The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-08-29
The C1mp and the Field.

i. " WI has ,Hor occurred that - callct
r. out The latent rcsourc,> .rd Developed 'h'
national characteristics Of the p,lis. as tn,
= Mexican war. I; was a con,cs. hciwccn tive
1 distinct races On the one hand was sinai
il force mostly made up Of un'li>cp!incl volun
) tccrs of the unyiclding Anglo-Sayon race
and on the othcr,a host of thorously disciplined
t and war-brcd soldicrv eatcd with former sue
i cess. and confident in their Overwhelming
j: numbcrS-bcing more than ten to one against
the undauntcd volunteers. The Mexican ar-
my. made up of the race of Spanish and In
$ dian blood. fought upon their own soil. in the
defence of their own country and homes; and
. were prompted by every principle of patriot
;, ism to exert every nerve to cxtcrm!natc the
t foreign invaders" the barbarians Of the
north from their land Bat. with all the
disadvantages against them. our little heroic
, army demonstrated to the world the superb
. ority of the stock whence they sprung.
The first volunteer forces. which. in obcii-
cncc to IL" acquisitions o the different states.
t hastcncd to the reinforcement of General
? Taylor, were made up Of altogether different
materials from thos" troops who were sent to
the country towards the close Of the war.
The first were impelled by generous and
not mcrccnary motives. They were the Gull
cd men ofthc country: ard were mostly Young
mcn-the majority of thcm from the best
ranks Of socictv-mcn Of education and re-
tiEcmcnt. Gentlemen were as often found in
the ranks. with mr>kct or rife on shoulder
as among the officers: and not unfrrquentlv
was it the case. that the private on duty as
| >entincl.>alutcd his com!nanding-o of;iccr,whom
he would scarcc i:ave recognized at lone.
-, They were brave. proud-~pi-itcd fellows. with
just vanity enough to fee! that all the ewes
: and hopes Of the country were fixed upon
them. And each individual had duc sense
of his responsibility to his country and count
ell himself. and Justly 50. host in himself
Such were the wife regiments Of Texas and
, Mississippi. the infantry ard Heterogeneous
, of Louisiana from the South. and the forces
raised in the states Of Kentucky. Tennessee.
Illinois. Indiana and Ohio from the North
II is also true that many other voluntccr-rcr-
+ imcN:S. which arrived in the country soon af
ter the taking of Monterey. were made up Of
good materials: and. iii the majority. were
well otiiccred
OF al the southern Volunteers of General
Taylors division. the Mis>i~>ppianS and Tex
a> Rangers most distinguished Themselves
They were in I'll the battles OF that Enr after
those Of Palo Alto and RcSaca de Ia Palma
Al Monterey and Eu"na VISTA these gallant
troGrS were cruelty cut up. Hardly one
| tenth of the members Of those regiments re-
turned to their homcs.-and those with shat
|, tered constitutions. The first Rangers from
! Texas We're thc genuine. brave. and hardy p-
oncrrs Of tha, Young and rising State. They
) were the men Of Goiad and san Jaginto-mcn
whose greatest sport was an open prairie
!, fight with the untamahlc Camanchcs They
, had measured arms with the Mcxicans.and had
just appreciation of them. They knew their
weakness. and how to take advantage of it.
Nowhere. perhaps. could one find such AZ!
aSScmblaSc Of extraordinary and eccentric
characters. as were to be net with in a Texas
Ranger Company. Here. men from all ranks
and conditions Of society were brought into
contact.
Here was the old. SCARED hero of many a
e Sanguinarv Indian fight, whose head. for scv-
4 crat months at a time. had not The shelter of
) aroot. bat whose only covering had been the
+ "hlac vault. and whose only food. such as
g lis trl>ty rifle had furnished him.
n His hardy halt-brccd horse is to him not
only confidential friend and companion, bu,
. almost wife and children. also. All his atFcc-
i tlonS-thc rouSh-lookinS. hardy man has a
Il warm heart and kindlicst impulses-arc plac-
cd upon him: for his Intelligent little animal
80 has shared with him all his dangers, hardship.
$ and privations.
c The genuine Ranger may always be dis
II tinsnishcd from the quasi-Texan, by the ami
y, nal he rides lie is generally cross of thu
l. mustang of the Texas plains with the Ken
h tucky or Eirginian blood-horsc. He possess
Il IS all the fire and endurance of the one, com
bincd with the d"cility, intelligence. and spec,
h of the other; or. rather, all the best point
o and characteristics of the two races are NOR,
r: perfectly developed in the halfbreed horse o
= j.. the Texas Ranger.
h The true Texan. under all circumstance.
|. and at all times, whether on march or il
H. camp. is more rcgardful of the convenicnc,
and comfort of his stecd than of himself. II,
will go hungry, if need be, that his horse ma,
y be fed. lie will freely give him the content
;: of his water-sourd. and suffer from thirst him
&c self. rather than his equine friend and com
u J. radc should be permitted to feel it.
c In company of several hundred men, lik
r volunteer regiment, made up ofindividual
~ from every grade and class of society, from
O. the statesmen and the founder of the repuh
lc lie to the humble member of the "fincs: pis
ID antry:' where wealthy planters and profes
l. sional men, students, and clerks fresh from
~ the counting house, backwoodsmcn and In
% Gian-fiyhtcrs, adventures and men of" no Wis