The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-10-14
Eating Horse Eir,h--suIerinsa of The san;n
Ee Expedition.

Mr.. Kendall, of the N .. Picayune, in his
notes Of the Santa re Expedition, gives the fol-
lowing as a sample Of misery to which the poor
fellows were reduced, before they fell into the
hands of the Mexcans
The evening of the 10th, we had lost
all traces Of road. That passage must
be forced through the high chain OF noun
tains and rough hills before us, was evi-
dent enough. Although we were not
aware Of it at the time, they proved to be
spurs Of the Rocky Mountains; and, as
the sun gradually sank behind them, a
cold breeze sprang up from the northeast.
1t was the first raw cold weather we had
had and, IN our then weak and eXhaus-
ted situation, we felt it more sensibly.
We journeyed on until we came to a
deep, dry gully, at the foot Of the noun
tains; and there encamped for the night.
70 90 further without something TO eat,
was impossible. The wild and haggard
looks, the sunken eyes, heshless faces OF
the men, too plainly showed that some
susienance must be Immediately provided.
A horse formerly belonging to Rowland,
and which in the early part OF the cam
paign, had been one Of the best animals
along. was now found 10 he so poor and
badly bloken down, that it was resolved
upon to shoot him, and divide his flesh
among the different messes. AS they led
the once proud and gallant horse up to
execution, the words of our old nursery
song--one that | had neither heard noI
thought Of for, will not say how many
years, but since | was a boy-camc rush
ing to my recollection;
Poor old horse! let him die!
He's old he's cold, he's lazy, dull and slow,
lie eats all my hay, andhe tmmP.esa all my straw
He's neither 1T to go, nor in the cart to draws
| So wei! whip him, kill him. skin him, and to tn
hun,sman let him go.
| Poor old horse he mus; die
do not give this from any intrinsl
merit il may possess; and | will not say
that have quoted the author right, al
though he has probably been dead for
century, and consequently unable to cor
rect it; have simply given the verse, +
show the well-known eccentricitlcs OF me
mory, by which man is often placed II
situations, or is witness to scenes, whicI
suddenly awaken aud bring to his recoI
lection the long-forgotten associations Q
childhood.
But to return to my narrative. IN
horse was killed, AND, III quicker time tina
it takes me 10 tell it, his hide was Off, an
his flesh distributed. lhave before state
that the meat Of a Young mustang is excel
lent-an old broken-down horse IS anoIhe
affair. 1t was as tough as lndIa-ruooe
and the more a piece was masilcated' III
larger il became in the mouth Poor as
was, however, and hard TO swallow, al
f confident that many 4 man in Inc crow
ate four or five pounds Of II, hall cooke
, and without salt know that swallowe
nv share. That | felt mean while eaill
his food, | will not pretend to deny; az
= buzzard, who sat perched upon d.
limb of cottonwood above, appeared
look down ppnu us reproachiuliy, as
r saw US deyouring food legitimately b
longing 20 him There was someihln
+ TOO, like honest indignation expressed
. ID! J..,n,,,,,,,c az +, ,vnir vvhA sut uiIiel