466 APPENDIX. 
On the third day after our arrival in Mendoza, the ringing of bells and 
firing of the artillery announced the arrival of Gutierres, who immediately 
ordered that the sentence of death should be read to General Carrera and 
Colonels Benevente and Alvarez in the dungeon; and 11 o’clock next day 
was appointed for their execution. ‘There was no formality of a trial, because 
they could not be tried by officers of inferior rank ; and as all in town were 
inferior, there could be no court-martial: the sentence was therefore given 
in the name of the general and officers of the army of Mendoza. Godoy 
Cruz, the governor, denied having any part in the death of Carrera, and said 
he was obliged to comply with the will of the town. 
Priests were sent to the dungeon to prepare the souls of the condemned 
for the other world. Carrera would allow no priest to speak with him, unless 
he were allowed the confessor of Madame Fuentacilla, his mother-in-law, who 
had been banished Chile and resided in the town. ‘This was denied him. 
He then requested of the government permission to have a short interview 
with his mother-in-law, which the Governor was pleased to grant; but she 
found herself too weak for so affecting a scene, and declined coming to see 
him: however she procured him permission to write to his wife, and to 
deposit the letter in her hands. 
The morning appointed for his execution (Sept. 5th) had come; and Car- 
rera was busily employed writing his last letter to his wife, when an adjutant 
of the plaza came into the dungeon, and informed him that he was reprieved 
by the government, and that his only punishment would be banishment. 
Carrera did not appear elated at this news, but threw aside the letter he was 
writing, and commenced a new one on another sheet; but in about fifteen 
minutes afterwards the guards came to take them out to be shot. He re- 
quested of the officer but a few moments before he would accompany him; 
and laying aside the letter he had before him, he took the first he had been 
writing, and finished it by informing her, that in that moment he was about 
to accompany his executioners to the banco. He requested that whatever 
love she had for him would henceforward be directed to their children, and 
particularly to his son; whom he ordered to be sent to England or the United 
States, when he should have attained his seventh year, that he might in one 
of those countries receive his education. 
The reason of the government for reprieving (or pretending to reprieve) the 
life of Carrera a few minutes previous to his execution was, that these sudden 
changes in his hopes might enervate him in sight of the populace, by whom 
