The daily union., 1846-08-25
THE DAILY UNION
From the Columbus (os) Times.
FROM THE ARMY.

From the Columbus (Gs) Times
FROM THE ARMY.
We entertain our readers with the perusal Of the
following letter from Adjutant Forsyth, at Mata'
morasi
MArAMORAs, July 3lst, 1886.
reached this ancient city, recently rendered IA
nous in American history by stirring military
events, yesterday. | came up with Col. Jackson
by steam the object of the colonel being TO report
himself personally to headquarters, and 10 endesvor
to get "postion" for the Georgia regiment with
the advancing columns OF the army and mine TO see
the country. We left the camp opposite Burlta in
the forenoon and ran on at the slow rate Of -four
miles an hour, until night. The country presents
the aspect from the mouth Of the river 10 this
point. The distance in direct line by land is
30 miles. The river meanders the space of 100
miles from here to It's mouth. The banks are very
low, generally two, and occasionally mounting to
four or five feet either side, far the eye can
reach immense fats stretched out, until prairie
and sky scenery come together, forming the visual
horizon. The Mexican side is quite thicky popu-
lated To the eye, the vast plains present the ap.
pearance of boundess fertility 1t is one vast mes-
dow; luxuriantly coated with grass, and covered
with herds Of horned cattle, horses, mules, and
asses. There Is more cultivation than | expected
10 see. | saw one field of corn that extended up
wards Of a mile on the river The corn was fine
the fodder wIthered and unpuled. They never take
titled with ploughs made entirely Of wood--not all
ounce oflron about them. They scratch the ground
with their wooden ploughshares, something In the
shape OF our scouters, drop the grain, aud the cuu
yatlon is done. The product, when seen in con.
nexion with this Indifferent mode Of culture, lndl-
Gates hne soil and climate. But, IL is said, that
the great drawback to farming here is the want Of
rain IN the growing season, IL is dry in the spring
and wet in the fall. Il is drought or food, all
the time. At night we landed at a large Mexican
settlement on the west bank; took in wood (the
mtSguu tree, cut and corded up by the Mexicsns To
be sold to US, their enemies at 50 so per cord and
tied up for the night The night was fine, and balmy
atmosphere lighted up by the new moon tempted US
TO stroll on shore. Here my Spanish, which had
spoken when child in SPAIN but which had lain
musty IN the cells Of my memory for so many years,
was called into TequlsitiOn. | had TO begin by in
terpreting for the captain Of the boat Captain Ha-
ley formerly Of the Chattahooehe Tiyer,) in bar
gaming for wood, and then IN asking all the hun
dred questions ofthe party, Of the men, women, and
children. We here saw the first Mexican house
and the rancherO al home. We saw some thirty
men, with their hIgh-crowned and broad-bummed
hats, Principally bedizensd with gold cords-their
pants Of sallor-cut, tight at the waist and buttoned
from the hips to the knee, and thence TO the foot hy
ing open in large folds TO keep their legs cooI;
some with shirts, some without covering from the
waist up, and others with their shirts curlously tied
on tnelr backs, by the sleeves over the shoulders
All the children up TO ten years were naked. The
women's attire has been often described. mmedI-
ately remembered kendall's and Stephenss descrip-
ton Of its exceeding scRntness and adaptation to u
hot climate Gowns are not known. chemIse
with short sleeves and short petticoat, with the
rbosd, "a Mexican name take il for the mdniiila }
for the head, and sometimes folded over The bosom
is their entire outfit. II were to describe these
people, should call them slightly built Indians
talking right good Spanish. II stares frequent
La hga. M
whence appearances would teach you to expect
nothing but the harsh gutturals OF our aborglnes.
Many Of them are darker than our Indians and the
African blood is plainly marked. At the rancho
where we stopped, week before had stopped for
wood a steamboat load of six-mOnths volunteers
turning home. These savages (not the Mexcans,
but my own countrymen) behaved here with the
greatest brutality. They broke into the orchards
fields, and watermelon patches of the people, stole
and destroyed whatever they could lay their hands
upon, and wound up the scene by peItiig the Mex,
leans with the melon rhinds, and snappng their pis-
tolls at them. The Mexicans said nothing and bore
il quietly; but who that knows their proud revenge
ful spirit but believes they will treasure up the
wrong and pay 1t back when opportunity offers;
These disbsnded volunteers have done more TO
prejudice the cause Of their country by their out
RACES upon the people, than they could repair by
years Of fighting. The policy of our government,
and of General Taylor is TO concillate the people
but their weak and unjust rulers
Knowing Of this outrage, went to their homes,
determined 10 convince the occupants that all Amer
leans were not savngeS. The first we visited con
tanned large family. The whole establishment
was out of doors. The house, made of few up
right musqut posts planted in the ground close to-
gether and covered with matched roofs appeared to
be made only to run into in wet weather and to
shelter them from the "northers" in winter. We
talked with them for half an hour about their farms
fruits, families, &c little boy brought US buck
ct full of milk at our request which he sold US al
a medic Ia thrip) the quart. One woman was on
her knees, grinding something white between two
stones, just as | remember to have seen chocolate
expressed from the nut. | asked her what that
She smiled in seeming astonishment at my
ignorance, and replied they were "tortilias"
told her | had often heard of them but had never
seen one. She said she would make me one. In
scarcely over five minutes, she prepared the meal
made T. cake, baked it, and brought it to me,
dark looking cloth which she held in her hand II
is nothing but new corn-meal and water, without
salt or other thing, rolled out very thin, and baked
| don't know how, that being done in a shanty
which served as kitchen. 1t was good, and did
taste like corn-bread. | offered her a piece Of
money, which she took, and said she did not near
to sell the "tortia." told her to keep it, to which
she readily consented with smile and gracia,
Having given some small coin to the children and
treated the men b tobacco, we left them with our
0uendsnoche ana with the sslon that they were
an amiable and kind-hearted people.
All travellers report this of the females; but the
men, we are told, are treacherous and false. "Neve
trust Mexican with anything" is the advice to US
Stealing they say, is one of the Spartan virtue:
with them. in which it is oreditable to excel. Ap
parantly, the people here and on the river wei
disposed to us. Yet it is said all these rancherot
were in the battles of the 9Th and 9th not engaged
but ready to murder and plllage flying troops
when their radiant soldiers should have whipped
them! Canales was in Gen. Tayor's rear during
the action of the second day with strong body o
cavalry posted there with the amiable purposes al
uded to.
We arrived here at noon yesterday. At the dis
lance of ten miles by the river could descry tn,
town, looking quite imposing--by land we were on
y three or four miles off The magnificent star
and stripes of our country were waving For
Brown, and General Taylors camp on the oppos,
side 1t talways fills with strange emotions tt
see that flag in foreign country. There it streamed
where it was planted two months since by the valo
of our gallant little army. On the route from thu
Brazos to this place we fell in with several of the off
GERS who fought in the two engagements Amons
them was Lieutenant Ridgely, upon whom fell thu
mantle of the lamented Riuggod and devoved th'
| IRA L n II l.