The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-11-09
FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGEScER.
Dispatches from Maj Downing.
cl1r on Mexico, UNrrED SrArEs. ;


through showers Of balls as thick as hail
stones. ] got your paper containing my
ielier that wrote on the road 10 the war.
The letters ! wrote afterwards, the guer.
rillas and robbers are so thick, think il
IS ten chances 70 one if you got 'em.--
Some Of Gineral SCOTS letters is missing
In the same way. Now we've got the
city Of Mexico annexed, / think the Post
master General ought to have more reg
ular line Of stages running here, so oul
letters may 60 safe. ] wish you would
touch the President and Mr.. Johnson up
a little about this mail-stage business, SO
they may keep all the coachmakers al
work, and see shat the farmers raise hor-
ses as fast as they can, for don't think
they have any idea how long the roads is
this way. nor how fast we are gaining
south. IF we keep on annexin as fast as
we have done for year or two past, il
wouIdn'i take much more than half a do
zen years to get clear down TO t'other end
of South America, clear TO Cape Horn,
which would be very good stopping
place; for then, if our Government got in-
70 bad shedding in North America, and
found themselves in bad dilemma that
hadn't no horn 10 suit 'ein, they would
have horn in South America that they
might held on to. ~
hope there aint no truth in the story
that was buzzed about here in the army,
day or two ago, that Mr.. Polk had an
idea, when we got through annexin down
thislwsy,of tying his hand at it over in
Europe and Africa, and round there.--
And, 20 prevent any quarreliing before
hand about It on this side of the water,
he's agoing 10 agree to run the Missouri
compromise line over there, and cut Eu-
rope intofree States and Africa inio slave
States. Now, Eshink ne had better keep
still about that till we get this South A.
merica business ali done, and well tied
up. 1t isn't well for a body to have too
much business on hands at tonce. There's
no knowing what little furries we may
get into yet, and ihere's always danger
il you have too much sail spread in a
squalf. However,I haven't time 70 talk
dDOubAlhS IOWsf Eftf q - ~ 81 $500
!. You will get the accounts of the bat
ties in GineraI SCOTS letters, so needn't
say much about. them. But its been a
hard uphill work all the way from Vera
Cruz here; and don't think my old friend
Gineral Jackson himself would have
worked through all the difficulties and
done the business up better than Gineral
Scott has, Butthe killed and wounded,
the dead and dying. scattered all along the
way for three hundred miles, It's heart
aching thought. | don't love 10 think a.
bout it. 1t is too bad that We didn't have
moro men, so as to march straight through
without fighting, instead OF having jest e.
nough to encourage the enemy to bring
out their largest armies and fight tIeir
hardest battles.
One Of the hardest brushes we had, af-
ter / got here, was the attack upon Cha
puIiepee. | had been into the city trying
10 bring Santa Anna TO terms. but, when
/ fuund il was no use, come out and
told Ginefsl Scott there was no way bot
10 fight il out, and, although was only
the Presidents private ambassador, l
didn't Ike TO stand and look on when he
was so weak-handed, and if he would
tell me where ste take hold | would give
him a lift. The Gineral said he expect
ed there would be a hard pull TO take Cha
pultepec, and as Glnerd Pillow was plac-
ed where he would be likely to have the
heaviest brunt Of it, might be doing the
country great service il Iwouid jine in
with GineraI Pillow, as my experience
undrr Gieneral Jackson and insight into
military affairs would no doubt be very
useful to that valiant officer. So took
hold for that day as one of Gineral PHI
lows aids.
When we come to march up and see
how strong the enemy's works was. says
/, Gineral Pillow il is as much as all our
lives is worth to 90 right straight up and
storm that place in the face and eyes of
all their guns; think we ought tosfortify
a little. Suppose we dig ditch round
here in front of the enemy's works. Al
that the GineIal's eyes flashed, and he
swore right out. Says he ..No. d-n
tie bitches, I've no opinion of 'em:sihey
are nothing but bother, and never ought
to be used. The best way is 10 go right
into the enemy pell neil. = So, on we
went. and Pillow fit like tiger III he got
wounded, aud then the rest Of Us that
.wasnt shot down had 10 finish the work
upthe best way we could. s se m~
& The long and the short Of il IS, we &
our way into the city of Mexico and ar-
snexed il. Santa Anna cleared out the
night afore with what iroopsilIe had left,
and is securing about the country 20 gcl
some more places ready for Us 10 ailnex
Ni.sn he gets another place all ready loI