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Note: l of that same year, he continued on horseback with Josiah McClanahan, Bellej Smith (a Spaniard), an Indian guide and his three slaves to Santa Fe, New Mexico to form a lead trade for Stephen F. and Moses Austin. They encountered innumerable hardships, but finally reached their destination, Santa Fe. The cheapness of the metal was unbelievable to the Mexicans, so they were suspected, arrested as French spies, and not permitted to establish their identity. The Mexican military authorities were apparently afraid to trust anyone since the revolution was in progress at this time, so they were carried south to Chihuahua and put in shackles in a dungeon for nine months. They were not allowed to communicate with anyone but prison guards. While in Chihuahua, they witnessed the execution of a priest, Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costella, the leader of one of the first Mexican revolutions who had begged for their release. In time they were transferred to Vera Cruz, and a local newspaper carried an item about the party being suspected as French spies. In this way, the news reached Colonel Nelson Patteson at Pulaski, who had not heard from his son for nearly three years and thought he might be one of the party. Colonel Patteson took the matter up with the State Department in Washington and Washington in turn took it up with Mexico. Finally, the prisoners were released, but the Mexicans did not intend for them to reach home and report the facts of their imprisonment. Their guns were returned to them with powder so wet that it was almost worthless, along with a map showing the route to the Rio Grande. A priest however, who had become acquainted with Mr. Patteson, told him confidentially not to follow the road. The three men decided it would be best to separate and travel alone for safety sake. They were to meet in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The journey was long and hard. For three days at one time Patteson was without food or water, taking refuge from a blizzard in the carcass of a dead buffalo. Finally, half starved and nearly naked, the three men reached Natchitoches within a few days of each other. They were supplied with food and clothing, and James Patteson left the other men and made his way to Pulaski, Tennessee, his home. In the fall of 1813, James Patteson joined Captain John Gordon's company under General Andrew Jackson for the war with the Creek Indians. Early in the campaign, he was put in command of twenty choice scouts with the rank of Captain and ordered to report directly to General Andrew Jackson. In 1847, when the war with Mexico grew out of the annexation of Texas, the federal government called on Tennessee for a quota of 3,000 soldiers. Instead, 30,000 responded, this winning for Tennessee the proud title of the "Volunteer State". No wonder the Tennesseans volunteered so readily -- they already knew Sam Houston as one of their own citizens and had learned how Captain James Patteson and his party had suffered at the hands of the Mexicans, as well as the story of the Alamo and Goliad. Captain Patteson and his son, B. M. Patteson, were among the volunteers under the leadership of General Winfield Scott and Z. Taylor. Captain Patteson and his son fought side by side in three battles before reaching Matamoros. Here, they were separated, B. M. going to Monterey and Captain Patteson going down the coast, probably to Vera Cruz, hoping in some way to get revenge for his ill treatment while in prison there. It was from one of these battles that Captain James Patteson brought back a Spanish dagger which has been handed down from generation to generation to the great-great-grandson, William Clemons Hollins IV of Fort Worth, Texas. The dagger was supposed to have come out of the battle of Cerro Gorder, April 18, 1847, where 3,000 Mexicans were taken prisoners and military stores were captured. After peace was declared, Captain Patteson and his son returned to Pulaski, Tennessee, where he died in 1865 at the age of 72.
Note: In the spring of 1809, James Patteson, son of Colonel Nelson Patteson (a Colonel in George Washington's army), left Pulaski, Tennessee with three Negro slaves for the Missouri lead mines. In the fal
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