filth of the crew, were all horrible. The slaves would throw themselves around the boilers--the hands ditto; soldiers would trample and stumble over them; negroes would growl, soldiers curse, and the hands yelp--all forming a most delectable scene. Poor Wilson, from Maryland, a slave State, I pitied him from my whole heart! for he was sick all the way down, and to have to eat, drink, and sleep with a pack of cotton-field negroes, took him down effectually--but he lived through it to see harder times. Such is a soldier's life.

From New Orleans, we continued on up through wild and picturesque scenery three hundred miles, to Grand Ecore, and then, by a march of three miles, arrived one Sabbath afternoon at Camp Salubrity. Here, with twelve others, I was assigned to company "B." Two of these, Wilson and Inskeep, were men for whom I had formed an especial liking, and whom I shall have occasion again to mention.

Camp Salubrity was a collection of log-huts built by the soldiers, situated in a rich rolling country, interspersed with dark gloomy forests of pine, and well adapted to sugar and cotton. The original inhabitants, Spaniards and French, were giving way to an American population. The mild climate produces myriads of fleas, red-bugs, musquitoes and chamelions; the latter resembles our lizard in size and shape, is harmless, and occupies its time mainly in fly-catching. We were much annoyed by the fleas; these, however, were a light affliction compared to the red-bug-a sort of wood-tick that buries itself in the flesh, causing an intolerable itching, rendered tenfold more tormenting by scratching. The only alleviating remedy was to grease well the parts affected. For awhile, every evening at camp, might be seen men and women greasing for red-bugs, for when this was neglected a sleepless night was certain to ensue.

Our army officers are mostly a meritorious set of men; but, like all other human beings, have their failings. No kind of breeding will make gentlemen of naturally coarse-grained men. Officers of this class are generally tyrannical, and, as my experience taught me, almost invariably cowardly. It would be thought degrading in an officer to be in the least familiar with the men. He is never to address a soldier as Mr., but to use his surname only. In addressing an officer, a soldier must always call him by his title, and give the salute: his manner must be perfectly respectful and dignified, and he is never to enter the presence of his superiors except on business. Government designs that the officers should exercise a kind of fatherly care over the men, and those who do so, and many there are of this sort, win their love and gratitude.

All this is necessary to discipline. It is the same at sea with sailors and their officers. I will digress to give an anecdote I once heard, as tending to show how an act of condescension on the part of an officer astonishes an inferior. The late Lieutenant K. S. Woodward, of the revenue service, was pacing the deck of his vessel, when a knife, dropped from above, passed close by his head, and stuck quivering in the deck at his feet. The lieutenant reprimanded a sailor he saw aloft for his carelessness. He subsequently ascertained he had blamed the wrong man. On the first opportunity, he asked his pardon in the presence of his companions. The man was so flustered at such an unusual act on the part of his superior, that he

blushed and stammered to reply, but could not utter a word. An act like this wins the undying affection of the men, and they will follow such a man to the last.

Many of the young graduates of West Point are perfect tyrants; but a campaign of heavy marches, lying out at night, and undergoing other hardships, takes the wind out of the sails of these young gentlemen amazingly. Often have I had my blood boil to hear some one of these youngsters, for a mere trifle, order a gray-headed old soldier to undergo a most painful and ignominious punishment; yet there was no help for it-to resist an officer is a high crime, and to strike him, death. Tyrannical officers are hated like reptiles. If one is so gross as to be beneath the respect of his men, the position must be honored. Often have I heard soldiers, in speaking of such, say: "It is not him that I respect, but Uncle Sam's cloth which he carries on his shoulders !"

The washing for the men is done by laundresses, of which there are a few to each regiment. These are generally soldiers' wives, and usually possess rather questionable characters. Many a pure young girl, having become enamored of a good-looking soldier, has left home and friends to share his fortunes as a wife. For awhile she would continue a strictly chaste and lovely woman; but life in a camp is polluting-temptations would come, and in a few short years she would be changed into a bloated, sottishly disgusting creature, too degraded for companionship with even the lowest of men. After a recruit is turned to duty, "guard" is the first he has to perform. In time of war, when near an enemy, it is the most responsible of all situations, for the safety of a whole army often depends on the vigilance of a single sentinel. It is a great military crime for one to be found sleeping on his post. Certain matters connected with the duty of a sentinel in standing post, require presence of mind: such as receiving aright the officer of the day, facing in the right manner, promptly giving his orders, hailing at night, recollecting the countersign, of whom to demand it, etc. Even old soldiers often get into trouble for allowing the officer of the day to come up before he hails, etc. When I first mounted post, I was under considerable trepidation lest I should blunder. As ill luck would have it, Major Allen, the officer of the day, came unexpectedly toward me; my heart was in my mouth, I trembled like an aspen, but managed to receive him aright. He asked, "What are your orders on this post, sir?" Bless my soul! I could not utter a word, though I tried with all my might; my chin quivered; my tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth, and I stood as mute as a dumb man. As it happened, the major was easy with the men, and relieved me by inquiring, "if I was a recruit ?" My tongue then obeyed me, and I answered, "Yes, sir." After admonishing me, he turned and left.

