Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-08-21
HardShipS of The Soldier.
correspondence of the N. o. Picayune.
MATAMoRos, July nth.

MATAMoRos, July 18th.
To get TO Camargo, the head of steamboat
navigation in ordinary stages of the river, is
an easy matter, if we had plenty of boats
But what are we TO do when we ret there 7
We still have more than two bundled miles
TO Monterey, and nine hundred 10 the city of
Mexico
really wonder if ever the patriotic volun-
teers calculated how far they had to foot il,
and this too without anything but what they
can carry on their backs for such | suppose
must be the case, as | do not see or hear of
any means Of transportation being provided
for them. No wagons or pack-mules I! How
| pity these gallant fellows who have rushed
so CALAMITY 10 their country's standard, to
think IT they are sick, lame or wounded bv
the wayside, that they must be left to die, or
lett to the tender mercies Of these Arab Mex
leans.
Because if we have not a large wapon-train
we cannot carry the sick, or provisions, over
those parts Of the country where there is none.
But they rushed there without counting the
cost or risk, with the assurance that Govern
ment would provide everything, and if they
suffer unnecessarily, those in power should
be held accountable. / leave out of this
count the poor regulars, as they have no
friends, no moro than The Jew in Venice -
These brave fellows who foug ht so CALAMITY
on the Sth and 9th Of May, are left to lie out
in the rains and dews like beasts Of the
field!
Most OF them without tents, or any cover
ing but an old blanket spread over a bush
hut! This is a fact, and well kn own to some
of the Editorial gentlemen Of the Picayune,
who have been here. But a regular soldier
must not complain If he does he will be
abused for a lazy and luxurious fellow, by
those " in high quarters" This, then, is the
gratitude Of Republics A few get all the
honors, while the poor soldiers who do all
the fighting may lie out to rot!
Here our hospitals are rapidly filling with
sick. And why From unnecessary expo
sure to the rains and dews Of Heaven, and no
tents to protect them. Ii tents cannot be had
why not quarter these brave fellows in Mata-
amoros while they are unavoidably kept from
active operations in the field ! Shall the
meanest Mexican be better off than an Amer
lean soldierl The Mexican army had plenty
of quarters in the City, and why not ours p
If this place had been taken possession of by
an English or French army, does any one sup
pose they would not have put their troops il
the City.
The hardships of war are hard enough a
best, and The actual fighting is the least of it
IT'S the long marches, or the duty and eTpO
sure in camps that form the real hardships OF
soldiers. Then why add to these unnecessa
rily} In a warm climate like this, with plen
ty of good tents, and plenty of provisions, sol
diers can do very well. But these thing
cost something! War, however, is an ex
pensive amusement; at least for the materid
if not for the personal.
A common tent costs not quite seven dol
lars-see army contracts-and it is intende,
that six men shall occupy a space covered b
it of six by nine feet! Now if six soldier
should die from unnecessary exposure iroT
the want of a tent, why the Government ha
of course saved the price of tent and pei
haps the pay due these men at their decease
as many have no legal representatives I
claim it! This is what may be called econ
omv in the army! =!
This is but one item of our wants; but
propose in a few days to give You some ide
of more serious wants. They seldom pa,
their soldiers anything. Their higher officer
are paid to keep them faithful TO Government
Their soldiers have to live on raw beef AM
parched corn during a campaign.
AS they pick up what they want by til
way-side by plundering the people, they nee
no wagons, and only a few pack-mules fo
the baggage of the higher officers, and fo
the transportation of ammunition. An %illdstri
Gus example! / wonder if our Government
will adopt the same plan and the same kin,
Of subsistence for our gallant troops in thei
march to the Halls of the Montezumas."
1 feel considerable interest in this matte,
for | think it will he rather a serious bus
ness 70 pack my corn on my back all tn
way, and | think seriously Of purchasing
donkey on my own hook SO as to be ind
pendent of Government.
AS for the regulars, it is no matter, but f
the volunteers, who are not accustomed
these kind of field SPORTS" | think the
will find that soldering is not such dant
employment" as some of our Congressm'
would make the world believe when spea'
ing of the regular armyl But give us pie
ty of the materials of war, and we can sol
! lick the whole universal Mexican Nation
! Tnorc Of thn Warrinrc