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: 44
251 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.View a full description of this book.
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44 ADVENTURES ON THE LINARES BOAD.
pie. How absurd that policy has been, the experience of the campaign
has since exhibited. To us, however, the policy of the
government was nothing. Our second-lieutenant, James Allen,
acting-commissary, had his saddle-bags well filled with specie, to
purchase all the forage and provisions we needed on the road.
Our orders were most strict, and most strictly did we obey them;
and, as far as our own knowledge extends, we do not know of an
instance where a single article was procured without they were
remunerated by more than twice its value. The next morning,
after leaving the rancho, we followed the Reynoso road until we
were out of sight of the rancheros; then altering our course to the
south, struck across to the Linares road. This was the route followed
by Arista's army in its flight, and he seemed to have chosen
it because it was the one least likely to be followed by the Americans
in pursuit. It leads over a rough barren country, which is
nearly destitute of water, and is almost impracticable for an army,
which is compelled to move like ours, accompanied by large trains
of heavy baggage wagons. During the day, the horse of one of
our party became so lame that it was found impossible for him to
proceed further, and the man was consequently compelled to return
to Matamoras. The incidents of the day were rather of a cooling
than an exciting nature, for we were visited by frequent showers
of rain, which soaked us to the skin. But although it thoroughly
wetted our bodies, it could not dampen our spirits, and we rode on
our way as merrily, with song, and laugh, and jest, as if, instead
of riding on a perilous scout, we had been gayly trooping to a
wedding or a fair. Just before daylight, on the third morning
after our departure, our sentinels challenged a party of Mexicans
who were travelling to Matamoras. Our camp was immediately
upon the road-side, and of course no one could travel it without our
knowledge and consent. Capt. McCulloch and several of the men
were saddling the horses previous to an early start, and when the
sentinel hailed, McCulloch rode out to see the party. "Quien
vive ?" challenged the leader of the ranchero party. " Amigos,"
replied McCulloch, riding up. "Nuestros amigos-los malditos
Americanos," cried the ranchero, presenting his escopette at McCulloch's
breast. " Saddle up, men, and follow me !" shouted he, as
he charged at once into the astonished group of Mexicans. They
fled in consternation at finding a large party, where they expected
to see only a few men, and bolted at top speed for the chaparral,
which was only a few hundred yards distant from the road. Right
happy was it for them that they possessed so much the advantage
of the start, and a knowledge of the ground over which they ran,
for there was hot blood at their heels, and half a dozen reckless
fellows, mounted on the fleetest horses in the company, followed
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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/m1/48/: 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.