Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-06-11
In Gen. WADDy THoMPsoN's recently publish
ed work entitled ''Recollections Of Mexico,' are
the following passages on the subject of
THE MEXICAN ARMY.

THE MEXICAN ARMY.
The Mexican army, and more particularly their
cavalry, may do very well TO fight each other but
III any conflict with our own European troops it
would not be battle, but massacre Frederick
the Crcat, who was the author, in great decree
OF tle modern system OF tactics, had three maXims
rs to cavalry. First, that cavalry corps should
never be charged upon, but should always make
the charge. Second, that, in n charge of cavalry,
they Were not going fast enough unless when halt
ed, the roh from the mouth Of the horse struck the
rider In the face and third, which is rather the
summing up Of the first two, that the spur was
more important than the sword In other words.
that the impulse and momentum of the horse was
OF more consequence than the arms and blows of
the rider. What then must be the murderous inc
quality between corps Of American cavalry and an
equal number of MeXicans The American corrs.
from the superior size Of their horses, would cover
twice as much ground, and the obstruction offered
by the MeXcans on their small and scrawny ponies
would scarcely cause their horses to stumble in riding
over them; to say nothing OF the inequality of the
men themselves-five to one at least in individual
combats, and more than twice that in a battle. The
infantry would be found even more mpotent.
do not think that the Mexican men have much
more physical strength than our women. They
are generally of diminutiye stature, wholly unac-
customed to labor exercise OF any sort and, as
conclusive proof OF their nfriority to our own In
dams, will mention the fact that frequent incur
sions are made into the interior of Mexico by marau-
ding bands of Camanches. who levy black mail TO
an extraordinary extent upon the northern provinces
or Mexico 1t Is not unusual for bands Of hundred
Camanches thus to penetrate several hundred miles
into Mexico and carry off as many horses cattle
and captives as they choose; there not less than
flVe thousand MeXlcans at this moment slaves of
the Camanches-and of all our Western tribes, the
Camanches are the most cowardiy the Delawares
frequently whip them five 10 one
The soldiers Of the Mexican army are generally
collected by sending out recruiting detschuens into
| the mountains, whence they hunt the Indians in
their dens and caverns, and bring them in chains to
Mexico scarcely day passes on which droves of
these miserable and more than half naked wretches
are not seen thus chained together and marching
through the streets to the barracks where they are
secured, and then dressed in uniform made OF lin
Ell cloth or OF serge, and are occasionally drilled
which consists in teaching them to march through
the streets. Their military hands are good and the
men learn TO march indilerontly well-but only in
differently welhey put their feet down as if feel
ing for the place, and do not step with that aun.v,
erect and graceful air which is so beautiful in well
drilled troops. As to the wheengs Of well trained
troops, like the opening and shutting OF a gate or
prompt and exact execution Of other evoIutons hey
] know nothing about them.
| There is not one in ten Of these soldiers who
/ nave ever seen gun, nor one in hundred who
has ever fired one before he was brought into the
barracks. Ii is III this way that the ranks of the
army are generally filed up--in particular emer-
/ gencleS the prisons are thrown open, which always
contain more prisoners than the army numbers, and
these feons become soldiers and some OF them off
GERS Their arms. too, are generally worthless
I English muskets which have been condemned and
thrown aside, and are purchased for almost nothing
and sold TO the Mexican government. Their pow
der, too. is equally as bad in the last battle be-
! tween Santa Anna and BuStamente. which lasted
the whole day not one cannon ball in thou
sand reached the encmy--they generally fell about
half way between the opposing armies.