The History of Texas: Ellis P. Bean
(Previous Section:
Mexican Independence
Movement)
(For Earlier Exploits of Bean, See
White Settlement of Texas)
It
will be remembered that we left Ellis P. Bean and his companions in
prison at Chihuahua in 1803. They remained there in confinement five
years, a part of the time in irons. Bean obtained leave to go to New
Mexico; but on the way was again arrested and brought back, and, with
his companions, was ironed and confined. Some days afterward they were
notified that it was the order of the king of Spain that every fifth man
of them should be shot. As there were but nine of them, the order was so
construed that only one should suffer. Accordingly, a drum, a tumbler,
and dice, were brought into the prison. They were to commence at the
oldest, and the dice being put in the tumbler, each one had a throw. The
lowest was to suffer. Bean, being the youngest, threw last. When it came
to his turn he threw five, the lowest throw being four. The unfortunate
victim was executed. The next day, Bean and four of his companions, in
heavy irons, were started off to Mexico. The other three were set at
liberty. Arriving at Salamanca, some two hundred miles from the capitol,
the former made a halt. Among the crowd of Mexicans gazing at them
appeared a beautiful woman, who quietly approached Bean and asked him
privately if he did not wish to make his escape, saying she would set
him free. She then suddenly left him. Senora Maria Baldonada—for such
was her name—was the young wife of a rich old husband. She came the
second time to see Bean, and urged him to place himself under her
direction. Before she left him, she made him agree to come and see her
at her house. Accordingly, the next morning, Bean obtained permission to
go with one of the guard into the town. Having learned the residence of
his fair visitor, he procured accommodations at a drinking-house near by
for his sentinel, and went in. The lady informed Bean that her husband,
whom she did not love, was at his silver-mine, and would be absent two
weeks. In that time she represented that they could safely make their
escape; that she would furnish money and horses, and fly with him to the
United States, and live with him there. She had become fascinated with
him, and trusted in his honor that he would not afterward abandon her
for another woman. She said also that she had married her old husband
against her will, in order not to displease her parents. Bean, although
greatly smitten, and grateful for these marks of affection, expected his
liberty when he should reach Mexico; and, not wishing to leave his
companions, he declined the offer. He told her, however, that when he
should be set free, he would return without delay to see her. At parting
she gave him a package, with a request that he would not open it until
he reached the end of that day's journey. So be bade her adieu. Bean,
with his companions, were hurried off; and, as the lady had requested,
he opened the package that night. He found in it a gold ring, some
money, and a letter from her full of the most touching sentiments.
The captives were marched to Mexico, and
thence to Acapulco on the Pacific, where they were imprisoned. Bean was
locked up in a separate cell; his four companions were placed in
another. Here he was denied all intercourse with his fellow-prisoners;
and, excepting the person who brought him his daily allowance of water,
beef, and bread, and an occasional glimpse of the sentinel as he passed
the grate of his cell-door, he saw no human being. The tedious hours of
confinement were relieved in some degree by taming and feeding with
flies a white lizard which he found in his prison.
One day he learned from a sentinel that
one of his companions had become sick, and had been sent to the
hospital. It occurred to him that he too would find relief in getting
ill and going there. So he gave notice that he was sick. The physician
came, and, Bean having prepared his pulse by striking his elbows against
the floor, was declared a patient, and sent to the hospital. Here, in
addition to his irons, his legs were put in the stocks. His allowance of
food was also greatly reduced, his meat for a day consisting of a
chicken's head. On one occasion he inquired of the priest who ministered
to him, why he could not get something else than the head and neck of a
chicken. The reply was, that he might eat that, or go to the devil! This
so excited Bean, that he threw his plate at the shorn head of the friar,
and cut it badly. For this offence, Bean had his head put in the stocks
for fifteen days. This confinement brought on a real fever, from which
he suffered so much, that, on recovering, he was glad to be marched back
to his cell.
