Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-01
Masbinaton gtntinel,
The Murdered Captain.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE MEXICAN WAR.

After the battle of Cerro Gordo the army
was encamped near Jalapa, and as | was at
tached by the general government to the first
Pennsylvania volunteers, and had some ac-
quaintances among the officers of that regi
ment, l went into the town to hunt up suit
| able mess, as l found nearly all the officers had
comfortably quartered themselves in that de
| lightful place. After proceeding down very
hilly street, on turning by the cathedral, came
plump upon lieutenant of Philadelphia
| company, short, fat, good-natured fellow, full
of mirth, who, on finding out my object, insist
ed on introducing me to his mess, consisting of
only his own company officers, and then board
| ing with an ancient Mexican landlady, one
Dona Villaverde; and more comfortable quar-
| ters, am bound to say, soldier never found.
Every evening we had parties Of the senoritas,
visiting ostensibly the three fine daughters Of
our hostess, but really to enjoy little Irritation
| with the "Barbares del Norte,' or northern
barbarians, as the Mexican journals politely
termed us. ! enjoyed the character Of the cap,
| tain of the company very much, for he enter
| tanned the most exaggerated opinions of Mexi-
| can perfdy and cruelty, and was the only one
of the party who took no part in the amuse-
ments Of the evening, being in truth rather sick
and very peevish. He had read in some works
Of the horrors and atrocities Of the Spanish
guerillos in the Peninsula war, and, said he,
"we have already had samples of it here, by
the Mexican guerillos; our men atrociously
mutilated prisoners butchered in cold blood,
no usage of civilized warfare respected, but"
he added, "what could be expected from such
race? Spanish cruelty, joined to Indian craft
and cowardice; and then to see you, poor
moths, futtering around the blaze that will at
last consume you. For my part should as
soon think of enjoying myself on my death
bed; and never retire to my couch without
feeling shuddering sensation, for the assas-
sins dagger may be my doom before morning"
Thus fearfully eloquent did he become on
the horrors to be endured, and though brave as
a Roman in battle, he became completely ter
rifed at the thought of midnight assassins.
One night one of our mess was taken with q
violent collie, and the surgeon prescribed mus
| tard plaster, which our hostess applied to the
sick mans stomach with her own hands; for
the good old woman, am pursuaded, enter
tanned sincere friendship for the whole party.
| The mustard plaster worked wonders the sick
man recovered, and the old Dona became a
proselyte to the mustard cure, and believed in
| mustard as she did in her patron saint, with the
most undoubting faith as her daughters and
female servants had ample proofs Of, for in
every complaint, On went the mustard plaster,
plain Of any sickness-for no matter where the
pain was in the head, tooth, ear or foot, plas
ter on the abdomen was the universal remedy.
met our chamber-maid one morning nearly
doubled up, waddling slowly along, "Why,
| Inez," says I, "what is the matter?" She ap-
piled her hand to the part affected made lu-
dicrous grimace, and sighed outmustaza Short
| ly after this, as / was taking my siesta in our
i chamber, for we had but one for the whole par
| ty, heard my fat friend conversing with our
/ hostess in particularly execrable Spanish, in
the next apartment, and from the frequency Of
the word mustaza, was induced to listen to the
conversation.
| found it to be a regular plot, of which the
| captain was to be the victim; for our waggish
friend was strongly working on our hostess's
mustard propensities; for said he, "see here,
Dona, the captain is sick, very sick, and, poor
fellow! unless something is done for him he
| will never recover. He will not take medicine
an we can't pretend to force him to take it,
Alasl his life is vanishing like dream. Now,
my dear Dona, a mustard plaster Of large di
mensions, placed on his stomach, would be
sure to cure him. But he cannot be persuaded
to have the remedy applied. But if you would
prepare the plaster and put it on while he was
asleep, he would not know it until the next
morning, for he sleeps very soundly-his life
| would be saved, and you would be entitled to
| his eternal gratitude" After considerable per-
suasion she was induced to promise, and re-
tired to my bed that night anticipating conside-
rable fun in the morning, when the captain
would find a blister, where in the evening,
| there was none.
At the witching hour of night our hostess en-
tered accompanied by servant, who bore a
candle. The Dona herself had mustard
plaster Of such formidable dimensions that it
| would have covered the stomach of giant.
She found her victim lying on his back soundly
sleeping and snoring most melodiously. But a
| short time sufficed to prepare the part to re-
ceive the application, and in trice the cap
| tain's stomach was enveloped in the health
giving plaster. Scarcely had the sensitive part
| received the plaster, when, with stunning
roar, the captain sat upright in the bed, and
had lust time to see his face convulsed and his
eyes glaring with horror, when the old lady and
| her servant, scared nearly out of their wits,
rushed from the room, dropping the candle in
their exit, and leaving us in total darkness, but
not by any means in total silence.
The captain at the full pitch of his powerful
lungs, vociferated, murder! helpW
| "What is the matter" said our fat friend, in
| a voice so singularly altered, that knew he
was nearly choked with suppressed laughter.
Il
"Matter," exclaimed the captain, "matter
enough by Cd here I'm sitting murdered
hole through me big enough to drive an am.
buance in. Matter, my Cd For heavens
sake helpl I'm bleeding to DEATH
"Do you feel any pain, captain?" shouted
one.
1Why not much, but my stomachis covered
with blood. | have my hands full of it, l
knew it. felt it. was sure should be as
sassnated in this accursed place! For Gods
sake get light, bring needles, bandages, run
for surgeon. Will nobody bring hght--my
stomach seems as if on fire.
BY this time, amid confusion worse con-
founded, a light was obtained and showed the
captain sitting on his cot, his arms extended
and his hands covered with mustard, making
the most ridiculous figure imaginable. /,
"Why, good heavens! captain said one Of
the spectators, looking at his hands, that is
not the color of blood"
1Why, nor said the captain, gazing on them
1 t..t doao ,ot loot lt-n hlool