3fl~
TEXAS ST,\TE LIIHl.\HY
of this, and nl~o of several (earful tlesertNs of the eausc Bernardo tleemed it prmle11t to secrete his papers (dispatches & onl<'l's) and change his direction to the Re,·illn hi~ 11ati,·e ,·illagc; 011 arri,·i11g- (l •ith april 1811) at which he found a company of militia 1111cler J3m;tamcnte prepared to march to join the Hoynl party who had captured Hidalgo. Bernardo, joined this company and proceeded with them to ~lonelon•r, with a view of deserting them there and trying to get the troops to desert the Royal cause & rescue Hidalgo; but on reaching )l011cloH•r the prisoners had been remitted to Chihuahua. Detected in his Yiews, he was forced to secrete himself to sa,·e his life; & remained hicl until the middle of July 1811, when Menchaca, came flying from the per- $ecution of Solcado who had dispatched men i11 every direction in search of him. Bernardo recd him iu his house & gave him the same protection he himself enjoyed. These two men now agreed to go to Texas, & thence to the US, and Bernardo raising & equipping 12 men, started on his journey hy unknown & untravelled ways. In the in- clian Country he labored to unite the savages in his cause, ,vho agreed to join him on his return from the US- After a long and tedious joµrney beset with many perils, he reached what is called the neutral ground between the US & Texas- Here he immagined he was safe; but not so; at the House of a Frenchman, he was attacked hy 50 Span- iards who had been placed iu that quarter; iu the engagemt, (he ha,·iug 14 men only) he lost three of them together with all his arms & papers. He entered Natchitoches in a deplorable condition, but was well recd by the inhabitants; here he formed a plan that Monchaca should place himself at the head of a t·ompany of Yolunteers who were willing to enter the patriot servise and march with them to Bexar, & take pos- session .of that province & form a Govt. there & communicate with Bernardo, & furnish him with means if possible to purchase arms &C, as also with new credentials in the place of those which he had lost. Monchaca placed himself at the head of this company; whilst Bernarrlo started for Wash•ngton City to proc>ure aid from the US. Govt. On arri\-ing at ,vashington, he asked for aid, which the Govt. said she could not extend because she was at peace with all nations. Bernardo re- plied, that he thought that it ought to be done for the benefit which she would receive from the commerce of }Texico, which was rich & vast, & whic>h the US could monopolise over all other countries, by extend- inp: this aid. Secondly, they were engaged in the same cause which animated the people of the US during their revolution; as well as from the importance of making the whole American continent the land of the fre<> enjoying the principles of free governmt; and 3rdly if any amhitious nations shoulcl, un<ler the present distracted condition of :Mcxic·o tukc possession of he1·, all the a1lnrntages which the US might reap from her would be lost & the nations of Europe adverse or hostile to the PS would thus have their power so augmented as to make them formi1lahle enemies & 1langero11s to the liherties & prosperit_v of the rs- He, however. failecl in gctti11g a11~• assiste11ce: and was tol<l that the l'S. Govt was ahout taking possession herself of the Countr~· to the Rio_grande. as bei11/.! a part of Louisia11a hy virtue> o_f La~alles clis- t·o,·ery.- He oppos<><l this strongl~·-th<>y ask him to give his reasons in writing whiC'l1 Harnarclo refuusctl rsirl to ,lo, hut defended the $pa11i:.:h <:l11im, oralry. [sic l
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