Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-18
A Lively Town to Live In.

An American sojourning at Mazatlan,
Western Mexico, gives the following graphic
account of the gentle manners of the people
indigenous to that earthquaky locality:
'.In nv last letter to YOU stated that our
city was declared in state of siege, though
the enemy or opposition party was long
way of. Things remained in that condition
until about eight days ago Goth ult.,) when
| WAS informed privately, at about o'clock
in the evening, that the enemy, or Liberal
party, had arrived within about two leagues
of the town. and intended to attack the bar
racks and the quarters of the Governor that
night. And az there would probably be Il
sack or wholesale robbery ut the time. gave
nv friend all my most valuable watches and
| iewelrv to take care of, his home not being
so liable to attack as my own. | fastened
nv doors and went to bed us usual, hoping
it might he Il false report. But | awoke
about II o'clock, and in Il few minutes after.
Il booming of cannon and rafting of small
arms commenced. was not long in bed,
You may he sure.
Nv arms, which are always in readiness,
were placed SO that could fire through the
door, if the enemy attempted to break III; and
placing all the best customer watches and
$50 in silver money in my carpet bag, and
eighteen gold doubloons in my pocket, pre-
pared for Il run out ofmy back door and over
the top of my neighbours kitchen. Thus ready
for fighting and running, | remained for
more than two hours listening to the terrific
roar and rattle of these midnight guns
During the night some Of the robbers went
by Yelling like devils, and | heard others
breaking in the doors of stores i'll Main street.
but knew nothing certain until morning,
when Il countryman told me that rs soon rs
the attack was made by the Liberals on the
barracks, the criminals, seventy in number,
in the caaboosc, were released by party
outside; and being joined by other villains
from our population, commenced breaking
open and robbing the stores on Main street.
One store was Quilted, the loss being 3d.
900: other stores were robbed to the amount
of 50, 900 or $1,000 each. Arms and ammu-
milton were first seized, and then other goods,
and even women and children were seen car
rying off bundles of goods. Only one man
and one woman among the robbers were
killed, and some dozen or more wounded
OF the storckeepers, who were unprepared for
the sudden attack, some were killed. Among
the other criminals who escaped was the ras-
cal who tried to murder me about year ago;
he had been sentenced to ten years at hard
labor. The Liberals failed to take the bar
racks. and retreated to their camp before
daybrcak, without losing a man. In the
barracks one was killed and four wounded.
There was enough firing OF cannon and mus
kerry to have produced ut least one hundred
tillal and five hundred wounded
The stores that were robbed all belonged
to foreigners-Frcnch, Spaniards, Germans
and Italians. There are no American stores
here except the drug store, at which the rob
bers gave a few blows, but soon left for more
attractive plumber. As the Liberals are only
waiting for d reinforcement from Sonora to
make an attack on larger scale, the foreign
merchants and stOrekeepers have closed their
places and have been removing their goods
to their respective consulatcs for protection.
Every night they mount guard over their
goods, armed to the teeth. The French are
the most numerous, and have mounted two
or three small cannon on the parapet of their
Consul's house. The English Consul sent
word to me, the day after the fight. that |
could send my things to his house if | wish
ed. My carpet bag, with customer watches
and silver money, | deposited in his safe,
and sent my tools, materials, &c. to Beaven's
drug store, over which IA few Americans
have hoistcd the American flag. The valua-
bles gave my friend before the fight are now
with him safely aboard 4 German vessel, an
chored two miles from the town.
My shop is of course closed, like all the
rest, and our town looks like city infected
with the plague. For eight days these things
have been this way, and i'll the meantime,
all kinds of rumors are current. At the last
reliable accounts the enemy were sixty miles
from here, and are overwhelming in num-
bers, so that hope our stupid Governor will
surrender ut the first summons, and thus
avoid fight and its consequences; or that
the people and the garrison here will pro-
nounce i'll favor of Liberalism, and thus put
al end to the war in these parts. Three
iourths of the population, foreign, as well rs
native, are, and always have been. in favor
of the Liberals, and this party has been aug
mentcd by the tyranny of the Governor and
his friends in making forced loans from both
Mexicans and foreigners. He demands
certain amount of money of the persons
whom he thinks has it; and if they do hot
pay, they are taken to the barracks and con
fined in Il room, with nothing to eat until they
submit and fork over. One misery old wo-
man has been confined three days, though
her friends without contrive to supply her
with little bread. which keeps body and
soul together! The demand upon her is
10000; how it will end God only knows"
Adu1terotinn of Tiouore