New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-04

son is yet alive and In MEXICO He had shot himself
under the chin and almost Perpondcuary through tns
head tearing ffightfu hole and doubtless causing
the neigltorng ctizens none Of whom could tell any
thing abont him. As be had evidently been man OF
rank in the Rebel army 1t is very probable that he will
be identified He had not been dead over twelve
hours Thus do we often disappointed pride and
foed ambition assuming the guise Of broken heart.
Approaching Austin. the country becomes more
broken but more thcky settled The road which is In
ne rood order as could be expected, is continually
marked with thwarting streams tedious hills and
splashy mud holes. 1t is really gymnastic exercise to
ride into Austin upon this road You are one moment
braced back in your stirrups to keep from tumbing
over your horses head the next cnging to MS name
for fear of slipping off behind, and the next hin your
feet alternately in an Involuntary ana VAIN eort 70
assist your beast in extricating Ills own Ito" 'ne
sticky mud. -,
This region has, to all appearance never experienced
to any great extent the lnoonVeniehces anu nas osp
Of war. There has never been lack OF Piey u c,s5
thing absolutely necessary TO comfort aOuen prices
were very high and Injuries scarce. Inc iarms arc
well cultivated and toeraby well stocked, anu tne
proximity OF market for produce has deVeopee snv"
OF enterprise that is remarkable on account Vi ts
ton. The wealth and aristocracy of Middle Texas
have their nucleus in and about Austin.
When we had stopped to feed ourselves and water
horses about the lst and about five miles
from Austin. superannuated negro man. old enough TO
be NOISY. came down to the fence and after regarding
us over the top rail FOR inmate inquired if we would
buy some millions" (water melons). Several of US
in extent. Ills melons the largest had ever
seen but there was monster that doomed up above
its fellows like an elephant among oxen. Some one
asked him the price Of it. AN wants is de price OBJ
de chicken sab I" Seeing chickens about expla
nation was asked "Why. you see sab, early in do
Spring. before plantn time comes l takes young
chicken as soon his throat gets big enough. and
feeds dat chicken with seven dry water million seeds
lust seyen-and just soon as he got dem seven seed
down his throat kills him. and sab. plants dat dor
chicken In de middle of de patch" what" asked one
of the party "do you say that that is the way
Won raise melousp Dat is de way raised dat one,
sah," replied the old man, land Use done dat same
thing dis forty wear, and long aore was sold into
Texas" We satisfied ourselves with some 20 smaller
ones whose parent vine had originated IN less otec
tionabe place. / mention this incident in the belief
that am ing your readers something en-, Of oota Sgrl
culture and Ornhoogy that they did not Know before
We were in Austin. on the Colorado River tand ou'
VI again. before o'clock a part OF the IWeAeln
COrps there unGer mnrchlrg ORDERS ana haa eeen
there about week. The place 1as population OF US
own of about OO0 but what with soldiers ard white
and black refugees from the country. uSre are now
prob bis twice that number in the city, The streets
were crowded AS passed through with quite as ms
ceaneous q mixture OF diversified humanity as could
well be conceived. Black and white soldiers In Diue'
returned Rebels in ragged gray and butterDnt women
and children from the interior IN tatters, ana men OF a.
ages longing about, uuinOwing where to go or what
20 do crowded the sidewalks in ell directions. Inc
city is well laid u rolling plat Of ground, which
should have been graded before being ouit upon Ir
streets are wido straight and welshaded. The houses
mostly look new and some Of them would be an orna
nont to my city. regretted not beng able 10 ylsi
the capitol hch is the military headg larteTs The
suburbs billy, and are ornamented with really Deau
tiiul residences and Enclosures.
We were crowded upon a little boat not much larger
than upcounry cotton stealer and amid the crowd
ing iOstllng noigiing, stamping and haoong 81 men
aud horses landed the bank Of the Colorado.
could not bat notice. We were crossing over that
although the little city shows in itself taste. industry
and enterprise the wharf wos in very poor repair and
had evidently been extended 10 meet the neces
ties OF business. What there was Of 1t was in sad
keeping with the town-a fact which must not DC
altogether attributed to the war.
The nature Of the country well as the character ~
the Inhabitants, changes after getting west OF Austin
The country becomes at first less broken and better
fitted for AGRICULTURAL purposes The people who IN the
eastern part of the State begin 20 lose their freneh
char acteristCs and become more ana more IKE Anglo
Americans as we 20 west, show 10 considerable
and gradually Increasing extent the dark skin and
black hair OF the Mexican and Indian. Even loegf
names Indicate the change and the French of Eastern
Texas has now become so decidedly Spanish that one
imagine that lie had eros ed the Prenees instead
oil the Rio Colorado
we overlook The rear of the main body about ten
miles Of Antonio and arrived IN that place on
the forenoon Of the I'd. having Travelled nearly 800
miles in about six and a half days.
Why town ever bail. here Is more than your
correspondent Is able tell Judging from the surround.
lugs OF the place 1t is equally surprising that il
should have been made a military post and that Gov
eminent should have gone 20 no little expense 20 TT II
up such. presume that one was merely sequence
OF the other IL has the advantage Of being at the
ng OF two military roads, which we're constructed
years ago, and which lead through good bnt hinly
settled country Yet am told THAI IL not nfreqlently
happens during the dry season. that merchandise has
~ &c hauled 10 wagons 10 or ~ miles. More ofthe
rivers in this part the State deep. aud in the
summer they almost unavailable for purposes OF
navigation.
san Antonio is essentially q Mexican town. II has
its plaza its promenndss its low stone houses with
long balconies and fair portion OF awny inhabitants
II is rather compacty built az military towns usually
are bat what II is, may hereafter be, IS hard
for new conner TO say. | wonld fear 20 stake my
on n
yet it may have had more will look at 1t again.
On the morning of the 81 joined detachment that
was sent out presume 10 discover the condition Oi
things further west. There being opportunity %
forward my DISPATCHES to You from San Antonio, de-
teruned not 10 break the thread OF my communication
ye, but to first as near as possible TO tue ko
tfrande. Ten miles further west the country again be-
billy and rolls OF to the north in high ridges
that in the distance assume the dimensions OF small
mountains. The people are generally MeNeans. aud
Of that half nervous half listess disposition that takes
everything rs Il comes. This viii in soTe measure, &C
count tor our finding everything quiet as iaF aS We
went which was Is miles west OF this little place
Many things in this part of the State remain eyi
dences Of former Federal occupation. and. although
have been for weeks in country that knew nothing
OF BEFORE these signs often seem like old and iamhar
friends The Government works and buildings at San
Antonio are first noticeable in that light The military
road upon which have been for three days, Is
next But there are others that have not seen. Fort
Clark further west of US Fort FRO, sand work on the
river Of that name; Camp Verde up IN the mountains
aud dozen other localities whose history is associated
with our military operations Is or more years ago
understand flat We are TO immediately occupy IN
sufficient force all Of the counties In this part Of the
State and aid Gov. Hamilton in restoring order and
reestablshng the supremacy OF the law.
Cotton spectators several OF whom came through
with us from Shreveport are farms badly. and WIZ go
North AS they An indebted hrst 10 their
presence and next TO their disappointment for getting
This letter to YOU of them viii take II North WIN
him. There il not now much OF the staple anywhere
In the s.ate--at least not much as was expected
have lust learned that part OF our forces now al
81 IN.