The Hickman courier., 1872-11-09

sheIby,s Expedition TO MexieO-Un-
written History.

SheIby'S Expedition TO meXtco-N n
written History.
Immediately after the collapse OF
the Southern Confederacy one of the
prominent Confederate Generals on
duty in the trans-Gfississippi De-
partment-General Joseph Shelby
went to Mexico with about two hun
dred and fifty armed followers, most
ly Missourians, with the avowed in
tention of settling with them IN that
country. That the enterprise prov
ed unfortunate, and that the men en-
gagged in it met with many perilous
adventures and personal mishaps
are facts well known in general, but
not as to details. One of these fol
lowers of Shelby is now publishing
in the Kansas City, (Mo) Times, a
series of letters about what happen
ed to them on the "other side of the
Rio Grande" of great interest, bring
ing to light much that was not pub
licly 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 Luis de Potosi
is taken:
The column had reached to with
in two days journey of Lampasas.
Some spurs OF the mouutain ran
down to tt e road, and some clusters
of palm trees grouped themselves at
intervals By the wayslde. Tee palm
is a pensiveS tree, having voice IN
the wind that is sadder than the
pine-a sober, solemn voice ike the
sound of muffied cerements when
the corpse is given to the coffin.
Even in the sunlight they are dark
even / the tropics no vine chngs to
them, no blossom Is born to them,
no bird is housed by them, and no
hutter of wings makes music for
them. Strange and shapely and
coldly chasee, they seem like hIman
and desolate beings, standing all
alone IN the midst of fuxurisus IA
ture, unblessed of the soil, and un-
loved of the dew and the sunshine
La a grove Of these the column halt
ed for the night Bey ond them was
pass guarded by crosses. In that
treacherous land these are a growth
Indigenous TO the soil. They flourish
nowhere else III such abundance.
Wherever a deed OF violence is
done a cross is planted; wherever ii
traveller is left upon his face in
pool Of blood, cross Is reared !;
wherever a grave Is made wherein
lies the dered one, there is seen
Il cross. No matter who does the
whether Indian, or dog, or
commandate, a cross must mark the
spot, and as the pious wayfarer
journeys by he lays all reverently
stone at tha feet of the sacred sym
bcls breathing a pious prayer, and
telling a bead or two for the soul 5
salvation. On the left a wooded
bluff ran down abruptly to sire am
Beyond the stream, and near the
palms, a grassy bottom spread itself
out, soft and grateful Here the
blankets We're spread, and here the
horses grazed their fill A young
moon, clear and white, hung low in
the west, not sulleA nor red, but IA
tender moon, full of the beams that
lovers seek, and full of the voiceless
imagery which gives passion to the
songs of the night, and pathos to the
deserted and detected swain. AS
the moon set the horses were gather
ed together and tethered IN amid
the palms. Then deep silence fell
upon the camps, for the sentinels
were beyond its confines, and all
within side slept the sleep of the
tired and healthy. 1t may have been
midnight; it certainly was cold and
dark. The fires had gone out and
there was a white mist Ike a shroud
creeping up the stream and settling
upon the faces of the sleepers. On
the far right a single pistol arose,
clear and resonant. Shelby, who
slumbered like a night bird, lifted
himself no from MS blanket and
spoke In an uoder tone to Traikill:
Who has the post at the mouth of
pass - " Joe Macy" Then
something is stirring. Macy never
fred at shadow in his life" The
two men listened. One a grim
guerilla himself. with the physique
OF CossaCk and the bearing Of a
Comanche. The other having in his
hands the lives of all the sileIt and
inert sleepers lying still and grotes-
que the white shroud of the noun
tain mist. Nothing was heard for
an hour. The two men went to
sleep again, but not to dream. OF a
sudden, and unseen. the mist was
lifted, and in its place a sheet of
flames arose SO near to the faces of
the men that it might have scorched
them.
Two hundred Mexicans had crept
down the mountain and to the edge
Of the stream, and had fired point
blank into the camp. 1t seemed
miracle, but not man was touched
Lying fiat upon the ground and
wrapped up IN their blankets, the
whole volley meant TO be murderous
had swept over them. Shelby was
the first upon his feet. His voice
rang out clear and faultless, aud
without a tremor: Give them the
revolver. Chargel" Men awakened
from deep sleep graprle with spec
ters slowly. The Mexicans were
specters. Beyond the stream and in
amid sombre shadows of the palms
they were invisible. Only the pow
der pail was on the water where the
mist had been. Unclad, barefooted.
heavy with sleep, the men went
straight for the mountains, revol /
yer in each hand, Shelby leading
From specters the Mexicans had be- /
come bandits No quarter was Civ (
en- or asked. The rush lasted until /
the game was flushed; the pursuit T
until the top of the mountain was
gained Over ragged rock and cact-
taus and dagger trees the hurricane
poured. The roar of The revolver
was deafeniKg. Men died and made
10 moan, and the wounded were re-
cognized only by their voices
When it was over the Americans had
lost in killed eleven, and in wounded
seventeen, most of the latter slight
ly, thanks to the darkness and the
impetuosity of the attack. In crawl
!, L. L i