Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/155

Rh among this bill, but I don't think that they are with this lot of to-day's arrival.

In the evening the Illinois company that went out after came and the guerillas, returned without bringing in any dead guerillas, but brought with them two dead soldiers that were killed yesterday. They were buried, wrapped up in their blankets, with all the honors of war, on a small hill opposite our camp.

To-night there is a rumor in our camp that the Mexican Congress, after the defeat of Gen. Santa Anna at the battle of Cerro Gordo, passed a series of resolutions, threatening vengeance and war to the knife, and to the last extremity. "War without pity and death" will be the motto of our brave Mexican soldiers, determined to die before yielding an inch of Mexican soil to the Yankee invaders.

We have heard of this kind of bragging and boasting of what they intended to do before, and, as a fellow said, we are beginning to get used to their boasting.

We are all anxious to meet Gen. Santa Anna's army in their threatening and determination to push the war on. We are also anxiously awaiting for the word of command to go forward and meet the Mexicans wherever and whenever it suits them to give us battle. The sooner we get orders to march toward their much boasted and admired capital of Mexico, the better we will be satisfied, for our men would sooner fight the enemy than be lying here in this camp of misery.

To-night is chilly, and rain beating down on our shanties.

Saturday, May 1, 1847.—This morning we were mustered into the United States service for the third time, and, of course, it was naturally supposed that we would all get paid off, as we have not yet received one ciento (cent) since we are in the United States army.

After our muster we were dismissed, and I am sorry to say that not a word was said about pay, so we were all sadly disappointed.