The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-12-12
MISTAKES OF 4 NIGHT
AN EPISODE OF The MEXICAN WAR.

saddle mp. saddle up, bOysm
With these words, enforced by a
variety of physical exhortations, good
naturedly applied. by the wide awake
seargeant Of the guard, we were sud
denly aroused from our much needed
slumbers, after long and toilsome
days ride in the chaparral. Awak-
ened thus by the cheerful voice of the
officer, | threw aside my blanket, and
hailed him:
Nv What's up now. Sergeant"
Our scouts have come in. sir, with
good news" he answered, hurriedly
Them sneaking varmits are this mo-
mentor, rather, were an hour ago,
fast asleep IN the ruined rancho of
Ramos-and the old mans after them
with sharp sticks, sir" and passing
| quickly from group to group Of the
Ranger biyOUac, the sergeant turned
out the weary fellows with his reveille
shouts
We were a party OF Texas boys, who
for three days past had been securing
the thorny chaparral, on a hunt for
the guerilla band of the notorius
| Mocho, or One Handed" Martinez.
| This ontlawed rogue had been Civ
| ing Us much tronble of late. as neither
a provision train, nor mail express,
could pass the road unmolested by
him. without a considerable escort.
Aud we Rangers, on whom most of
this kind OF hard service devolved,
had scarcely been allowed days rest
in camp, for weeks.
We had just returned from Comar
go to Monterey, in charge of a specie
| and provision train, when, after one
nights rest. we were ordered out
again. Oh the service we were engag
ed in We cheerfully threw ourselves
into our saddles.- this kind of work
suited us much better than protecting
the slow moving trains, where we were
continually enveloped in clouds of
dust In fact, bushwhacGing in the
mountains, and through the chaparral
much better suited Us, than any other
kind Of service; and while employed
in il, we were never disposed to com
plain And to have a good. lively tus
Sic with guerillas, we willingly passed
days and nights in the saddle.
1t was now about two hours past
midnight: and in less time than |
could describe it, every horse was
saddIed, every blanket shook out.
rolled up, and tied to its owners sad
die, the roll was called, and we were
on the road. in the direction Of hamOs
We were no little surprised, to learn
that the gueri]las had got in our rear;
for the afternoon previous, We had
halted on the same ground; and sup
posed from the signs we discovered
in the dust, that they wera still in the
| advance. Possibly, however, in the
night they might havedoubled on us,
and wele thus trying to evade us.
Our scouts. who had been out all
night. had discovered the camp fires
Of about two hundred guerilIas. as
was supposed. about three or four
leagues from where we had biv
ouacked
We were about fifty men;-and
| though greatly inferior In numbers
| to lhem. wore more than their match
in point of arms; and had always con
sidered ourselves good for at least
! four times our numbers OF them. This
good opinion Of our prowess, had been
established in almost every fight we
! had had with the Mexicans during the
campaign,-and spurring OCr Jaded
horses into rapid trot, we were soon
within a little distance of the ruined
rancho.
Here halt was ordered, and Cap
tain Greyson, calling me to him, di-
rected me to accompany Sergeant
Hardlnann and Private Bill Simms IN
a reconnaissance Of the guerilla's
camp; while he proceeded to make his
arrangements for the attack.
Dismounting. therefore. and giving
our horses in charge of the Rangers,
| already selected as the horse guards,
we quit the trail, and plunging into
the chaparral, moved cautiously to
gethpr, towards the fires. Our object
was to pass the rear of the place,
where their sentinels would be less
likely to detect cur approach than by
the road leading into the rancho,
The mOou had gone down before
our arrival: and guided only by the
light of the stars, partially obscured
by the floating clouds. our progress
among the pricl,ly pears, bayOnet
plants. and euphorbia OF the thickets,
was not only necessarily slow, but ex
tremely painful to Sergeant Hard
mann and myself.
Bat Bill Simms, whose neither ex
tremities were encased in a pair Of
stout leathern calzones, the relic of
some one of his numerous guerilla en-
counters, strobe ahead. unmindful OF
these thOrny distractions
It was an undeserved compliment
on the part of Captain Greyson to
send me on this important service;
hut not 50 with my companions, who
were both old and experienced Texans
who. with much knowledge of the
habits of our chaparral enemies,
AMI tact in detecting their nun
bers and tlue position, also possesse t
much prudence and discretion; and
/ Bill Simms, il was said, could walk
! through an Indian or guerilla camp,
without SO much as arousinga a sleeper
| or exciting the suspicious of the sen
tineis
Cropping along. with outstretched
hands. and feeling our way through
the spikey underground, we noiseless-
" followed our comrade; and ap
preaching the edge Of the thickets,
had inst caught the CLEAN of several
smoldering camp fires, in what had
been the plaza of the old rancho, when
Simms stopped suddenly, and with a
N-uttered exclamation. and gesture
of astonishment. motioned Us to come
up to him.
by hokey, boys" he exclaimed. iu
hurried whisper. as we reached his
side, we've tree'd a different sort OF
game than we've been hunting for
{ Why. how so?' asked the sergeant
How y repeated Simms. why
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