The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1847-05-01
Notes in Mexico. December ss, rs4e

: Notes in Mexico. - December 2S, IS46.
This evening Lieut.. Mills, of Baltimore, ar
> rived from Monterey, bringing with him the
: mortal remains Of Of. Watson, Capt. Randolph
Ridgely, Thomas, Pierson, Graham, Capt. Gil
lespie, and some one else, forget who--there
are seven corpses.
Tuesday, December 90. Went down this
morning to one of our tarpaulins where the
bodies of the illustrious dead are deposited.
awaiting the arrival and departure of some OF
the steamers; (there happens to be none here
now.) There lie the poor fellows whose names
just now are more in the hearts and thoughts
of men than any other names known to histo-
ry-there they lie in rough square boxes Of
coarse pine plank heaped up among other
boxes of Querter-master's stores, awaiting
transportation! Muskets, old escopets, swords
and broken lances, (Which some of those who
survived the battle, are carrying home for re-
lics,) are scattered loosely upon and around the
boxes. A single sentinel of the quarter guard
is stationed at tho entrance of the tarpaulin
frame! walked in and surveyed these box es
and accomplishments! 1t was impossible to
feel scarcely single heroic emotion. So
much does the sight affect the ina ginaton.-l
Hearing the corpses had arrived, went to see
them, foolishly expecting, don't know how or
why, to find elegant collins! When saw the |
rough pine boxes laying about as the conve- |
nience of our hands required-(like the ordi- |
nary gun boxes of the ordnance Department.
among barrels, corn sacks, &C., undistinguish-
ed that precious and heroic dust, from the trash
around, felt how vain and futile the attempt
to impart the honors of the living to the dead
To prclong our interest in dull inanmate mat
ter, after "the heavenly fame" which gave it
life and lustre-the soul-has fed! Better,
poor fellows, that they had been left IN their
CORY bed where they Tell, under the blue vault
of the cloudess skies above them, with the
sublime mountains the witnesses of their he
roism AROUND them, and in the precincts oil
that beautiful city of groves, waterfalls and
palaces, now destined to be city Of pilgrim
ages throughout all ime!-immortal through
their illustrious deeds, and those Of their brave
associates! / have stood on the height above
The Bishops Palace where Gillespie fell! and
paused long to contemplate the humble grave
of rude stone which his fellow-soldies had
carved out Of the mountain rock, at the spot
where it was crimsoned by his Iife's blood
There he fought, there he bled, there he died,
Ind there he ought to have rested forever!-l
God and nature had made his monument, his
lie and character had made him worthy Of il,
bis death consecrated it. How many on Ame-
'icsn, how many traveller, would ascend that
'acred height, and holding in his hand the eulo-
" Of Governor Henderson, muse long on the
virtues Of Gillespie, while he stood beside his
iomb! Now half the charm, half the interest
IF the spot is broken and dissipated forever.
know not by whose direction Gillespie was
il BY the order Of any one but
his famiIy-however noble and generous the
feeling which prompted tit was in my hum
bic opinion a mistaken act Of friendship, and
N exceedingly bad taste. In this connexions
SiIl relate the following snsedote which got
from DR.. Ashes own lips Wide ~ss at Monte
reg. He said he acted AZ surgeon to Hay'sl
regiment. That a. be sseended the height Of
The Bishops Palace during the fight, (smOng