"Isaac Kent Zumwalt and the Mier Expedition. Capt. "Black" Adam’sson, I saac Kent Zumwalt, took part in both the Somervell Expeditions(Capt. I saac Mitchell's Company) and the Mier Expedition (Capt.Reese's Company ) where he was taken prisoner. After an escape attempton the way to Pe rote Prison in Mexico City, Santa Anna ordered thatall 176 prisoners b e executed. In response to appeal by Mexicanofficers who detested the o rder and possibly diplomatic pressure,Santa Anna consented to executio n of only every tenth man by drawfrom a mixture of 17 black and 159 wh ite beans. Officers drew firstby possibly rank or age, then enlisted m en in alphabetical order.Black beans were said to have been at first p laced on top for thedraw of the officers, then mixed for the enlisted m en. BigfootWallace drew a white bean preceding Henry Whaling and Marti n CarrollWing 16th and 17th to draw black. Family legends say Isaac Zu mwaltwould have been the next to draw if Wing had drawn white. The epi sodehas been a source of comment in Zumwalt family stories to date whenever there is a complaint by family members bearing the surname ofalw ays being last on the alphabetical lists. Isaac Zumwalt was amongthe T exan prisoners released by the Mexican government on 16 Sep1844, who a rrived in New Orleans on the schooner Creole. He returnedto the Gonzal es area where he married Verona Jane Love in 1848 andhad children Adam Z achary, James L., Martha Jane and Allen L. He diedin Gonzales County i n Dec 1868. The following is in the Public DebtPapers, State Archives, A ustin, TX:
Perote, Mexico Know all men by these presents that Isaac K. Zumwaltwas d uly enrolled in the company of Capt. Isaac Mitchell on thetwentieth da y of October AD one thousand eight hundred and forty twoand was transf erred to Capt. C.K. Reeses Company on the nineteenthday of December in t he year aforesaid and has faithfully performedthe duties of a soldier a nd is hereby honorably discharged from theservice of the Republic of T exas. Given under our hands thisSixteenth day of September AD one thou sand eight hundred and fortyfour. F.W. Douglass 2nd Lieut. William L. F isher Col. COM. To IsaacZumwalt Dr. For services as a member of the Me jar expedition from the17th October 1844 at $22.50 per month, $540. Fo r horse lost in saidExpd. $65; Total $605."
