Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-02-25
Written for the Iron County Register.
The Volunteers in Mexico.
BY AN OLD MEXICAN VETERAN.

Next day, when the march began.
We all felt pretty sore and stiff from
our thirty-mile tramp, but after awhile
we got ljmbered up, and made pretty
fair time. Some Of the boys were sick
and some, suppose, played sick. to
get to ride in the forage wagons. which
hauled good many that day. Gen.
Pillow was in one of his ill-humors
that day, and talked pretty rough to
the "invalid corps" One of the men,
a member of Capt. Fosters company
Tennessee Regiment, commanded by
Col. CampbelD "sassed back" and
Gen. Pillow had him tied behind the
wagon he had been riding in. Capt.
Foster heard of it soon after, went
back and cut his man loose, and order
ed him to the company. In the even
ing when Gen. Pillow heard of this,
he was very wroth, and sent for Capt.
Foster. The Capt. W as son of Ephraim
H. Foster, prominent member of the
Wing party, and at one time the old
man came near being the candidate of
his party for Governor of Tennessee.
When Capt. Foster came to the Gen
erals tent the latter gave him Hail
Columbia for releasing the soldier from
the wagon. and our Captain, who was
high-spirited man, didn't fail to give
him as big words as he sent. Col.
Campbell backed his captain, and a
regular row ensued, much to the de-
light of the high privates who stood
off little distance and heard it. Near
ly all sided with Capt. Foster. The
quarrel between the officers was never
made up. Two years after that, when
we had all returned to Tennessee, there
was an election for U. S. Senator, and
as it was an "off'' year in politics, Ten
nessee on full vote was Whig,) the
General Assembly stood Democratic
by four majority on joint ballot. Sem
ator Bell, whose time was about to ex-
pire, was the Wing candidate, while
Gen. Pillow was nominated in caucus
by the Democrats, and it seemed GER
tain he would be elected. But some of
the old Mexican soldiers were among
the Democratic members. and when
the vote was announced, behold, six
blank ballots appeared, re-electing
Senator Bell. So Gen. P P.llow paid fnll
price for his ill-temper that hot day on
the march to Tampico.
Two or three days before our arrival
at Tampico we got into a better look
ing country and began to pass small
villages, and now and then q patch of
ground having the appearance of some
sort of cultivation, presented itself to
our view. The people had wild and
savage look. and were, mostly, as black
as negroes; but their features had no
appearance of the negro race, and their
hair was long and as straight as an ar
row. We reached Tamp.co about the
last of February or first days OF March.
The U. s. troops, under the command
of Maj j.-Gen. Patterson, were already
in possession of the city, and it was
guarded by squadron of the navy, ,un-
der Com. Connor. Tampico is not on
the Gulf proper, but on a bay or small
arm of the Gulf, and in plain view OF
the sea. The bay is deep and the larg-
est vessels run right up to the dock at
the city. Tampico is certainly the fin
est city I saw in Mexico. What the
populat ation was at that time have no
idea There were a great MANY citi-
zens of the United States residents in
the place. One of the largest stores /
saw was owned by a man who lived in
the United States, and he seemed to
be doing large business. Our camp
was located on the beach, where the
bay makes out from the Gulf. Here
we got acquainted with another kind
of Mexican enemy, and it was not a
two-legged enemy. either, but six
legged one the singing scorpion.
They are from two to three inches
long; of dark brown color, and have
three legs on each side, and when
crushed have an offensive smell. Their
home is under the bark of old decayed
logs, and they all seem to have q nat
ural tendencv to run up fellows
pants legs next. to the skin when he
takes seat on an old log; and can
sting about sixty times q second. II
any man wants to know how quick he
can get up Off log, just let one oi