The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-11-05

and there's always dangerif you have too
much sail spread in squall. However,
haven't time to talk about this now.
You will get the accounts of the bat
ties in Gineral SCOTS letters, SO needn't
say great deal about them. But it's
been a hard uphill work all the way
from Vera Cruz here, and l don't think
my old friend Gineral Jackson himself
would have worked through all The diff
cuties and done the business up better
than Gineral Scott has. But the killed
and the wounded. the dead and the dy-
ing, scattered all along the way for three
hundred miles, it's heart-aching thought
l don't love to think about it. 1t is too
bad that we didn't have more men, so as
to march straight through without fight
ing, instead ofhaving just enough to en-
courage the enemy to bring out their larg-
est armies and fight their hardest battles.
One of the hardest brushes we had, af-
ter got here, was the attack on Chapul-
tapec. l had been into the city trying to
bring Santa Anna to terms; but, when
found it was no use, come out and told
Gineral Scott there was no way but to
fight it out, and, although was only the
Presidents private ambassador, didn't
like to stand and look on when we was
SO weak handed, and if he would tell me
where to take hold would give him a
lift. The Gineral said he expected there
would be hard pull TO take Chapulte.
pee, and as Gineral Pillow was placed
where he would be likely to have the
heaviest brunt of it. might be doing tie
country great service if | would iine in
with Gineral Pillow, as my experience
under Gineral Jackson and insight into
military affairs would no doubt be very
useful to that valiant officer. So took
hold for that day as one Of Gineral Pill
lows aids.
When we come to march and see how
strong tho enemy's works was, says |,
Gineral Pillow it is as much as all our
lives is worth to go right straight up and
/. storm that place in the face and eyes of
t all tt .ir guns; think we ought to fortify
; little. Suppose we dig ditch round
? here in front Of the enemy's works. At
l that the Ginerals eyes flashed and he
D swore right out. Says he, "No d-n the
? bitches, I've no opinion of'cm; they are
: nothing but bother, and never ought TO
be used. The best way is to go right
into the enemy pell NELL" So, ON we
: went, and Pillow fit like tiger till he
It got wounded, and then the rest Of US that
, wasn't shot down had to finish the work
Il up the best way we could.
d The long and the short of it is, we fit
s. our way into the city of Mexico and an
!, nexed it. Santa Anna cleared out the
d night afore with what troops he has loft
!, and is securing about the country TO get
II some places ready for us to annex. When
t" he gets another place all ready for the
J. ceremony. and gets it we'll fortified, and
Is has all army of twenty or thirty thousand
1t men in the forts and behind the breast.
n works. we shall march down upon EN-
Is with five thousand men and go through
N the furry. After they have shot dowr
about the half Of us. the rest of us vii
t climb in over the mouths Of their cannons
10 and annex that place; and so on one atte
10 another.
OF 1t is pretty hard work annexin in thiI
n way; but that is the only way it can bt
done. 1t will be necessary for the Presi
III dent to keep hurrying on his men thi
o. way to keep our ranks full, for we've 60
In great deal of ground to go over yet
~ What we've annexed in Mexico so far
" isn't bnt mere circumstance to wha
RS we've got to do.
is Some think the business isn't pro6ta
10 BILE; but it's only because they haven
ch ciphered into it far enough to understan'
d. it. Upon an average, we get at least te
rs to one for our outlay, any way you ca
n figure it up-I mean in the matter ofpeo
IT. pie. Take for instance the city of Mex
no co. 1t cost us only two or three thou
ms sand men to annex it, after we got int
ny the neighborhood of it; and we get a
ys least hundred and fifty thousand peo
pie in that city, and some put it down a
on high as two hundred thousand. Som
~ find fault with the quality of the peopl
tia we get in this country Jest as if that ha
he anything to do with the merits ofthe cast
up They ought to remember thati go'
ed ernment like ours, where the people
ce used for voting, and where every noe
nd counts one, it is the number that we al
to stand about in annexin, and not quail
ty, by no means So that in the matte
IL. ofpeople we are doing grand busines
And. as to the money it is no matter wh
it costs US, for money grows in the groul
,ld in Mexico, and can always be had for d
en- ging,
ill There's thousand things in this cou
nv try that should like to tell you about
ar. | had time; but things is so unsettled he
er. yet, that have rather confused time
it's write. So | must break off hero, al
me write few lines to.'the President; but r
ust main your old friend in all attitudes Gle
he down to Cape Horn
,st. MAJOR JACK DOWNING.
,re
so To James X. Polk, President ofMe Unit
,ou States, and all Aaaered Countries.