The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-09-26
To CAPT. J. 6. ALLISON.
A PLEASANT INCIDENTAL YOUNG
SOLDIER FROM TAYLOR'S ARMY.

At a meeting of the Rough and Ready Club
of one of the city Wards, held on Tuesday
evening last after the business had been trans
acted and an adjournment was about to take
place, a pale-faced youth, apparently about
nineteen years of age, and a stranger to all
present. asked permission of the President to
say few words about Gen. TAYLOR. His re-
quest was of course granted. There was q
profound silence in the meeting when lie rose
and with some trepi6ation, apOl0gised for ask
ing to be heard. lie said ho had reason to
know General TAYLOR he knew him a man
and a soldier. lie had been in his army sew
enteen months, and portion of that timef
when he was sick and exhausted BY long
marches, and ready TO die, he found warm
| hearted friend and protector in Gen. Zachary
Taylor. Gentlemen" said he, Il am but
nineteen years old am stranger here, and
never attempted to speak in public.-Bat [
have read in some Of the papers aftacks upon
General Taylors character as man. eharc@
| ing him with inhumanity and cruelty, and
want to say bluntly, that such charges are false
! false from beginning to end, no matter who ut
tiers them. have seen cruelty and inhuman~
ity on the part of subordinate officers to their
men-inhuman punishments inflicted for slight
often, G., bH nerer mhe presence Of Gen. Try
iOr-who was always kind father and profec-
tor to the poor soldier, and whom every honest
soldier in the army loved. No man of honor,
who ever served under him, will charge him
with cruelty. either to his own troops or to tho
enemy. l was with him at Fort Brown, march,
ed with him to Point Isabel-was in the bat
ties OF Palo Alto, Resaca and Monterey. Az
ter the capture of Matamoras, instead Of using
one of the houses in the city as his qdarters,ho
gave them all ur to the sick, wounded and sufs
fering soldiers, and slept in his tent on a bed
that was not more than four inches above the
mud and water that surrounded 1t.
The speaker related many interesting incl
dents connected with the movements Of the ar
my, Illustrating the benevolence Of Gen. Tsy-
Tor, and the perfect confidence ofthe troops in
the goodness of his heart, and his skill as a COM
mander. ale made us al feel as if every
man was double, and had twice the strength
that We really possessed, and could do twice
as much as any other army IN the world. lie
was always the first TO meet danger and used
to tell us 10 rdich hin, close, and neyer forum
nil he ran. But he never ran from an enemy;
nc never turned away from suffering soldier
without doing all that he could to relieve aad
cheer him. On the march to Seralvo," con-
,inued the youth, my strength gave out, and
if it had not been for Gen. Taylor, | might
have been left upon the road to die or.be muir
'lercd. But he saw me and knew fiofn my
looks that WIS exhausted. He took NE mp
and sat me on his own mule, and | rode with
him in that way for several days. He saved
my life then, and am ready to give him every
drop Of my blood, whenever no wants SOL
Ilier."
AT one time we were almost ont Of prOvis-
ions. We had nothing to cat but musty bis
cult, and slushed, naggoty pork. An officer
went to Ger. Taylor, and complained that he
could not eat such food. 'Wel SIR said the
General, come and take dinner with inc.
"The invitation was gladly accsp'sd and
The officer, anticipating frs: rate dinner