Bean was returned to prison by a guard of
two soldiers; and, on the way, it occurred to him that he would try to
make his escape. So, still having on hand some of the money given him by
the Senora Baldonada, he invited the guard into a drinking-house, and,
after they had drank, he called for more liquor, and requested one of
them to step with him into the garden in the rear of the house. When
they had got to the farther side of the garden, Bean called the soldier
to admire a little flower. As the latter stooped down to look at it,
Bean seized him by the throat, and told him to surrender his sword, or
he would take his life. The sword was given up; and Bean told him that
he was going off, and asked him to go with him, but the soldier was
unwilling. Bean gave him a dollar, and directed him to go to the town,
get the worth, of it in bread, and bring it to him at the graveyard on
the outskirts of the town. Bean then left him, and, before the latter
could give notice to the officer at the fort, was in the woods, where he
filed off his irons with the steel he used in striking fire. He
concealed himself till night, when he returned into the town to lay in a
stock of provisions. Here he found an English sailor, through whose
means he got on board a vessel, and was secreted in a water-cask. Just
before the ship sailed, he was betrayed by the cook (a Portuguese),
retaken, and placed again in his cell, where be remained eighteen months
longer in solitary confinement.
Hearing an officer speaking one day of
having some rock blasted, Bean informed him that he was a proficient in
that business. This information caused them to put him at it. In a few
days after he had been engaged in blasting rocks, he succeeded again in
making his escape. He traveled at night, concealing himself in the
daytime; and for several days beat along the coast northward, when he
was retaken, and brought before the governor of the castle of Acapulco.
After fearful threats on the part of that functionary, in reply to which
Bean told him to do his worst, he was chained to a large mulatto
criminal, the latter being promised an abatement of a year of his term
of punishment if he would take care of his yoke-fellow. He was also
authorized to whip Bean if he became insubordinate. They had not been
long together, before Bean gave the mulatto such a beating, that he
prayed for a separation. It was granted, and Bean was sent back to his
cell, to keep company with the white lizard; it seemed to be the only
live thing that had any sympathy for him, and this feeling was fully
reciprocated.
Bean was "a hard case;" and the governor
of the castle of Acapulco wrote to the viceroy that he could not be
answerable for him. The latter, in reply, sent an order for his removal
to the king's possessions in Manilla. While awaiting a vessel, the
revolution broke out. The prisons of New Spain had been emptied for
recruits. Bean was the only one left at Acapulco, The Spanish
authorities knew his worth, but doubted his faith. One day an officer
questioned him on this point. Bean told him he would gladly serve the
king if permitted. His irons were knocked off, a gun and sword placed in
his hands, and he became a soldier. At that time the republican forces
were some three hundred miles distant.
Bean performed his duties very well for a
couple of weeks, when, a favorable opportunity offering, he went over to
Morelos, carrying with him a considerable number of the royalists. He
continued with Morelos, growing daily in his confidence, and displaying
great courage; he was infinite in his resources, providing provisions
and ammunition for the troops, and in leading forlorn hopes.
Bean Captures Acapulco
When Morelos proceeded with the main
division of his army to occupy Quautla Amilpas, he left Bean (then
holding the rank of colonel) in command of the forces besieging
Acapulco. Morelos was driven from Quautla with considerable loss, but
was more fortunate in other places. About the close of the year 1812,
Colonel Bean took the town of Acapulco, with the garrison, and the
governor of the castle who had treated him with so much cruelty. At this
time the whole of New Spain was engaged in deadly strife. An
indiscriminate slaughter seemed to follow every victory. Whole towns
were razed to their foundations, and entire provinces were made desolate
! The long pent-up wrath of four millions of Indians, and the fierce
barbarity of the usurping Spaniards, were turned loose upon a country
romantic and lovely by nature, but wasted and ruined by a cruel
oppression.
[Next Section of
Texas History:
Battle of La Bahia] |