American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-04
For the Baltimore CIipper.l
LETTER FROM MONTEREY.

.MesSrs. Editors: If you think the following
extracts from the letter of a volunteer in the
"Maryland Battalion to his sister in George
t,wn, worthy of publication, you are at liberty
to insert it in the "ClIpper."
The Duties and Exercises Of the 7roops-Severi
ty Of The March to Monterey Want Of Waier
Magnificent Scenery The Crops-.fbund-
anse Of Fruits and Decentralization Females
&c. &c.
MONTEREY, Mex, Oct IA, 1916.
Dear Sis: The army is stationed at Monte
reY, or rather three miles from the city. AZ
present tits rather dull, as fighting is over for
awhile at least. You enquire show | spend my
timer" In the first place, at daylight we all
have to appear at roll call to answer to our
names;-the guard is then detached and the
duties of the day laid off; we then take break
fast, seldom having for the same fried chickens
and biscuit; at 9 A. M. we parade, going thro'
the regular exercise for an hour or so; at half
past IL we are piped 20 dinner, to the tune of
roast beef, though we always have it boiled;
at P. M. we parade again till shutdown,
when we breakfast again, though they call it
supper for Variety about 9 O'Clock we answer
roll call and go to bed, that is, TO say an ac-
commodation OF one blanket on the ground in
the tent, with four or five bed-fellews whom
you might as we'll be without. There are also
extra duties, such as mounting guard, posting
sentries social fighting, and 50 on. | an well
satisfied, contented, and enjoying as good health
as usual with the exception of bouncing chill
and fever, which hope will not return tomor-
row. The Doctor gave me ten grains of Cal
omel to stake Immediately" which notwlth-
standing he was an old acquaintance (beng
DR.. c. L. of old Georgetown,) | mmed-
operate "ad hbitum," as think the old coat
more in need of medicine than the owner.
They say "variety is the spice of llfe," you
may therefore calculate on my beng spicy after
awhile. We have had some severe times of it
since we left MISUNDERSTANDING with our
accoutrements (Which are a very considerable
load) on our backs sometimes $50 miles on
stretch, and that in the Warmest days of Au-
gust, exposed to the RAYS of a tropical sun, 60
ing without water for is miles, the only en-
couragement to keep US on being the hope of
finding some. One day in particular, we suf-
fered very much, many of the stoutest men fall
ing sick and fainting on the road had trav-
elled about rs miles that day-being sunrise
when we started-at O'Clock in the evening
| came TO few trees near the road side, and
told the other boys was going TO spend the
night there, let the consequence be what it
might. cast my accoutrements on the ground,
and with cartridge box for pillow and my
musket for friend, went to sleep quite easy.
After laying an hour or two, arose quite cold,
having went TO sleep In a profuse Precipitation.
/ thought it better TO travel on, but it was with
difficulty that | could use my feet, they were
stiff and cold. In the Warmest weather here
you can sleep at night quite comfortable under
a blanket, the dew falling often as thick as rain
and quite cold. | shook mysefthought it was
dull old shake, and marched on alone, seven
miles farther, when just on the left hand side
of the road, you can imagine fine mud pud-
die, such as you have often seen the hogs wal
lowing in about tewn--in fact hogs had been
driven out of it couple of hours before, by
about dozen soldiers, who were laying by it
Halo! says |, water! and did not stop till
had drank about a quart | then filled my
canteen, laid OH the ground, placed it at my
head, and slept quite comfortable till daylight.
then started for the camp, which was only
one mile off. This is but sample. men
ton it for information and will give you more
five should chance to meet again.
The scenery here at Monterey is truly beau
titul beyond conception. The broad and ex-
tended plains stretching out for miles as far as
eye can reach, present surface as smooth as
the unrippled sea, awhile the bold and lofty peaks
OF the rugged mountains which back them
glittering in the sunlight, render the whole
most nobly grand and ma lestc. The soil
though little titled, is capable ofproducing most
any thing adapted to tropical climate. The
Mexicans depend mostly upon the spontaneous
productions of nature for subsistence. The
ground here, il properly tended, will produc,
from two TO three good crops in one season.