In crowds they crawl despite the groan
Of him whose blood they started.
When I took up my Journal to add a few items, I found the above had been written by some wag, in my absence. He was disposed to ridicule my description of the felicity of which I boasted. Our boys are rather mischievous, and I must confess that I felt rather waggish myself when I made the boast of our possessing Eden-like pleasures. The continuation of my narrative pleased me so well that I consented to let it remain as it was written. Our mischievous feeling and manner of expression is the most innocent way in which we can relieve ourselves, for we privates are suffering many privations while some of our officers refuse to speak to each other. I am glad, however, that our troubles are so merrily turned into ridicule, the best way sometimes to treat them. We are not destitute of sport however—many amusing scenes occur among us, debating societies are formed among the soldiers in which the most absurd questions are dilated upon with a vehemence and mock seriousness truly laughable. A breakfast of coffee without sugar, some very poor beef soup, and onions sliced up with parched corn, made a better meal for us to-day than we have had for some days past. Yesterday I traded off two needles to the Spanish girls for six ears of corn and some onions, it was a trade decidedly profitable for both parties. In company with our first Lieutenant, his brother, William White, Dr. Dunlap, and a number of others, I went up on a high peak of the Rocky Mountains. We had been there but a few minutes when it commenced snowing. We kindled a large fire, and amused ourselves by listening to the reverberations of sound produced by our Lieutenant’s revolver, who fired six rounds. Becoming thirsty, we searched and found water in the crevice of the rock close to the edge of the precipice. It was too far below the surface for us to drink by stooping over, and William White proposed to throw in gravel, in order to raise the water, reminding me of one of Æsop’s fables. We followed his advice and the water was soon forced to rise high enough for our purpose. The snow increasing, we came down and made another fire in a large hollow of the rock, where all but myself sat down to cards. It was an amusement that I did not relish, and I sought my gratification in loosing the rocks and rolling them down the side of the mountain, which is at least a thousand feet above the level of our camp.
29th.—To-day, Charles Perkins and myself took our guns and proceeded down the river several miles in search of game. We fired at several flocks of wild geese and ducks, but it only scared them further off. We passed several Spanish houses on our return. When we reached the camp we found the soldiers at different employments, some playing cards, and others making articles to sell to the natives. A Mr. Hatfield was engaged in the manufacture of a grindstone to trade to the Spaniards for corn and beans. These, with onions, are the only vegetables they grow.
30th.—The mountains are covered with snow, and, after raining hard all night, this morning it is clear and cold. We made the best preparations we could to send the wagons back to Santa Fe for provisions, as late last night, our second Lieutenant returned, after an absence of five days, and brought news that we are to take up our winter quarters in this dreadful region. There seems to be very little likelihood of our going south at all. The officers went in search of other quarters to-day.
31st.—We had a heavy fall of rain last night, which improved into a snow-storm before morning. I slept very uncomfortably, as a high wind from the north had full sweep in the door of our tent. We were inspected at 11 o’clock, and carried through all the evolutions of the drill. After the parade we could scarcely keep warm, though wrapped in our blankets, and crowded around the fire. Yesterday one of our beef cattle died from starvation. The Mexicans came down and took it off to their habitations. We might have made a speculation by selling it but did not think of it.
Sunday, November 1st.—Several of my mess are going up the mountains to look for their horses. I offered a friend $5 (should I ever again possess that sum) to search for mine. I read aloud in my Testament to some of the boys, while others sat apart, or pitched quoits. At night a Spaniard came in camp with a fiddle, and played a number of tunes which so exhilarated my poor half frozen companions that they united in a dance which they kept up till a late hour.
2nd.—Some Taos flour, coarsely ground in the little native mills on the Rio Grande, badly baked in the ashes, and some coffee without sugar, now comprise our only sustenance. Between meals, however, we parch some corn, which we now and then procure of the natives in exchange for buttons, needles, or any little matter we can spare. At 9 o’clock, we struck our tents, and marched down the river two miles to a deserted Spanish house nearly in ruins. The inhabitants were murdered by the Navihoe Indians. This is the place where we are to take up our winter quarters. I can scarcely describe this wretched den. The soldiers have looked in and they have become very dissatisfied. They were told by the Captain to erect their tents inside the wall. All the houses in this region having that protection. We could not sleep in the house on account of the offensive odor. The tent was much more comfortable.
3d.—As soon as our breakfast of beef soup and coffee was over, some of the men were appointed to scrape and clean the house. I with several others was sent to the mountains to cut and haul wood. After walking two miles, we procured a load of green pine, which does not grow here more than half the usual size. On the return, I thought I would take a near cut to our camp alone. I turned into a foot-path, which led me to the top of a high mountain. Here I could see our quarters, though a long distance off. I took a direct course, and soon arrived at camp, where I found our boys writing down a vocabulary of Spanish words. They have become very erudite of late.
4th.—All this day we did nothing but write down words from the language spoken by the people, who, from their complexion, appear to be a mixture of the Spanish and Indian races. We made a pretty good dictionary among us.