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The Mier Expedition story told in pictures

The story of this ill-fated expedition is told in the Journal of the Texian Expedition Against Mier by General Thomas J. Green, published by Harper and Brothers, New York, 1845. This book includes 13 engraved prints that were made from original sketches by Charles McLaughlin, who was one of the Texians involved in the Mier Expedition and later held prisoner by the Mexicans.

Note: The descriptive headings and text are presented here with the spelling, capitalization and punctuation of the original.

Scroll down or follow the links below to view images of the engravings.

Mier Expedition decending the Rio Grande

Battle of Mier

Texian Charge upon the Guards, and Victory of Salado

Texians killing their Horses in the Mountains for Sustenance

Texians drawing the black Beans at Solado

Shooting of the decimated Texians at Solado

Ground-plan of the Castle of Perote

Shooting of Captain Ewin Cameron

Guts and Ike Allen at the Calaboose

Escape from the Castle of Perote

Separation after Escape

Narrow Escape from the Cavalry Officer at Antiqua

Texians working upon the Road in front of the Archbishop's Palace at Tacubaya

Mier Expedition desending the Rio Grande

Title is, ‘Mier Expedition descending the Rio Grande.’ Engraving shows a burning boat in the distance and four long boats filled with Texians, one of the boats displays a simple lone star flag.

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Battle of Mier

Title is, ‘Battle of Mier.’ Engraving shows a map of the Rio Grande river and the town of Mier and is labeled ‘Plan of Mier, the Texian camp and attack on the city – December 25th and 26th 1842.’

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Texian Charge upon the Guards, and Victory of Salado

Title is, ‘Texian Charge upon the Guards, and Victory of Salado.’ Engraving shows numerous soldiers fighting in front of an adobe style fort or church. Some lie dead or wounded and a group of cavalry are galloping away from the fray.

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Texians killing their Horses in the Mountains for Sustenance

Title is, ‘Texians killing their Horses in the Mountains for Sustenance.’ Engraving depicts a mountain scene in which Texians are slaughtering and weeping over their horses.

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Texians drawing the black Beans at Solado

Title is, ‘Texians drawing the black Beans at Solado.’ Engraving shows inside the prison walls where the prisoners were forced to draw from a clay jar containing 17 black beans and 159 white beans. The unlucky men who drew a black bean were shot.

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Shooting of the decimated Texians at Solado

Title is, ‘Shooting of the decimated Texians at Solado.’ Engraving shows the 17 unlucky Texians lined up, blindfolded, against the prison wall being shot to death by a uniformed Mexican firing squad.

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Ground Plan of the Castle of Perote

Title is, ‘Ground-plan of the Castle of Perote.’ Engraving shows a labeled drawing of the ground plan of this castle.

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Shooting of Captain Ewin Cameron

The story of Captain Ewin Cameron's execution is told on page 285:

A priest, the usual attendant of Mexican executions, was in waiting, and when he was asked if he wished to confess to the father, he promptly answered, “No! Throughout life I believe that I have lived an upright man, and if I have to confess it shall be to my Maker.” His arms were then tied with a cord at the elbows and drawn back, and when the guard advanced to bandage his eyes, he said to his interpreter, “Tell them no! Ewin Cameron can now, as he has often done before for the liberty of Texas, look death in the face without winking.” So saying, he threw his hat and blanket upon the ground, opened the bosom of his hunting-shirt, presented his naked breast, and gave the word, “Fire!” when his noble soul in a twinkling passed into another, we trust a better world. Thus fell Ewin Cameron! Long, long will the patriotic of his adopted country cherish the memory of one whose bosom was bared to every danger, and whose life was sacrificed to liberty.

Shooting of Captain Ewin Cameron.

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Guts and Ike Allen at the Calaboose

Title is, ‘Guts and Ike Allen at the Calaboose.’ Engraving shows two men conversing in the town square with soldiers and townspeople in attendance.

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Escape from the Castle of Perote

Title is, ‘Escape from the Castle of Perote.’ Engraving shows a night scene with men scaling the castle walls with others waiting at the base of the wall.

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Separation after Escape

Title is, ‘Separation after Escape.’ Engraving shows a quiet nighttime scene with the castle, village and a mountain range in the distance, a shepherd watching his flock in the foreground along with two stags facing off.

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Narrow Escape from the Cavalry Officer at Antiqua

Title is, ‘Narrow Escape from the Cavalry Officer at Antiqua.’ Engraving shows a nighttime scene next to the river and a church where the cavalry officer addresses the Texians.

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Texians working upon the Road in front of the Archbishop's Palace at Tacubaya

Title is, ‘Texians working upon the Road in front of the Archbishop's Palace at Tacubaya.’ The engraving shows the Texians working to pave the road in front of the palace.