Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/143

Rh same battery Gen. Twiggs planted on the night of the 17th inst. It, of course, was my lot to be one of the detailed. We started, and after arriving at Gen. Twiggs' field of operation, we were struck with astonishment how our men ever got this heavy artillery up this steep hill, in fact so steep that we were several times obliged to take hold of the branches of trees and bushes to pull ourselves up.

After arriving on the battle-field, we had the pleasure of witnessing an unsightly scene. The Mexican wounded were strewn all over the field; some with their arms and legs off, some shot almost in two and still gasping, some with their entrails hanging out, screaming with pain and agony, begging for a gota de aquas (a drop of water); we gave them water out of our canteens, and eased them of their misery all we could. Some of the dead had their heads shot off and whole sides ripped open, and others were mutilated in the most ghastly manner. It would puzzle the best artist in the world to paint the picture in its true light, or as we saw it. We saw the paroled Mexicans hunting up their dead and wounded comrades; to some of the dead they gave a decent burial, and the wounded they took proper care of; others of the dead they gathered in heaps and burned. The wounded were taken up and put in the ambulance wagon and taken to the hospital. In one place we saw no less than fifteen dead Mexicans laying all in one pile. Thus it is plainly to be seen that the twenty-four pounder played havoc among the enemy.

We also saw the body of the gallant Mexican Gen. Vasquazes. He was shot through the head. He was lying exposed to the hot sun, and was bloated up in an awful state; and, I regret to state, that some of our moral soldiers, who, after the battle of yesterday were sent out to bring in our dead and wounded soldiers, not only rifled his pockets, but took off his boots and all his mountings. In fact nearly all the dead Mexicans had their pockets turned inside out, to see whether they had anything in them. This thieving operation on the dead seems to be the custom among all victorious