Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-09-18
LETTER from LANES P. BrOWnIOW.

We publish below letter received a few
days since from Captain James 2. Brown
low, of the sth Regular Cavalry. 1t is the
first letter received from Jim since he left
Tennessee, several months since, for Cali
fornia. It is private letter, addressed 10
his mother, and was not intended for publ
cation, but we give it rerbatim as Jim wrote
in his careless style, surprising be has
friends in East Tennessee who would be
glad to hear from him
SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA,
August 18th. 1857.
This, San Pedro, il an old Spanish town, situated
on the Pacific coast of Southern California. / ar
rived here day before yesterday, with $50 officers
and men, on our way to the seat Of Indian warfare.
l left New York on the 18th of last month per
steamship "Henry Chauncey and reached Aspin-
WALL in Central America after a voyage of eleven
days. This port is on the Isthmus of Panama, and
the inhabitants are heathenish, with the exception
] of few American residents Their houses are
e Of poles with thatched roofs. It is forty-eight
ID les from Aspinwall to the city of Panama, which
place we reached via the American Railroad Com
pany. Before reaching Panama some of the ma
tives threw rocks into our window injuring one
of our soldiers. Our men, feeling insulted at the
outrage resented it at the depot, where general
row ensued, which resulted in a little blood being
shed and several of the natives dangerously fright
ened. got, for my share, knock-down from ono
of the natives which made me mad and cleaned
them out in about five minutes The natives wore
oIolo,
At Panama we changed steamers and went on
board the Montana" and after coasting along the
island of Cuba for two or three hundred miles,
reached Acapulco, Mexico here we Toasted on eve
ry imaginable fruit. The finest oranges cost half
cent, delicious pineappes ten or fifteen cents, BAN
nanas fifty cents per hundred, the Mexican lemon
or lime from fifty to sixty cents per bushe and so
on with all fruits. Our ship was completely sur
rounded with little Mexican boats, with all kinds of
merchandise, including numberless monkeys and
parrots of all kinds selling at one or two
dollars, and beautiful parrots at fifty cents.
I was amused on asking Mexican officer if eve
rything was quiet in the Republic since the death
of Macmillan He replied, eyes, perfectly, ex-
cept there was civil war in the State of Querrato-
and the insurgents had possession of the capital"
The Spanish aud Central American soldiers, as a
general thing, go barefoot and it is seldom you
meet one with shoes on. In fact Joe Browns pets
made better show during the war.
We sailed along smoothly until we entered San
Francisco Bay, where we were drifted upon reef.
The ship struck heavily and we were all knocked
from our beds. Out of eleven hundred passengers,
not one doubted but that our gallant ship would go
-. I ell
employed myself trying to console the women We
had general prayer meeting, and il was amusing
to see the women praying and crying and at the
same time tying their watches and jewelry and pla
cling them around their necks. One lady spiritual
list, who had lost friend on board by death, came
to me in a most beseeching manner, her eyes filed
with tears and said the ship could be saved-that
she had communication from the spirit-world that
there was Jonah on board and it was necessary to
throw him overheard to save the vessel. 1 asked
who the person could be- She replied, you, Gap
tain Brownlow. Said T. my good woman, there
must be some mistake about this matter The spir-
its have got the wrong name, the wires are down
The whales have concluded to swallow no more Jo- |
nahs since their ilustrious sire had been made so
very sick at the stomach by sporting with such
characters. She Immediately vamoosed, with the
opinion that my training had not been very good |
After much trouble, and no little damage to the |
ship we got off safely and sailed Immediately for
the city, which we reached safely at one P. NJ. I
was at sent to Alcatraz Island two miles from
San Francisco. This island is about three hundred
feet above the level of the sea, contains twenty-five
acres and is perfect paradise Of flowers, which
bloom the year round. Although we seldom have
my rain, we have stiff breeze all the time, which
never lets get warm though occasionally we have
@ put on light overcoat. From Alcatraz we
ailed for this point am at the Blount Camping
Ground, one mile from town
This camp has fine plaza or square of twenty
scres with fine quarters for officers and men on
either SIDE You will be surprised to learn that in
tide of this square, besides the soldiers, is popula
ion of more than fifteen thousand, not of human
beings, but of the prairie gray Squirrel gopher and
'w, all frequently living in the same little hole I'M
Ter the ground can step on my porch any time
Turing the day and see two or three thousand. The
squirrels are the sentinels by day, and Just as the
un sets you will see the sleepy little owl lszily
coming out to stand his regular watch Not being
Allowed TO shoot in camp, the soldiers amuse them
~A'NS " tAoSihS AuhhiuS uOOse over their holes
md when they make their appearance choke them
put.
should like to have time to describe all / have
een in California 1 will go from here to Mohaye
village of the Mcjave Indians, three hundred miles
Instant across the great American desert, on the
Colorado River. This will bring me nearer home.
where letters will reach FIVE days sooner than at
IAN Francisco, by the Grea: Overland Mail Route
rom st. Louis.
have not as yet met Uncle Jim. He is some
where near Sacramento. 1 have seen Jestie Wall
nd Earnest. Jessie said he would write TO Jim I,
pBrien at once and let him know where am.
find papa very popular here. The Stste is Rad
CAL could write you fifty pages, if it were not
UGH bore TO read long letters. Give my love TO
II, and write me all the news will return home
hortly to bring Bell out with me- Direct your let
srs to me at Fort MOhave,7 Arizona Territory, !
ia Overland Mail
With much love and affection,
J.P.B
!