The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-07-13
OId Rough and ReadI.

cences OF the Mexican War, Gen. Jas.
Shields tells the following
at was in tlk year 1916, that up
on she banks os the Rio Grande l
first met Gen. Taylor; Before leay-
ing my home in Illinois | had heard
Of him. He was the hero of the day;
the whole country resounded with
his name and his exploits. Well,
when | was presented to him / con-
fesS | was considerably surprised.
He was somewhat below medium
height, was short and stout, in fact
wassahat you would call dumpy.
Hswafe a straw hat, an old linen
buster that looked as if it might not
have been washed since he fought
the battle of Palo Alto. Laughter
His pants were large and loose, and
on his honest feet he wore coarse sol
der shoes, not very handsome, but
comfortable, let me assure you. His
face was not handsomc-no, it would
have been at first sight called home
ly; but there was about it that which
impressed one with the grand homes
ty and decision of the man. He
stood upon his feet as solid and deter
mined as a prairie buffalo. AS have
remarked, | was considerably taken
back when | was presented to Gen.
Taylor, but when he held'his honest
palm to me and bado me welcome in
his hearty, ofrhand way, l knew that
/ had cold Rough and Ready" right
before meas brave a soldier as ever
battled for his country, and as honest
u soldier as ever won the suffrages of
the American people. That day
continued the speaker, dined with
Gen. Taylor, and upon that occasion
there were also present Col. Bliss,
and Col. Clay, of Kentucky, son of
Henry Clay. Of the four assembled
together at that time, | am to-day
the sole survivor. While we were at
dinner a guard filed in with two
prisoners that had just been arrested.
The men had been for two days ped
ding oranges through the camp, and
by accident one of the soldiers had
discovered that under their coarse
garments they wore the finest linen,
SO the two were arrested, and care
fully concealed about their persons
had been found papers containing
very valuable information concern
ing the American camp, the number
of men in arms, and the best points of
attack. These papers were handed
over to Gen. Taylor, and after read
ing them he passed them to the rest
of us, They were unmistakable ey-
licences that the two men were spies,
Call my interpreter demanded Gen,
Taylor. The General could not speak
Spanish. The only Spanish wordhe
knew was ramos and he used it on
all occasions. Whenever he invited
the Mexicans into camp, he said
'rGmoS,' and whenever he ordered
them out of camp, he said ramos
Laughter. The interpreter having
arrived, Gen. Taylor said to HIM:
ASK them who they arep The pris-
onors replied that they were Mexican
soldiers. 'Humph! Thought So.
Now ask them what their rank isl
They looked at each other moment,
as much as to say, we might as well
tell the truth and answered that
they were Colonels-one of them
Chief of the engineer Corps at Mon
terey, 'Aha?' said Gen. Taylor, so
much the worse. And now ask them
who sent them here. They replied
that they had come in obedience to
the orders of Gen. Apudia. Gen.
Apudia sent you, did hep roared old
Rough and Ready. We'll, Isay Gen,
Apudia is no gentleman, or he would
not have sent you here on this sneak
ing GRAND, to spy about our camp.
I say he is no gentleman, The pris-
oners had just began to understand
that the man whom they were before
was the American General, and when
he uttered this hasty opinion of their
chief they bowed very low, Gen,
Taylor asked them if they knew the
penalty of their crime; if they knew
that, as spies, they ought to be shot,
At once the prisoners drew them,
selves up proudly and said they knew
the penalty, but if they were to die
a.