A month had elapsed since the occupation of Mazatlan, and we had all
been busily employed upon the fortifications, and in acquiring a little
knowledge of our new duties on shore: we dropped the sailor and assumed
the soldier; forgot all about rigging and ships; talked of roll-calls,
reveilles, parades, countersigns, drills, sections, ditches, and
parapets; the officers of the day, too, appeared in red silk sashes
round the waist, with swords at their sides--sat in guard-rooms--sung
out, "Sergeant, let that man pass," or, "Corporal, let the fatigue
parties fall in"--quite like generals of division. I had only been a
week in barracks, at the Cuartel, and getting initiated in the mysteries
of soldiership, when, the fever making sad havoc among our ranks, I was
ordered to relieve the company stationed at the Garita, where the
illness had been unusually severe. The position was a conical eminence,
within three hundred yards of the sea beach, nearly surrounded by
lagoons, and entirely commanding the main road to the port. The hill was
originally owned by a gentleman, who, after building a decent little
balconied dwelling thereon, for a summer retreat, eventually had the
satisfaction of removing his family thence, in carts, to the more
wholesome air of the town. In consequence of its unhealthy situation,
caused by miasma that arose from the stagnant pools below, it was not
considered a desirable post, notwithstanding its pretty location; and I
may as well add, that out of one hundred and seven officers and men who
had been stationed there, I was the sole individual that was not taken
ill with fever during the six months of our stay. Previous to my
occupation, an energetic brother officer had already raised a
breast-high stone wall, and three guns had been planted in battery. It
was a place of much importance, and an equal degree of annoyance; for we
were obliged, with a small force of thirty men, to be extremely
vigilant, and were kept chattering, from morn until night, in examining
hundreds who were passing to and from the port. The house was filled
with fleas, too, whose attacks were far more troublesome than the
Mexicans; however, after a hard war of six weeks, constantly deluging
the floors with salt water, they migrated in a body, and we were never
again molested. Workmen came, re-plastered and washed the walls,
repaired windows and doors, restored cook-house and stable, so that in
the end we found ourselves more pleasantly quartered than in any other
position in town, and had no wish to leave. At the same time large
working parties were detailed daily from the main barracks, who were
employed digging a deep, wide ditch, throwing up an embankment, and
raising a heavy stone wall immediately around what the peasantry
designated our _casa blanca_--white house.
During this period the military force outside committed robberies
unceasingly. A few miles beyond our lines the roads were strongly
guarded during the day, but at night were left open--the lancers and
cavalry retiring beyond our reach. Our force was too small to occupy the
roads permanently, without imprudently weakening the garrison of the
town; consequently, those thieving gentry, under the name of _alcobala_,
levied tribute in the most impartial manner, upon all their poor
countrymen alike. We had frequently gone out in small ambuscading
parties in hopes of picking off a few of the ladrons, but without any
success. Scarcely a single individual out of hundreds who passed the
Garita but had some bitter curses to lavish upon the _lanceros_; even
the poor women occasionally were muleted in their petticoats, until at
last they all became exasperated, and many volunteered to conduct us to
the retreats of their tormentors. The services of one brave paisano were
called into requisition, who had been robbed of his hogs, which being
valuable property among the peasantry, and his revenge being warm, we
thought he could be trusted, and indeed a staunch and valuable ally he
ever afterwards proved. The expedition was under command of Captain
Luigi, and with fifty-five men we left the Cuartel, without beat of
drum, at nine in the evening. Leaving the main road at the Marisma, we
entered a pathway, closely sheltered by trees and foliage, and after two
hours rapid marching, halted at a cluster of ranchos by the roadside.
Here we could only learn that the Mexican cavalry had passed by at
sunset; but during an examination of one of the huts, we laid violent
hands upon a rude squint-eyed youth, who though half naked, and
apparently stupid, had a bag of dollars tied up in the tail of his
shirt; him we interrogated with a bayonet at his throat, and there were
sufficient symptoms of intelligence in him left to assure us that if he
himself were not attached to the party we sought, he knew the bivouac.
With a _riata_ around his neck, and carefully guarded, we again
advanced. Four miles beyond, we reached the encampment; it was situated
in a flat little meadow, a few feet lower than the road, and girdled
nearly around by the gully of a water-course that hemmed it in on all
sides. Our march had been so silent as not to create alarm, and strange
to say there was not a sentinel awake. Embers of the watch-fires gave
sufficient light to distinguish the sleeping figures of the troops, with
horses picketted near. We divided our forces into two parties, one
commanding the pathway to the meadow, whilst the other poured in a
deadly fire, and immediately charged across the ravine. Taken completely
by surprise, they jumped up in great consternation, and in their flight
received the bullets from our remaining muskets; before we could reload
they were flying, like so many ghosts, across the field, leaving
everything behind. On gaining the bivouac, we found it quite a
picturesque little glade, shaded by lofty forest-trees, and beneath,
were a number of bough-built huts, verging on the rivulet that crossed
the road. We counted eight dead bodies: one poor youth was breathing his
last. By the fitful light of a torch I tore open a bale of linen at
hand, passed some thick folds over the welling blood of his wounds,
placed a drop of brandy to his lips, and left him to die. They were
sixty in number, and we captured all they had--carbines, lances,
ammunition, horses, saddles, and clothing, besides their private
correspondence.
