The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-08-21


'Rather.''
al wish the members of Congress were here
for about ten minutes, to deliberate on army
pay-they'd give us fifteen dollars day and
found, don't you think So ?''
''Any price to run for it, said l, s.Fll be
bound
Poor little fellow! with the humorous smile
upon his face, and the words scarcely through
his parted lips, his throat and collar-bone were
! torn out by a acannon-ball, which came through
the adobe, and like lightning he went to the
earth. l looked at the scathed and ruined
frame; l turned him over and over and see
| ing that life extinct, l said to my only
remaining man
perkins, you see that stone house?'
eyes, sir
And away We went, a little to the left and
rear, detceea the balls, as the old woman escaped
the rain. 1t was maryellously like retreat
There, to my great joy, found large por-
ton of my regiment-and old Strange, my SER
want, yelled out, with his hands clasped very
theatrically-
Thank God! there's my officer. Oh!
thought you was kilt.''
Wax melts no more easily in the fire, than
did men at Churubusco,
At length an entrance to the work, where
the fire was Stacker, was found and for ced by
the third infantry and first artillery, and the
''Conyent of Churubusco'' had fallen: it be-
longed that day to the church militant but not
triumphant. Meanwhile, as all the world
knows, Worth had carried the bridge-head,
and the causeway to Mexico was swarming
with the panic-stricken fugitives.
The yard of the convent when we had time
to contemplate it, presented one of those battle
scenes to which description is entirely mad
equate In of the bastions an ammunition
box had blown up, and scattered the human
frame anatomically around; mules were lying
with their entraIs streaming out of large shot
holes; artillery horses, dressed with scarlet
trimmings, were flying loose hither and thither
with streaming names and distended nostrils,
snorting at the smoke and the noise; and the
dead and dying were in every possible posture
of agony. l gazed for few moments. and nv
heart sank as L thought upon the misery caused
by that battle through the electric chain of
ten thousand relationships, far and near, native
and foreign, shock of grief was passing-its
effects no human heart can conceive.
Not long after | entered the yard, scene
occurred of singular interest.
is that you, Tom?'' cried one of our men to
Mexican, with leer like that of the Artful
Dodgr when they caught Oliver. ''Is that
you, ye -?'
"What in the world is he talking English to
q Greaser for?" thought T.
What was my astonishment, when the per-
| son thus interrogated, hanging down his head,
said in low tone sEYes''-and then barinG
He was deserter from our regiment and one
of the celebrated San Patricios, who had done
us more damage than all the rest of the Mex
leans put together.
''NO" shouted officer, in q voice of
thunder; ''don't you touch him: let him alone
we'll save him for something bet<er.''
'Wel hang you, you Internal dog,'' chimed
in another "Tie him up to that tree''-and
in few moments, Tom was bound fast with
his back to the tree, saved from the death of
battle for darker fate. Ten days after, the
army had the satisfaction of seeing him. among
others whItp-cannp1 nd do, c.,
eXpiating an inexpiable crime. Life is no re-
compense for the mortal sin of desertion;
foul and pestilent memory, even, cannot clear
the score.
Once moro the field was STILL The echoes,
! tired of doing ''double duty that day, had
gone to sleep-perhaps TO have nightmare
and we were aweary and sad.
The pasta soldiers past,-to what shall
hken it? To some vast and dimly-it cathe-
dral of the olden time, echoing through nave
and transept and from floor to groin, strange,
scarce-remembered melodies, or now, discord-
ant notes. Through the tall Gothic windows
| of rlchl ly-colOured glass, comes streaming in,
| modulated, checkered light: the pleasant gel
| toac and orange of early joy-of her L looked
| upon IN chlldhood's love, and thought the earth
was brighter for her presence and hallowcd by
her step-of him, the playmate brother and
| the Handicapped friend; then, mingling in
! splendour, come the blue and purple of grander
"reminiscences, telling of awe and majesty-the
| priest in holy church-the judge-the soldier in
| his gala dress and nodding plumes-earth's 8
ermne and lawn and blue; the streaming green
of early hope, ambition, honour, love-all but
content. But stay! upon the chancel, flooding
| altar and cross, in ruddy reflection from column
and cornicc, pours in deep-red ray-crimson,
bloOd-coIouT: alas. 10 has its memories too
| vivid and clear, and grievous to be borne; and
as l gaze upon its changing touches, the plain
| tive, searching tones of the ssKqrie EIcisoa,
| Christie SoR!'-Oh LORD, Oh Christ hare
| n1ercy!-come pealing in from the phantom
gallery of that old cathedral of the heart In
! that ray, upon that air, / seem to see and hear
| ye once again-ye who bore your soldiers
| hearts so nobly forward upon the maddest
wave of battle, and laid them down, in wreck
and night, for your country's honour!
Ay dc ma! lying upon unplaned boards, stark
and grim, that weary night, were Burke. and
! Capron, and Hoffman; not far off was the body
of Johnstone, and the handsome and gallant
Irons was graphing with mortal wound: FIVE
! IN twenty four hours, from our little regmental
| circle They were gone.-young and lusty
proud and hoping, clever and boon-they were
gonel What was the field-what its glory and
| its laurels-what was Mexico, the CITY, the
| territory, the whole peninsula-what were
| they all worth, when weighed against those
J gallant hearts?
mate, and shed bitter, because unavaiing tears.
But the fountain was soon dried; pride and
| naGurdiSe honte came to my relief, and / sat
| mocdily gazing upon our dead and "bitterly