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Post by Tom Nuckols on Nov 30, 2010 1:39:38 GMT -5
Here's a fascinating story: Asa Hill came to Texas in 1834 and settled in Fayette County in 1839. In 1842, he and two sons, Jeffrey and John Christopher Columbus, were captured in the Mier expedition. Asa was among those who drew beans. He drew white. He and Jeffrey were imprisoned at Perote Prison. They were released in 1843 after John successfully appealed on their behalf. Why was John not in prison and in a position to appeal? Aged 13 at the time of the Mier battle, John impressed the Mexican commander, Gen. Ampudia, not only by being the last Texian to surrender at Mier, but by smashing his rifle on the ground so as not to give it up. Why? An older brother who'd stayed home gave him the rifle and he'd sworn never to surrender it. So Ampudia adopted John and took him to the capital. Not to be outdone, SA in turn adopted John out from under from Ampudia. SA sent him to Mineria College. John lived out his life in Mexico. He married, had a family, and survied SA's downfall. He was both a doctor and owner/operator of several mines. He served as interpreter when the U.S. Army took the capital in 1847. He kept constant contact with his Texas family until his death. Does anyone know more about this?
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Post by TRK on Nov 30, 2010 7:56:38 GMT -5
Hill's is an interesting story. Several biographies, including a recent one, are available on him: Iglehart, Fannie Chambers Gooch. The Boy Captive of the Texas Mier Expedition. San Antonio: Passing Show Publishing Co., 1909. Amberson, Mary Margaret McAllen. A Brave Boy & a Good Soldier: John C.C. Hill & the Texas Expedition to Mier. Austin, Texas State Historical Association, 2006: Here's a webpage on Hill: nhs.navasotaisd.org/www/navasotaisd_nhs/site/hosting/John%20CC%20Hill%20website/Website/index.html |
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Post by sloanrodgers on Nov 30, 2010 18:19:22 GMT -5
So Ampudia adopted John and took him to the capital. Not to be outdone, SA in turn adopted John out from under from Ampudia. Adopted says you, imprisoned in palaces says I. John C. C. Hill seems to have a struck a deal with Ampudia and Santa Anna for the lives of his father and brother. John eventually moved back to Austin, Texas, where he met his biographer Mrs. Egelhart. He later returned to Mexico and eventually died there. I believe John and Jeff filed for a few Texas land grants. |
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Post by Tom Nuckols on Nov 30, 2010 23:53:58 GMT -5
So Ampudia adopted John and took him to the capital. Not to be outdone, SA in turn adopted John out from under from Ampudia. Adopted says you, imprisoned in palaces says I. "Adopted" says all the accounts I've read, but "imprisoned" makes sense. Hill may have been an example of "Stockholm Syndrome" long before that phenomenon was first diagnosed. After all, if he'd felt that misused by the Mexicans, surely he'd have sought revenge on them rather than being a conciliator when US troops took the capital in 1847. Either way, it strikes me Hill was basically a reverse Elian Gonzalez, with SA in the role of Fidel; the main difference being Hill ended up in a foreign country because he and a parent who lived went on a mission of battle vis-a-viz landing in a foreign country because a parent who died fled in hope of a better life. Little difference there. Either way, a dictator used an unsophisticate for his own ends. Par for the course for SA. Why didn't SA "adopt" Travis' slave Joe? Instead, he told Joe of his military might and then sent him east to spread fear among the populace. SA knew how to use the people he didn't kill. |
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Post by sloanrodgers on Dec 2, 2010 23:38:19 GMT -5
It makes you wonder. Hill didn't have that bad a life and education before he ran off to Mexico.
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