There was one incident connected with this _escaramuza_, which was a
source of deep regret to us. The wife and daughter of the commanding
officer had, very imprudently, been on a visit to the encampment. When
the attack commenced, they were sleeping in a hut, and immediately fled;
but the child, a little girl of ten years, had been grazed by a ball in
the foot, and told her mother the pebbles hurt her feet; the kind but
unfortunate woman ran back, in the thickest of the fire, for the child's
shoes, and, upon returning, received a mortal wound in the throat. She
was found by her friends, and died the following day--
"O! femme c'est a tort qu'on vous nomme timide,
A la voix de vos coeurs vous etes intrepide."
Loading our men with such articles as could be conveniently
transported, we burned or destroyed a large quantity of arms, munitions
and merchandize, and then began our march towards the port. Such a
motley throng as we presented! Some were laden, from the muzzles of
their muskets down to their heels, with every possible variety of
trumpery--bridles, sabres, flags, serapas, and even women's clothing;
others, mounted on several saddles, one a-top the other, with bundles of
lances and fluttering pennons secured to their horses. Our trusty guide,
in lieu of the purloined swine, had heaped bale upon bale on his horse
and individual person, until he appeared, in the midst of his plunder,
as if seated on a camel: our gallant captain had contented himself with
a key bugle, and a capacious uniform frock-coat, some sizes too large
for him: I did better--for, coming upon the dead body of an officer, I
removed a silver-bound saddle from his head, which, with silver-mounted
bridle, handsome sabre, and a few other articles, I appropriated to
myself. Indeed, I have never since wondered at the rage one feels for
abstracting an enemies' goods and chattels on similar occasions--such an
itching, too, beyond mere curiosity, to search people's pockets, that,
in a few more guerrilla excursions, I felt confident of becoming as good
a freebooter as ever drew a sword. Three months after this affair, I
became great friends with a Mexican officer to whom some of these
equipments belonged. He assured me there had been six golden ounces
concealed in the saddle, which I readily believed; for the leather-man,
who renovated it in the port, remained oblivious six weeks after
completing his task. Love-letters, miniature, and commission, I returned
to my friend; but the handsome sabre--on the blade of which is engraved,
_No me saques sin ras' a, no me embanes sin honor_--Draw me not without
cause, nor sheathe without honor--and saddle, I have retained, trusting
that El Teniente Lira will acquit me of any other motive than that of
possessing some trifling souvenir of our first meeting at Sigueras.
We reached Mazatlan at daylight, and after arresting two members of the
municipal junta, who were occupying a seat in the council, and who,
while expressing much sympathy for the Yankees, had written detailed
accounts of the distribution and strength of the garrison, I retired to
my cool cot at the Garita, and indulged in sleep.
Donning habiliments again towards evening, I mounted my horse, and in
riding to the plaza, had the happiness to make the acquaintance of the
fair wife of Telles, who was _en route_ for the Presidio. Agreeably to
request, I accompanied herself and suite beyond the Garita, when she
informed me that her liege lord was highly indebted for allowing his
weekly supply of cogniac to pass--because good liquids were rarely met
with at head-quarters--but that I would be doing him a service by
retaining a large amount of dunning billets, that passed through my
hands to his address. Promising to comply with the Colonel's wishes, I
bid his lady adieu; but I am sorry to add, that politeness to the
graceful senora was the innocent cause of my losing a beautiful horse;
for it was quite dark on reaching the port, and instead of going where I
originally intended, I paused a moment at the bowling alley, where,
meeting some officers of a British frigate, I gave the bridle to a
_lepero_ to hold, and passed into the building; but scarcely had we
crossed the threshold, when, startled by the report of fire-arms, we all
rushed out, and found the poor animal raining blood from a bullet in the
throat. The villain of a _lepero_ had shot him with a pistol from the
holsters. A group of kind-hearted young reefers did their best to
staunch the blood, and one little fellow even tied his trowsers around
the wound; but all was unavailing, and in ten minutes my spirited
blooded bay was dead. Oh! Mr. Smithers! you keep, a good ten-pin alley,
sing a good song, and your wife prepares good chocolate; you are,
together, good fellows; but you should never, O! Smithers! transform
your establishment into a knacker's yard. And you, my cruel _lepero_!
had I ever got a sight of you along that weapon you handled so well--ah!
I well nigh wept for sorrow that night, and did not recover my spirits
for a fortnight.
The _escaramuza_ at Sigueros was the means of keeping the roads free for
a few days; but in a fortnight the Mexicans had again taken position,
and though falling back some distance, were yet enabled to cut off all
communication with Mazatlan. The paisanos, as usual, complained sadly,
and asked protection. Accordingly, an expedition was planned, under the
guidance of a diminutive ranchero, who, after tracing paths and diagrams
on paper without end, in hopes his individual services could be
dispensed with, at last determined, with many misgivings, to lead the
way to his habitation, where a troop of lancers were wont to enjoy
themselves upon his bounty.
