Christophe Vuillaumes efterslægt - Christensen, Erichsen ...

At that time were assembled at Carthagena more than 800 strangers, counting the owners and the crews of
privateers. Among them Pineres had a strong party, because Torrices had laid heavy duties on the prize
merchandise, and had limited the privateering business, by which Carthagena subsisted in a great measure at
that time. Pineres, knowing the persons concerned in the privateers were not much satisfied with those
restrictions, employed every means to ferment this dissatisfaction. One of these means was to post up a libel
against the existing government, in which he said that the majority of the strangers were on the side of the vice
president Pineres; that they should open their eyes upon the vexations and the tyranny of Torrices, and
promising formally that all would change in their favour, if they would support him in the approaching
election, &c.
The police officers seeing these libels on the church doors and at he corners of the streets, the next morning,
showed them to the president and the general-in-chief Castillo. I was some time previous to this event in the
service of the army of Carthagena at the solicitation of the president and the general-in-chief. They could not
offer me more than the grade of colonel, in virtue of the constitution, by which the Congress of New Grenada
sitting at Tunja had reserved the exclusive right to name and to confirm all the generals; but as I had not come
to seek any grade, but to serve the sacred cause of freedom as I did at the beginning of the French revolution,
I contented myself with the solemn promise of these two gentlemen, to deliver my brevet of general to the
president Torrices, who took upon himself to send it to the Congress of New Grenada to be confirmed, and I
accepted provisionally to serve as colonel in this army, until the return of my commission. Since then I have
heard nothing more of it. Castillo and his superior general Cortez of Campomanes, were no more at that time
than colonels, but were called generals.
The president, Torrices, in seeing this libel, sent immediately for the general-in-chief and the Corregidor, as
chief of the police, and communicated to them the paper. Castillo, after some convertion, suggested the idea of
calling on me as a man whom they could rely on and consult with. We were intimate, and so he came to my
house. I had seen the libel and was much better acquainted with the facts, than he and the president could be. I
assured him that the government could count upon the firm resolution of a great majority to support it. They
departed together to the palace where Ducoudray repeated to the president Torrices, yet pale and agitated,
what he had said to Castillo. Ducoudray spoke then with some of the owners of the privateers; amongst them
was Mr. Charles I. from New Orleans, an enterprising, wealthy, and very determined man, who had a great
ascendency over the other captains of the privateers. He convoked them, and, in a short speech, persuaded
them to rally round the existing government, and oppose any faction that should try to overthrow it, &c. This
had a very good effect, and amongst them was, I must say to their honor, not a single dissenting voice. Every
measure was taken with the general-in-chief, to whom Ducoudray was called. The latter was named the
commander of all the strangers residing in the fortress. The numerous crews of the privateers were secretly
debarked, armed, and organized in companies, and divided into the different quarters of the city, and at the
most important posts on the wall, at the batteries, &c. The day before the sitting of the legislature, all was in
the greatest activity. Ducoudray and Castillo went about the whole night, busy in visiting the posts and giving
the necessary orders. All the captains of privateers, the foreign officers and merchants, French, English, and
German, and the commanders of a good armed Battalion of coloured French people, cannot be too much
praised for their exertions to maintain a very severe discipline amongst such an assemblage of men from
different countries, and of different colour; and what is much more to be admired, is, that during the two days
and three nights of their being under arms not a single excess was committed, not a single complaint of
disorder was brought before Ducoudray or Castillo. The inhabitants of Carthagena will, if they ever see this
account, confirm what is here stated. Such was the good behaviour of these strangers, so generally hated by the
Colombians! Should we have seen a thousand of these latter, or of their troops, behave so quietly, as did these
800 strangers, on a similar occasion?
Meanwhile the brothers Pineres, Bolivar, Marino, and their adherents, were busily employed in preparing their
means to strike a decisive blow in the assembly, which was to assemble the next morning at eleven o'clock. I
was that same evening at the house of Bolivar, to visit the Soublette family, and found there a large assembly
of Caraguins; but Bolivar was busily engaged with the Pineres in his private room. I saw going into and out of
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