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: 27
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THE FRENCH BAKER. 27
The next day, our company left for Reynoso, but lying ill at
the time, we were prevented from accompanying it. In a few
days after, our first-lieutenant, John McMullen, came down with
despatches, and in the mean time the river having risen very
high, from the recent heavy rains overflowing the banks, the
roads were rendered impassable. Steamers now, however, were
actively employed in transporting military and commissary stores
to Comargo, which had lately been garrisoned by a part of the
troops of the second division, and we would thus be enabled to go
up by the river. Calling on the commanding general soon after our
recovery, to ascertain the chances of transportation, he remarked,
after some pleasant conversation, that he was perfectly deluged
with letters, and that much of his time was occupied in making
replies. And, sir," said Gen. Taylor, smiling, as he handed us
two letters, "to show you the diversity of subjects that I am called
upon to respond to, you may look at these." One of the letters
was from a boy, fourteen years of age, giving a sort of history of
himself and family, and who desired to enlist in the service, and
had written to the general to ask his advice on the subject! The
other was from an Irish woman, who wanted to know if her son
Mike was killed, as she had not heard from him since the late
battles. We feel sure that such letters would not have received
attention at Washington, but both of them were answered by the
general, carrying out the maxim that nothing is beneath the attention
of a great man; and we left him, impressed with the great
goodness of his heart.
In Matamoras, there lives an old Frenchman, who keeps a
bakery. Many years ago, he lived in New Orleans, and on entering
into conversation with him, he told us he had married in
Matamoras, and now had grandchildren. We saw one of his
married daughters, who was well educated, and far superior to
any Mexican woman we had yet met. She was rather pretty
and quite engaging. They owned a very large garden opposite,
filled with fruits and flowers which were most beautiful. The
lady took us over, and showed us through the garden, and took
evident pleasure in explaining to us the names of them in Spanish.
She said, that next to her children she thought of her flower-garden;
that she had often heard of our fine gardens in the United
States, and had longed to see them. She picked a large white
double rose, which she said was called the 6 "Queen of Spain,"
and presented it to us, remarking, as she looked up at the green
oranges, " When our fruit gets ripe you must come to see us, for 1
hope by that time the war will be over."
On Sunday, the 12th of July, we attended mass with some officers,
and returning from the chapel, we fell in with two surgeons
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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/m1/30/: 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.