, 1865-09-19
A RETURNED OFFICER on AFFAIRS
IN THE SOUTHWEST. :.


tIon-CorttuaA CoFncred-The Rebels
In mexfco-GiinpacA Of Mexican Lie.
CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 1865.
Editions Chicaco Tribune:
The writer set out not long ago to send you
q letter from Texas, but as it came to pass
that about the samc time lie sot out for bis
return home, he concluded TO bring his letter
and save postage. A few notes completed
here of the condition OF affairs on tho Rio
Grnude may interest your readers, and IL you
Will let nc deliver them In my own way I
doubt not that the readers and myself will get
On bravcly together. OF verify there Is
not much to communicate, aud It has only
the faintest possible. military favor The
war has played out. The situation is at d
low cbb, and the aspect Is one altogether OF
quiet
WITH GENERAL pEAn1so. ,
Let me state what consider very sigail-
cant inct and ono which In ny view includes
grent deal; Iharc obtained discharge and
hare beca mustered out. This could not have
been achieved unless could have been
spared, and but that native modesty,, forces
me to retain my fncognito your readers would
appreciate tho value OF the proof; am not
McAronc. Scriouzly, white officers Of tho
grade aboyc Lieutenant, In the full posses
sion of manly and military vigor are not 50
plenty on tho Rio Grande that they could be
sent home to civil Life on the easy asking,
wcro there anything to do.
TIE no GHASpE.
Left Brownsville, Texas, on the river Rio
Gzandc, opposite afatamoras, Mexico, a fort
night ago. -4ae Rio Grande Is very uncer-
tain stream, tho description Of which must
always be accompanied by chronological
and meteorological footuote. When It Is dry
weather the stream betakes itself 10 the mid
die Of its bed and Is but little wider than
your Chicago river, When the sains swell It's
Hood It Is torrent filing broad, shallow
channel. The Government keeps four small
stesn-whcel steamers busy on the river. On
one Of these came down to Brazos Santiago,
and seven days from Brownsville brought mo
10 New Orleans. ~ am herc," " as tho Dukc's
motto says. -
THE AlILITAKT BITUAT1oN. -.
At Brownsville Gen. Giles 4. Smith, Of St.
LoEis, II brotlier Of Gen. Morgan l.. Smith, is
in command Of that Department. General
Sheridan, in command oflhc Division Of the
Gulf, having his headquarters al New Orleans.
Just now there Is nothing In the world to do
in all that region bnt issue rations and pro-
Vellde7 10 men and beasts. Our occupation
Of The line Of the Rio Grande ex lends q dis
tance Of leo miles above Brownsville, Tho
tIpoTs erc mostly colorcd, except Gen. Mer.
rttt'6 cavalry LII our July report there were
about thiry.onc thousand troops rcturned.
mostly colored, us lave said, whose camps
are at various points along the river. Officers
are scarce, Us before stated in connection with
my own distinguished departure from that
quarter.
CONDITION OF THE TROOPS.
The troops arc In shelter tents, and In good
slate Of efficiency with no very considerable
sick list. When nc reached Texas III July,
perhaps 1ecuusc Of our sea Toyagc, and tho
lasty marches md unnised rations Of cur
immediately preceding Virginia experience,
there were quite number Uf cascs Of scurvy,
but the Mcxicans directed lis To q weed OF
plentiful growth that proved 60 excellent and
speedy an anii-scoTbutic that n]l were de-
now TINT am Studying rcturn 10 civil life,
tho Introduction to llsr pharmaceutical world
OF the ''GTfdf military unfi-xrorbufie- and
Drotcn5.3Ht Eanisher." I shall give the name
In full to the stencil men, and send q man
among The White Mountains with paint
brush carly next season, unless change my
mind.
DULL TIMES AT THE FRONT.
Having recovered from the elects Of our
t'ecnrry" reception On the Rio Graudc. our
troops have been healthy. md there las uecu
nothing 10 do. f1have sail that before, con-
slider 1t as desperate yawn with pen and ink
inssrarahlc from the contemplation Of the
tedious, SLOW, and far Slea1e, without dolce,
life at this taper end Whitfield down of our
military situation. Sometimes lately havc
seen newspaper Of enterprise aud sagucity
which In commenting on affairs on the Texas
line, has introduced u suggestive faint clattcr
Of weapons q war In state Of intense readi-
FY1f lie Ha f,r35t IS fnx-
onets I'll supposed to be pointing over the
river, while their holders with cars pticked
up were waiting the word Of command TO rush
forward and prod Ma1imllliau ont Of Mexico.
