I suppose were Adeline and Matilda. Mr. Moore is an active little man 5 feet 8 inches in height, 45 years of age, full of anecdote and conversation; he and the General together kept the table in a roar of laughter for hours. His Secretary Mr. Pickett like myself is about six feet high, he is a shrewd, quiet, sterling fellow. The Major's baggage will be here tomorrow when I will have the home letters of which he is the bearer. I have not heard him express a word in the short time we have been together, respecting myself and for causes mentioned to you in another letter care but little about it so I may succeed in my other plans.

I pray dear Adeline's attempt may this time succeed and she may recover from her unfortunate deafness, but she must not despond. Adios, Su servidor,

Gen. Sol. Van Rensselaer, P. M., Albany, N. Y.

Rensselaer Van Rensselaer to his Father.

R. V RENSSELAER.

My Dear Father, Carthagena, November, 17, 1829. My last of September 21st at Bogota was written and dispatched on the day of Mr. Moore's arrival in that city; since which circumstances have occurred, which induced me to think it useless to write you more from Bogota as they have led to an alteration of my plans and to my being at present in this place. We will return in thought back again to the Metropolis. Vergara - Secretary of State was immediately informed by the General of Moore's arrival, and requested to appoint an early day for his presentation. Vergara called with Miranda, his chief clerk and interpreter, on Colonel Moore two days after and appointed the 25th for his reception. The 25th of September, however, being the anniversary of Bolivar's escape from the conspirators in his palace, and as a grand mass with other ceremonies were to be performed then, as a test of their unbounded gratitude, in which the attendance of all orthodox Christians would be required, it was necessarily postponed until the following day.

General Herrau Prefect of the Department had issued a proclamation on the 28th of July requiring all civil and military officers to wear mourning on this day, but the Supreme Council rightly conceiving such a despotic order would only have the effect of increasing the discontent against Government gave him a rap over the knuckles and it had been withdrawn; and very few were sycophantic or timorous enough to appear in black costume. This Herrau was the first who in public advocated a change from Republicanism to a Monarchy, having done so in a toast and an accompanying speech; and from that discontent became more general. On the evening of September 25th, while sitting in the house of a friend in the city, another friend popped in, and told me that an extraordinary dispatch had just arrived and if I would wait for him there one hour he would give me the news. He shortly returned and on our way towards the Huerto de Jayme told me that the brave General Cordova, was an Insurrectionist, and in arms in Antioquia, with the determination to restore to Colombia her Constitution of Cucuta and to put down the monarchists, or to fall in the attempt. His force was not known. The following day the news had been generally circulated and created an intense sensation, particularly on the part of the Government and monarchists. This Cordova had been the favorite general of Bolivar and was known among the friends of Liberty against the Spaniards, as a courageous, gallant and efficient commander. It is less than a year since he prevailed on Col. Obando, then at the head of the Constitutional Army, to lay down his

arms and thereby saved the President from defeat and ruin. In the intimacy, however, that ensued in consequence of this service, having ascertained that Bolivar's views were directed to a crown, he abandons him, and arms in this holy cause; he is the dread of all his enemies. There is now much anxiety and commotion among all the Officials; all the troops they could muster were immediately dispatched to put it down. Every person who was known to have been intimate with General Cordova was suspected; some were imprisoned and one was extirpated.

Well! I must not forget to tell you about the Presentation of Col. Moore. Two oclock, Saturday Sept. 26th, being the hour appointed, the Old and New Legations from the United States, attended by Commodore De Kay adjourned from the Huérto de Jayme, to the Government Palace where they were received by Mr. Castillo the President of the Supreme Council and its members- General Herrau and others in the superb saloon. After a speech from Gen. Harrison officially introducing his successor, and resigning his functions; another from Col. Moore expressive of his good feeling towards this Government; and appropriate answers from Mr. Castillo, the ceremony ended. It was laughable to hear speeches delivered in such a grave manner as these were, when none of them were understood by the persons for whom they were intended. It was still more diverting to hear the President of the Supreme Council felicitating himself upon the very tranquil and prosperous condition of Colombia, at a time when word of a formidable insurrection had just been communicated to them; and when the interest on their public debt had not been paid for years; when the Government Bonds were dull sale at ninety-seven per ct. discount; and when there was not one cent in the treasury. Lord! save the United States from such a state of prosperity.

