The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-11-08
shelby's Expedition to Mexico An
UnWritten Leaf Of eur civil War.

the Southern C0nfederacy one OF the
prominent Confederate Generals on
duty In the trans-MisSissippi Depart
ment--General Jos. Shelby-went to
Mexico with about $50 armed follow
ers. mostly Missourians, with the
avowedintentioho settling with them
III that country That the enterprise
proved unfortunate and that the men
engaged in it met with many perilous
adventures and personal mishaps, are
facts well known in general, but not
as to details. One Of these followers
ofShelby SNOW publishing III the Kan
sas City Mo- Times a series Of letters
about what happened to them on the
"other side of the Rio Gande Of
g.eat interest, bringing to light much
that was not publicly known before.
and from one OF the communications
the following account of an attack BY
Mexican bandits some days after the
men had left Monterey for San Louis
de Potosi is taken:
The column lad reached to within
two days journey of Lampasas. Some
spurs of the mountain ran down to the
road. and some clusters Of palm trees
grouped themselves at intervals BY tile
wayside. The palm is pensive tree,
having voice in the wind that is sad
der than the pine-a sober, solemn
voice like the sound of muffled cere-
ments when the corpse Is given to the
coffin. Even in the sunlight they are
dark ;eyen IN the tropics no vine clings
to them, no blossom Is born to them.
no bird is housed by them. and no tlut-
fer of wings makes music for them.
Strange and shapely and coldly chaste,
they seem like human and desolate
beings, standing all alone in the midst
of luxurious nature. unbleSsed Of the
soil and unloved of the dew and the
sunshine. In grove of these the
column halted lor the night. Beyond
them was a pass guarded by crosses.
In that treacherous land these are a
growth indigenous to the soil. They
flourish nowere else in such abundance.
Wherever q deed OF violence is done a
cross Is planted; wherever traveller
Is left upon his face in a pool OF blood,
cross is reared wherever grave is
made wherein lies the murdered one.
there is seen cross. No matter who
does the deed--whether Indian, or dog,
or eommandante. a cross must mark
the spot, and as the pious wayfarer
journeys by he lays all reverently a
stone at the feet Of the sacred symbols,
breathing pious prayer, and telling
bead or two for the souls salvation.
On the left a wooded bluff ran down
abruptly to 4 stream. Beyond the
stream and near the palms, a grassy
bottom spread itselfout, soft and CRATE
fnl. Here the blankets were spread,
and here the horses grazed their fiji.
A young moon. clear and white. hung
low in the west. not suIlen nor red,
but tender moon, full of, the beams
that lovers seek. and full of the voice
less imagery which gives passion to
the songs Of the night, and pathos to
the deserted and detected swain. AS
the moon set the horses We're gathered
together and tethered in amid the
palms. Then deep silence fell upon
the camp. for the sentinels were be-
yond Its confines. and all within side
slept the sleep OF the tired and healthy.
It may have been midnight 1T certain
ly was cold and dark. The fires had
gone out, andthere was white mist
like shroHd creeping up the stream
and settling upon the faces of the
sleeper. On the far right a single
pistol-shot arose. clear and resonant.
Shelby, who slumbered like a night
bird, lifted himself up from his blank
ets and spoke in an undertone to
Thrailkill:R
WHO has the post at the mouth OF
the pass?" ".Ioe Macy "Then
something lis stirring. Macy never
fired at a shadow In his life.''
The two men listened. One grim
guerilla himself with the physique of
q Cossack and the bearing of a Com
anclle.
The other having III bis hands tile
lives Of all tile silent and inert sleepers
lying still and grotesque under the
white shroud of the mountain mist.
The two men went to sleep again. but
not to dream. Of Il sudden and I'M
seen the mist was lifted, and in its
place a sheet Of fame 80 near to the
filces Of the men that it might have
seorched them. Two hundred Mexi-
cans had crept down tile mountain and
to the edge of the stream, and had
fired point blank into the camp. 1t
seemed a miracle, but not a man was
touched. Lying flat upon the ground
and wrapped up IN their blankets the
whole yolley meant to be murderous
had swept over them. Shelby was
the first upon his feet, His voice rang |
ont clear and faultless and without 4 |
trenOr, ..GiVe them the revolver. |
Men awakened from deep
sleep grapple with spectres slowly. |
The Mexicans were spectres. Beyond
the stream and In amid the sombre
,Inx.,, ~ t1.a 80 lt,.1 tl,.,r, ,.,,,,, s.:.s