The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-17
VOLUNTEER MIRTH. y


merry extract from the letter Of one Of Colonel
Msrshals Kentucky mounted volunteers, and We
are favored again with the following pleasant par
agraphs from a private epstle, by the same clever
soldier. Though we find no particular "news" in
this letter from the trooper are sure our readers
will admire the quiet strain Of natural waggery
which distinguishes it. II is due to "W.H M"
say that of course, his "uunk-top inkings-down"
were not intended for publication;
"CAMp NEAR PoRr LAyAccA,
"Matagorda Bay, Texas, Oct. 2, 1876.
DEAR j.: Since | wrote you last, our regiment
has marched some 200 miles--a much longer
march than has ever before been performed under
like circumstances, by any military body of which
the books speak Indeed, | very much doubt
whether the Wandering Jew himself, in his
longest LIGHTING, ever travelled over the same
amount Of swamp and 'treeless Wilderness under
orders,' as the regiment aforesaid; and hereafter,
none must dare to pirate Of dreadful marches,
without calling to his aid the evidence and expe-
rience Of at least one trooper in the LIST regiment,
X. M. ", whose knowledge in this regard must
out-measure that Of everybody else at east-a can
teen full. Since our departure from Memphis, we
bridged and waded our way through the cypress.
shaded swamps Of Arkansas and Texas; and the
fag-end Of hot month, whose fiery sun parched
every flower and shrub in the prairie wastes around
and about US, found us still on our winding way,
amidst the uncertain mazes of'Wammell'S trace 10
San Antonio de Bexar. or lovely scenery, we have
had eyes-ull; and such has been its inspiring
effect that even one Of our Dutch wagoners, who
couldn't even spell poetry in Kentucky, now talks
very respectable rhyme half the time to his horses
In the Cherokee coug,ry, some thirty miles from the
Sulphur Fork Of Red nyer, climbed u tree TO take
peep at the Angelina valley, which embraces in
its broad extent every variety OF rock, river plain
and mountain, for distance Of some twenty miles.
But all the sentences full Of RAPTURE that might
do up to describe this lovely valley, and the mag
niicent country we have seen--where the prairie,
like AN in its gentlest swell, with rounded
pillows, fixed and motionless forever'-with here
| and there a scrubby liye-oak, lifting its stubby
arms in suppliealon to the southern sun-that pours
down its burning rays upon the grassy waste around
in 'double-breasted' intensity, &c, &c.-al this
would be like old song to you, who have, doubt
less ps,pirsd upon these same howery fields Of pra-
RE land
al have suffered very little, either from heat or
! fatigue, on the march, though many Of our poor
fellows had to knock under to disease. When we
reached Washington, (he ancient capital OF Texas
we encamped near the town, on the margin OF a
small prairie creek but had hardly time to look
| about US ere an express arrived from General
Wool, via San Antonio ordering to a remote POI
siton upon Matsgorda bay. We reached the
place indicated, Camp Colquhoun,) and remained
there only some ten days, when We again pulled
up stakes and vacated that camp for our present
'whereabouts,' some twelve miles farther south.
We are now in the most lonely and out-of the-way
part OF Texas and are surrounded by innumerable
creeks and bayous, that flow into the broad bay,
which stretches out upon the horizon almost within
sight Of our camp, like wide polished sheet OF
cleaning silver Fish are abundant here, and deer
can DO run down on horseback, in the high prairie
grass and many gallant buck, and fat feet doe,
have died the death since we marched hlther.
~ = III. ..la. ia Enz..
the encampment, and we get along comfortably
enough-for soldiers. Our officers are whole
souled, game set Of gentlemen; and the men are
all clever fellows, good and true. At this time In
the afternoon it is particularly pleasant hereabouts;
and the breeze that now brushes, with cooling dam
tiness, through our open tent where am seated
Ia Turk, upon grassy ottoman, mixing
down a letter for you from the top Of SIS,
trunk, is sweet enough to save life, and to re-
store disease to conyalescence. Shall | intro
duce you to 'our messr There are but four Of
US in ALL and my three brother troopers are now en-
Toying their sesta around one. Right Jornensi me,
is Ike p, who, before he became 'dragoon,' was
the clown of circus company. When Ike is in a
particularly pleasant humor the airs Of the ring come
around me, and can almost imagine that i am
quietly taking out the worth Of my half dollar in
looking at the pie-bad ponies, and getting tan-bark
thrown into my eyes by the hoofs Of the spotted
horse that carries the flying Indian Next to
schoolmaster, who is not only a most excellent
cook, but most exact orthographist. Side by side
with s., with his head the same forage bag, is
Aleck -, very little tiger, bearded like pad
and full Of strange oaths' and than whom there is
no trooper more valorous and fre-eating. BY his
side is small circular vessel of tn-ware, which he
now and then elevates heavenward, with its little
mouth in his own-the more frequently, whenever
he becomes Disguised with the delays and priva-
tons Of this dull campaign; and between you and
me and SIS trunk, every mothers son of us desire
to get on to where there is something to do. The
belief that battles are being fought and aurels won,
elsewhere, while we here wasting time in busy
ideness, makes our situation particularly unpleas-
ant A rumor has just reached me, that we are
soon to make tracts for Matamoros, (and hope for
the country beyond y So, nil deperandttm, we
may yet get into a line of business suitable for
| troopers. And let modesy assure you, that
when the word is fight our b'hoys, doubt not,
will be able to give good account Of themselves.
81 remain yours, &c, w. II. M"