Green, J. of the Texian Expedition Against Mier (tjg

reached Monterey on the 22d of January, and were furnished quarters at the hospitable mansion of old Colonel Bermudez, the mayor de la plaza. The day before reaching Monterey we arrived at the beautiful town of Caidereta,1 containing a population of about ten thousand souls. Here, for the first time since we were under the charge of Colonel Savriego, we were treated badly. Great preparation [130] had been made to exhibit us, which Colonel S. refused to permit, and at night we were neither furnished bedding by the alcalde, nor permitted to hire the use of any with our own money. We understood this treatment was induced by Colonel Canales, who had written on to this place much to our disparagement. The following letter, which I wrote to General Ampudia, will fully explain not only his treacherous character, but the small cunning of one who has generally profited by such treachery.

Monterey, January 23d, 1843.
To General Pedro D'Ampudia,
of the Mexican Army.

Sir,
Having safely arrived thus far on our way to the capital, we desire to express to you our sincere thanks for the generous courtesies which, mainly through your kindness, we have met upon the road.* At Caidereta only have we been treated in a different manner, and this, we understand, has been induced by Colonel Canales. Of that treatment we do not complain; but when the colonel makes himself the HERO OF MIER, we feel much humiliation in [131] the imputation that we surrendered to him. We scorn such a reflection, for that gentleman had an opportunity at Guerrero, with three hundred troops, to meet fifty of us, and declined it. Colonel Fisher and officers join me in the hope that General Ampudia entertains a better opinion of their gallantry than to believe such a thing could be possible to surrender to him who once deceived Texians.

We farther desire to tender, through you, to Colonel Savriego, officers, and troop, who have thus far accompanied us, our heartfelt thanks for their soldier-like conduct and many kindnesses.

With sentiments of the highest consideration and esteem, I am your obedient servant,

Thomas J. Green

From having heard Colonel Savriego's name associated with some marauding expedition upon our frontier some years back, we had wholly misconceived

* What the writer has said of General Ampudia in his Journal, both candour and justice required; and while it gave him pleasure to speak that in his praise which he, in truth, could say of few other officers in Mexico, it has since been a matter of regret that General A.'s conduct towards the ill-starred General Sentmanat is infamous in the extreme. The capture and murder of that unfortunate "Federalist" should have satiated the vengeance of a despot, but the subsequent boiling of his head in oil was a vindictive refinement in cannibalism disgraceful in the vilest savage.2