14th.—I was left alone with the Spaniards to-day, while our boys were attending to the horses. My Spanish friends are very courteous, but there is little to relieve the monotony of our intercourse, as from my ignorance of the language I am unable to converse with them.
15th.—This morning we had one of our wild geese stewed for breakfast, which we had without coffee, and almost without bread. After breakfast I started to camp to draw provisions of some kind. When at camp I concluded to remain there.
16th.—I was told by the Sergeant to-day, that there was no flour to issue. He referred me to the Captain, who directed young Bales and myself to a mill some distance off, where we procured 60lbs. of unsifted Taos flour very coarsely prepared. With this, we returned, and in a few minutes nearly the whole was appropriated to the use of the half-starved soldiers. A very small portion of this brown flour fell to our share. This evening we are without food, or nearly so. Martin Glaze, an old veteran, who has seen service, and belongs to my mess, got a few ears of corn and parched it in a pan, with a small piece of pork to make it greasy. When it was done, we all sat around the fire and ate our supper of parched corn greased with fat pork. The weather to-night is extremely cold.
17th.—Awoke early this morning and found it snowing very hard. At 10 o’clock I went to our first Lieutenant’s quarters. He was engaged in appraising some cattle which are pressed into our service, and for which the natives were to be paid. A bull has just been killed, and the offals are being greedily devoured by our poor fellows. At 11 o’clock to-day our third Corporal died, having been sick with camp fever and inflammation of the brain several weeks. At 3 o’clock his grave was dug and the poor fellow was wrapped in his blanket—and buried without a coffin. To-night there are several of our men sick with the measles, supposed by our Surgeon to have been brought from Santa Fe.
18th.—The snow four inches deep—clear and very cold—another grave dug to-day for a member of the Livingston company, making five who have died since we have been out here. They are all buried near the mountain, where poor Johnson was laid.
20th.—The past two days have been employed in procuring wood, which is hard labor; but we do not complain as our fare is improved by the addition of bean soup and coffee.
21st.—A court martial was held this morning to try our fourth Sergeant, who has said something derogatory to the character of our Orderly. After the court adjourned, we were ordered to form a line. Our first Lieutenant then stood in front and read the proceedings of the court. The decision was that our fourth Sergeant be reduced to the ranks, for slander. It was ordered that if any man, or men should thereafter bring false charges against the officers, he or they, should be sent with a file of soldiers to Santa Fe, and tried at head quarters, &c. The company was then dismissed. Several of my mess concluded to run as candidates for the vacant place. They went among the crowd with tobacco and parched corn, electioneering. I was placed on guard at 9, and had to stand till 11 o’clock.
Sunday, 22d.—A gloomy Sabbath morning—I felt badly, but concluded to go to church at Abique. As soon as the ceremonies were ended I went in the priest’s room in company with my old friend Capt. Markle and several officers. After sitting awhile, a servant brought in a dish of refreshments, consisting of pies and wine. Placing the glass to my lips I discovered it to be Taos whiskey, as strong as alcohol. A piece of the pie, I thought might take away the unpleasant taste, so I crowded my mouth full, and found—alas! it was composed of onions, a dreadful fix indeed, for a hungry man, Taos whiskey and onion pie!—the very thought of the mess makes my mouth burn. When I returned to camp I found nearly every individual busily engaged at cards. Elias Barber, a messmate, was taken sick with the measles. The disease, is now raging among the troops.
23d.—We had great trouble in procuring fuel to-day. We had to travel far up the mountain for it, and it is exceedingly difficult to cook with it out of doors in the deep snow. It fell to my lot to make the bread, and I had much ado to-night, to make the mass stick together. I felt more than usual fatigue after the parade.
24th.—Elias Barber is very sick to-day. He spent a wretched night last night in a thin cotton tent. The wind is blowing on him constantly, while the measles are out very thick. I went to the Captain this morning and informed him of the situation of the young man. He told me if I could procure a place in the house, he might be brought in. I therefore went and after making preparations to move him, I was told that no such thing should be done. I then tried to get an extra tent to place over the one we are sleeping in, and even this was denied me. The poor fellow is lying out of doors, exposed to all the inclemency of this cold climate. And last night it was so cold that the water became frozen in our canteens. The Surgeon appears interested, but it is all to no purpose—nothing further is done for the comfort of the sufferer. May the Lord deliver me from the tender mercies of such men!