Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-22
CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
Some Of His Mexican War Ex-
periences.

some Of His Mexican War EX-
Periences.
Cincinnati Commercial.
WASHINGTON, D. CHR. Mayne
Reid, who was placed on the pension
list the other day, and who is now
living in a very quiet way neara little
English town in Strengthened eircum
stances, writing snarling letters to a
New York paper, instead of the thrill
ing fiction which has made him we'll
known to the boys Of the world, was q
gay youth when he was younger. he
is described by men who knew him
before the Mexican war as a dashing,
somewhat reckless, handsome young
E~nglishman with a bot temper. He
went to the Mexican war in the New
York volunteer regiment, commanded
by General Ward Burnett, who was
himself poisoned last year. Reid
knew something about soldering,
and, having found favor
in the eyes of his Colonel
vas appointed a lieutenant and
placed in command OF a company, at
PuebelO, Mexico, where the Ameri-
can army halted for a time. Lieut..
Reid, while reproving one of the men
in his company, became very much
heated and ran his sword through the
mau's body. The man died the same
night. Lieut.. Reds grief was al
most uncomfortable. The feeling
against hun, despite the fact that be
tad provOoAtion for the act, Vas very
strong in the regiment. A soldier
and a slave we're not Synonymous TO
an American army in those days, even
in the mouths of officers If the reg
iment had not moved with the rest OF
the army toward the city Of Mexico
the next day, Lieut.. Reid would have
been court martialed and might have
been shot. AS it was, be marched
Forward with a heavy heart. On the
night the army reached the
field of Chapultepec, Lieutenant
Wilcox, a West Pointer, on General
Qaitman's staff, alterWard a Major
General in the Confederate army and
now employed 10 the clerks Office OF
the United States Senate, who had
already manifested his sympathy with
Lieutenant Reid in many ways, rode
over to where the New York regi
ment was lying and calling up bis
friend told him that on the morrow a
storming party Of volunteers aBd reg
ulars was to be sent to the forts on
the nights, aud urged him to apply for
permission to 60 with it. that he
might wash away the blood on his
bands With the blood OF the Next
cans, at the worst dying bravely in the
foremost of the Eight. Lieutenant
Reid, his face glowing with pleasure
and his form ~quiyering with emotion
grasped the hands oil his friend, and,
shaking them in his strong, hearty
way, thanked him most ex~travagantly
for his kind thoughtiulness. Wilcox
galloped back to his headquarters and
Reid went to bed.
He was sleeping more restfully than
he had slept before for weeks, when
Lieut.. Wilcox came galloping back
toward morning and routed him out
again. The smile with which Reid
met him faded away when Wilcox
said, Il am sorry to say that | have
just learned that none but regulars
will be permitted TO 60 into the
storming party to day"
Then, as be saw Reds face fall and
the old sorrow coming back, he went
on to say: Bat | think | see a way
to which you can take a hand in the
attack. Your regiment will probably
be set to guard the artillery which
will cover the advance Of the storm
iug party. Of course Il 9 guns will be
silenced as soon as the stOrming patty
gets within their range. That will be
your opportunity.
Reds face flushed with pleasure.
and the smile came back again as bis
friend continued, Leave your men
where they stand, and run after the
stOrming party with all your might
Get into it, and if possible getin front
OF it, so that you may be the first man
in the breach After that it will be
plain sailing"
Lieutenant Reid again thanked his
friend 10 the warnest terms, and
again they separated Everything
turned out just as it would in a 70.
nance.
Reds regiment was placed behind
the battery, and Reid was placed in
the front rank. The guns screamed
at the fort a while, and the fort guns
screamed back, while the heavy
stOrming party Of blue coated regu.
lars moved steadily and silently
across the plains towards the nights
Suddenly the American batteries
became silent. Suddenly Lieutenant
Reid, sword in hand, started from his
place in the front rank Of his regiment
and ran swiftly across the rough
ground toward the nights. He caught
up with the stOrmiug party just as il
reached the foot Of the hill, pushed
his way to the front, aud was the
first man on the great stone wall OF
the fort. Shot thrice through the
body and wounded once or twice In
the limbs, he was carried down tn,
hill on a bloody stretcher.
But 1t was the old Lieutenant Reid
loving, beloved, and not the sad eyeC
homicide, who was borne back L
hisl quarters 10 his blood. SILL. tn,
hasty act which he so deeply regretted
clouded his whole life.