Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-06-04

w we learn that good deal OF uneaslness
exists throughout the State in regard to the
health OF our Volunteers on the Rio Grande
The impression has somehow gotten abroad
that our friends, the Volunteers, have suffer
ed, and are suffering dreadfully from disease
This is an entirely wrong impression. From
authentic accounts before US, we can safely
state that the North Carolina Regiment has
suffered less from disease, than, perhaps, any
other which has gone to Mexico since the
war commenced 1t is true there has been
some sickness and some deaths consequent
upon it; but suppose the 700 or 500 men
who compose that Regiment had remained at
home, does the reader not suppose that some
deaths would have occurred amongst them
We have just been furnished with letter
written by Capt VIM. J. Price, of the New
Hanover Company, from which we make the
following extracts 1t will be seen that the
information there given bears US out in what
we have said above Portions of the letter,
it will be seen. were written at different
times -
CAMARGo, April 20, 1917.
Two Companies of our Regiment leave this
evening or Tomorrow morning as guard to a
train of wagons for Monterey-my Company
and the Caswell, Companies F and H. and |
can assure you am much pleased to have it
in my power to leave Mays Dragons are
here, and are to 60 with US They are under
the command of Lieut. Cambell. Two Com
panes from our Regiment left here with a
train about week ago, but we have not yet
heard from them. My LIST Lieutenant went
with the detachment. We are all to return to
this place Immediately and we are to be kept
at this business until another Regiment comes
out, or Companies enough to garrison Mata-
moras, then the Massachusetts, Regiment
will come on here and we will move on
to Monterey. We must be sent on shortly,
for nearly all the troops now under Gen. Tay-
Tor will be discharged in about month
Nearly all our men have had the Diarrhea,
and several have died of that disease some
thing like out of the two Edgecombe Com
panies have died, and several other Companies
have lost men. My Company stands the eli
mate better than any other ! have not lost
but one man since we left, and that was J. NJ
Walker, who died at sea-this mentioned to
you in my last letter.
MONTEREY, May ID, 1s47.
Before | could finish my letter at Camargo,
we were ordered to march for Monterey, and
have not, OF course, had time to write or fin
ish the letter before this day. We performed
the march to this place in nine days. We
had a train of $50 wagons, and passed through
three little towns, viz: Meir, Ceralvo, and
Marine We were in constant fear of an at
tack for five days, Two attempts were made
on US, but they failed in both. The day we
reached Ceralvo we had one man lanced thro'
the cheek he was about quarter or half
mile ahead of the advance guard, when some
of them dashed from the chapparral and threw
the lance. into the side of his face, giving him
a pretty severe wound, but not serious-he
fired on them and retreated at full speed. Nc
doubt it was their intention at the time to at
tack the train, taking him for one of our ad.
vance guard, but discovering the mistake, and
knowing, too, that he would report and put
us on our guard, they abandoned the nnderta.
king. This mans name was Bunch, he is q
Captain belonging to the Tennessee Regiment
and was going on with US as far as Ceralvo
Again, two days before we got to Monterey
we met the train going down, and in passing
some eight or ten of their advance passed or
} to our rear about half mile, and were. free
on by these wretches, wounding one man We
ry severely, broke his thigh and killed thu
horse he was on. They (the Americans,
killed two Mexicans These fellows wer
] following our train, no doubt, and watching
e an opportunity to make an attack.
Monterey is very handsome place, situa
ted at the. foot of very high mountain, AM
mountain on each side. Gen. Taylor is here
his camp is four miles from town, at a beau
e tful grove called the Walnut Springs. Gu
men are at the same camp. We have her
part of the Ohio Regiment, part of the Vir
ginia, one Company of the Mississippi, tn
Texan Rangers, Bragg's battery, and May
n Dragons.
q Report has just reached here that Gen. Scot
has had a severe battle, that Santa Anna wa
killed, and that the Americans were whipped
e If this is true, its probable we shall get in
e fght-if not, then shall return home in fou
or six months, without seeing anything Of tn
kind, unless we should meet with it conduc
ting wagon trains. Gen. Taylor says if h
t should advance from this place, he will tax
!, our Regiment with him. Our Regiment has
d very good name.
Yours, &C., VIM. J. PRICE.