Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-04-09

: Justice Marshall. lie was lame, and unable from
fatigue and exhaustion 10 walk at the same pace
as most other men. Captain DemasIo SalaZar,
who had the charge of the party, called Mr. q.
Van Ness TO him and directed hun TO 90 to the
rear and inform all who were behind, that If they
did not Immediately overtake the prisoners, he
would order them 10 be shot, and that a sergeant
and four men had been ordered 10 the rear, for this
purpose. When q. Van Ness was IN the act of
complying and had not repeated the whole order,
the sergeant and hi, men came ap. The sergeant
asked McAiisfcr why he did not 20 faster?' He
replied that he was no, able, for his feet were
very sore" He was almost Instantly shot through
The head. His ears were cut oil, tIs blanket and
his pan'aIoons taken from hum ane his body leit
on The road.
Upon the 30th of October We reached Hay
CrlatovaI. A, night there was / severe snow
storm. None of us had more than one blanket,
! and In the morning there were more than two
inches of snow upon US. Here commenced what
is called the march Of the Grand JJrnana. IT IS
50 called from there being no water the whole
distance, and the difficulty with which II Is per-
formed. We moved off al noon OF the 3lst, and
our march continued the whole light. There was
a halt for about an hour and a halt 10 the morning,
when the march again commenced aud was con
tInued through the day. and with the exception OF
about three hours, throughout The whole night,
and TIL about 10 O'Clock the next morning. Du-
ring the whole time no provisions or water were
given to the men. 1t was about ! O'clock of the
last night, that Dolphin, d merchant, was shot
lie had long been sick, and had been carried on
the sick wagon, as 1t was called, nearly the whole
distance from The River Quintufue 10 San Miguel,
that Is from September to October II. lie con
,uued sick and intitm until the lime OF his death.
He obtained permission of one of the Mexican
soldiers to ride, aud was in the nc, of taking off
his shirt TO pay for this favor, when some soldiers
came up. One Of them ired al and wounded him.
lie ran some yards, crying out to have his lite
spared, when another soldier shot him dead.
Griffith was killed the same night with dolphin
lie had been permitted 10 ride IN q wagon during
the day, upon account Of sickness. HIS brains
were knocked out by a soldier, but we do not
know what occurred previously to his being killed.
Gates was another sick soldier. He caught
cold soon otter leaving San Miguel, which was
followed by a very severe inflammation of the
lungs. 4 few minutes before his death a suldier
presented at him a musket, and snapped it in his
face. langhlng al The u ainf,I AaAnt+ ~~ia-~d.-
His body was thrown into the bushes. There was
another man of the name of Gates with US, a
CorIshman, who Is alive.
These were the horrible scenes hat were ac-
companied with c loss Of life; bu, tlere were 9th
err scenes connected with this march Ct a longer
duration, and of the most painful KIND. For ma
ny days no food was distributed, and on some days
only two heads Of corn were given to each man.
Such articles Of dress as the men could with de
cencY spare, they exchanged upon the road for
subsistence. The cold Was SO great that the loss
of what they parted with, added to their suffer
ings. General Amigo, the Governor Of New
Mexico had, at tho Rio Galena, caused them To
be stripped of their coats and w~ais,cmts, ans their
second blankets 10 be taken from !hem.-
They had not, therefore,, sufficient cloth
ing 10 protect them from the severity Of the wea-
Their. Their shoes were worn oat; their feet
were blistered; they were exhausted by fatigue:
many were almost naked; those no: broken down,
~ q r under the DnrphenSIO of heinz killed. and
IN this lame. miserable and suffering condition
thew reached Santiago.
Myself and some two others were not deprived
of our coats; we had good shoes, and we had bet
ter fortune than many in having saved the means
which prevented the necessity Of parting with
our clothing. Yours, very truly.
THOMAS FALCONER.
Mexico, Feb. 10, 1912.