The Ranchero [Corpus Christi, TX], October 6, 1860
A letter written by a late American traveler in Mexico says:
“I’m traveling through Mexico; I stopped a short time at the Castle of Perote. I was much surprised to find a number of charcoal sketches made on the walls of several of the prison cells. One of these represented Santa Anna hanging to a tree; another a ranger chasing twenty mexicans; another a fat Mexican officer, with the name of “Gutts,” written underneath the figure; several miserable half starved creatures represented in a kneeling position with a Mexican guard in the act of firing at them; together with some considerable writing, such as ‘Old Simpy,” “a fair field and no more white flags;” “old peg and his yellow nation we owe you much.” Several names were written on the walls of the different cells. Among those that could be made out through smoke and dirt, I made out to copy the following names:
Trimble, W. H. Moore, Capt. Cameron, W. M. Shepard, Virginia; John Tanney, Maryland; William H. Lush, New York; Zaccheus Wilson, Thomas Nelson, Tennessee; Isaac Allen, John Young, Thos. Hancock, Kentucky; Harry Oats, A. D. Heddenburg, New York.”
The writer is puzzled by those odd records. He says:
“These appear to be American names. Who they were, or what crimes they had committed, does not appear. It is quite probable, however, that they were occupants of these cells at some time or other. The date appears to be the years 1841 and ’42. Please publish this. It may possibly convey information to the friends of the poor fellows whose names appear on these prison walls.”
There is no mystery about the affair. The authors of this “brief memorial” were Texas prisoners captured by overwhelming numbers of Mexicans, and confined in the Castle of Perote. Some of them are still alive in Texas, and have had ample revenge on the Greasers. Many others have gone to their long homes; but not unavenged.—Civilian.