The Yazoo City Whig. [volume] (Yazoo, Miss.) 1844-1851, 1846-08-07
scpncs ian MatannOros.
TIE HOSPITAL.

represented to him by public scandal that
there were fifty or sixty persons in it who
were wounded in the battles. The number
was considered remarkable small and created
some surprise.-After the public stores were
taken possession of, there was found among
them quantity Of Tobacco, portion of the
best was divided out among our troops, and
the remainder Gen. Taylor ordered to be
sold at auction, the proceeds to be applied
10 the relief of the wouded Mexican soldiers.
This led to some examination, when to the
surprise of all, the commission" appointed
to enquire into the number, reported nearly
four hundred sick and wounded. This star.
Ting fact justified the American estimate Of
the deadly effect Of our arms, which was so
fatty conlradicted, by the number of wound.
ed, FIST reported as being in the city by the
Mexicaps.
A visitor in Matamoros, would find the
Hospitals places of melancholy interest, and
sources Of constant surprise. They devel>
oped traits Of the Mexican character, no
where else exhibited. The veil is torn a.
way in these receptacles Of suffering human.
/ ity, and it was matter ofserious speculation
whether the horrors Of war, were not eclips~
ed, by the horrors of the social condition,
of the poor wretches, whose mutlated bod.
! les, were strown around. Not a street in
MatamorOs was destitute of its Hospitals,
and as you move about, curtain before the
door Of some private house would blow a.
side, and reveal the cot, with the attenuat>
ed foIm stretched under a sheet, surround
cd by silent muses., that seemed TO be dark
figures, wrought into the solid walls against
which they relieved.
There were plenty ofexceIlent houses for
the Mexcans TO place their wounded in,
but their officials paid no attention to com
fort, even where it was as easily obtained
as the miserable places in which the wound
cd were often thrown, as useless remains Of
defeated BATTLEFIELD. Hence the meSon, a
dirty low building, the Public Inn of the
place, where horses and men find with equal
accommodation a lodging for the night, was
'fcuUsen alsIoll = Itlsf, IIg5n1keIIt 5Iacgs
i Hospital. In the city better bnildmgswe >
appropriated TO such uses, but in all, ire
the same indifferent attentions, or Father
"neglects" Of the invalids.
The sick, generally lay upon the ground'
some few enjoyed the luxury Of rawhide,
+ to repose upon, and block of wood to sup
port their heads, sheet of white cotton was
r wrapped closely about their altenuated frames
exaggerating the horrors they partially con.
r ceaIed. Some passed their time in heavy
:, sleep, with half opened eyes, chat leered up
on the spectator more horrible, than did thos'
r of the unburied dead, at Palo Alto. Some
r never slept, but ever looked with eyes o
r. living Goals of fire, that betrayed the feve
that was consuming them; some swayed 4
;. and fro, as if impatient of the restraints Q
r, sickness, and were looking for their ia
mountain homes, from which they had beel
r, torn, to fight battles in which they had n
interest; some sat doggedly, staring into th
'r dust in which they sat, scarce sense enoug
,,r to feel OF mind enough, TO speculate upo
It. their condition.
Were these indeed the brave soldiers
,'r the 9Th and 9th, who had about them the
~ ghasly titles, that showed they had been
o'r the thickest of the fight. Were these Me
eP leans? Were such varieties Of colors, Q
e ep equal in social conditienl Even SO. II
pr Castilian with auburn hair, the sWaFIhy l
sst dian with strait, the dark negro with kinke
er. with all their immediate mixtures, lay ST
son by side, all Mexicans, all Of the same syI
b'r phathies, feelings, and languages All me
,S,r ed in their winding sheets evidently ecu
,b'r in mind and body. To the American, "
Sen makes distinction in colors, this stran
Sep mixture of races in one people, causes
:, the greatest surprise.
Their countenances vera hedious Fl
natural physiognomy, every style ofexpr'
ion was represented; the African with
par. forehead and protruding lips; the bespoI
par par Indian, his straight hair hanging over
par. regular features, giving it additional forO
par q. the Malay, looking mongrel, with la
/" skin, slight moustaches, and cold bloc
!, treacherous eyes; the low,cunning. Yet
do. telligent british white man. All these
90 rious faces peerod out from among loose
do. of white cloth, that fall about them, g
them the look Of Arabs, or some cas-
81; S5, 81 crew of pirate ship. And yet these
500 all Mexicans, and might have been, wit