The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-03-24
From the Marion American.
L lie P a m etto Re giment
BY ONE OF THE TWO HUNDRED.
y o. II.

o''g h'e oeSIhhlhT OF our great task. Ii
was important only as a base of orera.
tions. To lingcr there WAS to lose all the
fruits OF victory aud, still worse, it was
death to stay. Before the poison breath
OF mat atmosphere, pcsu!euce would have
Orooded like demon OF wrath, and the
city would have been Gre vast hospital
and grave Tnrd. Not Gay was % be
lost III removing the army to the table
lands where the winds blow oyer snow
capped moun'aus, and are as sweet and
Eed'thtuI rs the breath Of flowers. Bu,
the intervening space was rendered diff
cult OF passage 10y deep sands and NOUN
tam heights. In mules and draurht hor.
scs, and the other means Of transporta.
ton, the army WAS sadly deficient. The
abIhty and The resources o. great COM
mandcr are called forth not only on the
battle field; he has to supply and trans.
port his army, aud all the heavy happaoe
and munitions OF war. The success of n
campaign depends as much upon this as
upon courage and discipline.
Gen. Scott undertook the task with
lis characteristic energy. lie bouch,
all the mules and horses which could be
bought and at once began the removal Of
the army to the table lands
Ihe Mexican muies were small and
"nUroken to harmcss; besides, they were
NcIons and dangerous. shall always
remember my attcmp, to break one of
them. 1t gave such exhibitions Of spirit,
'li#; ;.~l"%y would dare to mount it. |
never irmcd to back anything with hair
on Il. aud determined TO set an exam.
pc. Getting two mcn to hold it, and |
mounted, | got on, when the furious ami.
MAJ went pIunglng aud kicking, until il
threw me ten feet over its head into "A
pond OF water. These Wild mustang
m'"irS were IN great part our only dc
N"ndrnce Tor transportation They bak.
"i, h"trd. ran away. aud PLAYED the
very devil generally. Oae day, on hur
red march, lhey ran of with our hospital
WAGON aud tore II t" pieces, lost the med =.
lciues, and the whole wreck had to be left
for the Mcxicans.
About fifty miles to the south of Vera
Cruz lay considerable town, Alvarado,
naned after one OF the officers of Cor,ez
l. Is uIilc h"m the month Of Alvaradu
river, a very large stream for Mexico, and
. ua'lgah!c Tor many miles. il Is the com
mcrrlii town Of II rirh interior country,
and baS great commerce. Gen. Quit
md"N brigade, composed Of the. Alabama, :,
Georgia and Palmetto regiments, with
one tra'" e artillery and a few companies
oi draC""ns, were sent 10 capture Alvara
Il" aud lla"",nIpam, town up the river.
: HE only oil jet ct this expedition was to
:ct dr"uGht animals tor the use Of the ar
nv. lhe towns we're Of no importance,
not worth keeping after taking them
Lieut.. Hunter, OF the navy, was sent to
blockade the mouth Of tie river.
On The S0th day of March we started
upon this very unfortunate and disastrous
expedition, which ended in nothing use
lnI, (owlng to the bIundering OF Lieut..
linnter,) and which, besides cheating us
oi the honors we might have won at Cero
Gordo, killed in heat and fatigue more
than bundled Palmettoes. 1t was near.
iy sun down III the even no Of the 3Oth
day OF March when we left the beach, on
the AIvaraJo march. There was no road
and we marched along the beach, the
tide as II flowed in, WcIting our feet
This WIS the first march OF the PaImet-
toes. |; sent very hard with them We
marched from suudown ill midnight, a
distance Of l2 miles, with all our harness
on, weighing fifty pounds. | was very
weak and delicate. and almost sank un.
der the fatigue. The fresh, cool breeze of
:he guIi huoyed us up, and supported Us
under march which would have over.
come Us III the day ! quit ranks,
ana went along at pace 10 suit yseIt.
tel IN with the Alabama regiment, aud
walked many miles with them. Their
time "f service was almost cat, nnd they
were singing OF "home. sweet home."-
Happy fellows The Palmettoes were
booked "durIng the war with Mexico"
and 1ten years might find them still in
service. The Alabama regiment was
singing song, Of which The chorus was !:
"Roll on, roll on, sweet moments roll on,
And let the poor soldier go home, go home. I"
Far over the blue gulf, and over the plains
revcrbrated this sad but hope.insp piring
refrain. remember one tall, strapping
fellow, who sang louder than The rest
| only saw hun then by the FAINT light Of
the stars, but when saw Steve Nunne
lee, few weeks ago, | recognized my
man.
1t was near midnight when we reached
our designated camp, a little village on
the MedeiIin river. never was before,
or since SO fatigued, aud stiff and sore, as
on that night. II Was my night TO stand
guard and | would not have done it for a
thousand dollars. | entered the army
with The understanding that WAS TO be
free from the restraints II discipline, and
TO do as pleased generally. And did
do that thing all the way through. Only
Que attempted to break this rule, and lie
has had abundant reason to regret bis
FOLLY. | refused to 90 on guard that
night, aud TO avoid setting dangerous
example, left camp.
/ We camped in the village on the bauk
Z. OF the river. The water WAS bad, and
a