San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-01-11
Written for the FskE PnHss,
Renaissance Of o Texas Veteran.
BY @. ERHARD.
VII.

to gather Mesquite beans to appease their
hunger, nothing occurred of special interest,
only one funny thing. Aman who had worn
out the cotton shirt furnished him, called on
the Commissary to furnish him another.
Having none on hand, he was furnished with
domestic, out of it, he being not tailor or
seamstress, cut out a shirt, novel in style,
and rough in execution. He made o
bag like garment, narrowed on top, with
square holes cut out for sleeves and again
bag like extentions FOR sleeves / give you
enclosed picture of the novel shirt am
only sorry am not an artist, to give you
picture of the model tailor, nor of our men
washing their clothes, without SOAP 1t was
we'll enough, not to have females along with
us, for they would have laughed at our rid
iculous attemptsat sewing and washing, with
cold water and no soap, and especially at our
cooking, though slim was the fare.
After the departure of our 100 detailed
men, another incident happened one after
noon. One of our picket guard stationed ON
hillside probably half miie from camp,
but still in sight of it, was surprised by an
Indian, who ran him towards our Camp
Our man being elderly, not a good rider, in
the haste of his retreat from the Indian,
dropped his musket, and in sight Of us, the
Indian shot our man in the leg-only flesh
wound. The daring Indian after the act,
swung the musket, and in Spanish hallowed,
our Captain is fool(meaning our command
ing General) for chief or captain is the ex-
preston of the Indian for the person in
command.
I will also state, that just twenty-four
hours previously, Twas sentinel at that very
post, but there was cluster OF mesquite
trees and it was necessary to use great
watchfulness not to be surprised by Indians,
for though fearful to attack us, they were
always lowering around us to cut off our men
to kill and scalp them whenever small squad
started out.
Lonesome and dreary was our situation at
Camp Resolution, only mixed with some
military drills, not fashionable nor agreeable
TO our mems taste.
After we had tarried some twelve days Mt
our forlorn camp, our picket guard espled
three men approaching our Camp. AT first
he thought they were Indians, but showing
white flag, probably a pisco of domestic
they were admitted to approach the sentinel
who conducted them to camp
The party proved to be Mexican who
was one of the cooks of our officers, and
two resident Mexicans of the frontier OF
New Mexico
We hailed them with joy, fo- we thought
our delivery from despair desperation and
hunger were near by for they reported our
detachment detailed and commanded by
Can't. Sutton. reached the Mexican settlements
in safety. that these Mexicans dispatched to
us as guides over the Staked Plains would
within a weeks time bring us to camps OF
shepherds who would.supply our half starry
ing men with ample meat.
Would to.God these Mexican guides copM
not have found us-our retreat 10 Texas
desperate as i. might have been. could not
have been as sad, nor caused rs much of loss
of our men as our imprisonment and suffer
ing in our march through from Santa Fe to
the city of Mexico. *.
But it proved later, that all was caused by
the treachery of our Capt Of Artinery-CaPt
Lewis, an Englishnan, man who was
Mason. who plighted nis masonic honors to
Sueh officers of our command as belonged to
tine order stating for rs TO proceed, that all
proper arrangements for our relief and inter-
course Of commerce bad been arranged
Now here Emust state, that Capt Lewis
some ysers previously hal made trip from
81. Louis no. ,o Santa Pc. viii one of the
yearly trading expeditions. that he under
stood some Spenish, and that therefore ne Ais'