:

The next duty was "fatigue." Most of the time working parties were sent into the woods, to make shingles and clapboards for repairing the quarters. When I came off guard, I was ordered into the woods, and went at it with a will. One of the old soldiers saw me, and coming up, said, "That will never do; you must old soldier!" I asked him to explain. "You must," continued he, "be awkward with the axe, and act as though you had never chopped a stick in your life, otherwise these officers will kill you with

work." I now "smelt a mouse," and saw why the other soldiers were, as I had thought, lazy. I was ravenous that day, and could have eaten thres times my rations. Since I had enlisted, I had not been satisfied with but two or three exceptions. I often suffered from extreme hunger, and would beg food from the cook or of some of the old soldiers who lived on whisky. This working in the woods brought on untold pangs of hunger. Others suffered in the same way; many is the time I have seen men seize a dirty, mouldy biscuit that had been thrown away, and devour it with the eagerness of starvation. And thus it was with me, until I actually got starved down to a point that my full rations were sufficient. This was not under two years.

While here most of the hard stock deserted, so that we finally got winnowed down to a pretty repectable body of men. Lambert, the dirty German, tried to desert; not being very sharp, he was caught and sentenced to receive fifty lashes, which were administered one Sunday afternoon. He yelled most vociferously under the infliction, and was a much better soldier afterward.

In June, two events occurred: I was made corporal, and our regiment, the Fourth Infantry, was ordered to Texas, hostilities being threatened between us and Mexico. We soon left for New Orleans, glad to escape from that flea-bitten country, and, on our arrival there, were ordered into the barracks until the vessels should be ready. We were joined by the Third Infantry, and Bragg's company of artillery, afterward so famous at Buena Vista; the whole under the command of General Taylor.

In the latter part of July, we embarked to cross the gulf to Texas. The vessel which our regiment occupied was the Sophia, a slow sailer, very old, and a mere hulk. Not a berth was put up, and we were obliged to sleep on the decks, which were covered with filth. Our passage was a stormy one, and the crowding of so many between decks, and the filth consequent from so much sea-sickness, rendered it a very disagreeable voyage.

It was on the 15th of August, 1845, when we arrived and encamped at Corpus Christi. We remained there until the ensuing March. Corpus Christi, i. e., Body of Christ, was a miserable village of a few huts only, a mile or so south of the Nueces, and in a prairie country. By November, from additions to our forces, we were four thousand and fifty strong. It was the purpose of government to collect a large force here, to be ready for any emergency; but when we finally moved it had been reduced to a mere skeleton, from disease and death, and other causes-many sinking under the dysentery owing to the unhealthiness of the country.

A kind of disease prevailed among many of the men here, which was called moon-blindness. Its effects were very singular. Men laboring under it would be stone blind when the moon was shining brightly, while at all other times they possessed their sight as usual. The medical men could not account for it. Like the yellow-fever, cholera, Tyler-gripe, or any other epidemic, the characteristics, and not the cause of the disease, are ever known. Our camp was on a shell bank, and in hot weather the rays of the sun were reflected upon our persons by the shells with such intensity, that at times it seemed as if we should suffocate. The skin of the dark complexioned men became tanned, while that of the light complex

ioned men peeled off; and the whole army grew of almost negro blackness. Having a light skin, my face peeled, and I presume I shed the skin off my lips, cheeks and tip of the nose fifty times. This continued peeling at last. changed into a continuous sore-many being seen going round with patches of paper on their faces.

I never witnessed such severe thunder storms as here. A sentinel while one day walking his post with fixed bayonet was struck, his musket broken, the barrel twisted like an augur-bit, and, strange to say, the man was not killed. We lived in tents, and ours were old ones which, having been worn out in the Florida war, let in water like seives. We suffered terribly in the winter season from the cold rains and cutting winds.

