Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-12-10
SANTA FL, Now Mexico, Sept. pc. lS4'

SANTA FL. New Mexico, Sept. PC, 1917
Here wearG at the city of the Holy Faith we
arrived here on the eth, after march of IS days
and a more fatiguOing march was probably never
made by body of infantry. Every inconN enience
that body of men could labor under, we suffered
Our company with two others, came in with the
Col, said in my last lbltgr va should and Il We
~ hard, tyrannical old fellow, we found him to be
indeed he was so hard upon us that F and G com
panics reyotpd once and we cre in state of revolt
some fvp hours The Col. was net strong enough
handed to force into measures and finally he coax
ed us to resume our duties He tried to ride us
down afterwards, and did break nine of our petite
officers; they were re-instaed hover as soon We
arrived hefe, and all old difficulties wiped oat, and
he now treats us as about half white
Col. +. w j. Newly. on his arrival at Santa Fe
found the documents making him commander in
chief and Governor General of New Mexico; in fact
of the 9th military division Of the Us.
The country from the Mississippi river to the
Rocky mountains is almost one vast prairie. We
suffered greatly for wood, water and forage. We
came through at season Of the year When water is
scarce. and this season particularly The travel
between Leavnnworth and Santa Fe is immense :
tie grass is all used up in the vicinity OF springs
streams, and the wood and Buffalo chips are very
scarce. In year or two the traders will be obliged
to carry their fuel nearly the whole way.
The country, as idr as the Arkansas river, is a.
good for agricultural purposes any part OF Wis
cousin. and very much resembles the northern part
of Illinois and southern part of Wisconsin, except
the scarcity Of wood. Beyond til" Arkansas clear
through to the Mexican settlements, a distance Of
about 400 miles it is tut little better than desert,
for about two hundred miles, not tree a bush,
the size OF your thumb 10 be seen, aud grass 20
scarce that our cattle suffered greatly. For 60 miles
west OF the Arkansas, there is not drop of water
II be- found except after storm. Fortunately for
us it rancd all the while we were on the desert
The Mexican settlements commence 50 miles
east Of Santa Fe. The first town we came to was
Las Vegas. ,Tspouncod Bagus 1t was tha first
Spanish town ever saw, and excited great curiosity
among our men The houses are all built of mud,
never more than one story high fat-rooied and ne
yer any windows to the street The town presents
d very unpleasant appearance, though the houses
inside are very comfortable aud pretty well furnish
INSTEAD If chairs they have lounges made Of clay and
firmly fixed to the wall all around the room; these
lounges are covered with dried skins and blankets
and the whole family eat, sit, and sleep on these
lounges or on the clay floor; miserable ,s ltless
lazy set Of people they are too. The climate il fine
and the land is very productive, or the whole popu
lation would stano to death. There are a great
many towns scattered about within hundred miles
OF this place the names or very existence Of which
had never heard until VIC arrived in Naw Mexico
The city OF Santa Fe contains about 6OOJ inhab
tants 1t was at one time much larger, but from
some cause which cannot now divine, ii has fallen
away. The city is under martial law and present.
quite a military appearance. When We arrived
there was 5000 troops here: about one thousand
have since been sen, off &c points north and soulu
There is a sentinel with ioaded nusket at every
corner Of the street The discipline is most rigid .
there are about 300 men on guard the whole tine
ne knowing ones mere Itt4'Ct an OUT Uic1N SOON
Our Col is determined to be ready ior any encrgcu
cy. and he II head EN- or die, know.
The market hereis we'll provided with vegetables
and mutton Every thing bears very high price
war prices, as our boys term it; l4r ihanc. oHlons
picayune piece: hay quarter Of a dollar for
blanket full All hay and every thing eseis brought
TO market in blankets on asses backs. Peaches,
apples. pears &c. plenty but prices in proportion
Grapes abundant and cheap and the very best grapes
ever tasted They are think, the same sort that
rasins are made CT at east they very large and
fms They grow wid.and the country people make
large quantities Of wine they cell Pass wine which
is almost as goos Madeira but with every thing
else here. bears an enormously high Prce- Pork,
SloPeE bbl4 Flour. So Sugar 50 Per lb- soap.
70 Per 10, &c. &c clothing much higher than
groceries in proportion. The business done in this
city Is immense nearly al OF New Mexico comes
here to purchase gogds The merchants are na-ing