Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-02-06
LATE FROM rHE ARmY.
Christ mas Al Salt,l,o.


ing interesting letter from i,s correspondent at
Saltilo, giving an account Of the celebration Of
Christmas at that place.
SALriLLo, Mexico, Dec. 26. 1916.
will give you little sketch Of Christmas
ia Saltillo, the most interesting and exciting
one ever enjoyed. ifyou could have peeped
into the kitchens Of any of the barracks before
daylight. you would have beheld the busiest set
Of soldiers in Christendom. Wilde some were
engaged beating up eggnoggs. others were pick.
ing chickens and turkeys, scaldipg pigs and ma.
king all sorts of preparations Tor real old Ysn.
kee Cbrietmus dinner while out Of doors the
streets were thrcDged with thousands the ma
tives, as well as soldiers gong to mass. The
cathedral was beautifully lighted, and the silver
affairs in each apartment were splendidly deco.
rated with flowers; but I will pass over egg
nog and other fine ixing., bv saying that all
enjoyed themselves during The morning to their
hearts content. About IL o'clock an express
arrived from Gen. Wool. informing General
Buter that be was in momentary expectation
OF being attacked by the enemy. Orders we're
Immediately issued for every man TO pack up
bis du1s," put on his accou,remen,s, and fall in.
which was performed in double quick time. All
was excitement and joy. In the mean time,
old Madame Rumor was hard at work, aud !
never saw the old lady more industrious. One
story was TO tie effect that Wool was within
twenty miles Of us, fetreating on the place. and
fighting 10000 Mexicons as he came along.
Another wac that portion Of his column had
been cut to pieces, and hundred other stories
of the same kind were circulated. Although
! many did not believe these reports. they though,
there was something like fight ahead. particu.
larly ~ the orders from head qm riers had been
so explicit The streets before the qusrters
presented an interesting spectacle. The guns
were all stacked before the doors. ant every
man wore his aceou,rements, ready and anxious
to be of; but tho most amusing part Of the
scene vas tho Christmas d,an's There was
gobler. the rib Of . pig. OF something else ofthe
kind, enjoying Il probably, from the novelty of
the scene, better than they ever did Christmas
dinner beforc-snd then oil csndidly believed
we should wind up the day with another bat.
tlc About two o'clock. P. NJ, Webster's bat.
terry. and the Ohio and Kentucky volunteers,
who were encamped six miles below town,
came in, end such cheers as the regulars gave
of the shouts which accompanied the diff rem,
victories in Monterey. Webs,ers battery took
up position on the top Of the hill, while the
pioneers were busily engaged aking loop holes
through every house near the road. The horses
belonging TO the light batteries were all kept
hsrnessed snd the csissons filled with am,nuni.
tioa. never saw men 90 enthusiastic as they
were now. There was one thing only that
prayed for, and that was that portion Of the
battle. if we did have one. might take place in
town, for the Mexcans who did not bamos to
the ysnche when the news FIRST came. or large
portion OF them. promenaded the streets and o p
peared to be delighted at the prospect, and those
thst did not tell you mucho .fandangc POGO ii
empo. wonlc give you look as much IS to say
"now you will catch it," ..r eas eIEif 4.
The inhabitants all sgree that there are Le
tween seven snG eight hundred iadrones end
iepevos in town whom they fear in case of on
attack, more than the soldiers, for as soon 81
they have an opportunity they are sure to coa
mense their work of murder and plnDderiDg
but there 10 little prospec, Of oor commander gi
wing them that chance. l-a sr,r .... .r..t
1 Gen. Butler 10 commander.iD-chief of thi,
place, Monterey, and Gen. Wooi's command.
I ..a a.g.G Yours, &C., rf zF7afzr ALTO.
DEPARTURE OF VIRGINIA TRooPs.-FouI
companies OF the Virgina Regiment, including
the one which contained a nuInber OF Phlladsl
phians, left Old Point ComioI, On Tuesday last
in the May Flower, Capt, Hitchcock. for the
seat of war-the whole under the command q
Lieut.. Col, Randolph. Other companies vii
be ready to embark in few days, in the Veto
y. The Richmond Republican says;
The Msy Flower has 333 officers aud mel
, on board, and all very comfortably fixed. Tn,
Victory 10 new vesse. and has 6ns sccommo
dstons for $50 men. The ber,hs Of both, (s
, we learn from Col. fismtrasck, who had him
self inspected them, are wide, aud will eontsi,
two men each, and all on board ,re very mucI
pleased. They have 40 days ra,ions on bosr'
and double supply ofwa,er. In two week
these companies will probably be on the bank