Early in the evening a battalion of an hundred marines left the
garrison, but had barely been gone an hour, when a lot of frightened old
women rushed to the Cuartel, and swore that a large body of troops were
landing from the estero, for the purpose of sacking the town. Rub-a-dub,
rolled the drums--the walls were manned--and rockets went fizzing and
bursting in the air, for assistance from the ships. Meanwhile, I was
despatched, with a small party, to inquire into the truth of the rumor.
After making a thorough examination along the river, and scaring the
last breath out of a poor fisherman, dying with fever, we were convinced
the report was merely a ruse, a sort of counter-irritant, attempted by
the town's people to alarm the troops outside, and call back our men.
The marines had marched by the beach; and at midnight, with thirty
muskets, I took the main route, and lay in ambush at the cross of the
Culiacan and Presidio roads, for the purpose of intercepting the enemy's
retreat, in case they fled towards headquarters at San Sebastian. For
nine hours we were nearly flayed alive by muskitoes, and only
recompensed for the torture by detaining some hundreds of people and
their beasts. It was quite diverting to observe a simple pedestrian,
stepping jauntily along, whistling blithely away--as the natives always
do when travelling alone by night--when a look-out, perched high upon an
overhanging branch, would utter a sharp _hist!_ the traveller would
falter, and perhaps thinking his fears had misled him, again pass on,
and while faintly resuming his chirrup, another energetic summons would
quite startle him, and ten to one but down he would fall, crossing his
breast, and ejaculating a pious _ave purisima_! A tap on the shoulder
would direct them in the thickets, where, squatting on the ground, they
never thought of moving until permission was granted. Just at daylight,
a stout brown _muchacha_ came tripping by, and unconscious of our close
proximity, seated herself on a rock, and unfolding a little bundle,
began to comb her locks and attire in a gala dress, either for the
Sunday mass, or to create a sensation upon entering the port. After
carefully arranging the _camiseta_, and whilst in the act of throwing,
as a woman only can do, her _basquina_,--a worsted petticoat--over the
shoulders, one of my ungallant scamps hit her a smart rap with a pebble.
Giving one terrified scream, and uttering a prayer to the Virgin, she
dashed up the road; but, encumbered by loose drapery, soon measured her
length, in the most ludicrous plight, upon the sand. We assisted her to
rise, and perceiving our lurking-place, she laughed heartily, after
indulging the gay sailor fellow who threw the stone with a specimen of
the sinews in her stout arms. The women were, almost invariably, the
vehicles for transmitting information concerning our designs in town, to
their friends outside; among our multiform duties at the Garita was that
of opening all correspondence and perusing the contents. It was
surprising how shrewd and accurate were many of their surmises, and the
tender regard they still evinced for their forlorn lovers--at least on
paper; and such imploring billets, too, from the banished _caballeros_,
for their faithless _amantes_ to join their fortunes in the camp, to rid
themselves of the hateful Yankees. Yet with all their coquetry they
still did their best to shield their former friends from danger, and so
cunningly, too, as to be difficult of detection. On a certain night,
while visiting the sentinels at the road, a negress came from the town,
and in reply to the hail, as was customary with the natives, replied,
_norte Americano_! On being told no one could pass before sunrise, she
retraced her steps, and in attempting to steal past by another path,
came near being shot, notwithstanding her cries of _norte Americano_!
Upon making a third effort some hours later, my suspicions were aroused,
and as we were desirous of preventing all egress at the time, to my
shame be it said, I ordered her searched. Nothing was discovered, and to
repay her for the indignity she had experienced, I gave her a kindly and
paternal pat on the wool--there was the object of our search! a little
crumpled bit of paper, on which was scrawled, _a la carrera, entre dos
luces, los gringos!_--be off: the Yankees will be upon you at daylight!
But neither threats nor entreaties could induce the black courier to
betray the writer.
Finding no signs of the Mexicans, we marched back to Mazatlan at noon.
The marines shortly followed, having surprised the _lanceros_, and taken
a number of horses, arms and prisoners. But a damp was thrown over the
affair, by their bringing in the body of our little ranchero friend,
Madariaga, who was accidentally killed during the fray. Poor fellow! he
was intelligent, and we drank out of the same cup. The day after, while
riding through the town, I saw tapers burning in a house, and upon
entering, there was stretched the corpse--still in his bloody
vestments--a bullet had entered behind one ear, and passed out at the
other. A crucifix reposed upon the breast, whilst a common flat-iron lay
on the stomach. Near by, his sister was gazing mournfully at the blue,
pinched face, while close behind her stood an inhuman virago,
anathematizing him from all the saints in the calendar, for having been
a _traidor y espia de los compatriotas_--spy upon his countrymen. The
Mexicans asserted that he had been deliberately assassinated, and
rejoiced that he had received a worthy recompense for his traitorous
conduct.