Memoirs of the Mexican Revolution: including a narrative of the expedition of General X. Mina. With some observations on the practicability of opening a commerce between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and on the future importance of such commerce

Front matter

MEMOIRS OF THE £QiBZll(9&S9 M&W&Mftl®^3 INCLUDING A NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION OF GENERAL XAYIER MINA. WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRACTICABILITY OF OPENING A COMMERCE BETWEEN THE PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC OCEANS, BETWEEN THROUGH THE MEXICAN ISTHMUS IN THE PROVINCE OF OAXACA, AND AT THE LAKE OF NICARAGUA J AND ON THE FUTURE IMPORTANCE OF SUCH COMMERCE TO THE CIVILIZED WORLD, AND MORE ESPECIALLY TO THE UNITED STATES BY WILLIAM DAVIS ROBINSON. PHILADELPHIA .- PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR. s. LYDIA R. BAILEY, PRINTER. 1820. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, to wit: BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-sixth day of July, (L. S.) in the forty-fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1820, Williajw Davis Rosikson, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office the Title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to -wit : " Memoirs of the Mexican Revolution : including a Narrative of the Ex " pedition of General Xavier Mina.

With some observations on the practi " cability of opening a commerce between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, " through the Mexican Isthmus in the province of Oaxaca, and at the Lake " of Nicaragua ; and on the future importance of such commerce to the ci " vilized world, and more especially to the United States. By William Davis " Robinson." In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, intituled, " An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." And also to the Act, entitled, " An Act supple mentary to an Act, entitled, ' An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprie tors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Introduction

. IT is incumbent on every person who presents a statement of important events to the public, to unfold the sources from which he derives his information. The writer therefore, in the first instance, with great pleasure acknowledges his obligations to Mr. James A. Brush, a gentleman who accompanied general Mina from England to Mexico, and was finally appointed his commissary general. The journal of Mr. Brush was submitted to the inspection of the writer, with the liberty of making such use of it as was thought proper, and from it he compiled the narrative of the military operations of general Mina, of the fidelity of which not the least doubt exists in his mind ; indeed all the essen tial facts contained in the narrative were fully corroborated by information derived from various sources, while He was in Mexico, and by the testimony of the few surviving officers of Mina's expedition, whom he met with in Mexico and in the United States, and who were carefully consulted on the subject.

To John E. Howard, Esq., of Baltimore, he likewise feels under particular obligations, for having furnished him with the greater portion of the facts contained in the biographical sketch of Mina, and indeed for having infused into that sketch more animation than it would have been in his power alone to have given it. The perusal of the correspondence of Mina with various distinguished individuals in Europe and the United States, from which the writer obtained important information, was po litely afforded him by genera -Winfield Scott, to whom he likewise begs leave to offer his acknowledgments. The writer has also examined, with much attention, files of the Mexican, Havana, and Madrid gazettes, for the last ten 3*-ears, and however ridiculous or exaggerated may be their

INTRODUCTION.

. IV statements of the operations of the royal forces against the patriots, one feature of the story, we maybe assured, they have not too highly coloured — the cruelties exercised by them. It is from such indubitable sources, and others of a similar character, which were submitted to his inspection in Mexico, and other parts of Spanish America, as well as from personal observation, that the writer has been enabled to draw the dark hued picture of Spanish inhumanity which is exhibited in the following pages. The information embodied in the chapter treating of the route to the Pacific ocean, has been derived from various Spa nish and British authorities ; among the latter, William Wal ton, Esq., of London, and the late celebrated Bryan Edwards, of Jamaica, deserve particular notice. Several important do cuments relating to this subject, written by intelligent Creoles, were likewise placed in the writer's hands ,- and he has fre quently conversed with individuals who have visited or resided at the places which he has pointed out as being the most eligible for the cutting of canals, or the construction of roads, so as to give a rapid and certain communication between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, more especially at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec ; of the practicability of accomplishing which, at that place, personal investigation has also convinced him.

As respects the general remarks on Mexico, and the situation, political and civil, of the people of Spanish America, he has endeavoured to divest himself of those prejudices which a citizen of the United States may be supposed to entertain in favour of a people struggling against oppression, and to state faithfully what came under his own personal observation, as well with regard to royalists as revolutionists. It is now more than twenty-one years since he made his first visit to Spanish America ; and as far as it has been in his power to gather information he has done so. If he' could not obtain all that he desired, it arose from his having con stantly to be upon his guard against the jealousies of the Spa nish government, and from the difficulty of gaining access to the Spanish archives ; but nevertheless, he flatters himself the

INTRODUCTION.

