The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-02-12

open stfCe, anu J UOubt Whtlhtf lhCN can
drive US as 'i'ay Tor did them a! MONTEREY.
NO. XXI.
Pisn ne J.. Aou, NvrvA. Me'co, !
December 81 1916.
Great are the uncertainties Of war
had scarcely sealed up my last letter, in
which informed you that we should
probably lay month or two at Parras.
before we are ordered again to be up aud
ternoon of the I7lh. We were lying
Iisllessly in camp-some reading, some
taking, some snoozing, and goodly
number in toxin drinking wine and 1lrl-
ing WiIh The women, (of which | must
say parenthe'ically, Parras has an abun.
dance of every hue and character. -
when suddenly in comes tie General and
a part Of The staff from town on fall gal
op--ihey had scarcely dismounted be-
fore head quarters was IN commolion-
one running here, another there, horses
mannlcd- and orderlies flying. One halls
our Colonel, and in a lrice he is noun
ted, and the order flies from one end Of
the cncampmeni to the olhcr--' Pack up
immedia, ly, down with your tents. and
be ready 10 leave in an hour !" Then
pans, pots. and kettles rattle. Horses
and mules that were grazing quietly OH
the green, are chased in every direction,
and lucky lie that can catch his. Officers
giving command, men yelling, and yea.
orally and individually there were stirring
times.
But it was idle to think Of being ready
10 leave in one or even two or four hours.
The troops could lie ready and on the
march in less time, but there were mules
and horses TO be hunted up, and wagons
to mend, and most Of the provisions hav-
ing been taken 10 town and unloaded.
:here were al least hundred wagons to
load. Here was work for the whole at.
ternoon and part Of the night. So i, was
del rmined 10 start the troops at about
four in the afternoon, cxc' pit such as
were detailed 10 assist in geuing off The
train. and to let The wagons follow early
in the morning. They were accordingly
put ia motion, and now, while they are
quietly moving of, and the train is pre-
paiing to follow, let US see wha, has
caused all this sudden "ccmmo,inn-
o'ion-oiion," as Tic T,ppccanoe song
has il.
Gen. Wool with part Of his staff had
gone 10 town in the morning, as was his
wont, to spend the day, and there. prob.
ably, while the party "sa, housing at the
napry," (it would be against the rcgula.
lions 10 repeat the mex, line their quiet
glee was interrupted by The arrival of an
express from Gen. Worth, bringing in.
formation tina! Santa Anna had lief, Sar
Luis Po,osi with force Of 10000 men
and was marching in the direction Of Par.
ras and Salullo. This was important in.
formation, aud preparations could not be
made to soon to give him vigorous re.
ccpion. Blu, tie General had not go
OH, Of town before another express, star.
ted hour after the other. arrived from
Worth with the further information ,ha
Santa Anna, with his 10000 men, was
Or would be by the time the express
reached Parras, within four days march
Of SalIillo. and as Worth had bu, 9OC
men, lie wanted Wool to join him as soor
as possible. The nearest possable roat
to SalIillo with wagons all agreed wa:
over q hundred miles. So there was NJ
time TO be lost and We must be off imme
diately. Then the General straighiwsy
ordered everybody in town to repair {,
camp wilhou, delay, and himself gallon
: ed in as above mentioned.
The troops went about 5 miles, to on
old encamping ground. little beyon,
Don Manuel's- hacienda, and encampe,
for the night. Now i, was ascerlaine
tina, no provision had been made to brin
alo ,g the sick who had been left in
hospital that day or two before had bee
rugged up in town. or these ther
were over hundred, 80 of whom be
longed to the LIST Illinois regiment. /,
true, a company Of regular infantry, an
: one Of tho Arkansas regimen, Of horse
had been left in town, but i. was undc,
stood that they were 10 follow us in
day or two, and then the sick would b
; left in The place utterly wi,hou, pro,e'
lion. Now Col. Hardin was unwillin
8 10 leave his sick under such circumst tat
. ccs. and he applied to the General {,
s teams to 90 after them aud bring the,
9 up. The General however could see n
y need of any uneasiness about ,hem--,al
IS ed of The friendly disposition Of the PEI
= pie Of Parras-lad no doubt they we
perfectly safe, &c. But The Colonel WI
T. not satisfied, and took The responsibili'