OCR Text |
Show 82 APPENDIX TO P .. \HT llt. fot·e mentioned provinces, Don Nimesio Salcedo, likewbe pt·o<luced a small trunk which he brought with him,• and that in the presence of the undersigned, opened himRclf, and took out ditfe•·ent books and papers, when having sepa•·ated with his own hatHls, undet· om cognizance, all that appeat·ed tn be, or that he said was pl'ivatc, or had no connection with the voyag ; delivered the remainder to the demand of the commandant general, which were solely those com prehended in the foregoing inventot·y which we hJve formed, and lot· the verification of which we have sig-ned these pt·c:.ents at Chihuahua, the 8th of April, 1807. (Signee!) fnANCtso VAL,\SCO. J U A N p ED H 0 \ V ;\1.10: H . Tran!~latcd from the origimtl, by Z. l\1. Pike, captaill. [ No. J 7. J Sut, Cllllwahua, .lljlril •HI1, I 807. I HOPE you1· excellency may not attribute it to presumption, o1· a dispo~ition to inu·udc when I address you on a subject foreign from my official duties, and on which I can only speak is an individual, but I should feel myself wanting in humanity, and tlHit attention which every man owes to his fellow creatmcs in distress should I remain silent; and more especially when those who arc comp.,triots and some former comp<mions, now in a strang-e countt·y, lan~~uishing out their days, fat· from their friends and relations, without .;carcely a dawn of hope remaining of evet· again being blest with the view of their native homes. It it scarcely necessary to add that 1 allude to the \ll l fo rtun~Hc companious of Nolan, who having· entered the territories of his catholic majesty in a clandestine manner1 equally in "iolation of the treaties between the two governments, the laws of the United Stat(!~ and those of Spain, could not be reclaimed or noticed by thr• i1 country ; yet from every information I have received on the ~ubject, the men of the party were innocent, believing that N olan had passports from the Spanish govcmor to cal'l'y on the tramc of hors<;s. 1 pretend not to just\fy the n)any irregularities of their conduct since in the Spanish dominions, but hope that it may • The want of candor exhibited in the certificate: is maoifest, and was an imbecile attempt to shew that all my action~ were volumary, and that in the deliver of my papen. there was no degree of constraint. APPENDIX TO PAHT Jll. s.., be viewed with an eye of clemency, as they arc most of them vc ry illiterate, and possessing scarcely any part of an education. D..1vid Fcl'o was fo1·mcl'iy a subaltei'J) in a cornpany of infantry of the United !"tatcs, commanded by my f.tthct· at the time I served as n volunteer, bill left the service (as I have been info1·med) owing to soml.! irreg·ult~ritics of conduct; his having been once my cornpanion entitles lum a t the present to my paniculnr attention ; yet I will her· mention to your excellency c1 circumstance which may appeal' if known in an unfavorable lig·ht, viz. Ahout I 5 days past I was inform ed Fcro was in town, and that he dcsil'cd to sec me. I was extremely mortified at receiving the information, as I conceived he must have left his post in a clandestine manner, yet I coulcl not find in my heart to refu!;c the interview, which I gave, but determined at the same time to info1·m you of the circumstance, conceiving that you could not look on it as a matter of much criminulity. But to conclude, I have to beg of your excellency, if in yout· power, and consistent with the line of conduct yon conceive propet· to pursue, to inform me if any thing can be done towards restoring· thet;C poor fellows to their liberty, friends aud country, aml in~ particular mannet· I intc1·ccdc for Fero. If it is out of the power of the general to gt·ant them leave to return to the United States, I beg· to know if there is any objection to my taking out lctte1·s to theit· fathet·s, wives Stc. I should n ot have addressed this letter to the general, had I not conceived the fate of those men alluded to was at his disposal, as he h ad suffered one of them to join the service of his catholic majesty; no1· ncithet• do I t'CCjUcst the honor of any other than a vcl'i.>al reply, as I write in the character of an individual, and not as an offtcer of the United Sti:ltes. Jam, sir, '" iLh high consideration, Your h u mblc, obedient sen·ant, (Signed) z. M. Pu~ E . His excellency, g-eneral Nimcsio Salcedo. -·- l NTo . 18. J-So~, },''atchitocltcs, '201/t .llugu.s t, 1807. PH E VIO US to my departure ft·om C hih uahua, we had entcrell so fully into the subj0cl of the seizure of my p<.lpc,·s, that 1 !>hould |