Brazos County Texas. TNGenNet Inc. TNGenWeb, Letters From Forgotten Ancestors

The Kentucky Republican, Hopkinsville Kentucky, January 1836 :

        The New Orleans papers by last night’s mail contain intelligence of the fall of San Antonio, and the complete route of the Mexican troops in Texas. General Cox? is said to have killed togther with most of the Mexican officers. We regret to learn that Col. Miam, the commander of the Texans, was also killed. There are all of the particulars of the capture that have reached us. The intelligence of the execution of twenty eight unfortunate men at Tampico, proves but too true. They were all shot on the 14 th December -- among them the following native Americans.

        We the undersigned prisoners of war, condemned to be shot on Monday next, the 14th inst. at 7 a.m. by a military court martial, conformable to the established customer of the country, and composed of the Mexican Army, the sentence 4 p.m. by Captain Alexander Faulac of said army, as our last dying words, do declare ourselves innocent of the charge of either participating or colleaguing with any person or party, having for its objec the revolutionizing or disturbing in any manner the tranquillity of the Government of Mexico, and that the testimony given before the honorable court Court of Inquiry will corroborate this declaration.

        We have noe but nine hours allotted us, and conclude hastily by requesting all who may hear of our fate to entertain no erroneous impression. We also annex the following letter from Thomas Whitaker to his brohter, William H. Whitaker, formerly of this place.

Arthur N. Clement - native of Pennsylvania aged 40 years - no parents
Thomas Whitaker, native of Pennsylvania, - father in Pennsylvania
William C. Barclay, native of New York, aged 20 - parents in New York
Jacob Morrison, native of New York, aged 21, parents in Kentucky.
Edward Mount, native of New York, aged 23 - mother in the state of New York
Charles Gross, native of Pennsylvania, aged 23 - mother in Pennsylvania.
Isaac F. Leeds, native of New Jersey, aged 30 - no parents.
Mordecia Gist native of Maryland, aged 53 - father in Maryland. His own last residence Indiana.
David Long, native of Ohio, aged 25 - mother in Ohio.
William H. Mackay, native of Virginia, aged 20 - mother in Virginia.
James K. Stewart, native of Vermont, aged 33, mother in Vermont.
James Mc cormick, of Kentucky, and Fleming, of Pittsburgh, died in the Hospital.

To: William H. Whitaker of New Orleans
From: Thomas Whitaker - Tampico , Mexico
Date: Dec 12, 1835 - The Kentucky Republican - Hopkinsville, Ky

My Dear Brother -
        Prepare to read these lines, conveying the news of my unhappy fate with the same firmness that you would have done, had you been summoned to attend my death-bed. But reflect that the momentary pang which separates temporal and eternal life shall have passed ere this reaches you.
        To be brief, as the time allotted me to compose my mind for the event is short, I have only to say, that instead of arriving in Texas a freeman and at large, as I had supposed when I left you, the vessel was taken to Tampico, and myself and companions wer e compelled to March against a city which I had never seen, and to shoot down the inhabitants of a country that had never offenced me; - rest assured this was an order not very faithfully executed, the consequence of which was, that a great many prisoners were made, among thom I am now confined under sentence of death, to be SHOT on Monday morning, at 7 o’clock. It is a great consolation that I die innocent of any crime, and feel better enabled to encounter death than I could have expected.

Present my dying affections to my wife and family, and believe me to reamin.

Your affectionate brother,

Thomas Whitaker

P.S.
        Endeavor to broach the intelligence as smoothly as possible to our aged father, and remember me to all my friends in Pennsylvania.