Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-01-30
ORIGIN OF THE WORD eREAsER.

Old Fogy in the Optic.
parson Brush, as quoted in the
Weekly Optic, is correclN The word
'greaser" did originate inlhe Mexican
war of as. Itwas not, however, given
given by the volunteer army of GEN
eral Taylor as stigmatic slur upon
the people of Mexico We had too
much respect for them, as they fought
us like the devill The word now used
by tender-footed ''gringos" as a re-
proach, or taint, originated wholly in
fun and frolic incident to the vagaries
Of soldiers life.
Soon after the battles of Palo Alto
and Resaca, the month of July, '46,
found us pleasantly enjoying the oc-
cupancy of the pretty little city OF
Matamoras. General Taylor, with the
bulk of mis- veteran army of occupa-
tion, was pursuing his invasion up the
Rio Grande in the direction Of Cam
argo, Mier and Monterey, leaving the
untried volunteer troops to guard his
depots of supplies at Point Isabel,
Brazos, Santiago and MftaIDoras. At
the latter point, all were daily and
constantly employed receiving and un-
loading army stores brought by
crafts, from a man of war to a fore
and aft schooner. On the arrival of
transport, a detail of troops was
made to report at once for fatigue
duty to the Quartermaster to COM
missary and these troops, together
with hosts Of Mexicans hired and
honestly paid by the day, marched to
the steamer, or bark, to unload the
same. Among a thousand and one
things, from q twenty-four pound
howitzer to a saddle blanket received
for the use Of the army, none were
more numerous OF unpleasant to
handle than sacks Of bacon. With
the thermometer at 120 degrees in the
shade. it is easy to imagine The appear
ance and condition Of a lot Of men
after a days toll handling a steam
boat OF greasy bacon. What, with
the physical exercise under a broiling,
tropical sun, the perspiration running
in torrents, the salty oil oozing and
dripping from the sack of bacon on
your shoulder, to the soies OF your
feet, it was not long ere the comical
appearance of such a crowd excited
the imaginative humor Of a volunteer
Wag to give it name.
Good, kind, chiyairic Colonel Gray
son. the same stationed in Santa Fe
during the SOS, was our chief commits
sary Of subsistence and his employees
ald the troops assisting them, were
indiscriminately dubbed "Grayson's
greaser brigade" The sobriquet was
applied by a witty army correspondent
for the New Orleans Picayune, known
as 'Tobin, Us well as to the American
as the Mexican, for all were working
in harmony together and looked
greasy and dirty enough, God knowsl
General Taylor's siQge and capture
Of Monterey and General WOODS occu-
patton Of Saltilo sooN drew all SUI
plus volunteers to the interior, to
replace the regular troops withdrawn
by General Scott to invest the walled
city OF Vera Cruz. This left the Mex
ican boys at Matamoras masters OF the
drudgery OF receiving and unloading
supplies alone, and the name, ''greaser
brigade" >" naturally stuck to them (but
only in the army from that day, to
this. The name did not originate
through the filthy nature or habits Of
the Mexican people, but though hard
work, honest toll in our behalf, and the
would-be witty whims Of a frolicking
correspondent The good Jesuit
fathers taught the Mexican people 300
years ago that cleanliness was next TO
gOdliness, and they have never forgot