San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-06-05
written for The Pass Psss.l
"reminiscences OF q Texas veteran...The
Santa Fe Expedition, etc.
ny O. ERHARp.
corraIeurEp.
LXXI.

oBohoa AAA VIZ AAVAs AOSsas ssss
this was blocked up by the mass VIII
had crowded towards it. In th
front room was single open holt
perhaps eighteen inches in heigh
and two and q half feet in length
and through this small hole came a
the fresh air to be inhaled by III
about one hundred and sixty prison
ers. was fortunate to be cramme'
in near this window, luckily it had n
glass in it, only wooden cross bars
These two rooms could never hav
been intended for o dwelling, but
prison for q few criminals.
Veal felta sensation of suffocation
the window was too narrow for ever
us emaciated men to crawl through
Iit-and the wall was too thick, for III
to dig through with our hands.
Soon outcries arose for the from
man nearest the door, to break it open
but it was too solid and strong to do
so without tools. In the meantime
those nearest the window, begged
the guard to let at least a portion o.
us leave our narrow confinement
The guard either did not regard oul
entreaty, or above the din of the mer
could not hear what we desired al
efforts at breaking open tho doc,
proved unavailing. At last oul
captain, Salezar, hearing the noise
and surmising we might suffocate
permitted about fifty of us to pass
out. Those who were permitted to
go out, tried to shelter themselves
from the terrible cold blast, behind
the mud walls of II cow yard. Terri
bly, as the men suffered there from
cold, it was any how better than to
suffocate. 1t was so cold that even
the guard left their posts, to seek
some shelter near our prison.
On the 21st of October, after q
days march, the guard at our camp
brought sacks with corn, and issued
to each man one ear of corn and in
mercy to some of lis youngsters they
gave them two ears of corn! It
would not have been able to sustain
even little pony, after being COM
pelled to travel like we were from
twenty-four to thirty-six miles daily.
Human endurance must certainly be
far superior to that of animals, for no
brute would have endured what we
did, with so little food on our dreary
At Sandia the population came out
in a body to see us, and during o
short halt the women gave to each
Of our men watermelon, apples,
bread and such things as these poor
people could offer us to eat. Our
ablest and foremost men generally
Jared better than the feeble or young,
for usually the Mexican guard gave
is no halt, to receive those generous
gifts of eatables presented by the
villagers, but hurried us on; we had
10 snatch and eat what we received
ls we marched along. Here an old
gray headed Mexican, 1 should rather
'ay an aboriginal Indian, for Sandia
'eemed to be inhabited by that class,
stepped forward toward me, who was
rom WEAKNESS in the }sst rank, ,our men
rom sheer fatigue, being often
along from 800 or 400 yards,
mt yet vigilantly guarded, right and
eft, this oldman presented me with
loaf of bread. / thanked him, 1
ould have kissed and hugged the
'ood old man, but there was no time
iyen US to demonstrate thankful
ness. Salezar the brute, did not
low us to rest at Sandia, but though
ur men were fatigued and exhausted,
urried on, until we reached @e I
tile village Alameda. When we
Iere within about q mile Of that
illage, Mexican girl jumped over
fence, and joined me, and the Mexi-
IN guard who rode beside me, for / |
as % tired that was in the rear Of |
ur men. The guard made love for
ie to tie girl, about sixteen years
"a, in q vulgar manner, then would {
ldress me, pretended for some .
ne not 10 understand what he said
IN fact 1 did not all. but signs :
ere too plain be continued 10 :
IteTrogate and weary me, till at v
St disgustsd, / told him, 1 was I
d capable 10 rocsive. OF return
lresBs; then be let ne alone. but
le girl. really pretty fcr2n aboriginal
4 Il