I must relate a little incident that occurred while here, in which one of our drummer boys and General Taylor were concerned. This boy, Tatnall, by name, was often tipsey, and when so, uncontrollable in his propensity for practical jokes. A little after dark one evening, old Zack was sitting in his marquee, when Tatnall came along unperceived by any of the officers, and, being on a spree, was, as usual, on mischief bent; so he out with his knife, and rip, rip, went the cords of the general's tent, and before he had time to escape, down it went burying him in its folds. Tatnall then ran away at full speed. As Taylor's orderly was absent, when he had crawled out he came over to Garland's tent, where I was stationed as orderly, and got me to go with a detail of men and put things to rights. This being done and my men dismissed, he inquired of me, "if I knew anything of the fellow that did it?" Now, I had seen the whole transaction, and when Tatnall ran, he passed so near me that I recognized him. Not wishing to expose him, I evaded the question. "General, I did see some one run but the night is so dark that it is almost impossible to distinguish a man.” "The scoundrel!" exclaimed old Zack, "if I knew who it was, I would pull his ears sorely." And this was all that was said about it by that easy tempered old gentleman.

Time passed wearily at Corpus Christi-hard duty and plenty of it; a soldier must take things patiently, and, like a machine, cannot move except at the bidding of a master hand. We were glad when the order came to break up and march to the Rio Grande. We moved in two divisions: that of Twiggs on the 8th, and Worth's on the 11th of March, 1846. Our regiment was in the latter division. This was my first march, and also that of a large part of the troops. The first day was one of incredible fatigue to me, for I had on an ill-fitting pair of shoes, so that my feet were soon badly blistered, and I was also detailed to watch a soldier who was so beastly drunk that he required constant help. At night I was so lame and sore that I could not stir without excruciating pain. Thinks I, if this is the way it is to be, I will never get through; I shall die with misery!

The soldier usually carries on a march, his musket, weighing fourteen pounds; cartridge-box, if filled with ball, eight pounds; which, with belts, bayonets, scabbard, haversack, etc., in all make a weight of about twenty-six. pounds. Aside from these, is his knapsack, with overcoat, blanket and change of clothing, which brings up the total burden to over forty pounds. Generally we managed to get our knapsacks taken into the baggage wagons. A soldier on the march is bound up by his belts like a barrel, the cool air cannot circulate

under his thick woolen clothes, for he is not in a situation to throw open his coat to the bracing grateful breeze. We found the large men were the first to break down on a march. The light delicate fellows, that a stranger in such matters would suppose would be the first to give out, were the very men to move with the most rapidity, carry the greatest burdens, stand the longest marches, and endure the greatest hardships. It is on the principle seen through all nature-strength never increases in proportion to weight. The man who weighs two hundred pounds has eighty pounds more to carry than one who weighs one hundred and twenty, yet his strength to carry that increase is by no means in a like proportion. Small sized men for a campaign are always best.

When it comes to that especial duty for which soldiers are created, viz: fighting, a man should be, if possible, unincumbered, as much so as a laborer in a harvest field. How would it look for a farmer to order his hands upon his entrance into his fields of grain, to put on heavy woolen clothes; then to button them up to the throat over a thick leather stock, or dog collar; then to strap over these a parcel of belts; then, again, to pack all their clothing into a knapsack, and strap this on their backs? How much work would he get out of them? Yet this is precisely the way that a soldier has to do. Fighting in battle is the most laborious work that ever fell to the lot of mortal man, and it would seem as if one should be dressed accordingly. Sailors, who are differently situated, when they board an enemy's vessel, often strip everything but their trowsers.

The country between the Nueces and the Rio Grande is mostly prairie. One day we were entirely out of water. The part of the prairie we then marched over had been burnt by the Indians, and a fine, suffocating dust arose from the ashes and sand, which got into our mouths and nostrils, and added to our sufferings. Several dogs belonging to the officers perished for want of water, and it was feared that some of the horses would likewise die. In the midst of our choking thirst it seemed as if the fates had turned against us. About noon, when man and beast were nearly exhausted, we came in sight of two small and beautiful lakes. "Thank God!"-" Good! Good!”—“ Now, we'll drink!" was shouted out by the poor men, as each company and division came in sight of those glorious sheets--“ Water! water!" was the cry; and as it passed to the rear, "Water! my God! water!" was heard from a thousand dry and parched throats. The men began to quicken their pace; they broke their ranks in their haste to get to the delicious liquid. The officers tried to preserve order; but they might as well have tried to have stopped a herd of wild buffaloes. Each man rushed forward regardless of his neighbor, and ere they were within several hundred yards of the lakes a thousand tin cups had suddenly been unstrapped and fiercely clutched, ready to dip in the precious element.

On we go; now we ascend the little hillock on the edge of the lake; down we rush madly, blindly, into the sparkling fluid, and jump in where there will be no trouble to get our cups full. We dip--we raise it hurriedly and nervously to our mouths. Ye Gods! we dr-! No we don't! it chokes us; we can't swallow that stuff. "What in is that?" said an old sol

dier, who in his hurry had let some go down, and ere he had spoken the whole truth flashed on our minds. SALT! yes, SALT! and so much so