The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-08-02

| he next day, however, matters looked
more serious. A company of Mexican
soldados, headed by fierce mustachioed
Don Whiskerando, ON mustang, entered
the town, and after brief conference of
the officers with the authorities, marched
to attack the stronghold of the sergeant.
The latter was up and dressed, and the
doors and windows of his house were
wide open. AS the hostile force approach
ed, he was seen sitting on the edge of a
barrel with the head out, smoking his in
variable cigar.
Dog of a Yankee shouted the Mexi-
can captain, after bringing his men into
line, instantly surrender at discretion, or
be cut in pieces
Not as you knows on answered Seth
stoutly. Il guess | wasn't born in the
woods to be skeert at an owl. Just look
a here-here's twenty barrels of powder
Illustrate article It's too, cost Uncle Sam
a heap of money. Now, if you dares so
much as wink at me, and point one of
your shootin' irons at this individual, I'll
drop my cigar right into this barrel, and
blow you all to kingdom come in halfa
second
The Mexican officer, turned as pale as
his chocolate complexion would permit,
struck his spurs into his mustang, and
rode off at full speed, followed by his val
lant soldlery, all running for their lives.
Seth Strong gave three cheers for he
Flag of our Union,' and remained master
of the field. The troops having marched
off to join the Mexican army, he had the
audacity to make requisition on the al
calde for provisions, as he was entirely
out, threatening, in case of his refusal, to
blow up the town. The provisions were
duly forthcoming, but the sergeant wouldn't
taste a morsel until the alcalde had set the
example, as he was little afraid of being
poisoned.
In this way, he held out for week or
two, when, learning that a strong corps of
the enemy were approaching, he evacuated
his post early one fine morning. But, ac-
cordlng to his own account, he .gin 'em
somethin' to remember him by;' for he
laid a train of powder as he went along,
for upwards of two miles; .and.' said he,
when got ~on the top of little hill,
where l could have good lookout, Jest
teched her off with laco-foco-and, o!
scissors and Jerusalem, there was little of
the tallest kind of an earthquake that ever
was manufactured. The steeple of that
ere cathedral shook like it had tech of
ager, and the little house where I'd been
livin' for fortnight sailed right up like a
rocket. | reckon there was nigh onto
cord of human bein's ascendin' and de-
scendin' in that atmosphere-and thought
| see the old alcalde ahead of all the 9th
ers, maxim a bee line for the sun and
moon with horizontal shirt-tail.'
The Sergeant's report to Gen. Taylor
ran as follows:
.Dere GinraL:-I have the honor to re-
port that held on to that ere powder
magazine down to Dolores, till | couldn't
hold on to it no longer. | successfully
resisted the alcalde and inhabitants, and
company of miserable soiers that they
fetched agin me. But findin the enemy
was concentratin' his entire force, and my
strength bein' small, deemed it prudent
to retire, which did in good order, not
bein' encumbered with baggage. | des-
troyed the stores | left behind, and with
'em, as | believe, large number of the
enemy. as | Judge from SEEM of 'em in
the air at an elevation of about 80 feet, as
nigh as | could judge. Ginral. | aint
much of a schollard-and this ere report.
amt. very tall one-but the report
made down to Dolores was snorter, now
tell you. wish you could heard it.
"SETH STRONG,
Sargt, Co. = Reg't. U. S. A.
We have not seen Sergeant Srong's
name in any history of the war, but if his
story be true, he certainly made more noise
than any man in Mexico.