Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1848-02-23

belonging o.lhe service. On the contrary,
a stouterl and finer body of men was not
to be found in. the whole army. 1t was
the remark. Of every one who saw them.
The, army officers themselves, who mus
tered The regiment into service were struck
with The slalwart appearance OF the men,
aud more than once were heard to say,
they never had seen corps Of more able
boiled looking men euler into the military
service. The same remark was made re-
peatedly by officers and men during the
campaign, where favorable opportuni-
ty was offered of comparing the soldiers Of
the regiment with those Of other corps.
We believe we are able 10 account, in a
satisfactory manner, for the distressing
mortality in the regiment, without rccur-
renee to statements so out of-the-way and
unusual. We will pass over, in proceed
ing 10 this, tho exposure and dissipation TO
which The soldiers were subjected during
their stay near Charleston, though we are
satisfied from the excess Of Ilesc, many
constitutions were gradually undermined
and eventually ruined. Tho first chief
cause of the unusual number Of deaths was
the existence Of the humps and msasles
among the soldiers from the time they
reached Mobile (ahout lst january UP 10
the capituIalion of Vora Cruz (about lsl
April, 1917, During this period these
diseases went through The whole regiment,
and the inclencncy of the weather, but
moro especially tho hardstips encountered
on the voyage across the Gulph, rendered
lhcm unusually severe. Who that was on
board the transport vessels in their pas
sage from Mobile TO the Isle Of Lobos and
Vera Cruz, can ever forget the scenes of
hardship and suffering he there Witnessed
They are beyond tl!e powers of description.
Thickly crowded between decks so as
scarcely to be able TO stir. in part of The
ship that had every aPpepdan Of loath
some dungeon. besIncarcd with filth, with
out light, without air, and with an a!mos.
phere rendered actually hot and sickening
from respiration, many poor fellows lay
with the mumpS,or measles, inlfallng in ul-
most wretchedness the foul and pcstien-
lial air. The cooking utensils aboard the
ships were, likewise, very indifferent, and
numbers suffered from want Of healthfal
diet. From these causes many recovered
from their sickness with constitutions se-
riously impaired, and in some cases, new
diseases were contracted, which had uft.
mately fatal termination. But leaving
tho ships the regiment was no, yet rid of
its mis!or,unes. The mnmps and measles
still ragged with fury after The landing Of
the troops was effected. While :he men
lay around the sand hills of Vera Cruz
during the siege Of the city, exposed 10 The
heavy night dews aud norlhcrs, these dis
eases made dreadful inroads upon their
manly frames. Some noble fellows were
laid in The sod. Scarcely recovered from
the ravages thus committed in its ranks,
the regiment was hurriedly pushed of on
an expedition TO Alvarado-a march as
severe in its hardships, as it was frui,less
in lis consequences. This expedition may
be regarded as another chief cause of the
great ortalily in the regiment. Though
tho flr agcii ,gcs not of long Duration, the
Who'll j3,,;:s.tas edwards and forwards
hayt u AG&a e.'iiyts.na IN six days, gel it
va Y::,i.i...z. ;au5iY s,hssstont-
esi ss. 9,.r ..,,,-. 'tIi f.T5I!7:el