Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/156

150 At noon about one hundred soldiers, belonging to Col. Farris Forman's Third Illinois Regiment, and several of the First New York Regiment started out on a beef hunt.

I see by the papers that General Jose Marion Solas has issued a proclamation calling upon his fellow-citizens, by saying that he has obtained permission from his government to raise a Guerilla Corps, with which to attack and destroy the Yankee's invading army in every manner imaginable. "War without pity" and "death" will be the motto of the guerilla warfare of vengeance. Therefore, I invite all my fellow citizens, especially my brave subordinates, to rally around my (Solas) standard and enroll themselves for immediate action.

This kind of warfare is looked upon by all civilized people as an outrage on humanity. It seems that everytime the regular army of Mexico gets defeated and routed by our forces, one or more of the Mexican leaders will commence this mode of warefarewarfare [sic]. Ah! it will be the most sorrowful time that Mexico has ever known, and devastation and dismay will overspread the land if this kind of warfare is allowed to go on. It would have been our duty to massacre the five thousand prisoners taken at Vera Cruz, and the three thousand or more taken at the battle of Cerro Gordo; and for the sake of humanity we, for the interest of this unfortunate country and its people, hope that Gen. Jose Marion Solas will meet with little success in his diabolical undertaking.

To-day two more soldiers, belonging to the Third Illinois Regiment, and one belonging to the New York Regiment, were killed by the guerillas, while out scouting beyond the line of our camp; had these slain men obeyed orders and stayed in camp they would have been living men yet, they go out in small squads, three or four men, and the first they know they are surrounded by a band of guerillas, who are constantly on the watch for these small bodies in an ambush, pounce upon them and kill them if they can. Strong bodies the guerillas will not attempt to attack. Oh! no, that is not in their line