The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-10-17


days, and as we "know il will not be the Amerl-
eansn of course there can be no mistake about who
will be whipped. III another battle comes OF, be-
lieye our troops will suffer seyerer loss than they
did on the 9th and 9th. Entertainments and forts
will have 70 be taken-a very tieklish sort Of BUSH
ness However, the general says that Monterey
and Saltillo must be taken, and 1t will be done;
| IL.
| CERRALvo, Sept. II, 1886.
| GEsrLEMEN; have very little TO add to the i'm.
porant information contained in my letter Of yester
day. The pioneers, numbering some eighty men,
under cover of a squadron of dmgoons, commanded
by Captain Graham--an excellent and gallant OFF,
Ger, by the way-and MeCulloeh's company Of
rangers, all good men and true--Mr Kendall Is in
this Communicated this morning. according to the
order which have already mailed to you. To guard
against casualties, will here reilerate that General
Taylor marches to-mou with Gen. fwgg's (lsI)
division. Gen. Worth's (2d) division march day
after tomorrow, and Gen. Buffers field division Of
volunteers start on the following day.
| The officers are busy to-day writing Gone more
letter" home, and ia preparing their commands for
the march. You will see by the order Of yesterday,
that the six thousand start with only eight days
rations. (By parenthesls A certain youngster is
sitting close by me, writing his "as will and testa-
ment." He has not been known to write letter
for three months, and "public expectation lie all
agog" to know what he can have to say, put this
down as an Oasn. few items will show the tenor
Of this extraordinary production "My watch have
left with It. -. have drawn my pay up TO end of
June. ] owe -, tailor, $40, which is the sum
total Of my debts. My dogs, Juno and Bustamente,
| | bequeath to -. My horse Dobbin, emanepate
wish to have d. turned out to grass. My double bar
rel gun will be loaned TO Ii with the injunction that he
shall endeavor to distinguish himself with il at Mon
terey Saltllo," etc, etc. In short, the officers
| start forth on this novel expedition with the same
maer-of course sort Of confidence and ligh-hearted
With he haff "A. 2fk
! and 9Th. The men are endowed with the same spirit
Such troops inyincible, and small az the acting
army u.s. Santa Anna with his reported avalanche Of
troops, will stand fair chance OF getting "hs other
leg broken" he attempts to impede the progress Of
old Rough and Ready
The express will start in a few moments, so I
must close. Nothing new to-day. The blaeksmiths
are all busy shoeing the horses and mules Rations
are being packed, the corn mills are busy surplus
articles are going into the quartermaster's house,
| and all will soon be ready III.
On THE ROAD TO MONTEREY, Mexico
| IA miles from Marin, in camp, Sept. Is, 1886.
| GENTLEMEN: We are encamped for we know not
how many hours-for an express has just arrived
from General Taylor, bringing orders for us To over
progress to this place, by copying from my note
book
Second division Of the select sir thOusand-mueh from
| Cerralpo 10 Monterey.
Sept 1.-THE ID division, under Gen Worth,
which was ordered TO march to-day-the LIST dyis.
ion, under Gen. Twiggs, having marched Yesterday
had just placed their personal clothing and accou-
rements in convenient conditions for packing yester-
day evening, when they were called out for nspec-
ton, orderlies, servants, and all leaving their tents,
just as Gen. Worth appeared on the field heavy
rain, accompanied with wind commercial and
prostratng many Of the tents soaked everything in
camp. At two o'clock this morning the revee
Il 49, IL. E.ll. ~ IN. 81
wet commenced their preparations for the march.
The tents were at once struck and packed-wagons
brought up to receive the tentpoles camp-ket.
ties, &c.-private mules and pack-horses were har-
nessed-camp women, with children at the breast
and of all sizes, packed themselves and little ones
upon Mexican mules and ponies, and, by daylight,
the column was in motion. The rear guard
| did not get off until eleven O'Clock. The day
has been exceedingly warm. We have marched
| twelve miles, over country different in every
respect from any have ever before seem The
| shrubbory and plants are entirely new 10 me with
the exception Of the eternal cactus which grows all
over Mexico in hundred varieties. The wild olive,
and a white, round-eafed shrub with pink-coored
blossoms, cover the mountains and table lands We
have crossed five or six clear, cool streams to-day
and are now encamped upon the brow of ravne,
down which runs. spring brook. One side of the
ravne is perpendicular rock of soft limestone filed
with slate pebbles From under this rock hundreds
of cool streams gush out and opposite the head
quarters Of the old 7th infantry, is basin of cold
clear water, about fvesfeet Deep into which at leas,
one thousand men have plunged this evening This
stream is full of pataxas (sun-fsh) and trout.
| 1--we are now about fourteen miles from Ma
rim. We passed few moments since a rancho
which had just been deserted in great haste--the
cows, goats, and chickens having been left behind
i We left camp this morning nj o'clock Our vav
| has led along the foot Of mountain which rises on
our right to height of $500 to 5000 feet We
likewise have q mountain our left Of nearly the
same height These two mountains converge be-
fore us, and descend the same time to about the
level of the table lands upon which we now are.
But far IN the distance before rises the Sierra Ma
dres, higher and more majestic than any we have
before seen. Our march has been over a very bad
road to-day. Up hill and DOWNFALL rocks and peb-
bles, ravines and mines The whole country over
which we have to-day travelled is covered with aged
"SFanlsh bayonet" trees-a species Of palh, eacb
leaf of which ia pointed with sharp thorn Some
of these trees two and half three feet in d.
ameter, and must be from $50 to 200 years old As
we reached this camping place, express came in
from Gen. Taylor, directing this division to Join
him at Marin by forced march We are therefore
bivouacked, ready to march at moments warning
II seems that the Mexicans are assembled in force
Il between here and Monterey, and that Santa An
ma himself is in the field. Rumor.l There is no
doubt about there being a strong force at Monterey
and General Taylor therefore directs that the LIST
and I'd divisions shall join tomorrow, and march
before the town. Captain Graham, of the dragons,
had a skirmish last night, near Marin with some
Mexican videttes, and killed one or two, and took
two or three more prisoners. As have said be-
fore, it is the opinion of most of the officers that
harder fight is in store than has before taken place
General Worth keeps his division always in read
mess, so that he could hardly be surprised by night
day. Last night sort of stampede was got up in
camp, and we shall have another tonight of course
cannot help thinking that if an alarm were to come
off tonight, most singular scene would follow.
We are bivouacked in thicket of trees or large
shrubs, all Of which have thorns. To walk through
them without STOPPING and lodging about to avoid
the thorns, is impossible. Horses and mules are
tied by long lassos, in every direction. The whole
thicket, as well as the road for half mile is filed
with men stretched out blankets, chatting about
the probabilities of fght-some predicting that no
such happiness is in for Them whilst others
Of more experience, think differently. General
Taylor enters Marin tonight and will there consol-
idate his little army. We march tomorrow morn.
ing at halfpast 3. ri
RI p ought to add that Captain Blanchard IS