The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944 Page: 326
456 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
A MEXICAN WAR LETTER
Edited by MARJORIE CLARK
Monterrey, Mexico
Oct. 8th, 1846
[Mrs. M. H. Clark
Montgomery, Ala.
Care of Capt. Long-Montgomery, Ala.]'
Dear Mother:
I suppose you are by this time quite anxious to hear from Elijah and
myself again. I believe it is now about a month since I wrote to you, it
having been about that time since I left Comayo for this place. Since
leaving Comayo for this point I have had but little time for any other
business than that pertaining to my present occupation. I had an expedi-
tious but uninteresting trip from Comayo to Chinco the place of destina-
tion from the former place. I found the country broken and less desirable
than any over which I had previously passed. I rather expected to have a
sight of the enemy on the way, but was disappointed. I reached Chinco
in safety, and after two days tarry started for this city. The latter part
of our road was speedily accomplished, the men being stimulated by the
information that we would certainly have to fight at this place. The
country between this point and Chinco is very picturesque, and in many
places fertile. The mountains came in view some seventy or eighty miles
distance from this place, and they are still ahead of us. Indeed we are
surrounded by mountains. This place is built immediately at their base,
it has a valley adjourning of many miles in extent, of the richest soil, and
abounding in every thing necessary for the subsistance and comfort of
man. All kinds of tropical fruits are found here, and never since I left
New Orleans have I feasted so upon the good things of this earth. Nature
has done much in every way for this quarter of the world. A beautiful,
swift running and clean stream skirts the city on two sides from which the
inhabitants, by means of many small and indifferent ditches water their
gardens, and clean their streets. The climate is fine and the soil equal to
any on earth, and with proper cultivation would yield enough to support
fifty times the number of inhabitants. With a little work added to the
natural defences of the place, it might almost bid defiance to the world.
With all of these blessings and advantages however, the people are the
most worthless I have ever fallen among. They exhibit some industry,
in fact considerable but in almost all of the avocations of life they seem
to be about fifty years behind us. When I see what sort of people they are
in their every day businesses, I am some what surprissed that they do so
well (bad enough 'tis true) here. That is that they did prepare a place
so well for attack as they have this. They have some intellegent men
among them here, but I attribute this success in preparation for war
more to the knowledge and skill of their hired officers of foreign nations,
than to any mind of their own. Be this as it may, be however they had
prepared very well here for our reception and they fought better than I
supposed they would.
We arrived here on the 19th of September and a part of us rode up in
'The letter bears this outside address.326
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 47, July 1943 - April, 1944, periodical, 1944; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146054/m1/359/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.