. V reader will find in the. work now submitted to his inspection, some facts entitled to consideration, as well from their im portance as novelty-. It will naturally be asked, how he gained admission into the Spanish territories in America, in contravention to the laws of the Indies ? To this it is replied, that his first visit was to Caracas, in the year 1799, where he continued, in the prosecution of extensive mercantile engagements with the Spa nish authorities, until the year 1806. Those engagements were with the approbation of his Catholic majesty, and conse quently his residence in that country, during the time before mentioned, was under the royal sanction. The extraordinary manner in which his interests were sacrificed, and his personal rights outraged, by the bad faith and arbitrary conduct of the Spanish authorities in Caracas, will be found in a statement of his claims on the Spanish government, in the appendix to this volume, and to which he particularly refers such of his read ers as may feel any curiosity to see the extent of the injuries he has suffered as a merchant, in his intercourse with the Spanish government.

As respects his subsequent visits to the Spanish dominions, more especially to Mexico, he is perfectly aware that the government of Spain has said, and will continue to say, that such visits being contrary to her laws and her policy*-, she had a right to punish him for their infraction. She has, on several occasions during the last ten years, enforced those laws against foreigners, by imprisonment, and in some instances by death. When the Spanish general Morillo captured Carthagena, he seized all the British and other foreign merchants, threw them into dungeons, threatened to try them by a military tri bunal, and would unquestionably have shot them, had it not been for the timely interference of the British admiral on the Jamaica station, who despatched a frigate to Carthagena, with such communications from the British authorities at Jamaica, as at once settled the question, and compelled Morillo instan taneously to release all the British subjects. The American government likewise sent a vessel of war to Carthagena, and obtained the liberation of several American citizens. If these

INTRODUCTION.

. VI measures had not been adopted, no mercy nor regard would have been extended to any foreigner who might unfortunately have fallen into the hands of the Spanish government, because not only by the " Leyes de las Indias" was it a capital crime for a foreigner to enter the Spanish dominions without a special authority from his Catholic majesty, but during the pre sent revolutions in America, the Spanish government have is sued various decrees, expressly declaring that all strangers aiding the insurgents, or found residing among them, were to be punished as insurgents, by death. If these decrees have not been executed by the Spanish government, it was by no means for lack of disposition, but from the apprehension of the resentment of those governments whose subjects and citizens held intercourse with the insurgents.

The writer has been thus particular in stating these facts, be cause they show that any individual, not engaged in the military or naval service ofthe insurgents of Spanish America, is under the protection of the laws of nations in favour of all non-com batants ; and that any attempt on the part of Spain to infringe this security is a violation of the usages of civilized nations, and a direct outrage against that nation whose subjects may have been thus wantonly punished. It is not only on these principles that the writer feels justified in complaining of the barbarous treatment he has received from the Spanish government, during an imprisonment of two years and a half, but because there are some peculiar circumstances attending the affair, which, if he is not much mistaken, will excite the indig nation and surprise of every unprejudiced reader.

The recital of this case has become the more necessary, because, during his imprisonment in the dungeons of Mexico, he was honoured with the sympathy of his fellow citizens, and the interference of his government in his behalf. He therefore deems it incumbent upon him to prove that he was not undeserving of such sympathy and protection. In addition to this, he is anxious to remove all doubts with regard to his conduct, that may have arisen from the misrepre sentations made in the public newspapers respecting him ; for in some of these he has been called Doctor Robinson, and in

INTRODUCTION.

. VII others it has been asserted that he held a military command in the service of the Mexican insurgents, and was taken prisoner on the field of battle. The writer has not in any one instance violated his neutral obligations as a citizen of the United States. But while making this assertion, he does not at all hesitate openly to avow, that if an ardent desire to promote the independence of all Spanish America, and more especially of Mexico, constitutes him an enemy of Spain, and criminal in her eyes, — then he is guilty. If the fact of his having visit ed New Grenada, Caracas, and Mexico, during the political commotions of those countries, for the purpose of ascertaining their actual condition, and of succouring the revolutionists, as a neutral merchant, by all fair and honourable means, renders him an enemy to Spain, — then is he her enemy.

If cherish ing those sentiments, and a determination to persevere in pro moting the independence of South America and Mexico, by every means in his power, consistent with his duties as a citizen of the United States, proves him to entertain criminal intentions towards the Spanish government, — then indeed is he criminal. Having thus acknowledged all that the government of Spain can possibly lay to his charge, he now invites the attention of the reader to the following detail of facts. On the 4th of March, 1816, he embarked at New Orleans on board the United States' brig of war Saranac, commanded by John H. Elton, Esq., bound on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. When he applied for a passage, he stated to the naval com mander on that station, commodore Patterson, that he wished to be landed on the Mexican coast, for the purpose of having an interview with some of the Mexican authorities, on whom he had drafts for a large amount of money, due to certain merchants in the United States.

