo's general character &. de- votion to the cause he was appointed Colonel by Hidalgo & Allende (who were then on the march to .Monclover) with instructions to repair to Colonia and raise as strong a force as he could and proceed with them to Rio Grande. Before he proceeded to Colona; the news came that two Commissioners, Don Ygnacio Aldame and Padre_ Zalazar, who were appointed to go to the United States for the purpose of getting arms and YOlunteers, and had been intercepted & made prisoners by some disaffected officers who had turned traitors [to] the patriot cause from an ambitious desire of command. Bernardo was now anxious to suc- ceed them & proceed at once to the US on same errand which had been <!onficled to Aldame & Zalazar, and accordingly proposed it to Hidalgo, who called the principle officers of his army together, antl laid the matter before them; this junta approved the measure, and accordingly deputed Benardo l\linister plenipotentiary to proceed to the US for the objects already specified. But preYious to his going it wus decreed best that he should execute his first orders, for raising troops at Colona & taking them to Rio Grande. He accordingly sat out for Colonn for i.his purpose- Before reaching Colonia, however he henrd, that in fh-e <lays after leaving Hidalgo, this noble chief on his march to )lonclorn was taken prisoner & all of his forces by the traitor Elizondo. Hearing "[Note in document:] This unfortunate patriot Hidalgo who,c prospeds were almost blasted by the defeat whirh Culleja gained o,·er him at the Bridge of Calderon, was making his retreat into the eustern pro\"inres where he ex- pected security from the pursuit of Calleja until he should get recruits & arms from the U S.
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