Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-09-22
SALTILLo, MEXICO. Auo - ISI7

Dear -: We are still in stafu ouo. but how
long we to remain SO is altogether uncertain. II
we do not take up the line of march for San Luis.
II Is not Improbable we may be ordered out to camp
as l understand request has been made by our
Colonel to have some regular troops brought up
from below to relieve u.s. As a matter of course
we are rather reluctant to quit pleasant quarters
out do not anticipate that the health of any of us
VIII suiier by the change. The number of sick i'm
the companies in town has been much greater in
proportion than among those Of our Regiment in
camp for the last month. Their average has not
been over eight to the company, while ours has not
been less than thirteen. How this is to beaccoun,-
ed for, am not able satisfactorily to determine
The habits of my men do not explain it, for they
are quite rs regular as those i'm camp although sub
Jec'ea 10 much greater temptations yet their du
Ties are somewhat heavier, and they have. perhaps
seen rather harder service than most OF the other
companies of the Regiment. BY the way. let me
say, that those who have formed their idea of mill
'ary lie from the glitter and pomp of mere holiday
parades, will find the reality very different thing
| II they ever come To try it. The gaudy uniform
| and the enlivenng strains Of martial music which
form an essential part Of such exhibitions have lit
tie or no place in the drudgng, business routine of
an active campaign. The long and wearsome
march, the coarse and often scanty meal hastily
| prepared by the nightfr the bivouac upon the
hard ground with no other covering from the chill
air or drenching dews than a blanket or overcoat.
may he considered among the ordinary items of
the soldiers life; and lucky indeed is it for him. if
AFTER one OF these tollsome marches it happens not
TO be his turn for GUARD" and he is allowed to
sleep even under such circumstances. The service
IN Mexico, however, has some burdens and harrass-
ments peculiar 10 itself. The long lines of internal
communication that have to be kept up for the sup
! ply of provisions, clothing, ammunition, Sc create
Il continual demand for escorts, and often subject
the troops to the severeSt and most eXhaustinu la
bors In the march from CaInaruo to China. for
Instance, our Reg iment had charge OF train of a.
bout one hundred and sixty wagons, and on the
| lou'e we encountered two or three deep cannons
Cor gullies) such probably are alone to be found
III Mexico, say about eighty or ninety feet wide,
and sixty or seventy feet deep. Imagine them the
| toll and trouble of getting train of mat size over
such piaces-the cuts made into them on either side
| being necessarily short from the nature of the
ground. certainly at angle of not less than forty
or foriy-lve degrees! Every wheel had to be
manned, and the rear thronged with men To push
"he others stood at the sides Of the strainnp
mules. belaborng them with poles and brush-wood
and yelling like Indians 10 stimulate them for the
tremendous effort. And well, indeed, was il for
us, II when near the top some of the gearing did
not give way and the wagon roll back with fright
fui impetus, carrying mules, men, and every thing
! with 1t. One of these cannons we struck about
! nine O'Clock IN the day, and il was not until near
was got over and the others were scarcely less for
midabie or difficult in the passage
Another incident which occurred on the same
harch may not be unworthy of relaton-a thunder
storm at night. The day had been oppressive!y
warm, and the evening set in suliry-NOt breath
oi air was SURFING, nor was cloud 10 be seen and
Inc men generally determined to biyouac for the
night 1t was not long, however, before the whole
horizon became Illuminated with the most brilliant
corruscatlons oflghtnng. This continued for sew.
eral hours. At length 1t began to thunder but in
a way so peculiar that il was readily mistaken bv
some Tor discharges Of heavy artiilery-the reports
being quick and short, without particle of reyer-
oeration Then the clouds began to gather, and
the rain to fall, moderately at the outset but in
creasing rapidly until ii came down in torrents, and
soon the whole camp was converted into a lake.
his was indeed disseminating. Many of the
SieePerS were almost covered with water before
they were fairly aroused consciousness of their
situation Yet, discomtorting it was it was not
sufficient to repress entirely the spirit of merment
among the men: was very unwell at the time,
from Inflammation Of the bowels, and my tent was
among the few that had been pitched. Still it
would have been utterly insufficient to save me-
had not some OF the company kindly remembered
my condition, Gas they are sure to do whenever
they think need their friendly Offices and bro't
me gun-boX, upon which could stretch myself
and thus keep out of the water To Sleep though,
Il
! the elements, every now and then | could hear
party OF the men FLASHING by through the water,
making Their comical remarks, and cracking their
! dTy jokes, as ii IN the very spirit of enjoyment-
! he most ludlcrOuS thing, however. was a party
I gong along whistling a tune which had been rem
dered quite familiar to many Of us in a comic rep.
reSentalIon we had had OF the recruiting scenes of
| a certain company, made by one OF It's own mem
! hers. Ever and anon as they marched along, amid
| the raglngs of the midnight storm, the stern com
mand to HALT" was given, and the annunciaton
! eSul'ingly made, Gust may suppose it had
! been made IN the streets of P-burp y "Another
! Volunteer n'--"Three Cheers--Iiuzza. Huz2a
I Iiuzza!" Then came the command Forward
hiarch! :" followed by the same old, dull unmrIsi-
cal ana m0notohous tune. The effect of the thing
was truly convulsive, even upon myself, sick as |
! was nut 1t was immensely increased bya drolI and
/ seemingly dolcrous and reproving remark of one of
me party, no doubt made in the same unconuuera-
| Dry spirit OF humOr-" ConiOund it, friends don't
see the use OF your beating up here for volunteers
Tor MeX'co-but if any body will start company
to 20 home III Join ~
! Still the life Of the soldier is not without its
charms The continually recurring sense of dan
ger, especially in the heart or an enemys country
! operates as an agreeable excitement to him. and
ihaAesevery duty and every prvation however hard
| odt necessary incidents in tile great drama which
| ne expects soon TO open upon him with new and
thrilling interest. There is another thing remark
able about the SOldler-Severe as NAV have been
his march-Often choked with dust and fimshjnp
lot Water-the moment the word 'halt' is riven
ana MS ground is allotted to him for the NIGHT. no
matter how moody or repininp he NAV have felt no
fore, all becomes cheerfulness and hlartv Gru,o-
biers there may be ia camp or in garrison and while
enduring The tolls OF the march, but none-or rare
" any. III the night halt, or the bivouac. This
may iell strangely, yet 1t is nevertheless true