General Harrison, finding himself released from his public duties, and knowing that if he started homeward now, he would be detained several weeks in Carthagena, waiting for the arrival of the Sloop of War Natchez from Rio Janeiro, determined on gratifying a long cherished desire of being for a short time, in a climate more warm and agreeable to his constitution. Intending also to make short excursions and see more of the neighboring county. The 27th, or day after being superseded by Col. Moore, the General accompanied by Mr. Tayloe and Dr. Cheyne rode out to Anolayma, a village twelve leagues off, to pay a visit to the family of Mr. James Henderson, H. B. M's Consul-General, who were residing at that place; leaving the keys of the house with me and injunctions to do the honors of his establishment to the new Minister and his Suite. The General's son was still in Guaduas. At ten oclock the following day I had all the servants of both families drawn up to give his Holiness the venerable Arch. Bishop a suitable reception. He called, in his dark, heavy coach and four, attended by an old priest and six servants in brown livery, to pay his respects to the new American Minister. I had the honor of introducing the eminent gentlemen to each other; and subsequently the felicity of conducting the Arch Bishop, with the assistance of Com. De Kay, to his coach. We both received for our attentions, as many sanetimonious benedictions as would have been rendered any, but such a heretic as myself, invincible to the shafts of a legion of devils. My services were called in requisition again by Col. Moore to accompany him in returning the calls he had received since his arrival. After finishing up more than twenty-including all the Diplomatic families and principal foreigners and escorting him home, I called on our countryman Gooding

in hopes of finding Carr who had been, with Carter Harrison on a visit to the Hendersons, and brought me a letter from him, written while there. Carr had arrived in the City, the night previous, with dispatches from Gen. Urdaneta Minister of War from Guaduas, and with the intention of joining his battalion, which was in preparation to march against Cordova. (He was the young American whom I have mentioned in a former number to have met on the road on my way up from the Magdalena river to Bogota.) In a conversation that evening at Goodings, where I was present with many other foreigners, Carr stated it to be his intention to enter his deposition the next day at the War Office, against some persons whom he knew to be on friendly terms with Cordova; by so doing he expected to receive promotion and the appointment of Aid to General O'Leary-the Commander of the troops destined to fight Cordova. His words delivered in a half jesting tone were, at the time, unheeded; but imagine my surprise the next day, when sent for by a friend of Gen. Harrison to learn, that this calculating scoundrel had not only fulfilled his intention, but that the persons he had implicated were his best friends. Carr had truly entered an affidavit in the Secretary of State's office that Consul Henderson knew all of Cordova's plans and corresponded with him; nearly the same of Col. Torrens the Mexican Charge d'Affaire; of Mr. Leidendorf the Agent of the Banking House of Goldsmidth; of young Harrison; and that Gen. Harrison had full information on the subject! For a short time I was lost in amazement that a countryman, and one too from one of the first families in Virginia, could be guilty of so mean an action to promote his advancement. I recalled to mind what Colonel Moore had said, that he had set that man down from his first interview as capable of any base action" and how provoked I had felt at the Colonel for misjudging Carr as I then thought. I soon however threw aside idle speculations and betook myself to action. I knew that the Government so despotic on common occasions; which had rewarded in anticipation the informant, and often had by a summary process punished the persons informed against by expulsion or otherwise if the charges were not immediately rebutted would also be active. I soon understood from high authority, that it was the intention of Government to make the affidavit of an ungrateful miscreant, without other proof, their ground for sending to a highminded soldier like Gen. Harrison, an order not to return to the capital, I accordingly dropped one letter in the Post Office for Carter B. Harrison Guaduas, desiring him to join his father immediately, and forthwith dispatched another letter to the General by a mounted messenger; remaining myself to find out if possible the intentions of the Government.

Col. Torrens feared that Henderson might have put his papers in Gen. Harrison's charge when he left town. Col. Moore was a little nettled when he found I had sent for the General without first consulting him. I told him that I had considered it so essential for the General to be immediately informed, that I did not wish to lose time in troubling him with it; but that now the General was in a fair way of knowing all before he takes another breakfast, I wished to know what course to pursue in case the Government send here to demand his papers before his return. "Have you any reason to suppose" he asked "that Gen. Harrison is in any way concerned in this disturbance of Cordovas ?" "Not the least in the world." "Then why should you desire to embroil yourself by trying to prevent the execution of this Government's orders? if Henderson has left his correspondence in this house (and you don't know that he has) the

General is not answerable for him. I therefore recommend you to keep a bold front and permit them unmolestedly to take their course and examine the house." Swelling with indignation at such advice-I angrily replied that, "I would put on a bold front, but if the Government troops enter this house, except over my dead carcass I'll consent to be d--d." He was terribly annoyed at this determination, but I repeated again that, while I lived in that house no examination of papers shall take place in it. He then left me, saying he would go out and make some inquiries himself about the substance of Carr's affidavit.

