Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-03-09
From The Sang amo Journal.

We have letter from distinguished
officer of Gen. Wool's Army, from which
we make the following extracts:
PARRAs, MExIco, Dec. 1G. lS46.
The movements ofthe troops in Mexi.
co, presume are as well known to
you as to US; still | expect . letter from
this remote part of the world may be
worth the postage.
Gen. Wool's column, 1000 strong.
with 300 wagons, arrived at this place,
on the 4th inst. This country is par
tlcularly adapted to defensive operations.
Indeed, if the Mexicans had the proper
spirit, it would be very difficult, if not
impossible, to penetrate their country.
We marched $50 miles through mountain
valiies. The mountains increase in
height as we go further south-the passes
are more frequent end more easily de-
:ended--the population becomes more
numerous. and water more difficult to at.
tain. In the United States you know no.
thing about the wants of water. I'm Mex.
leo water is the great thing needed, and
the thing of most value. Land is not
valued except according to the quantity of
water near it. From Monclova to this
we found it in small streams and tanks at
intervals of 10 to 35 miles. One day we
marched 81 miles without water. This
day was hot and the roads dusty, AID
hard march it was truly to tie infantry.
Several horses and mules died ca the
march that day, or soon after we got into
the camp. From this place south, water
1s still more difficult to be obtained, and
In some places it is only to be bad in wells
and tanks--[h tank is a place where
water is collected frem rain or temporary
springs Consequently these places are
diaole to be destroyed by stopping ap the
wells or draining the tanks. This makes
1t difficult TO march large force into the
interior Of Mexico. Now. however, we
are as ready to advance as we ever can
without II is determined to send US large
Telntorcements, and all of us are impatient
at the prospect Of being kept in quarters,
or from advancing further south for SO
long time as it is thought we must remain
IN this line of operations.
The rainy seasons in this part of Mex
leo is in June, July and August, and
sornetimes running into September. 1t
then rains hard. At other times of the
year, it does not rain at all. None has
fellen here since summer, and none is ex
Pected until next summer. Neither are
there any dews except on rare occasions.
Every thing is cultivated by irrigation.
No crop grows without it. The Mex.
leans show great ingenuity in the man.
agement OF steams in taking them thro'
their towns and ranches. Every part OF
town, and ola ranch or hacienda, is
supplied with water. Land is valued not
by the acre, but by the supply of water
which is afforded to the tenant. Two
crops are raised in year of corn..the first
10 tolerable one, and is planted in Feb.
Fuary or March, and gathered in July
the other after the rainy season is over,
and is gathered in November and De.
eefnber.
At the Preside and thence to
within so miles of Monclova, there is
fine grass for stock. From that line, when
the mountains fairly begin, grass disap.
I pears except in small patches, and its
place is supplied by dozen varieties o.
the prickly pear, leach new variety hav
ing more thorns on it than you had seer
before This is interpreted with mus
keet and chapparel bushes, which are
covered with thorns and briars worse thar
: thorn or honey locust trees. In fact
nothing grows here animal or vegetable,
which had not thorn, briar, or a sting
AS for timber, that is thing out Of the
question. We have not seen as much
timber in Mexico as grows on twenty
acres ofland in Illinois. Fire wood CON.
slsts of bushes. At this time, our army
Is supplied with wood which is brought
IN on Jacks, from ten to fifteen miles, and
looks more like crows nest than fire
wood. 1t takes six men all day to cut a
load OF brush for Wagon, when we send
for it, and often the soldiers return with
half load after being gone all day.
From San Antonio to the Rio Grande
aperfect wilderness, except one small
German settlement 27 miles from San
Antonio, at CastroviIle. The Neuces
rlveris about half way. From San An
tonic to the Neuces the is fine water anc
good land, though but little timber
From the Neuces to the Rio Grande it il
APoor country, without wood, water OF
soil-not worth having. or capable of cul
tivation when the land ia even tolerabl,
good. for want of water and timber
From the Rio Grande to Monclova the,
raise cotton, sugar, corn, cattle, goat
and sheep. In the vicinity Of Monclova
they raise wheat. At Parras, which i
more elevated, they raise corn and wheat
but their principal crop and the one OIL
which the whole population depends 70
support is grapes. These are manufac
tured into wine and brandy of most ex
cellent quality.-About nine THOUSAND
gallons of wilma ara mazda ~ pna.,