The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-02-12

numbered at tins time probably fif.
ty, embracing a fourth of the Cap
tains and Lieutenants and fair pro-
portion ofprivates. That they were
IA motley crowd, there is no dispu-
ting, half the horses being ridden
with rope brides and blanket sad
dies with rope stirrups, and the
whole, taken together, individually
making up the shabbiest lot of horses
| ever saw, and doubtless were very
offensive to the sight of our very IT,
dy General, But there were some
fine horses among them, and that had
cost the owners from 20 to 90 dol
lars, and to be obliged to turn them
loose here, where there was no pos
sible chance of selling them, was
conceived to be hard and unreason-
able, and the mustang cavalry de-
termined they woi:ld at least try the
guard house first. SO next morning,
when the regiments started OF, in
stead of forming in the rear as had
been the custom, the corps took up
their line of march, with the "Rack-
ensacks," who were now also with
out commander, in a "break
ranks" and every man went on his
own hook. Then it was droll to see
in every direction men riding in lit
tie groups, some on huge American
horses cheek by jole with a little
mustang that looked like half year.
ling by the side. Some in advance,
some in the rear, and as a whole
scattered altogether, promiscuously,
and generally. But they all got to
camp again in safety, and the Gen
eral had no more to say, probably
concluding wisely that they were a
shabby set anyhow, and beneath all
further notice, for although not a
man gave up his horse, there was
not another word said about the
cavalry to the end of the march.
We halted on stout, gushing,
sparkling stream that rolled out of
the mountains near us, at the ruins
OF what was once a Mexican build
ing Of tolerable apparent preten-
slons, erected at some holes, where
there appear to have been shafts
sunk in search of mineral-silver,
" course. But there is nothing
there that looks like the ore now.
We were met here by an express
from Gen. Worth, by which we learn
ed that we were within forty miles
OF Parras, that we would meet no
there; that we had day
or two before been within % or go
miles of Saltillo, and that Gen.
Worth had been with small parties
at several of the haciendas we had
passed. | will not say that we felt
but we certainly felt dis
to learn that there would
be no fight at Parras, for we had
been calculating on it all the way.
We left here unusually early in ~:
morning, ard although the noun.
Ialns around us looked smaller, and
away in the distance seemed almost
to disappear, we had gone but few
miles before we found we were lust
.alrly getting into them. Instead Of
following valleys, we now directed
our course through the mountains,
and a roughcr, more billy, or stony
path man never travelled. Now we
would so through one narrow pass
and come out facing a still taller
and although there was
40 visible way of getting by it, the
,oad would pertenaciously continue
towards it, and we would
come square up to the base when a
narrow loop hole would unexpected
y open before US by which we could
again pass through. We continued
our 'rindings in this way for 90
miles, when, greatly fatigued, we
inally emerged into fertile little
circular valley, that was nearly COW
cred with corn, on the further side
If which there was good water and
he residence Of the owner of the
acres around us where we pitched
or the night. The owner lives here
n princely magnilicence, under the
rown of pair of huge perpendicu-
ar mountains, that meet at right an
;les, leaving a ravinc pass between
hem. His slaves live around in
heir little mud huts, as usual, cx-
'ept a few, of more lofty aspirations,
Who have dug them out holes hun
'red feet up the side of the noun
aims, to which they assembled by
steep stairlikc path, and live after
he plan Of foxes.
The next days march, through and
over mountains as the day before
brought us within six miles of Far.
as. Some of the passes VIC crcp,
through to-day were so narrow that
| few field pieces and fifty men would
'ave had no difficulty in effcctually
our passage. Indeed so
ormidab!e did these passes look,
hat we approached them with , co,