The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-08-24
TUESDAY, AUGUST rs. ls47,


Sierra Madre with great rapidity. They
were in fine condition, well equipped and
supplied with all necessary supplies
As they passed the prisoners, many OF
! the soldiers would insult them by ges-
lures, indicating that their ihroats were TO
be cut, that they were 10 be hung rp.-
The only reply our boys made to these
cowardly jeers was a very significant
gyratory movement OF their right thumb
applied to the apex of their nasal append
age, and hint that old Zack would give
them dose which would make them
laugh on the other side OF their faces
AT night the prisoners would encamp
with some of the divisions OF the Mexi-
can army, and from the soldiers they
learned what were Santa Annals designs.
tie had intercepted, they said, letters of
Gen. Scott, showing that Gen. Faylor' 5
army was reduced 10 few thousand ILL
disciplined troops, and that the whole
] valley of the Rio Grandc was without an
adequate force TO protect it. Santa Anna
had determined to push OH, annihllate
Taylor, recapture Saltillo, Monterey, Ca
margo, and the whole valley of the Rio
Grande, possess himself of the immense
supplies of our army, then push on to
Corpus Christi, and thence proceed to the
valley Of the Mississippi, and lay waste
the whole vast country. Certainly this
design was worthy of the Napoleon Of
the West. 1t was very wrong in old
Zack TO interfere with such magnificent
scheme. He should have allowed the
Mexicans to come over here, when we
could have caught them all alive and put
them 10 some more useful and profitable
undertaking than fighting Americans
Clearing our swamps would be much
more easy and beneficial employment
for Mexicans than fighting such battles as
those of Buena Vista and Cerro Gordo.
Such, however, were the confident ex
pectailons of the Mexicans, of the officers
even those of intelligence and inlorma-
lion, as we'll as of the common soldIeis.
No wonder, with such hopes, that they
marched so rapidly and bore patiently the
many trials and suflerings to which they
were subjected in this unparalleled march.
In The rear of the Mexican army the
prisoners met Capt. Riley, with his COM
pany of deserters from the American ar
my. He had already eighty or ninety
men who constituted the main artillery
force of the army, and said he was picking
up more every day. He made great ef-
fort to persuade some of the prisoners to
join him, promising them as much land
and money as they wanted, and declaring
that it was impossible for Gen. Taylor to
resist Santa Annals army, which was
thirty thousand strong, that the whole
spoils of the valley of the Rio Grande
would be divided among the troops. 1t
is unnecessary TO say that the traitors
proposals were received by our gallant
volunteers with scorn and contempt. 'fhe
prisoners were much gratifed to hear
some time afterward, in the Carcel ST. Ja-
GO, that Riley's company was cut all to
pieces, and but twenty ever returned to
the city Of Mexico. This twenty, to-
gether with other American desertcrs,
who had escaped from our army at Tam
pico and Vera Cruz, became so disorder
ly and unrulv in their habits that thew
were ordered out Of the city, and on their
way were attacked I,y large Mexican
force, and all put to the sword.
On the first of March the prisoners ar
rived within nine miles of the City OF
Mexico, when the Colonel i'll command
of the guard received orders to retain
them at the place where he then was nm
til the revolution, which was then raging
in the city, had abated. But the revolu-
lion continuing longer than was expected,
the prisoners were marched into the city
on the night of the 9th March, and were
lodged III the secure pris0nforiress OF San
Jago. Here they found themselves in
the society Of all the principal maleiactors
and convicts of Mexico, and a more ras-
cally, filthy and viIaneous set were never
before congregated. Their impertinent
and disgusting behavior soon rendered it
necessary that our boys should give them
a little disciplining. Several of them were
well ffogged by the Americans. and quite
a feud sprung up in consequence. which
reaching the ears Of the good natured,
pot-hellied old Governor, he came down
one morning after one of the rows be-
tween the eonvicts and the Americans,
and proceeded very deliberately, with
grunts much perspiratiou and face full
Of wisdom and sagacity, to draw chalk
line across the floor of the prison, assign
ing the Americans one side and the con-
victs the other. And as he completed his
sage and ingenious scheme Tor preserving
the peace, the Jolly old fellow chuckled
very heartily over his wisdom, and left
the prison with very contented and self
satisfied air.
The revolution in the city still contin-
ued. There was a most terrific din of
cannon and small arms, drums beating,
bugles blowing, cavalry charging, &C.
Il L IL