San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-05-29
ny O. KnHAnp.
LXX.

eorrsisnrEp.
LXX.
From Pine we learned that Gener'
al Mcleod, Navarro, DIR. Whitaker,
Captains Houghton and Hudson with
two or three officers, had passed the
previous night at his rancho, and
were provided with comfortable quart
ers. They had been sent forward
one day in advance Of thcmain body
on horseback, and as they were for
tunate enough to fall into the hands
Iof an officer OF humane feeling, oui
friends under his charge always spoke
of him as a kind hearted man.
After a long and toilsome march,
our men suffering at every step, We
encamped upon the borders OF a
small stream for the night. Hero we
experienced great relief from bathing
our swollen feet in its cold waters,
and washed ourselves, for we could
not do that very often, when huddled
in pens. Here to each man was is
sued miserable pittance of hard
barley bread, too hard to eat without
soaking it. Captain Salezar told us
through our interpreter, q German,
who formerly lived in Matamoras,
Mexico, who understood Spanish
fairly, and was one of our companions,
that if any one Of us escaped, all OF
us would be held responsible, and oil
shot. There was no fear Of that, for
the heartless Salezar drove us 80
hard, and half starved us, that OK
hausted at the end of a days march,
we willingly sank upon the hard
ground, covered with only a poor
Mexican blanket, to get some rest
A cold night was followed by q
heavy frost next morning. We nest
led close to each other to keep from
freezing; the older men got but little
sleep;.I being SO young, I slept in
spite of the cold, exhaustion overcom-
ing cold and suffering.
Next morning, at q brisk pace, we
hurried forward, but did not get a
bite to cat. We reached the village of
Santo Domingo before noon, dis
tance OF eighteen miles from our last
nights quarters. AT this village our
men had cause to thank the women
for their kindness. They came out
of their mud houses in every direction
bringing tortillas. baked pumpkins,
and dry ears of corn, and shedding
tears at our forlorn and miserable ap-
pearance. Here I will state, that in
perhaps the whole world there is not
such contrast between men and
women, as in Mexico. The women
were uniformly kind and sympathis-
ing, from the lowest class up to the
we'll educated and aristocratic, while
too often the men had no feeling, and
treated us cruelty, worse than beasts
cattle would have been treated and
driven with more consideration and
received better food than we did.
1t is impossible for pen to describe
our sufferings, and no one could i'm
agine what we endured, especially,
when as before stated, we were half
starved before our surrender.
A little further on, we entered the
villageof San Felipe, the banks Of the
Rio Grande were to our right. The
women Of San Felipe were also very
charitable, and presented us food. I
think the Mexicans must have sent cou-
riers ahead Of us, to give notice OF our
probable arrival, not so much for our
benefit, but to have supplies on hand
for our guard. If it had not been thus,
the women could not have had eat
ables ready for us, and often warm,
too. Here an incident occurred, as
we entered about the suburbs OF San
Felipe; q Mexican girl came out with
tray Of eat ables the foremost OF
our men rushed forward to get a
good share, the girl alright dropped
all on the ground, and screamed and
ran off for her home. No wonder,
ourmen, ,unkempt dirty andunshayed,
with haggard faces and sunken eyes
must certainly have looked like
cannibals, and as the girl never saw
such crowd Of forlorn subjects she
was frightened Many Of the women
Of San Felipe openly reproached
Governor Annijo and our captain Of
the guard, Salezar as brutes,and even
their husbands manifested their
sorrow at ous cruel treatment
In justice to the women and girls
Of New Mexico, / state, had il not
been for their generous supplies OF
provisions, we,After such leng marches