By roving bands of restless savage foes.”
22nd.—On Sunday last I went to the M. E. Church and listened to an excellent sermon. I was kindly invited by a stranger, who introduced himself to me, to dine and spend the evening with him. I complied with his request and was pleasantly entertained. After tea I returned to my boarding house, which is kept by a Mr. Wren, and whose charge is moderate, viz. $4 per week. On my first introduction here I committed a blunder, the thought of which has frequently caused me to smile. It shows the contrast between a camp life and the more polished proceedings of life in the city. When I was called to the first meal, I seated myself at the table in the presence of my hostess, and commenced operations as I supposed in a manner the most polite and refined. Casting a glance at the lady I observed that she was eyeing me with a curious interest. The smile that played upon her lip told me that she was amused at some awkwardness of mine or some oddity in my appearance. And what was my surprise when I found that I had jerked my old knife from my pocket and was cutting my meat placed upon my bread in my usual way. The habit had been fixed upon me, and notwithstanding the neat arrangements of the table I could not resist the propensity to indulge in my camp customs.
26th.—On board the steamer Louisville bound for Cincinnati. The boat is crowded, but a mattress on which to lie is a luxury. A few hours ago, I parted with many of my fellow soldiers and friends, with feelings which it is impossible for me to describe. I am not in a situation to continue with the regiment until it reaches its final destination. My mouth is so sore that the least effort to masticate my food is very painful, and I cannot eat, now that I have before me all the luxuries of life; and even if I could it would be improper for me to do so, on account of a long continued diarrhœa and pain in my breast and side. I feel that I am greatly changed when I compare the present with the time when I last glided over this beautiful stream. Then so full of health and anticipations of pleasures and happiness, now, a sick soldier—a mere skeleton of a man, bronzed by the burning rays of a Mexican sun, and worn down by the prolonged fatigue of travelling, watching and toil. I regret very much that I cannot go to St. Louis, as requested by Col. Doniphan, where an enthusiastic reception is awaiting him. To express myself in measured terms about our Commander, would not be expressive of my feelings, and I feel how utterly incompetent I am to utter his eulogy. The man who can familiarise himself with the poorest private, by some kind word, or ride among the troops, and make us forget that we were hungry or thirsty by some pleasant converse, in our long and toilsome march;—the man who can forget his own personal safety in the hour of danger, and rise superior to every embarrassment—who can be prepared for every emergency, by superior skill in the tactics of war—as well as a refined sense of honor, and an open suavity of manner, not only leading captive the hearts of his entire command, but thousands of the hostile foe—such a man is a treasure to society, an honor to his country. And, such a man, is the brave Doniphan. It was with the feelings of a brother or a friend to whom I owed many obligations, that I grasped the hand of this great man, who kindly wished me a safe return to my family.
27th.—Our noble steamer has made good headway up the river, passed Baton Rouge, and at nine o’clock at night came in sight of Natchez.
28th.—Passed the Grand Gulf at 10, and at 2 got to Vicksburg. The pleasure of feasting my eyes on scenes so lovely, and which are presented by a trip to the “Father of Waters,” compensates for any little inconvenience arising from our crowded state.
30th.—At this time we are near Memphis. There is some excitement on board. A man laboring under the effects of mania potu is quite crazy, and has attempted several times to jump overboard. Just now he entered the ladies’ cabin and struck his wife; one of our officers interfered, and soon placed him on his back. But a further attempt to kill his child made it necessary to secure him. With several others I entered the ladies’ cabin, and helped to tie this gentleman. He made much useless resistance.
July 1st.—Slept but little—the surrounding bustle and noises mingled strangely with dreamy anticipations of soon receiving the cordial welcome of friends, that I fondly think that are eagerly awaiting me in my native home.
West River, July 10th.—Let no brave soldier say he cannot shed tears of joy, when clasped in the arms of his aged, widowed mother, after an absence of nearly two years, in which he has encountered the perils of both land and sea—travelling nearly 6000 miles, 2200 being through the heart of an enemy’s country, and witnessing death in every shape and feature.
It were an endless task to attempt any thing like a minute description of that part of Mexico through which we travelled. Our route lay for the most part, on the Rio Grande del Norte, whose head waters rise in the Green Mountains, several hundred miles above Santa Fe. It forms the western boundary of Texas, and can be easily forded at almost any point above El Paso. In the dry season it is extremely low, and can be of very little importance for navigation, except near its mouth, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It is thought this river has a course of from 15 to 1800 miles. The country is elevated: being traversed by a range of mountains extending far to the northward. Among the inhabitants, I saw every shade of complexion, from a dark swarthy, or yellow, to the palest white. But few are handsome among the ladies; and this is principally to be attributed to their great love of coloring the skin with red paint. The mountaineers are mostly poor, and almost universally destitute of every thing beyond the bare necessaries of life. Their flocks and herds constitute their principal riches, and their implements of husbandry are all of the most simple character. Their ploughing such as it is—is effected by a wooden plough, to which is attached two or four oxen, and the wheat is slightly covered over, having been previously sown on the hard ground. There are some fertile valleys in this mountainous range, but the poor simple inhabitants have very little idea of taking advantage of the natural resources of their country. After we left Chihuahua, fields of cotton and corn, interspersed at intervals with the sugar cane, presented themselves. The ranchos are always about a day’s journey apart, and the whole aspect of nature in these delightful spots, is one of the most inviting that can be imagined, as a field of operation, for the industry and art of man. The soil here is fertile, and what is generally termed bottom land; and with proper culture would be made as productive as any of our western lands, as the climate is more genial. They grow only a few vegetables, of which the red pepper appears to be a favorite, these they string and hang on the outsides of their houses so thick that on approaching I frequently thought I should see a painted dwelling, but was to see only a miserable dirty hut. The mines of Mexico afford her principal wealth, but of this the poorer classes obtain but little, they are kept in ignorance and degradation by a government which has borne the name of Republican, but which every one who sojourns in that country must soon discover to be a mockery, for the mass of the people are subject alone to the will of the Roman clergy, and are not free to act. There is no slave in any of our Southern States whose situation they have not reason to envy. The women are more degraded if possible than the men, and more slovenly in their appearance, and while this is the case in any country the morals of the people must remain at a low grade. Since my return, I have heard of the enthusiastic reception of Col. Doniphan at St. Louis, an account of which I annex as published in the Baltimore American. Our business was not, however, to see all that was worth seeing, but to hurry on to the place we started for and when arrived at that to make arrangements to hurry on again.