1 



Ex. Doc. No. 41. 511 



ished. At length I approached " Cieneguilla/' and attempting to 

 save distance by going across a marshy spot of ground^ my mule 

 immediately sank into the treacherous slough. As the ice was suf- 

 ficiently strong to bear my weight, I soon got clear of the saddle. 

 I now strove to extricate my mule; she made several desperate ef- 

 forts, and then seemed to resign herself to despair- The ice, 

 which had supported her thus far, now offered the greatest impedi- 

 ments fo her efforts. I ran back a short distance to a place where 

 I had shortly before seen a Mexican; he had gone. I now returned 

 and took off the saddle and bridle also, lest the fear of the severe 

 bit should prevent the mule's full exertions, and taking hold of the 

 extremity of the lazo, I succeeded in turning her head towards the 

 point where she had entered the quagmire, and soon succeeded in 

 drawing out my^^mula." For some time slie trembled like an 

 aspen leaf with cold and fear, seeming to think the solid ground a 

 dangerous quicksand. 



I soon overtook a Mexican who had a bottle of aguardiente, 

 which he offered with great politeness. I eagerly accepted his 

 proffer, for my pantaloons were covered .with ice, from the mule 

 having sunk so deep as to wet the housing:^ of my saddle. 



About midday I reached Santa Fe and found all the Americans 

 there talking of an intended insurrection which had fortunately 

 been discovered. Sentinels had been placed in every direction, all 

 the field pieces and heavy guns had been parked in the plaza, every 

 thing was in a state of preparation and every body in a state of 

 vigilance. 



The chief conspirator was Don Tomas Ortiz; he arranged^the 

 organization of the several detachments and the jplan of attack- 

 one company was to assemble in the church called the ^^parroquia," 

 another in the valley of '^Tezuque,'' north of Santa Fe. In the 

 dead of night, at a signal from the bells of the church towers, the 

 conspirators were to rush into the streets, seize the guns and mas- 

 sacre the whole body of troops. 



The persons of the governor, Charles Bent, and the commanding 

 officer, Colonel Price, were to be seized by parties appointed for 

 that purpose. 



December 24. — The artillery are busy making preparations to 

 niarch, in order to reinforce Colonel Doniphan; the clanking of 

 the anvil is incessant; caissons and gun carriages are strewed around 

 the forges. At this juncture it is almost doubtful whether the safety 

 of our citizens does not require that the artillery should remain. 



It is expected that the wagons loaded with money for the troops 

 ^ill be attacked; a company has been sent to warn and escort 



them. 



We hear that San Miguel is in a state of insurrection, and the 

 ^hole country seemed rife and ready to tear down the glorious 

 stars and stripes; to tear down the nest of the eagle from the rug^ 

 ged mountains of the west. The noble bird looks down from his 

 lofty position and sees through the puerile attempts to dislodge him. 



Beware, beware of the eagle! , • . n^r c 



Since my arrival here, I had a long conversation with Mr, bt. 





