The Litchfield County post., 1828-04-10


 was performed, were equally remarkable. In word, he was pattern man and, what is extremely rare with such persons, Velasquez was great favOrite with his own squadron as we'll as with his officers.
 Our regiment was soon complete in numbers; and its discipline, may be per- mitted to say, was perfected, before its C. quipment in arms, and still more in cloth ing, was fully made. Shortly after the ar- my had taken up it's position at Torres Ve- draS, we were ordered in advance, aud it became my turn of duty to command the out-piquet. The guard consisted of nay own company, and we came to the ground about sunset. remember that night, & that spot as if the occurrence were of yeS- terday and we'll, may I As the brilliant colours of the evening faded away, glo- rious moon frightened in all the radiance of southern latitude. A half-ruined barn formed the centre of our post; !; it stood up- on the edge of gentle declivity, which was partly covered with bushes. About two hundred yards in advance was cot- tage, which chanced to be that Valasquez's father: and he himself, belonged to my company, & was now on duty thus close to his native spot.
 The last rays of the evening had finally sunken from the horizon, and I was stand ing gazing on the rich moon, snow rising high into the heavens, when suddenly I was alarmed by shot, and loud scream, which seemed to proceed from the cottage of which l have spoken. Accompanied by Neil Cameron (the youger of the two brothers )and eight or ten men, among whom was Velasquez, hurried to the sentry at the outpost nearest to the spot. He said, that he heard the reports, and immediately seen three or four men rush from the door, and make off in the opposite direc- tion to our piquet. We hastened on to the cottage e,--advancing however, with caution, not knowing what the real cause of the alarm might be. All was still.-- We reached the door: it was open and on its threshold lay cap, apparently that of a French officer, in position which infer- red that it had been struck from his head by the door sill as he hurried ost. We entered the cottage, and there, on the floor, lay the bodies of two elderly men. Val- asquez sprang to them. They were his father and his uncle. They were both quite dead! But this was far from all t: a murmuring sound, as if of some one half grooming, half striving to speak, was heard proceeding from small inner room. On the instant, Velasquez started from his fathers corpse, upon which he had thrown himself, and rushed into the other room. Never, while have life, shall forget the shriek which, at that moment, burst from him. It was the most appalling sound l ever heard issue from human Ii ps-and tru- ly so it well might be, for it was caused by the extremity of human agony.
 Upon entering the room, we found Ve- lasquez in the act of raising from the floor the body of young woman whom some of his comrades immediately recognized to have been betrothed to him. She was pale, insensible, and apparently dying. The blood oozed from a wound in her side, and there were livid marks upon her throat, as though produced by violent grasp of the hand. The manifestation of despair by Velasquez was such as, in our colder countrymen, would have been con- sidered extravagant but in him these frantic transports were no more than nat ural. With alternate tears and curses, he vowed vengeance, deep and desperate, up- on the author of his calamities. At length we bore the body of the dying person to the barn, which have mentioned as the head quarters of our piquet for the night, and she was laid upon some straw that had been spread out for the soldiers to sleep on. Cameron and then bound up the wound. Velasquez seemed wholly uncon- sciOus of what was going on. When we desired him to hold the handkerchief, he appeared not to understand us; but. when the end of it was placed in her hand, he held it until it waa tied. despatched g man to beg the attendance of the surgeon of the regiment, and then retired with Cameron, within partition which screen ed us from Vclasquez and his charge. The rest of the guard had, with that delicacy which the rudest learn instinctively al the sight of deep distress, withdrawn iron the place, and left them alone together.
 That was the longest and most painiu night ever spent. I thought day would never break. Hour after hour expected the arrival of the surgeon-every noise thought was that of his arrival: but h' came not. Towards one o'clock the wine began to rise; and, as it howled thYoug II the rraZv hnildinp if rnudereh the SiienC,