His request was politely acceded to, and captain Elton received directions accordingly. The writer premises this, to show that he did not depart from the United States in an unauthorized manner, or with an ille gal object in view. On the 4th of the ensuing month, he was landed from the Saranac, at Boquilla de Picdra, a post then in possession of the • -

INTRODUCTION.

. VIII v revolutionists, on the coast of Vera Cruz. He thence proceeded to the head-quarters of Don Guadalupe Victoria, commandant general of the patriot forces in the province of Vera Cruz, who received him in the most friendly manner. Upon his explaining the object of his visit to Mexico, general Victoria observed, that although he was unable immediately to pay the drafts on the Mexican government, yet if the writer would remain a few weeks in the country, payment should be made. He was more readily induced to wait, as he was desirous to view the interesting country in which he then was, and likewise to acquire correct information respecting the political state of affairs, in the expectation that it might be such as would justify his entering into some commercial arrangements as well with the government as with individuals.

But he soon discovered that the representations made to him at New Orleans by the Mexican minister, Don Jose Herrera, and by Don Alvarez Toledo, were destitute of foundation, and indeed that in many points they had deceived him. However, as he received some flattering accounts of the situation of the patriots in the interior, and had a prospect of obtaining the payment of his drafts at a place called Tehuacan, he pro ceeded thither, and was received with every mark of civility by the patriot commandant, Don Manuel Mier y Teran, who accepted and paid part of the drafts, and promised to discharge the residue in a short time. He remained at Tehuacan until the last of July, and was treated with the greatest hospitality and attention, as well by the general as by the respectable Creoles of the country.

At this place he met with Doctor John Hamilton Robinson, who was then a brigadier general in the service of the Mexi can patriots, and who had long been a very obnoxious individual to the Spanish government ; a circumstance to which he owes in part his subsequent persecution by the Spanish authorities in Mexico. The writer communicated to general Teran his desire to return to the United States ; but as the royalists had recendy been successful in the province of Vera Cruz, and had im peded all communication between Tehuacan and the coast, it

INTRODUCTION.

. IX became impossible to return by the way of Boquilla de Piedra; and as Teran was about to undertake an expedition against the port of Guasacualco, at the bottom of the Mexican Gulf, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, he resolved to avail himself of that opportunity to leave the country. The conduct of general Teran on that expedition, and the circumstances which caused its failure, will be found detailed in Chapter V. of this work. A few days after Teran had left Tehuacan, on his enterprise against Guasacualco, he followed with his servant, in company with a detachment of troops, who were escorting a sum of money. About sixty leagues from Tehuacan, we came up with Teran, who informed the writer that he had met with no difficulties in his route, that the few troops which the enemy usually kept in that part of the country had either fled or joined him, and that, as all the Indians were in his favoty, he was confident of reaching Guasacualco in a few days.

This information afforded satisfaction to the writer, because, although he was a non-combatant, he was aware that in the event of a battle, no respect would be shown by the royalists to any person who might fall into their hands. On the morning of the 8th of September, Teran took pos session of the village of Playa Vicente, situated on a branch of the river Tustepec, which the enemy had abandoned the day previous. The bodyT of the patriot army encamped on the bank of the river opposite to the village ; intending to cross the river in the evening, on rafts to be constructed for the purpose. In the meantime, the general, unapprehensive of danger, passed over to the village, with about fifteen men. The writer had accompanied him, and was regaling himself with eating pine apples, in a garden at the extremity of the village, when a sudden discharge of musketryaroused him from his feelings of security.

He immediately beheld Teran and his little party defending themselves against a considerable body of the ene my. The conflict was short. Teran, with one or two of his men, escaped to the river, and swam across, amidst a shower of balls. The rest of the party were cut to pieces. During this perilous affair, the writer effected his retreat to a small thicket, which afforded him security for the time He 2#

INTRODUCTION.

. X here had ample leisure to reflect upon his situation, and the course which he should adopt to obtain ultimate safety. He conceived it possible that Teran would attack and recapture the village, in which case he might again have an opportunity of pursuing his route to Guasacualco ; and continued to flatter himself with this delusive hope for five days, when he became so exhausted by hunger that he could scarcely move. In this wretched condition, and on the point of perishing in the woods, he determined to deliver up his person to the royalists. Accordingly, on the evening of the 12th of September, he crawled from his place of concealment, reached the road to the village, and with great difficulty walked to the head-quarters of the royalists. Being almost covered with mud, and fainting under fatigue and hunger, his appearance and situation excited the surprise and sympathy of the Spanish officers, particularly of the commander, Ortega, who in a friendly manner took him by the hand, and inquired his name.