Cato was the acting porter for the night with orders to call me if any but the household knocked at the door and precautions taken and preparations made to prove how far man can go when spurred by duty. I threw myself on my bed without undressing, with lights burning. At half past eleven o'clock I heard footsteps in the inner square of the house, and presently the door of my room opened, when Col. Moore entered and found me standing by my table facing the door, with sword, dirk, guns, pistols &c., in a state for action. "Well" says he, "I see you're ready." I made no reply to that, but asked him what he had learned. "It is all too true," says he, " Henderson is implicated over head and ears. Torrens and Leidersdorf nearly as much. Gen. Harrison less than any, but all badly enough. Carter's name is used too, but I can't find out in what manner. It is a serious affair and now after more reflection I find you are right; the house must be protected, and you may make yourself easy, and go to bed with the assurance, that I will use all my influence to do so; when that proves unavailing, I'll use my arms and by God, the house shan't be entered for an examination of papers while I live. Right or wrong the General shall be defended."

Such a declaration from a person of his authortiy, and one whose good will, it was the policy and hope of the Government to conciliate, operated upon me (as it was unlooked for) in this moment of doubt and uncertainty, as a reprieve would to a criminal under the gallows. I involuntarily grasped his hand in the agony of feeling, and if my eye moistened a little it is not to be wondered at, while muttering something about his taking a correct view of the subject — now acting in character as a Representative of the United States, the General being a friend of mine &c. He refused the arms I offered, as he had plenty of his own, and left me to put them in order before going to bed.

I was now quite relieved but did not "douse my lights," or close my eyes in sleep that night. Next morning I was astonished in passing a shop, to see its owner, whom I thought at that time, at or near Anolayma, behind his counter at work as usual; but soon discovered that he had been frightened back when four leagues from the City, by a swaggering Colonel in the Colombian service. This affair loaded me again with anxiety and trouble; it was well known that the Republican principles of Gen. Harrison had long been dreaded by this Government, and that he had been looked upon with an eye of suspicion since he had publicly contradicted a report, which they had industriously circulated, of Presi dent General Jackson's intentions to crown himself King of the United States. Such a report the Monarchists had hoped would have reconciled the people of Colombia to such a change; having been thwarted thus in their calculations, there was no doubt that they would if possible, get rid of the man, who merely in refuting a slander on his country, had been the cause of their mortification. Knowing all this and feeling that any

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indignity intended General Harrison was an insult to my country — my plans of operation were speedily formed. I returned home-ordered a horse which had been in the stable all night against any emergency — to be saddled and breakfast to be brought in. Put on a traveling dress, took a hasty breakfast and gave the keys of the house to Col. Moore requesting him to be his own entertainer until the Genreral's return tomorrow evening. Why where are you going?" says he. "To Anolayma," I answered. "My messenger has been frightened back by a Colombian officer and Gen. Harrison is still ignorant of what's going on." "You will be sent back too." "But I have a passport here," showing him one of my pistols and a dirk. He shook his head, indicating that they would not carry me through, then told me that I was running myself into useless danger, as anything I now could do, would not save the General, the order would reach him before I could. I then told him that the order was not yet issued and that it was useless to attempt talking me out of my jaunt for it was my duty to acquaint the General of what was going on &c. I would see him at all hazards. "If you will go, I can't prevent it, but I fear your hot blood will lead you into a scrape." "If it does" says I, "I hope to work myself out again, I could send another messenger, but none with a probability of succeeding as well as myself. I am attaché to Gen. Harrison's family, and as such, they have no right to stop me for the General is still as much entitled to all his privileges as ever. I shall tell all, who attempt to stop me the same thing if they then persist-I am fully determined to force my way if possible." He then left me with a promise to do his best to have all proceedings put off, on part of the Government, till the General's return. When I passed the parlor, I saw Col. Moore within deeply engaged in conversation with Miranda; they both saw me in my traveling trim and saw me mount my horse- but the supposition that this Chief Clerk would divine my designation, and report it to the Secretary of State — did not in the least tend to cause a diminution of speed when under headway. Every step my horse took, he felt the application of whip or spur, and dashed along the first seven leagues over the plain, fast enough even to satisfy my impatience. I cast many anxious looks behind for pursuers, and every look, as the distance from the capital increased, made me feel greater security.

I now had left the great Honda route, and the straggling squads of soldiers traveling on it, and for the first slacked my horse's speed to relieve him by walking up the steep acclivity from the estate of Las Monjas. On the summit level I had a view of the entire plain below; though I saw no one on the road I had just left in chase, still I made my weary nag pace it along pretty briskly over the fine path I met with there, without more than a casual glance at the majestic splendor of the distant rugged mountains covered with glistening snow. A bad zigzag descent after a while, and a hilly road with its necessary meandering and windings so worried my horse, that I would have changed him for a fresh one, but that being an impossibility as none could be procured at Sipacon I proceeded. Shortly after leaving Sipacon, a mud hole of considerable length in which he sunk over his knees in the stiff clay, together with still another terrible pass, near the edge of a giddy precipice, appeared to have "done him up," he would not be excited to great speed by whip or spur, but walked along leisurely, for some time at his own gate. At length hearing great clattering of hoofs behind me, I turned and saw coming around an angle