The Mexican War, by an English Soldier; Comprising Incidents and Adventures in the United States and Mexico with the American Army (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860 Excerpt: ...away. Numbers of them reserved only a great-coat or blanket, deliberately sacrificing the rest of their effects, and before we reached Santa Fe, a small village about eight miles from Vergara, the road was strewn with articles of clothing thrown away by the men. We halted in the village of Santa Fe, for a short time, and General Twiggs and the officers of his staff entered a house where they sat down to rest, sheltered from the scorching heat of the sun. Some of the men in the meantime had discovered an apartment at the other end of the building, containing some barrels of aquadiente, or Mexican brandy, and an entrance having been effected, a considerable portion of the liquor had found its way into the men's canteens, before a knowledge of their proceedings had been communicated by the Mexican to the General. The anger of General Twiggs as he rushed to the scene, and the celerity with which the marauders " vamosed the ranche" as they heard the ominous alarm of "here's old Davy," transcend description. Two or three of the unlucky wights, however, he met on the threshold of the door, on their way out; these he The: March. 169 seized by the collar and swung round till he bad an opportunity of administering a sound kick to their posteriors. None of them, however, stayed to remonstrate on these rather unpleasant demonstrations of the old General's love of justice, being only too happy to get out of that fix so easily, and the bugle having been ordered to sound "The Assembly," we were formed into our ranks, and the march was immediately resumed. General Twiggs, who rode at the head of the division, committed a great error in permitting the men in front to walk too quick on this day's march. The consequence of this was that a great m...