San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-05-22
written for The Fsrr PRrss,l
"reminiscences OF a Texas Veteran...The
Santa Fe Expedition, etc.
BY O. RRHARD.
oorraioHrrp.
TXY

LAlA.
On the 18th of October, 1S41, after
n few days rest given to tho men un'
der General Mcleod, and during thai
time $50 men being hnddled up in Q
room, only getting one loaf of light
bread for whole days ration, after
as before stated, previously to that
we had to live for near two months
on the poor ration of Il pounds
of our poor beef of worn down work,
oxen, and no bread or coffee, we were
Ill prepared to resume q long march
of about two thousand miles to tho
City of Mexico. We left San Miguel
while q guard of about two hundred
men, mounted upon horses, mules
and asses, and miserablY armed with
bows and arrows, lances, or worthless
muskets, rode upon either side of u.s.
in single file as we trudged along on
foot. The day on which we started
was warm and showery. About sun
down, footsore and completely ex'
hausted after o march of thirty miles,
There I will state that on the whole
march through Mexico we started
about sunrise, marching till near sun
down without o noon s rest or o din
ner, or any repast], we reached the
old ruin of the Pecos, in former times
a mission and fortress, but now un.
inhabitable, and crumbling to decay.
Salezar drove us into an enclosure
amid the ruins not fit even for brutes,
and without giving us @ morsel oi
food. Towards the evening Of that
first days journey, I suffered terribly
from colo pains, causing me to bend
and twist; it was probably caused by
eating very dry hard biscuit given
me by one of the guards which swell
ed in my stomach; I fell in the rear,
and a Mexican told me if I did not
keep up with the command I should
be shot down. [ thoughthe did that
to frighten me, who was but o lad,
but it WAS not more than two weeks
afterwards ere I realized the truth OF
tho cruel butchery of men too weak
to travel fast enough.
Immediately to the north OF Pecos,
and within a few miles, rose O lefty
mountain whose summit was now
covered with snow. On the other
side of this mountain at it's base, we
learned was Santa Fe, town toward
which we had travelled for months,
but which we were not destined to
see. We prisoners were stripped OF
our coats, we had on only pants and
shirts, Armijo robbed us Of our wool
en- blankets, and in place gave us a
q poor half wool half cotton Mexican
blanket. Now if the reader remem-
bers that our journey commenced
af ter the middle of October, that
Santa Fe is about 36t north latitude
and in high altitude, any one can
imagine how with our scant outfit we
suffered from cold. And as if to in
crease ours sufferings, cold, biting
wind sprang up at dusk, fresh from
the snow clad mountain, and it soon
became bitter cold. We huddled
together, like pigs in a sty, to Emeli,
orato our sufferings.
Early next morning we were order
ed 10 continue our march. Salezai
distributed some light bread among
us, but not enough by half to supply
each man; I was fortunate enough to
get some, many had nothing to eat
A rough and rocky country interven.
ed between Pecos and the valley
of the Rio Grande, but as the sun
rose higher it warmed us up. Om
course was now nearly south. The
road forks near Pecos, the right hand
branch leading directly towards Santa
Fe, which a Mexican told me wSF
I leagues-21 miles-north Of Us
while The left-hand road, which We
now took, is the regular thoroughfarc
20 Albuquerque, and other towns on
the Rio Grande.
After 4 march Of thirty miles, dur
ing which the men suffered incredibly
from bungeE. thirst and lameness
night oveTtOok 1s 81 q s-a4l r4ne5o
Of mar nAned PeoOE Many d