As soon as it was mentioned, the officers exclaimed, " Thank God ! (gracias a Dios) Doctor Robinson has at last fallen into our hands." They wished to interrogate the writer very particularly; but he declined replying, and requested they would suspend their inquiries until the next morning, for the want of sleep and food had rendered it impossible for him at that moment to gratify their curiosity. They acceded to his wishes, and supplied him with food, a change of clothes, and a hammock in their quar ters. The following morning he arose perfectly refreshed, and was prepared to go through the scene which he anticipated. He endeavoured, in the first place, to convince the com mander, drtega, that he was a different individual from Doctor Robinson ; for which purpose he exhibited his passport from the government of the United States : but he found it impossible to remove from the minds of the Spanish officers the fixed impression that he was the Doctor.

After some amicable discussion, Ortega suddenly assumed a stem aspect, and informed him that his orders were of the most peremp tory nature to put to death all prisoners who fell into his hands; and that he was empowered to deviate from' them only when an insurgent voluntarily surrendered his person, and

INTRODUCTION.

. XI implored the benefit of his Catholic majesty's pardon, (indulto.) He continued, " In your case, Doctor Robinson, although your presenting yourself to the Spanish authorities has been the result of necessity, yet I am willing to spare your life, provided you claim the protection of the indulto ; but otherwise, it becomes my painful duty to put you to death." At this critical moment, the eyes of all the Spanish officers were fixed on the writer, who was sensible that on his acceptance or rejection of the proposed terms depended his fate. It was answered, in the first place, that as he had not borne arms against his Catholic majesty, nor had done any act in violation of his neutral character as a citizen of the United States, having been among the insurgents as a foreigner and a non-combatant, he considered himself under the safeguard of the laws of nations, and exempt from being considered or treated as an enemy of his Catholic majesty; and secondly, that he felt a repugnance to ask for the benefit of. the royal indulto, because he should thereby tacitly acknowledge himself to be an insurgent.

Ortega then said, with a great deal of heat, " Sir, you have been among the insurgents, and must be treated as one; therefore, I once more tender to you the clemency of my sovereign." Perceiving that remonstrance was vain, and that obstinacy in refusing the proffered offer would inevitably lead to the threatened vengeance, the writer was induced to avail himself of the benefit of the indulto. Immediately thereupon, Ortega shook him by the hand with great cordiality, and in the presence of his officers and soldiers extended to him the indulto of his Catholic majesty. He was then permitted to walk about the village, and indeed no restraint was laid upon his person: he could therefore have easily escaped; but as he had pledged his honour not to violate the conditions of the indulto, presuming that it would be honourably fulfilled on the part of the Spanish government, he was morally withheld from thinking of such an attempt; in fact, it was not his wish to do so, particularly as he expected to be at liberty to proceed to Vera Cruz, and embark for the United States. On applying to the commander for permission to depart, he declared that it was not in his power to grant it, until he heard from the com-

INTRODUCTION.

. mander-in-chief of the province os Oaxaca, to whom he would write on the subject. On the 22nd of the month, the answer came from Oaxaca; but instead of the writer's request to permit him to proceed to Vera Cruz being acceded to, Ortega was ordered to send him under a strong escort to the city of Oaxaca. This measure excited his surprise, and he immediately suspected that it was the intention of the government to withdraw from him the protection of the royal indulto. On the 23d, he proceeded on his route to Oaxaca, escorted by a body of cavalry. He was furnished with a good horse, and treated with every possible kindness, but both by day and night was closely watched. In all the villages through which he passed, he received the most hospitable attentions from the inhabitants; but when they understood that he had delivered up his person on the faith of the royal indulto, and was still treated as a prisoner, they shook their heads, and appeared to anticipate his fate.

Some of these generous Creoles offered, at the hazard of their lives, to assist him in making his escape; but as he had not yet received any positive proof of the intentions of the government, he determined on his part faithfully to adhere to the conditions of the indulto. On the evening of the 27th, he arrived at the city of Oaxaca, and was conducted to the government house, where he was presented to the commander-in-chief, Don Manuel Obesa, who received him with great kindness. He stated that it Was his intention to send the writer to the city of Mexico, where his excellency the viceroy xvould determine whether he xvas entitled to the benefit of the royal indulto, or not. On the writer's expressing his 'astonishment at such a breach of good faith, general Obesa observed that it was sometimes expedient for the viceroy to withhold the benefit of the indultos that had been granted by his officers, but he hoped that in the present case it would be sacredly fulfilled.

