Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-01

and their internal victuals--I wish knew
nothing of either p exclaimed the one who
took the unceremonious retreat most to
heart.
" Bless their scenery, their star and moon
light, their clear air with the singular re-
fraction of light it exhibits, and their pretty,
generous, heroic women p' exclaimed I,
mentally-for had done so aloud should
have lost friends.
That night we encamped about twelve
miles from Monterey, or less than five hours
march, at San Francisco 1t is a place re-
quiring no description, having the Agave,
orange tree, the chapparal, prickly pear,
convolvulus, citron, &c, to some extent, in
spots where Mexican Incidence has permit
ted the face of the land to show a well-to-
do-condition, so far as cultivated fruits are
concerned.
1t was, enthusiastically speaking, jolly
bivouac. Such preparation of arms and
handling of knapsacks, and SO many brave
fellows saying" We shall have fight to-
morrow, Bill and,if die and you ever get
back home, tell Susan" or Jane, or Eliza,
or my poor old father, or something of that
kind, $50 and So" We were to move at
sunrise in the morning, and consequently
slept pretty much as we could, not making
any remarkable preparation. The party
with me in the afternoon spread their blan-
kets on the grass and sat down, some to dis
cuss trifling quantity of contraband drink
ables, and three of us to eat little priced
dry ham, which we seasoned with mustard
taken from an old powder-horn as black as
night. Towards midnight we were all a.
sleep. slept one hour, about, to be wax
ened by the Frenchman, who averred that
Mexican had endeavored to steal his KNAPP
sack, and had been otherwise tormenting
him like the nightmare.
Why didn't you shoot him, or call the
guard, Ell 2"
Sacre' When come wide open awake
he gone p
Get out, simpleton. You've dreamed
what you tell me-"
All, ha p exclaimed he, with true Gal
lie shrug, as he rolled over in his blanket
again, suppose so, for how could the
devils come here in our camp? %
And we both returned to the arms of slum-
Der.
Thunder and lightning, what a mosqui.
rousing me a second time.
"D-nyour mosquitoes cant you make
less noise ?" growled another, and for third
time l dozed.
Christopher Columbus !" yelled / in less
than five minutes, as sprang bolt upright
that must have been a gigantic gallinipper
with a crosscut-saw bill p
Either mosquitoes were unusually large
and energetic, or somebody was INDUCING
in camp jokes, thought, and lay awake
but perfectly still. Presently saw figure
feel around train wagon opposite my feet
and making Roadway stealthily. 1t may bt
Rough and Ready or some other officer,
reflected, or it may not. Here goes !-ant
caught the figure by the right arm in the
twinkiing of an eye.
Que es eSta ply What is the matter
asked voice in careless tone.
"Who the devil are you, and what ar,
you doing here :" Intercepted angrly.
"Oh !" replied the individual, in the bro
ken but not bad English l had heard thu
priest make use Of" it is me. / am abou
my own business"
/ l was overcome by establishment. De
. tanning him, l rehearsed to him the miracu
, lous likenesses | had seen of him in differen
characters.
| "That is not wonderful" he replied, wit
an air of the utmost reimbursement
| there are three brothers of us who loo
r alike. One is little better than iepero-
: him you saw as an assassin; and anothe
lives on his hacienda near Marin. 1t migf
have been him with the soldiers. He doe
, those things sometimes"
< was not satisfied by this explanation
r there was evidently something wrong BIT
the priest was there under the protection
| those who knew and would do their dut,
so | relinquished my hold, and with /" goo
:. night p retired again to the grass and blar
: ket Between that time and sunrise nobod
S complained of gallinippers."
e saw no more of the priest for some day
There | was in the city of Monterey
/, beautiful city, which on one side (east)
!, open to lovely plain, and on the other tire
4 bounded by high and sublime mountains
thus nesting, as it were, in the bosom of
# valley. 1t has stone walls in the old Spar
t ish style, and is like real representation
: old CASTLE.
4 had been with the Mississippi and Tel
nessee troops, and the dismounted Texan
e under Generals Henderson ond Quitmal
S We had fought through the houses, havin
i entered the street and covered our advanc
from the fire of the desperate crowds on II
n flat roofs and in the houses by cutting oil
S way from square to square through the pa
It ttion rails, and driving the enemy fro
+ their snug positions like rats before us, nj
: without trouble. 1t was terrific time, an
d altogether beyond description. Batteri
e were at work from heights and forts-dea,
n whistled through the air in all direction
o Yells, screams, shouts, groans and repor
r almost deafened one, and the confusion tn
e reigned was entirely chaotic. Streets ha
- been barricaded and fortified, and eve
IS churches had been used for offences ha
a fought, in common with many Others, f
e twenty-four hours with nothing to eat but
- little dried corn. Think of that land
n gashes gore and demoniacal destruction-
r and talk of laurel wreaths and glory, W
lie you, dearest readerl My feet were bliste
n ed, too, and my face burned to a genuiI
e "crisp." The women were here, there al
i everywhere, although all that could wit
,r draw had done SO, | saw Brevet-Maj'
/, Mansfield, Major-General Butler, Capt, A
e len, Lieut.. Putnam of the Tennesseean
1t and Lieut.. Hall, of Ohio, lall-the last tire
l. poor fellows, were killed. / also saw Car