The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-03-05
Correspondence, OF the Frsc Trader.
MoNcLovA, Merico. }
Dec. 80, lS46.

! ''NN' w. iofo
Mr.. EMiOr:-l have Just come in
from two days trip 10 the mountains.
almost exhausted with fatigue and in a
! poor state Of mind to write an Interest
ing letter. But there is an express 60
ing out tonight, and it may be the only
chance will have for some time to write
TO you, | must do the hes; can.
We are still stationed here, and there
seems TO be but small chance of our
leaving before spring, unless more vigor-
Gus steps are taken TO bring the two ar
mics in contact. This post is a very
dangerous one, and we are liable to be
attacked any hour. There are strong
inducements here lci the Mexcans to
make an attack. At the Present time
there is train here on its way 10 Gen.
Woods quarters with over one million of
dollars in it. There has been a large
amount of money and government stores
lett here, for tie use Of the forces station
&c in, and vicinity of this city and there
J are, besides all these, nearly all the hos.
piial stores belonging to the whole com
mand IN the hospital here. The Mexican
army is short of provisions, out of mon.
ey and hospital stores, and their govern
men, have none TO furnish The only
hope, therefore, they have Of getting any
is to whip Us out here and capture this
train, and we have every reason TO be.
lieve that that is their object. The prn.
clpal men of this province have held
meeting, Tor some purpose or other, about
30 miles from here, and rumor saws TO
consult on measures Of defence. Spies
have been sent out BY Maj. Warren to
all the important towns in the province
TO watch their movements, bu, nothing
has yet been discovered to prove that
move Of the kind is actually on foot.
The Inhabitants pre- end TO be very friend.
ly towards us and take every opporluni-
y TO assure rs that they will not take up
arms against the u. s. But any person
acquainted with this people must know
that such proIestalluns amoun, to nothing
They are a ,reacherous set and at all
times willing to take up arms when sue.
cess is certain. Since my last letter to
you there have been movements made by
the principal men of this town, which
satisfied US tina! something was on foot,
And Maj. Warren was so strongly con-
WINGED Of il that he ordered the men to
sleep by their arms, ready to be called
up at any moment. Blu, nothing serious
has yet occurred and il is hoped that at.
ter the money train leaves here we will
be more secure. There is one large
train of provisions back yet, which will
be strongly guarded by the forces thai,
have been lief, at San Antonio, and the
Rio Grande, they will all come up with
it. After that train passes through hope
We will be called away from this place.
Though we have good quarters and easy
duty TO perform, and the men enjoy good
health, it is SO monoionous that time
grows wearisome.
As 10 the trip TO the mountains, | will
no, attempt 10 give you anything like a
correc, idea of it. There were sixteen
Of us. We started in the morning of the
29,h, and were guided by Mexican who
wen, abou, half way with us. The dis
lance from town TO the foot Of the noun.
tam is about two miles, and from there
TO the top is said to be about ten. have
moi been able 10 learn the perpendicular
heigh, of the peak to which we assembled,
but suffice il to say that when we arrived
al The foot the summit seemed 10 lean
over our heads. We took as much wa
ter and provisions with us as we could
well carry, but the weather was SO warm,
and our ,hurst so great that we run out
Of wafer before we reached the top, which
was a, about o'clock j. NJ. The pros
poet from this spot was sublime. j, sur
passed anything ! ever beheld. The sky
was clear, and we could see on, in every
direction as far as the ray Of vision could
extend. over mountains, plains and val
leys, till the vas, distance seemed TO min
gle them with the blue horizon. We had
intended to encamp for the night on this
beautiful spot to welcome The goldeh light
of AuIoras dawn, bu, the air was cold
and our thirst so intense, that we concu-
ded, il would be better TO move on till we
found water. At about half after o.
clock the party separated-some wen.
down on the other side and The others
scattered along on the same side we came
up. Six of us entered a large ravine near
the top Of the mountain, with the hope Of
meeting water in it. But we were sadly
disappointed. Before we had descended
a hundred rods in The ravine we found
that /, would be difficult to get out of it,
and all left bu, Corp. Carr and myself,
we continued on in this terrible road
bounding from rock TO rock, then de.
scending precipice that would make the
cold chills run over us as we stood at the
base and looked up. J his we continued
for several miles when the shades Of night
overlook us. No signs of water had yet
been discovered. We had almos, con-
cluded to abandon the project Of finding