The Arkansas banner., 1847-02-03
Latest from our Volunteers.


 Latest from our Volunteers. We are indebted to friend for the follow ing extracts from letter, received from an officer in the Arkansas Regiment, dated
 1 Ix CANT, Is MILES ". or SALriLLo,
 Mexico, Dec. 2a, 1916,
 l =. There is grand review to-day, and !, being on the sick report, take time 10 write you this, my second letter since star ling, without receiving any from ycu-
 |
 We have marched 1900 miles, and vel had no opportunity to fight. The country, from San Antonio to this place, is worthless, Iu the whole march, of coo miles, have no. seen respectable tree. and the greater DOT ton of the distance is desert prairie, with oul brush or shrub, until we reached San ta Rosa, 200 miles this side of the Rio Grande From thence, 10 this place. is bot continued range of mountains. more lofty than any you have ever seen, or ] before The road leads through mountain pass, and in some places we did not reach drop of water for 90 miles, with the sand six inches deep What is more strange than anything else there is no, sprig of any thing green OH some of the loftiest mountains, and trees on none. You will Dc surprised to learn that, while we were eneamped at Monclova, about one month, every stick of wood burnt in cooking, or otherwise, was packed IA or : Ia miles on the jackaSses, and such has been the case from every subsequent encampmeat io this place. The Mexicans pack their corn out of the field upon asses, and all merchan- dize is transported in like manner. IL is moi uncommon to see from one to three hundred of these animals, in a caravan, going from one c.ty to another, each being packed with 5 or 400 pounds.
 j You know all about the fight at Monte rey. l. was thought, so soon as the armis- tice was abrogatetl, tl.at all the forces would have been ordered directly upon San Lnis Po,osi, distance of 100 miles from here - Santa Anna, with all the Mexican army, are, or were, there. There the battle is to be fought, and every day spent, on.lhis side oi the mountains, is time and money squander- ed. The line of policy, adopted by Gen. Taylor, was, to send Gen. Patterson to Tam ! pico, go himself to Victoria. Gen. Butler to Monterey, Gen. Worth a, SaItiIlo. portion of this column at Pallos, and the residue, under Gen Wool, to take up quarters al Par ras. Thus, you see, establishing line of posts from the Gulf 10 Parras and then do what Why. then stay here, God only knows how long. ! believe, from my soul, that there is sIron- ger exessions making, by some of our ofii- cers. 10 overthrow the administration al home, than to destroy the army of Santa Anna l hope to God, these things may be looked in to this winter, and that right quickly.
 The positions, above mentioned, had not been taken up, and all were quietly enseon- | scd in their tents, there to stay, don. know ! long, when, late, on the 18th of ihis month, the drums beat to arms-the bugles sounded to horse-confusion took the place of quiet and order. In about one hour, Gen. Wool's whole column was on the march for Saltllo. After marching l5 miles by 10 o'clock at night, we heard the signal 10 halt halt we ! did, and. with neither meat nor water, wood nor light, with pure mother earth, our couch, and Heavens blue canopy, our sole covering. So we marched, day and night, to this place, distance of ii0 mics. When all came to be heard, Wool had received an express that Santa Anna was within three days march of Saltillo, with 3o,0O0 men; but, when we go, here, Il turned out to be hoax. Fay Tor and Butler have both arrived at Saitillo. 1 stop to say that an express is now atmy tent, just arrived, announcing that 2,700 Mexicans have taken possession of Parfas,, the place we have just left. will write you wheisi hear what IS 10 be done. The two companies Jeff al Parras, are on the retreat We started two companies to cover their re- ,reat-,hey will fight. Gen. Rosas is in Par ras, wiih 5000 troops. We start for that point immediately.
 1 We are indebted to the kindness of Mrs. BoRLAsp, for the following extract from a { letter, from Maj. Boriand, dated