Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-01-12
~S n A y IT IN @ Me
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY l2, 1s4s.
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
CAMP BuENA VISTA. Dec. G. 1sA

CAMP BuENA VISTA, Dec. g, lS47
Dear -: We have had some very severe
weather here for few days past-ccr,ainly any
thing but realization Of what is said and sung of
the ''sunny South" The pleasant winter temper
allure OF Mexico, would say, from present expert
ence, is likely to prove TO about as great hum
bug as nearly every thing else we had heard in re-
gard TO the country-its orange groves, its deli
cous fruits, It's lovely flowers and perpetual YER
dure. The first of December was about rs wip,rv
looking day as have almost ever seen i'm our
own Valley Of Virginia so early in the season.
In the morning cold rain set in, but it soon be-
came mixed with snow, and in few minutes the
mountain tops were clothed in white, and although
1t has been clear every day SINCE the snow still re-
mains upon them. The sight is a beautiful one, but
would be much pleasanter, | confess, if we could
view it through the glass windows of comforts
bic house, instead Of the open doors of our thin cot
ton tents. This weather is said TO be unusual and
if so change may soon be hoped for, but must
say have my doubts about it. In ride had to
make to Saltlo on Friday morning before sunrise.
stream of water which came to was so tightly
frozen over that it was with difficulty could find
a
tell us that the snow in Zacatecas Pass twenty or
thirty miles beyond us, is foot deep. As the
prospec, is now that we shall have to winter upon
,ur present ground, we are doing what we can to
make ourselves comfortable. Several of the off
GERS have had chimnes erected 10 their tents. and
we arc about putting up houses for our guards out
OF sun dried bricks, which are to be had i'm GREAT
abundance at the ruined ranches in the neirbbor-
hood
we are Sill without any news from the city of
Mexico, or from the Mexican Congress except
that it was still in session. The idea at one time
entertained that It's measures would tend TO peace,
however, think is entirely disspated AT least
we hear nothing said about it now.
The MeXicans give doeful accounts of the rava-
ges and massacres of the Camanches in their late
incursion. They report something like thou
sand of their people killed The Indians who ven
tured into this neighborhood although not actually
encountered by our troops, except in the fight of
Maj. Lane, must have been hard pressed by them,
as 1t seems they abandoned their horses and took
to the mountains. No doubt, however. they re-
mounted themselves again, at the expense of the
MeHicans, as soon as they got fairly out of our
reach.
We hal quite an excitement amongst us on
Thursday night and Friday morning. produced by
report apparently well founded which had been
brought in that Lit. Col Randolph and Lieut.. Ma
son of our Regiment, and Capt. Barksdae of the
Mississippi Regiment, who left on the evening of
the day first mentioned for home in company with
fifteen or twenty discharged men, and Capt Deas
with four of his men going 20 Monterey, had been
attacked few miles below Satillo by between two
and three hundred MeXcans, and the whole party,
with the exception of one man who brought the re-
port either killed or made prisoners. 1t proved to
be utterly groundless, however, and the man is now
IN the guard house for his mendacty and cowardice
1t seems that the party came upon band of dis
guised and painted NIeXicans, some twelve or fE
teen In number, near the stone wall below Salto.
just as they were robbing had robbed a mule train
belonging to smaller party of Mexicans, and that
Capt. Deas, as as he asccrained their charac-
ter, sans ccremonic, dashed in among them, when
they scattered and fled and he fired his pistol after
them. This appears to have been the whole a(-
fair, and our man who brought The report, must
have turned his back and fled about the instant he
saw his Captain preparing to make the charge
without waiting to see any thing of the result.
The health Of the troops here is now quite good
In my company there is not case of sickness, |
may say, except the three or four heretofore named
as candidates for discharge.
Col Hamtramck has his hands full at present.
Both our Lit. Colonel and Major having gone home
sick, he has taken active command of the Regi-
meDt, in addition TO his duties as Commander OF
the Division.
We are all anxiety to hear of email from the
States" We have had none for more than three
weeks, and expect when we DO get one that it will
be richly freighted with favCurs from our friends
But perhaps we may be disappointed. There are
a few, however, who never forget or neglect US
among whom you will please include yourself
Yours, sc.