The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-04-27
From the New Orleans Delta.
THE GREAT


The Great Western" or 1.-The Here
me OF Fort Brown" as she is eilea called,
still sticks 70 the army. Indeed, il is on
Is when she is abroad with the soldiers
that she appears 10 be at home. At the
present lime her tent Is pitched at Ssltiilo,
where size EXHIBITS 1le same roush-aRd-
ready ~good-nature, the same ESPRIT DU
CORPS, which has distinguished her since
she %'.joined the army" She keeps q res
taurat, or mess-house. more especially for
the officers, and gives a kick to a saucy
customer, or a cup Of coffee 10 a (~avorite
one, with equal facility. She does a steak
10 = T, but he who would attemP! to ''do'
her, would find himself to labor under a
mistake.
Let any one say a word against the
American Army, and she IS sure first 10
set him up and then to knock him down.
One instance, by the way OF Illustration:
On the evening of the battle Of Buena
Vista, Feb. Odd. a little efTeminatc fellow,
in all the haste, and all the beUilderment
of John GiIpen IN his involuntary eques-
trian feat from Ellington, rode into Saith
10 and up to the quarters of the Great
Western. He was trembling so that one
would imagine an invisible electrifylng
machine was operating on his nerves.
"Why, what's the matter with you.
Miss Nancy-what's skeered you now!'
said the 'amiable hostess"
Oh. Mrs. Bourdete-Mrs. Bourdetc!,"
said the counterfeit soldier-tIe apology
for a man, "we'Il be all slain by The Mex
leans: Gen. Taylor is on the retreat; it's
all over with us; wen he either shot, CT
sent to the mines. Ohi | wouldn't care"
he continued, in whining tone, 81
wouldn't care" but for my old woman
and three children in the States" 81
know. John" said she to me when | was
coming away-4know your courage will
get YOU into a scrape-yOu are too imPet-
uous, John said she; and it was true for
her. If was not | might still be a wal
tel in a respectable r~es!ourat in New Or
leans IIaint you got a cup of coffee for
me, Mrs, Bourdette- such is the Great
Westerns matrimonial name -hant you
got a cup Of coffee for ne, just TO quench
my ihirst!'
Not a d--n drop, Watson" said the
Amazon woman OF the camp, sternly.-
$50 you, you %diminutive, whose heart
has got the shaking ague-yoU say that
Gen. Taylor has retreated?"
ooh saw it," SAID the little man,
"saw it with my two eyes"
ITS a-No-sUcu-THISG," said the
Great Western, emphatically ;''Gen. lay
Ter never retreats-the American army
never retreals-it never has since ] join
ed it--nbr ever before, to my knowledge;
so clear out, Won skunk, YOU, or I'll give
you what you did not wal. long enough
for The tiexicans to give your Aad here
she brandished an old sword, which she
converted into a carving knife, over the
head Of the little man, from which he ran
OF still faster than he ran from Buena
Vista.
This scene was not well over, when
news arrived Of the death Of Capt. Lin
coin. On hearing ii, the large knife fell
from her aand-she fc!! herself on to a
chair and wept like a child.
You knew the Captain well, did you
not, hrs. Bourdette!" said a person pre-
sent.
ANEW hint" said she, viping the big
tears from her bronzed face with her grea-
So apron-'Knew him. | didn't know
any one else. Il was he enlisted me six
years ago, in Jefferson Barracks, shortly
after my first husband Joined the regiment
and we have lived together, that is, lie
has cat at my table, all the time since
All, there was no RUNAWAY in him.
Bat, poor dear man. / must 60 and see to
him tbs very night, lest them r@ascalIy
greasers siiosld strip him, and. not know
ing him, ! could not give him decent bu-
rial"
DISH went TO the bIcod-stained bat
tle-ield, sought among tie dead and dy-
ing till she found out the corpse of the
brave Captain, which she brought to Sal
lilo and had dccently inferred. She now
keeps his sword and other equipments.
and vows not the par! with them through
life.
The Captain did 60 through the mock
ceremony of an enlistment with the hero
Inc of Fort Brown. and she was rot by
any means the least brave person whom
be took into the service OF the Uncle Sam.
--