Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-09-20

The battle had ended little after two
o'clock on the 10Th, and as late as one
O'Clock OH the Goth, a man whose leg had
been torn off at the knee by a round shot,
was brought in. He had fallen among the
thick corn, and was not before discovered !;
and it is probable that the nineteen "miss-
ing" reported by our General, lay in those
fields, suffered and died without help, even
within hearing fther comrades. The man
referred to, strange to say, was better than
many who had been Immediately cared for.
The heavy rain that fell the previous night
had completely saturated his clothing and
prevented inflammation in his wound. His
stump was taken off, and saw him in a
day or two after getting along WE'LL
AT the Church of Cherubusco the sight
was one to affect the stoutest nerves. Here
most of the wounded were Mexicans. many
of them having been terribly mutilated by
the explosion Of an ammunition magazine.
The gallant Anderson here breathed his
last, falling in the very zenith of bright
and glorious career, in the hour of victory.
with Burke, Capron, Irons, Easley, and the
other noble spirits who on that field met
death In the service of their country 1t
was IN the Monastery attached to this church
that the prisoners were confined Temperate
ly, and L took stroll through it to look for
lions-and not in vain. Among the first |
met were number of descrters from the
American army, including the notorious
Riley. Though dressed in the Mexican
uniform, they we're easily recognized; and
you may depend upon it, their situation was
decidedly unpleasant. By their wel-direc-
ted fire, many of their old associates in
arms, the flower of the first division, had
fallen; and the feeling which the survivors
held toward them was with difficulty pre-
vented from showing itself in different
form than words, even after they had sur
rendered. Some of them affected TO take
their bad fortune very easily, returning tests
Tor the curses bestowed upon them by their
eXasperated victors; but large majority
wore their "smile on the other cheek" for
the gallows was their only escape from cap
tlvity, and they knew it. Miserable for
sworn creatures | have never seen more
ugly lot of humanity anywhere No one
sympathzed with, nobody pitied them
Even the Mexican soldiers, who had ever
looked upon them with distrust, seemed in
different to their fate, while many of them
did not hesitate to express their ioy that the
favored battalion of st. Patrick was out of
their way. Riley knew this as well as any,
body, and it must have goaded him to the
quick; but he kept bold front, and ioked
with his capturers with astonishing eifront-
cry, demanding to be released upon parole,
rldlculng the guards placed over him, &c
About noon the prisoners were marched
out of the church. aud proceeded under a
strong guard to public building in the vii
lage of Cuoyoacan. We then had good
opportunity to see them all. Several we're
officers. of high rank, and one old fat fellow,
OF very extensive grit, was carried by four
OF his men upon sort of hand-barrow that
resembed the old fashioned machine used
for conveying collins to the grave, as much
as any thing else. He was smoking a Gig
AFRO very composedly, and paid no attention
to the remarks of the others around him.
But as general thing they looked logged
and disappointed, which was natural enough
under the circumstances.
There were a large number of families
following the prisoners, some evincing the
greatest distress. All the morning they had
been arriving from the city to search for
their relatives and nurse those who were
wounded. One fine looking girl of the
lower order followed the line till it arrived
at its destination, showering anathemas up
on our troops, calling them malditoS Ameri-
eanos, and saying that they had murdered
her brothers. Others watched the line as
it passed, and failing to meet the looked for
faces, sat down by the roadside and wept
bitterly. saw one stop and tear off part
OF her scanty skirt, tic up sabre Cot in a
wounded mans head, and then run ON again
after the prisoners. She was camp-wo-
man, and wore a broad-brimmed hat and
soldler,lacket, and carried canteen and
haversack. AT the little bridge of Padierno
(Contreras) on the day before, two of these
girls were killed by random shots from our
lines.
But the saddest sight of all was that of a
young and beautiful female, who had been
driven mad by the events of the Goth. In
stature she was taller than the generality of
her countrywomen, and she had very fair
complexion. She was dressed in halfmourn-
ing, and her apparel, though all disordered,
was such as to denote that she was not OF
common origin or rank. A silk shawl pin
ned to her dress dragged upon the ground ;
she had no bonnet, and but one shoe; and
a costly breach still chung to black and
gold velvet ribbon, around neck as beau.
tiful as Diana's To add to the general
beautiful neglige, her hair, which was quite
light, almost auburn, was loose and disor-
dered, and fell in tangled proiusion upon
her neck and shoulders, partially hiding the
lovely bosom that her disordered dress be-
trayed. l have never seen so beautiful nor
so sad picture
When the prisoners marched out of the
convent, this girl stationed herself by the
side of the road, and looked anxiously into
every face as they slowly passed her. Some
times she would dart ahead, and catching
hold of some officer or soldier, look in his
face intenty for several seconds, and then,
with a gesture of disappointment, resume
her watch. When the rear of the line had
passed, she would hurry to the front aud 60
through the same patient task. Yet she
spoke not word, nor did her features
change from first to last.
Being called to the front, lost sight of
the girl until after the prisoners were march
ed into their new quarters. At the gate
she took her station as before, and scrutiniz-