The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-01-15
ny on officer Of lie arkansas Mmied X f.men.
CANpoF CEsrR.L DlvsroS.
Near MonclJva, Mexico, Nv. /. 1916. )

ny "H '.y'ccT 81 tfe d'Hd'WS "'hHeG ~ J''WtH'
CANro CrsrR,L Div'sroS.
Near Monelovo, Mexico, Nov. |, 1916. 5
Fr:rnd P.-While your cores
pondents of the Main army of inva-
sion enrich your columns with glow
ing accounts of the storming Of Mon
terey, bulletin from our Division
may not be altogether unintcresting,
although its exploits as yet are blood
less. Here we are, encirclcd by the
Mexican mountains, after march
of nearly 1900 miles on horseback -,
and yet we have met no enemy. Of
course there is little of interest to
detail-for even the news which,
from the South, comes travelling
slowly towards us, is known to you
almost as soon as in our camp.
When this column was assembled
at San Antonio, Texas, it was com
posed of two Regiments of Illinois
Infantry, commanded by Coils. HAIR
DIN and BIssELL, a Battalion of In
fantry, composed of three Compa-
MES Of Regulars and one of Kentnc-
ky Volunteers, and commanded by
Maj. BONNEVILLE, two Companies
of the First Dragons, commanded
by Capts. STEEN and EusTIs, and
two Of the Second, by Bvt. Maj,
BEALL and Capt. BLAKE; ten Com
panies Of Arkansas Mounted Volun-
tccrs, commanded by Col. YELL,
and Capt. WAsHIYGToN's Company
of Light Artillery.
On the Goth Sept, the four COM
panies of Dragons, Col. Harvey,
Commanding. Four companies of
Illinois Infantry, with five companies
of Arkansas Cavalry, marched from
San Antonio, and on the 9Th Oct.
reached the Rio Del Nortr, 40
miles, which river we crossed on the
10th, and took possession of the
Preside Del Rio Grande, a town OF
some 1000 souls, much dilapidatcd,
and remarkable for nothing except
a roguish and thieving population.
Here we remained until the 18th,
when Col. Hardin's Regiment hav-
ing came up, ALBERT Pixies Squad
ron of Arkansas Cavalry, composed
Of his own company and that Of his
friend Capt. JOIN PREsroY, Jr., was
sent one day in advance {the Army
following on the 10TH under COM
mand of Lieut.. Col. Roanc, of the
Arkansas Regiment, to accompany
Capt. Hughes, and Lieut.. Franklin,
Of the Typographical Engineers.
With this Squadron went your hum
bic servant.
From the Preside we marched
West twenty-five miles, to a village
of 700 souls, called Nara, close to
which we cncampcd. Our road this
day lay over dead level prairie,
without a drop Of water, bounded
far off to the Southwark by a low
range of mountains, running East
and West. This prairie has every
where for its foundation a solid lime
stone. Nara is an agricultural vii
lsse, as are the two villages Of Sar
Juan and Moreloo, each mile OF
two from it, and which we did no,
visit, 1t is we'll watercd by a small
clear stream of delightful water,
which runs everywhere through the
village, and irrigotes very extensive
fields. On the road we learned,
what has since been confirmed. that
there were no Mexican troops at
Monclova or Saltillo, and that Col
Castaneda, who had been in com
mand at Preside with some two
hundred men, had been deserted by
his men, and gone on to Saltillo Will
his officers.
When, some three months since,
Col. Harvey, with a small number Of
Dragons and some four or five hun
dred undisciplined Texas horscmen
went from San Antonio to the Pre-
sidio, and took that place, Casteneda
was in command there, and retired
on his approach. When Harvey re-
turned, he left some two Texans al
the river. Castaneda returned after
his departure, fired on canoe cross
ing the river, took three prisoners
and killed mule. The Texans ran
off; large quantity of property
was burned to keep it from getting
into the hands OF the enemy. Cas-
tancda sent a bulletin to Mexico de-
failing three days fight, and sta
ting that five Americans were kill.
ed; he was brevetted for this ex-
plot.
On the 10th we marched 10 mile,
W. n. W., to San Fernando de Ro.
sas, a town of 5000 souls. TIL,
country was like that of yesterday
The town is hid among trees, from
which, as you approach, peeps on
the white dome Of the church, lik,
a flag of truce, for which. indeed
we mlstook it. Along the Easter
edge oil the town runs small stream
/ sunk low in tho nl,;, ,,J 49,, IL