Absurd pictutcl
TIE MEXICAN QUESTION.
Tho Rio Gtande Is not more low und slug-
gfsh than the flow Of the military current IN
The adjacent camps. Our officers go, freely
over the river to Matnmorns, md go and come
uncllallcuged. Tho sqa'id, filthy Mexican
population pay little attention to one going
or coming. ! an writing az an individual.
am not related to President johnson, md
have no Intimacy with the Seward family, aud
ihe.e Is not an ounce weight Of significance
In my statements On this branch OF my letter.
He has fixod boundaries 10 ibis noble country
| Of ours which lie hns given us thc patriotism
| TO fnainta!l, and regard the question Of who
shall tc cuts next In Importance 10 that OF
| who must be fns. Tue whole mixed md mis-
crable Mc3ieau raee are, thank Heaven, with.
ont the pale.
= LIFE OVER TIE RIVER.
| At Matamo,na the other day, rs looked
upon a more than commonly napromIsing
famiy circle g1ovefiiug in mud cow house
their onIy dunicl1c, and saw at little dis.
tance fp tho river bevy Of men and boys
and wcmca and girls without other than The
primitive Eden tm:hing dress plashtng about
l m Syr I'm H. A. fre
and eaid to m American looking man by my
side, s'Ilnnk God these arc not my country.
mcn-" Whercat hc wheeled solcnn1y and
walked nwoy, as1 thought, too much affected
10 reply. heard little later that he va,
rebel Colonel, and perhaps he didn't like the
color OF ny cont and shouller-straps.
.. NO arEcR OF WAR.
! We sha1l not Eight with 11axiraillian or 3Ie1
leans for Mexico, mark that. It Is my orlu
ion, not yours. haxlnilian has a pleasant
task on his hands which may bring: him tt
griet, and for that grief be will be likely to be
len to wait BY this Government. He Is to b.
likcned INTO u man who should lay out a cab
bagc garden, and build for himself dwelling
place on the side Of a volcano. There mar bl
IN Underground rumble by and by, or It may
bc long delhyed, but come It will and then tllf
lara and settia aud Asles, eocinl md political
will form new layer Of Mexican history.
MEXICO As TITS.
In Matamoras the other day I eaw The
church. II Is perfect register Of revolution
It is strong stone building, the only one ten
able in the place for such nj occasion. Let a
ftacas break ont, rs it Inns broken ont before
noE, and from the first hair pulling or spank.
trg ncighbor's baby come to involve q sci
to between parties, there Is strnigh ghtway O
foot rnce for the church. The one first In
barbados It. Those who arc left outside bat,
Ter II, sometimes only with brick, sometimes
| will rNnnnn md 1hfs fIsyhf +r,ea ~, ahnnt fhd
sanctuary until one belligcrcnt gives In And
this, If there nFc churches enough throughout
Mexico similarly occupied The same day, may
be an entire change Of Government. Thai's
Mexico.
CoSCERISG coET1SAs.
Cortinas Is a small, trrnchcrot1s, infamous
hcmbug In bad scrape when I left him. Hc
tumble Of the odds and ends of ali the
| European b1oods and races in his veins md
| under Ills dirty skin. An education begun
ameng Indians was finished among Catholic
! priests, aud brought forth the me51est fruits
ofelther tutclasc. Cortinas comes and goes
among our officers without exciting the least
| attention. His do1ntcflc is fire miles above
Brownsville at Cortinas Ranele, where lc
| Furnishes bad whiskcy with such company as
Ec can command. Gen. Smith ycTy carly and
rery properly gave him the cold shoulder,
| conriSAB IN A BAD scRApE.
| ! left the k1larc in bad ecrape when I
came away. A few months since certain
mar, aJe'7, cs$:yed to 20 from Ca1nargo on
the Rio Grande to Monterey. Like the trav-
cller Of similar nativity of old, he fell among
thieves in tic shape Of three fcroc1ous gnef.
| rillas. The Tsrae!ltc had fifteen hundred
dollars In silver to defend, In addition to his
life, and he put himself on the defensive. His
revolver did him good service, for he shot two
Of the bandits dead, and found himself in q
Life and death encounter with the third. It
was terrific struggle In Which jew and Mex.
lean got mixed np with knives, reyolrers,
sand, rrickly pear, and a running shower OF
polyglot oaths. Ont Of the cloud at length
cane the jew, gashed aud bleeding, but the
victor. lie paid the last Offices of nature to
| the tlrec deiUpcts. hY looking throurb tlleir