Washington telegraph., 1848-03-01
Mr.. TESTERS PETITION.


MR. TESTERS PETITION.
form HoN.W. l.. Nancy, See'gof Var.
The Undersigned, late a private in Capt.
lngIish' company { y OF the Arkansas Reg.
impnl ol Volunteer Mounted Gunmen, aud
suhsequenlya prisoner oi war in Mexico,
respectfully represents: That in tue latter
paH Of dune, lsld. he was mustered into
the military service oi tue United slales,
laf the term ai IL months. as private
aIaresaidi lhal he served in bis Compa.
ny and heg,mpu until the 23i day ai jan.
uafY ISL, when. with others oil his regi.
menl uudar falor Burland, and together
with parry al Kentucky Volunteers un.
der Malaf Gaines, he vas taken prisoner
by lafse lofeg OF Mexican troops. under
ten. Hinon. n the Hacienda ol Eneama.
cion, IN MeSieo lhal lram Enrarnacion.
he was marched, on Ianl. tai the ely ol Mex.
ieo, where he arrived in tho might al the
ii OF aiareh-was closely confined in
prison, until tho 9TH DAY Of Iune-lbcn,
with bis leiloW.Pr.saners, again put upon
the road. and marched, On loot, 10 The vii.
Iage vt LgemIapau. some 80 leagues from
Mexico, iu the direction nj iampiro, where
he, aud His comrades. Wefa detained a long
whI.r, aal nna. y ,eas 10 Iamaifl aud lib
emIel; ihal he Ras then by TIE military
auau.fiafo OF the United States al Tam.
pIsa. 1HI#fadla Nse Orleans. where. ON
'aa 3oaaI september he rcesIfci sum
If mglaf .una faFmasHar of The United
''#ias 4Tmy-as-u#el hF iaa paYmasef
% Hr lbs iu.l amount d4e t.m. and was
ta#a lua. IhaI be aas m leagsr IN The
sHfF'ce ui faa rlIHi SIas. The p,.i.
uz# afHa wa|Hh hss4s #a.i, wBs sal a
mHBh. from ihs lime BE- uas mustered ia#
iafaa -sHee. IN nIhs 23I aly af January.
waaH be Ras lakru .oHaf--aaaIly mp h
NhIzl Iag. I'D 80, hzng a4.b h.z reg
Imsr, fssr.yHd his regular dzily aIions
hal a1F - a mHnih from The commence.
mHai of as Imprisonment 10 The Bon dag
d saWsnbrE period aI months. with.
uul Iaa aIaNaHee u ~ sen's daY-the
cash .1unlaIIuu iaf subsistence: lde pay.
muster alleging tha', as The prisoners had
been s4H-sel by Tie enemy. they had no
just cIaim lor The commuiaiion upon the
United States.
Tie uuisns gnel utherrespcct.nilyrep
resenis: That during Ihe whole period of
bis Imprisonment he. aud his itloW.prIson.
eH, severely suffered almost every species
oI puw,.aa ahi hardship; aud that while
d wou.d be as difficult. as It might be- deem.
I'd ou of p.ass here, 10 delinente these in
u'i their haed rg0r sense Of duty impsls
himio mention irw particulars: Although
Dc wssf 20 cl.ii, asserted by the paymaslrr.
that wc were sBbsised 6y the tneay. il is
certainly true, that throughout our impris.
onmcnl, we severely suffered both hunger
and thirst. Rarely, indeed. did we receive
a iull meal--morc raiely sill. one Of pala.
table or wholesome iooi--never either one
NC lhc Other fom The Mexican authorities.
such were olr priyati1us. in these resprri.
iaH iAc health ot us az suffered, aud %
iArm musl be- attributed the death Of ssv.
ralUi. our number The march from Tn.
camacion 10 Mexico, and subsequently Ia
Tsnli,o, was terrible IN is seyoriIies.--
Accustomed. as we bad been. for the siI
months Immediately preceding our capture,
10 exercise almost exclusively On horseback,
by which our lcct hid become tender, and
the muscles Of our lower limbs untitled lor
violent or prolraclcd eXeuion-and subse,
quenlly our close confinement in prison
tending 10 lhc same res1ll--by the sudden
slhsciion to march ON foot, from 30 to 81
miles a day over road which. In grra
part was covered with rocks and gravel
our 'rai were horribly bruised aud Iacrmt
cd aud onr muscles and joints so strained
as nul only 10 give us great pain, az lhr
iim', but seriously 10 impair orr activity
anl strength ani comfort for long time
aud probably through iir During lhl,
rapid and painful mlrrh we suffered from
doe schofch.ng heat NJ Tropical sun b,
DAY, nod ai night from excessive cold
sometimes lorri l1 lol1r in the pens o
sheppard coussad generally in quarters %,
less dtby aud uncomfortable, with single
bankc, TO serve ihc double purpose of bed
and covering, While iu The prison, during
thr months OF March, April and May. we
wcre confined in close association with
some 300 convicted Mexican leIlons OF lha
lowest clNr, and most disgusting habits.
DIR food nod waller were f.thy. unnnlalablc
and un NboIps1mr--ibc former TO such d
drgronlbai though gafy seanliIy supplied.
and 'huugl ue WHn mycn0us.y hungry.
DAYS together wefo often passed without
asung %; and uur places for sleep wcro
r.u.r. crowded. and nnIsome cells. lhc brick
'Ilofs ol which, our only couch. resting on
m8rhf splI, were almost saturated with
ulirr Thus situated aud treated. % D..
no surprising That uli ol us wore sics--
several died. and mhny contracted di.ensrs
from lhc effects OF which ihcy age Vel sui.
nrul, und w,iI, in al likelihood, never re-.
rJgrr
After wc Iei the city Of Mexico, and