The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 233

Two Letters from a Mier Prisoner.

233

TWO LETTERS FROM A MIER PRISONER.
[The first of these two letters is in the Wilson Scrap-book, and is
mentioned in the description given in THE QUARTERLY for October, 1897,
pp. 132-3. The second came into the collection of the Association
through the kindness of Mrs. W. G. Belding of Fort Worth and its pos-
sessor, Mrs. J. F. Miller of Gonzales. It was written to Col. A. Turner,
the father of Mrs. Miller.-EDIToR QUARTERLY.]
Castle of Perota 22nd April 1844.
Dear Brother
At last addressing you from the confines of a Prison,
contrary to what I ever anticipated but in character with the pres-
ent condition of our Country in my former letters I gave you a his-
tory of our fight at Mier broke at the Salado &c notwithstanding
our many sufferings on our march a distance of fifteen hundred
miles many of us barefooted myself marched three hundred miles
barefooted during the time there were three hail storms that in the
wash the Hail lay ancle deep badly fed and almost naked at last
brought up at this miserable place Perota the castle contain twenty
six acres walls Eight feet thick of stone and cement twenty-
five feet high heavy Lock and we chnined 'by -the leg this
shows the improbability of escape tho sixteen of our men did dig
under the wall and escape four retaken this place is situated in a
vally the surrounding mountains covered with snow summer and
winter upon the whole the most unpleasant climate I have yet
visited the condition of most of our men have been Eleviated by
their friends in the United States by sending them money as for
myself sence the 25th December 42 I have been destitute of money
not one cent to buy soap to wash my skin Cloth is out of the ques-
tion we are all Lousy as pigs All comunication is stoped between
Texas and this country which precludes all posibility of obtaining
any relief from home I drew upon Alexander Spiers Brown & Co
of New York for four hundred & twenty Eight dollars which they
were due me my latter date 29th Dec. 43 No answer as yet Feby
23rd drew upon Bursides & Co Orleans as a matter of favour No
answer here a prisoner without one cent an Epimdemic visited us