The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939 Page: 18

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

New Orleans, waiting for a storm to subside. In accordance with
signals from Aury, the corsair fired on the Cleopatra..84 The battle
was of short duration, probably because of the storm and because
Montilla and Perry were too close to Aury for the latter's peace
of mind.
Mina landed at Galveston and called his staff together to
inform them of his plans.85 Information obtained from inter-
cepted despatches and from one Inojosa in New Orleans caused
Mina to decide on Soto la Marina as the place for landing his
army.86 The last few days of March and the first week of April
were spent in embarking troops and supplies on the vessels that
were to take the expedition to Mexico. Montilla had no desire to
continue with the enterprise and tried to convince Aury that
greater success could be had in giving assistance to Caracas.
Roscio, iRevenga, and another officer also stayed at Galveston.87
The fleet remained at anchor outside the bar for eight days while
preparations continued for the departure. The weather was favor-
able on April 7 and Mina sailed away on the final adventure of
his career.88 There are various estimates and accounts relating a
description of Mina's fleet. Eight vessels can be accounted for
and identified with reasonable certainty.89 The flotilla was joined
84Jcan Lafitte's Diary, encl. no. 1 in Fatio to Cienfuegos, New Orleans,
May 24, 1817, AGI PC, leg. 1900. Jean Lafitte, as well as his brother
Pierre, was at that time in the service of Spain. This fragmentary diary
is the only document of its kind in existence so far as the Lafittes are
concerned-at least, none other has come to light. The present writer is
preparing a translation for publication.
ssDeposition of Juan Domingo Losano, New Orleans, May 9, 1817, encl.
in Fatio to the Captain-General, New Orleans, May 14, 1817, AGI PC,
leg. 1900.
S6Fatio to Cienfuegos, New Orleans, May 24, 1817, ibid.
87Mier's Declaration, October 9, 1817, in Hernandez, Documentos, VI,
808.
saJean Lafitte's Diary, encl. no. 1 in Fatio to Cienfuegos, New Orleans,
May 24, 1817, AGI PC, leg. 1900. Robinson states that the departure was
on March 27 (Memoirs, I, 135). Bancroft accepts April 6 (History of the
North Mexican States and Texas, II, 37, n.). A letter dated New Orleans,
April 30, 1817, stated that the expedition left on April 6 (Fatio to Cien-
fuegos, New Orleans, June 14, 1817, AGI PC, leg. 1900). Jean may have
written his diary after he returned to New Orleans, but there is nothing
in it to indicate that such was the case.
89Two brigs, prizes to a Mexican privateer and a Buenos Aires "cruiser,"
were brought in while the fleet was at anchor. There was no time to go
through the regular condemnation procedure, so the prizes were added to
the expedition (Robinson, Memoirs, I, 134). One of these prizes was the
brig El Paz, captured by Jose Almeida on the schooner El Congreso in