The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-06-30
subterranean Passage of
q IA q pultepeo
EF1HAeT raoa Norrs os yur nArrlr,


lEETHAcT FRoH Norps os vnr BArrLr.l
Our division mingled with Clarko'a brig
adei pnd iba slorning pauy had, irw mo-
menis before, entered tho works pell-meil, o.
yer The western wall Of tho castle, when q
camp follower came running up,aHt ofbreaHi
from the direction oithe main huildnF,w which
had Insl been taken possession Of by our
troops. lie called Out before reaching The
Hp0l-whera % lho moment my attention
had hapu drawn TO H0nd wounded prisoners
--'1er Gods sake, Nc Officer, send ia tic
cave under The castle, Tor ! heard lhe MeNi-
cans 10y that " leads 90 a mine under the
maRhIIIif, aud writ Hit bF tiuWu MP TIE
recollection Of having heari during tho, ar
Uislice, from an old English resident, Mat
there was singular under ground passage
under Chnpullepcc nor dashed across MY
mind, with the strong probability Of ils be-
ing used 10 explode tie magazine Of tho ems
uc, 10 not arranged uu miuo itself ! Hihr-
Ted forward instantly, calling on a sergeant
of the 18th infantry 20 follow; md making
ny way Hs RAPIDLY 49, possible through the
mass ofOur soldiers, now filhug up the lower
ieTe ylsiH, descended the northern wHQpn ~
inclined beam which lny Aghiust i.nnd made
towards thni part OF lhG foot Of ths bill, Rt
which, had before heard, the entrance 10
lho cave was Ia tG found,
Iisfido Of the elevation was exceedingly
steep and broken up iuio masses Of loose
rock, Among which were slrowod mushots,
swords, cartridges, aud military accoutfe-
mcnl-, cast away by The pnuio stricken Mex.
leans, several hundreds Of whom had saved
themselves hy rushing down this PERCEPTIONS
descent on llo storullug of tho enlruncl-
meuH, stumbled over more than ono
wrlDhiug IN Tho agouios of death, shot down
hy our troops, u1w iu possession oftlu dee.
pcTtcly doicuded castle.
Nv few Urnrni- ioUHd H,p-alf karrly
hfulHrl aud htgfimurd will smoke Hnd dust,
NJ the entrance oi lhc very passage Was ~
FCHrrhot- being apparently uuc'uf the caves
th common in the porphyfiuc rocks of the
valley. aud nearly ou u level Willi Tie sur
roun i,ag plain, Al the moment Of my arri-
ynl o NlcN.cuu' soldier emerged rom u hold
ing iu his lgnd piece 81 c1ndle whose liglr
had Just boon DNjiUs uirhrd. On seeing me,
hc lgll on biz knees aud w he mort nhicrl
manner gpp'cItcd co. qu1r'rr, my uurnutli
appearance probably aiding 60 his alarm,
indeed lio had some cause ornuNicty; for
our indignation had been excited 10 tiic high
ct pUlut hy The cruel massacre orour woun-
ded comrades on the bloody field of Molina
del Roy; and lho glazing eyes aud compress
cd lips OF tho men told too plainly to be- mis-
understood what would likely hc tho fate of
those who should meet ihUm M the ircu' OF
hnGic.
Isupposcd this Mexican had probably Just
lighted tho match which might destroy n vi.
tnl portion of our army, md felt strongly IN.
clncd to make him keep company with those
he had thus doomed To drstfucuuu; Oh the
second thought, however, ordered. him Ia
guide mo ~ tic cave, 10 which lee most pitc,
81. a
svi2Dd tAe candle which, la had dranped. and
the sergeant coming up NJ the moment with
some matches, It VAS lighted when, prick.
ing my prisoner forward, to his extreme ter.
ror No entered The gloomy opening before
~. The cave snon contracted 60 n narrow
pnssir,, leading apparently IN nearly a hori-
Iontll direction, below HudZnNHrIs the rast
rud of,hc Qualifications. Thorg the Mexican
appeared to hr oyccome with fear, and sank
IN state ofhrlplcs.nc.s to the ground, where
leaving him with the sergeant l1guin sought
10 make NY way through clouds ul dust a.
yer the iDgncujs Of rock which nearly
Hockcd up the opening, aud were passed
wilh considerable difficulty The smoke Of
burning gun powder now became 80 thick,
thar tho light Of the ciudlc almost expired IN
The yitialcd atmosphere; md stumbling n,
oach step override loose stuurs,i- expected
send az all 10 "lhu, bourtn whence no trav-
clcr returns" NV anxiety now ovcrcamc
the excitement ofthc battle, md shulilcrrd
10 think of tho fate which, in IN instant,
might involve so lnrgc.n portion oithe Amer
Icnn army. increasing my efforts to get for
ward,lu u few moments heard the clnuking
Of sabre in front, md tho well known
challenge "quien vive,o uttered by -Haice
hTt II trs-r f',',as- IL adYnncc. Springing over
an Intervening obstacle, found myself fdtcU
20 face, IN n vnltcd chamber, with a grim
looking Mexican scrgcnnt,iu full uniiorm.He
Immediately gave himself! mp as n prisoner;
and, To my eager inquiries uhont existence
OF mine, replied IN some words did not
understand, and pointed significantly from
the. candle to the floor, which then saw
was thickly slrewcd with cartridges.
Tho noise and shouts ofihe troops above
could now Toe distinctly heard; and found
on scrutiny, sounding with the handle OF my
sword, iiat We We're at tho termination uEihe
pHssagc-in n chamhcr resembling dome,
through which verticlo opening. less than
three feet ~ diameter. extended above to the
surface OF tie ground. down which columns
Of smoke now mud then found their way. But
no attempt, evidently, hurt been mado to use
t,oilhcr ~ Il mino or ms n channel 20 fire the
main magazine, which, afterwards fund
was nearly over this chamber, aud tho verti-
Gle opening terminated just in front IT'S door,
on tho upper TARA p,ein The cartridges nc
counted Tor, Ivy surprising Tint on or moro
boxes OF them had fallen througa the open
ing during the melee.
ltappcars strange, Mt ,frstvicw,, that the
MeXicans had no, used ,ths chamber as
;alnei for 1t bore the appearance Of having
been eXcnyntcd for That purpose, and it's OK
plosion would not only have destroyed that
part oftho cas,le above it,hnt woujdnccessa-
rlY hnVe frnl the rrcnt MINIMIZING. Ihnn