San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-06-19
Written for The fasK Pnnss.l
"reminiscences OF Texas veteran---The
Santa Fe Expedition, etc.
by q. ERHARD.
ooffaionrKp.
LXXIII.

l
LXXIII.
After leaving Albuquerque, We
passed through succession OF wei
|, cultivated fields and pretty valley
We reached early in the evening Q
small rancho called Las Placers
Here soon after we stopped, q Mexi
can lady, apparently widow, came
to see us; she selected some five Of
us youths, and accompanied by the
sergant of the guard she took us to
her house-outside the house we
squatted down, and soon she sent us
a supper of frijoles and tortillas, Of
which we boys eat our fill. While
we were eating, she held converse
tion with our guard, who I had no
doubt in Bombastic Fiuroso style,
extolled the valor of the more than
1000 New Mexican Volunteers who
captured through treason) one hun
dred and fifty OF sixty half starved
Texans. OF course l did not under
stand the conversation, in which the
kind lady seemed much interested,
and if had, I would not have listened
to it much, for 1 was more interested
in the supper; however I heard the
guard say we were q set of heretics
and rebels.
After we had eaten, the guard took
us back to where our men were, and
if I remember right think that
tyrant Capt. Salezar did that evening
issue no rations to our men, the brute
did not care if we died, the foebler
we got, the less he thought we would
have hope or make an attempt to
escape, besides that, he perhaps
thought that the supplies we got
from charitable women on that days
march was sufficient.
Marching further on the next day
we passed q pretty rancho on which
were many apple trees, and some
Mexicans offered to sell them to us
but alas we had no money. Some of
our men found out that the buttons
of our pants were marketable, and
privates as well as officers tore off the
buttons in exchange for apples,
though they were small and insipid,
they still stated hunger. mall Mexico
I never tasted good apple, l do not
think it was owing so much to the
climate, as for q proper manner of
getting good stock and pains to cult
vate and improve them.
It looked ridiculous to SEQ our
men pick up mesquite thorns to
fasten their pants, but necessity
knows no law.
On rising next morning, it was
found that man named Ernest had
died during the night-died from
hunger, cold and fatigue, and even
the man lying beside him was not
aware of it till called to resume our
next days march. The poor man,
exhausted as he was, fell asleep that
knows no waking! Not groan
escaped him, there was no death
struggle.
Capt. Salezar, on learning the facts,
ordered one of his men to cut off
and preserve the dead mans ears, as
a token that he had not escaped, and
then the poor fellow was stripped Of
his clothes and thrown in q ditch, for
dogs to devour him.
Scarcely had this event occurred,
when we were ordered into line TO be
counted before resuming the march,
1--WE were counted every morning
before resuming the march to see
that none of US had escaped), even
before we could finish the cooking Of
our scanty supply of meal into thin
mush we were compelled to move.
We having many foot sore men with |
us, the shoes being near worn out,
Sslezar in surprising kindness charte |
red, or ordered a requisition from the |
Alcalde to furnish a rude rickiety |
Mexican cart TO carry those unfor-
tunates, but before proceeding mile |
the cart broke down, the men had to
get out and walk Among those men 1
was John dcAllister, q native Of
Tennessee Of good family; his ankles
were badly swollen and sprained.
McAllister was ordered by SAlezar TO
march along and overtake the main
body Of prisoners, now some distance
in advance. Captain Salezar had
frequently threatened those who were
hardly able to keep up, that lie would
shoot them rather than have the
march delayed Salez4r himself, IL
We tarried or fell behind struck us
severely with the Eat sids Of has
sword I once tsrried TOO io1g At
The camp Ere, and be c.ns up ordered