Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-11-14
The Palmettoes in Mexico.
BY oNB OF THE TWO HUNDRED.
SEw sERIns---No. ELEYEN.

On the morning OF the llth of March,
Just after sunrise, Patterson's division pro-
cecded forward, to extend the line ofinyest-
ment around Vera Cruz The first thing
to be accomplished was a complete invest
ment of the city, to cut off supplies and
reinforcements The advance was very
difficult on account of the deep sand and
the thick chapparral, Pioneers with pick
axes were sent forward to open a way for
us. ,Assoon as our position was discovered,
the batteries from the city and castle opened
heavy fire Of shot and shells on us. They
over shot Ills, and their missiles went crack
ing and kissing far beyond us. General
Morales, che Governor of the State, and
commandant of Vera Cruz, came out with
some cavalry and attacked MS on the sand
hills. He kept up a hot skirniisli for abont
an hour, chiefly with the Palmettoes The
distance between us and the Mcxicans was
generally about four hundred yards, though
sometimes they came nearer. Their es-
copetas shota very large ball, with great
force. They came whizzing aud singing
about our heads like & nest of hornets
rhey have a most melancholy, and diabol-
ical sound, as if they were preaching the
lhhOldI vi VHOll NJuI IOSllIOH W1S
a very trying one to the courage and dis
cipline of raw volunteersin their first fight,
Not only was the skirmish hot one, but
the guns of the city and castle were playing
fercely on our exposed ranks. Yet the
Palmettoes stood the fire as coolly as vet,
ertn soldiers. The Mexicans began to rd,
tire aud co companies of the Palmcttoes
pursued them Within less than a mile of
the city. The guns from the city threw
shot and shells atsus with terrible fury
Theyfcll all around us, and exploded above
IT'S. One enormous cannon ball struck
about three feet in front of the Abbeville
company, and covered it with cloud of
sand, Nothing saved us but the depth of
the sand in which the balls buried them
selves. We continued in pursuit of the
retreating Mexicans, but they kept beyond
range of our muskcts. G#
We took shelter behind some little sand
hills. Col. Dickinson waswith us, severe
ly wounded The batteries from the city
made the most untiring efforts to drive us
fresn our position. They seemed deter
mined to batter down the sand hills that
sheltered us. Their balls Sometimes struck
tho tops of the hills and rolled over among
us. Next they tried bombs, and they
burstcd them all over us and around. us. i
saw bombshell burst over our heads, and
an iron arrow three feet long fell from it,
and stuck in the ground Captain Sccrest
was wounded by fragment of an exploded
shell. We were soon recalled, and we re-
tired under another shower of shells from
the city. et s +.
Eight or ten Palmettoes were wounded,
among whom were Col. Dickinson and
Capt Secrest, 1t is really surprising that
so little loss was ST "Hred, for the air hurled
with deadly missiles.
Some companies of the Palmettoes pre-
sented in their costume iodicrous, and
some a feFecious aspect. At Lobos all of
them had boughS from the sutler, coarse
heavy shirts. Some were blue striped cot
ton, and some flannel of bloody red color.
These shirts reached nearly to the knees,
and worn over the pants, made a very skowy
frock coat They looked SO handsomely
that they were adopted as a uniform, worn
over tbepants and fastened at the waist by
a girdle and buckle. This fantastic cos.
tune highly amused the Mexicans.
TWAS now about MONDAY the sun was
intolorably hot, the lazy Mexicans had gone
back to the city, and we, heated and IA.
tigued, retired to the woods to fpd cool
shade. The heat was intolerableand most
of us were out of water One man tainted
undnr the effects of the heat and fatigue.
We seattered in every direction hunting for
water, but none was found. / had very
imprudently given away about half my
canteen of water as / went into the f9ht
"a Pennsylvania begged me for some wa
ter and gave him my canteen. ,He drank
iit like famished wolf, until an old soldier
standing by, reproyed him for taking the
watek fr0ha boy who was going into battle
aud would need ii The old soldier was
right 4 was green and generous, aud fool
ishly gave away my water TO a lazy fellow
who. WAS notlin tue fight, and might have
gone for it, i did need. that wster badly
before 4 got any more. After d seareh of
some hours i discovered a little pool of
water full of wiggletails, but il was no time
to be squeapnisif audi drank Is copiously
Late in Che evening a Mexican rancho
was found about a mile aud half distant,
where there wasa wellof water FIop,
8this We were amply supplied, The iguo-
rant Dlexicans had heard us described as
bafbafians, who eonld deyossr them and
their properly, and they had fcds siis terror
to the RosSlss carrying with them their inost
valuable property On Che next day hove
eyer, the owuers Of this sha,ty were IN.
duced ID return We promised thcns pros
lection and icft n guard at, the shsnfy 20
protect them and the we'll These yseTn
tho first NfeSic8ns We had seen, They