Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-01-05


you arrive at the reality.
ABUNDANCE or THE NECEssARIEs OF
LIE.
Our regiment remained IN and near
Monterey from the battle until the ex
piratiou of our term OF service the fol
lowing June, except the period Of our
march TO victory and 10 attend the
fandangO az Buena Vista, The popu
latinn Of the city was estimated then at
| Is eco, and 10000 soldiers and camp
| followers had been quartered there for
months before; yet, up TO the very day
we lefl for home there was no scarcity
| Of anything that was raised there. The
very finest OF oranges were brought to
our camp, and the ruling price was
about three cents per dozen Sugar
manufactured there costtwo and Il half
cents per pound. The finest kid cost
one real, twelve and a half cents, per
quarter, aud Gen. TaylOr's cOmmissa-
/ ries paid from one and a half to two
cents per pound for beef, two cents for
| flour and everything was In proper
| ton IL was on account Of the album
! dance Of produce and not the scarcity
of money that reduced every thing In
price. We had many opportunities TO
examine the wellstOeked larders,
barns and store-houses Of that entire
valley.
FORAGING EXPEDITIONS.
Gen. Taylor made requisition on
the several districts adjacent TO the
city for supplies of corn, flour, etc, In
retaliation for their cruelty in destroy
ing train OF $50 wagons loaded with
government supplies and numbering
the teamsters. Companies OF soldiers
were from time to time detailed
to guard the trains that were
from time to time engaged
IN gathering up these sup
plies. We were astonished to see
such immense quantities OF produce
gathered so easily and promptly, all
grown by the people with the rudest
and most primitive agricultural im-
plements, and, apparently, without an
eftort--for it is seldom you see Mex
lcan at work.
A CAMPAIGN INTO TAMAULIPAs.
We remained in camp at Walnut
Springs until the middle of the follow
ing December, when Gen. Tayler'sen-
tire force was ordered to Join Gen
Scott's forces, which were preparing
to make move against Vera Cruz
The plans We're, however, changed,
and Gen. Tay Tor, with very small
norton of his army, returned from
Victoria TO Monterey, distance
OF 900 miles, and our regiment
was quartered in the city. Our march
! TO Victoria was an exciting and pleas.
ant one. That city was then and Ia
now the capital Of ramaulipas Ii
had about ten thousand inhabitants
| and was built and situated, like Mon
terey, In the valley at the foot of the
| Sierra Madre. IL was about the last of
| December when we arrived at and
| captured Victoria. The fruits had
| Tipened to perfection, and the valley
was filled with the perfume OF many
| flowers. They knew no summer or
winter here, but said II was
ONE PERPETUAL SPRING.
The enemy had evacuated this
city and left by several routes,
and several scouting parties were or
ganized to follow aud watch their
| movements. Gen. TAYLOR had been
left destitute OF cavalry, so these scout
\ ing parties were composed OF soldiers
who volunteered for the occasion, and
were mounted on old oast-on horses
mustang ponies, etc. Our party Of
eighteen was commanded by Lieut..
Pope, who commanded the Federal
army at one time IN the late war.
A LONG DAYS MARCH.
At the time Co whicp ] allude he
was a lieutenant Of Typographical en-
gineers. Ii was the first day OF January,
1877, that we sat out on our perilOus
trip the mountains. Lieut. Pope's
headquarters were trsly In the saddle
that day, for he didn't dismount OF
speak q word, except TO his Mexican
guide, during our ride nf about fifteen
hours. About noon we reached the
highest peak of the mountain. which
overlook d the city, every building OF
which was in plain view. What was
our establishment to find that Il had
showed and was still
SHOWING ON THIS HIoH PEAKS.
"a tough yaru,n the BOYS ctlled ii.
when we related the circumstance on
our return 10 camp that night; for their
part they had been bathing and aein-
ing for iish during the whole day.
On the march from Monterey 10 Vic
toria we passed several important
towns. Montemorales was beautiful
city, az the foot OF the mountains OF
some five thousand Inhabitants. Etis
situated IN the same rich valley here.
toiore described. Linares was another
beautiful city, short distance from
the mountains, and indeed yOn might
say that one description of a Mexican |
town Is a description of all, their man. |
ners and customs and architecture ali /
having been handed down from their /
Spanish ancestors.
now THE MEXICANs LIVE.
l will not 90 into details, but mem /
ton some few OF the peo0llaritles of \
the people that l noticed during our
stay among them we found sick
ness very uncommon among an class.
es, Their good health, no doubt, is
partly attributed 10 their diet which
Is OF the plainest kind and always
seasoned highly with peppers. Men.
women and children use tue chilli