He added, that the writer must remain in Oaxaca until arrangements were made for conducting him to the city of Mexico ; and that, in order to prevent his being insulted by the populace, a cell should be fitted up for his reception in the convent of St. Domingo, and

INTRODUCTION.

. XIII a strong guard be stationed there for his protection. Hav ing thanked him for such peculiar marks of his politeness, the writer was conducted to the convent, and placed in a cell which wore the appearance of a dungeon. A soldier was stationed at the door, and another at the window. The head of the convent was a worthy friar, (Don Nicolas Medina) whose countenance indicated that he could cherish benevolent feelings even towards a heretic: his subsequent conduct, and that of all the friars of the institution, was marked with the most hospitable and generous attentions. On the 28th, the commander, his secretary, and the intendant of the province, visited the writer, for the purpose of in terrogating him, and of taking his declaration as to the motives which had induced him to visit the country.

To the latter point he candidly replied by stating the facts as they have been previously narrated, but declined answering many of the in terrogatories, particularly such as related to the situation and views of the insurgents. He considered many of the questions indelicate and ungenerous, more especially as he was deprived of the benefit of the royal indulto, and treated as a prisoner. The commander appeared sensible of the force of these objections, and did not press his inquiries further; but observed, that if the writer hoped to be restored to liberty, he must first give some proof of his no longer being a friend to the insur gents. After a few more remarks, tending to inspire him with confidence in the honour and clemency of the viceroy, the commander departed. The next day, he was visited by nearly all the principal ecclesiastics of the city, who vied with the friar Medina in their friendly treatment of him, offering him money, apparel, and every thing to make his situation as comfortable as possible.

The principal inhabitants of Oaxaca also honoured him with their visits; and indeed all classes of society appeared to take an interest in his situation, expressing their regret that he was not at liberty. It soon became manifest that the commander's precautions to prevent the writer from receiving insult were entirely superfluous, and that they were probably intended to hinder the populace from giving him more solid evidence of

INTRODUCTION.

. their regard and sympathy than mere expressions of condo lence. Having been refused permission to breathe the fresh air of the convent garden, the writer became more urgent to be sent to Mexico, that he might not any longer be kept in suspense as to his fate. At length, after having been confined in the convent fourteen weeks, an order was received from the viceroy to send him under a strong guard to the capital. Accord ingly, he left Oaxaca, under an escort of sixty infantry and about seventy cavalry; but after proceeding a four days' jour ney on the route to the city, a courier from the viceroy brought orders to conduct him back to Oaxaca, and thence to Vera Cruz. Although he was disappointed in thus being debarred an interview with the viceroy in the Mexican capital, yet he was cheered with the hope, that on his arrival at Vera Cruz, he would be permitted to depart for the United States.

On returning to the city of Oaxaca, he was placed in his old quarters in the convent; and, after the lapse of a few days, was sent, under the orders of a Spanish officer and a body of cavalry, to Vera Cruz, where he arrived on the 3d of Febru ary, 1817. On being presented to the governor, Don Jose Davila, he expressed great regret that he had instructions to confine the writer in the fortress of San Juan.de Ulua, until further orders should be received from the viceroy. It was in vain to remonstrate against this cruel order ; but nevertheless he expressed his indignation at the perfidious conduct of the viceroy in such strong terms, that governor Davila and his officers looked at him with surprise, and asked him how he dared to speak so disrespectfully of so exalted a personage as the viceroy of New Spain.

After making a reply which in censed them still more, he was ordered to proceed to the for tress, and there behave with proper humility, otherwise they would take measures to punish him for his presumption. The officer who conducted him to the castle gave him a de scription of the barbarous character of the officer in command of the fortress, Echaragari, and cautioned him to beware of provoking his ire by repeating such expressions as he had used to governor Davila. The moment the writer beheld the

INTRODUCTION.

. XV countenance of this officer, he needed no other evidence of the ferocious soul that beamed in its every line. The adjutant of the castle was ordered to conduct him to his allotted apartment, which was a small room, or state dungeon, under one of the arches of the ramparts. Were the writer to give a detail of his sufferings during a confinement of eleven months in that dreadful Bastile, it would be deemed incredible by his readers, unless any of them should have had the misfortune to have experienced incarceration among the Spaniards. Even in its mildest shape, it is worse than in any other civilized nation : but when we speak of the castles of San Juan de Ulua, and of Omoa, it must be under stood that there are not to be found such mansions of horror in any other part of the world. They have not only been the sepulchres of thousands, but in their horrid dungeons cruelties have been practised as dreadful as the most heart-rending scenes of the secret caverns of the Inquisition.