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: 32
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32 REYNOSO AND COMARGO.
It was now about 5, P. M., and the captain of the boat determined
to discharge a portion of the freight, so as to enable us to
proceed. To give one an idea of the serpentine bends of the
river, although we were fifteen miles from Reynoso by water, yet
the town was only one mile and a half off by land, and we could
plainly see the spire of the church, and the tops of the houses!
Lieut. McM, 'len and ourself determined to ride back to town, and
if it was practicable, to go up by land. So we took our horses on
shore, and saddled up. The town is quite neat, and is prettily
laid off; the houses are principally built of a gray stone, many of
which had been injured by the late flood; the church stands out
in bold relief on the river side of the plaza, fronting towards it.
Here we found the 1st infantry encamped, the officers of which
kindly asked us to stay to supper, which we did. After talking
over the news, and partaking of some of Mr. Murphey's " whisky
toddy," having concluded to remain on the boat, we started to
return, Lieut. H., of the 1st, accompanying us.
It was now late, and the night very dark, and after riding about
a mile or so, we found that we had taken the wrong road. We
then turned back, and discovering a light, we rode up to it, and
found two little shepherd boys, miserably clad, lying by a fire,
whom we obtained to show us the road to the steamboat. After
paying them, seeing that the poor boys trembled with the cold
night air, we offered them a drink of liquor, which the eldest
seemed to relish very much. One could not help but pity the little
fellows; they were used to hardships, however, for a roof seldom
or never covered their heads.
Having discharged a large portion of our freight, which was left
in charge of Capt. Chapman and his company, we got under
weigh at daylight, on the morning.of the 17th, and succeeded in
getting over the bar, and were once more on our way for Comargo,
which is about 130 miles from Reynoso. The afternoon was
cloudy, with rain, and as the navigation was difficult, we lay by
all night. The next day, at 3, p. M., we enterd the mouth of the
river San Juan. The scenery here is wild and rugged, the banks
being very high and steep, for the river had fallen very much since
we left Matamoras. Three miles from the mouth, we stopped at
Clay Davis's place, on the east bank of the Rio Grande, called the
"City of the Rio Grande," a beautiful situation, and the best point
on the river. Whatever the city is to be, time will tell; it now,
however, contained only a few huts.
Some two miles above the city of Rio Grande, on the left bank
of the San Juan, is situated the town of Comargo, which but a few
weeks ago was one of the finest built towns in this section of
country, and contained a population of nearly three thousand.
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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/m1/35/: 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.