The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico--1846; including Skirmishes with the Mexicans, and an accurate detail of the Storming of Monterey; also the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista together with anecdotes, incidents, descriptions of country, and sketches of the lives of the celebrated partisan chiefs, Hays, McCulloch, and Walker. Page: 18
251 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.View a full description of this book.
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18 PUNISHMENT OF SMUGGLERS.
armed. The next day a drum-head court-martial was held, and
they were condemned and sentenced to be rode on a rail, and then
to leave the island in one hour afterwards. The men were either
Spaniards or Italians, and two more cut-throat looking dogs we
never saw. In default of a rail, however, a plank was procured,
and they were bound, and made to straddle the edge of it; a file
of soldiers escorted them on either side, while the music in the rear
struck up the ( rogue's march," and thus, to the evident delight
of the men, they were drummed out of camp, and escorted down
to their vessel. They bore their punishment with the most sulky
indifference. But as an Irishman was heard to exclaim afterwards-(
If ye only knew how those thieves of the world was
cursing on ye's now, it would make ye say yer prayers."
We had now been on the island some ten days, and the men
were becoming very much dissatisfied, and anxious to march to
some more agreeable position for health, as well as comfort. The
island was truly a most dreary and disagreeable place, and equally
as bad as the Great Sahara desert, for whenever it blew a gale of
wind at night, we would find ourselves next morning completely
covered with sand, which would drift in clouds before the wind,
and sweep into our tents.
On the 19th, the long looked-for orders arrived, and we struck
tents for Burita. As we had no baggage wagons, the quartermaster
furnished transportation for our camp equipage by the
steamer Frontier, which was to go round by the mouth of the Rio
Grande. The troops took up the line of march along the shore
until we reached the Boca Chica, four miles from camp, and which
we crossed without difficulty. We then continued on, still keeping
the shore, until we arrived at the mouth of the Rio Grande,
which is five miles from the Boca Chica. The day was intensely
hot, and the men frequently had to stop and rest,the burning sand
blistering their feet, which made the march extremely fatiguing.
Once at the mouth, however, we were repaid for all our sufferings.
The fresh, cool water of the Rio Bravo was most grateful in
quenching our thirst. Green fields met the eye, which were rendered
more pleasing from our long detention on the desert island;
and the neat little rancho on the opposite side of the river, furnished
us with a supply of fruit, milk, and tortillas, or flat corn
cakes baked on stone.
The steamer, which was deeply laden with military stores and
our baggage, was now seen slowly coming round the coast, though
evidently labouring very much, for there was a heavy sea on, it
blowing very fresh at the time. On nearing the mouth of the
river, she struck on thehbar in the midst of the breakers. Two
launches were soon despatched to her assistance, and the sick sol
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Reid, Samuel C., Jr. The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico--1846; including Skirmishes with the Mexicans, and an accurate detail of the Storming of Monterey; also the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista together with anecdotes, incidents, descriptions of country, and sketches of the lives of the celebrated partisan chiefs, Hays, McCulloch, and Walker., book, 1859; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38096/m1/20/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.