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: 83
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CAMP AT CHINA. 83
rear-guard had been, and saw several of their camp-women still
there, who had been left behind in their hurried retreat. A dense
smoke was raised by these women, soon after we passed, as a
signal for their spies, who were supposed to be secreted in the hills.
This is one of the means of the Mexicans for making signals to
each other in time of war, as the smoke can be seen many miles.
There was much plunder and other property in the camp of the
women, but we passed without molesting them, and proceeded to
the town of China.
CHAPTER IX.
Camp at China-The School-house-Our return March-A Family up a
Tree-We proceed to Passa Sacat6-Trinidad Alderet-Encampment in
the Prairie--McCulloch's Story of his father's Compass-Camp on the San
Juan-How to keep dry-Rancho Grande-The old Texian's true StoryOur
return to Comargo.
ON again entering the town of China, on the morning of the
5th, we encamped in a large yard of one of the main buildings,
having a good wall around it, near the plaza. Here we unsaddled
our horses, and sent some Mexicans after corn arid fodder; and
being worn-out, sleepy, and hungry, we concluded to stay until
the next day. We had already loitered away the morning in the
fruitless pursuit, and in attending to our horses, so that it was twelve
o'clock before we got any thing to eat. But that day afforded us
the treat of a good dinner, for we had plenty of mutton, chickens,
and tortillas. In the building adjoining, were two quite pretty
women, who were very kind to us, and told us that Col. Seguin,
who had once commanded a company of Texians at the " battle
of San Jacinto," had only left the town after the report of the gun,
and had taken some men and gone out to ascertain its cause, not
expecting us until the next day. Had our company, then, not
been arrested in their course by the alarm, they would have
reached the bank of the river, and thus cut off the retreat of his
rear-guard. The country which we have passed through is very
fine; the hills are very high, and in the distance there are several
mountains visible, which give to the whole a splendid appearance.
The town of China is quite small, not containing over 1500 inhabitants.
It has a neat little church, and the alcalde's house is
a fine building; but his honour took good care not to show
himself to us. Near the plaza is also a school-house, the first we
ever saw in Mexico. Out of curiosity, we paid the school-master
a visit. The school contained about twenty or thirty little ragged
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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/m1/87/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.