Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/158

152 of business. They must be some of Gen. Solas' recruits practicing the guerilla warfare. They will get enough of this kind of warfare, if not stopped soon. The murdering of these three soldiers has again caused a great deal of excitement among the two Illinois Regiments, and Col. Forman, of the Third Illinois, has even went so far as to ask permission to take his regiment and follow these murdering guerillas until they are captured and hung, but the request was not granted, on account of our forces being too small to venture far from camp.

In the evening I again heard a good deal of grumbling and complaining among our soldiers of our long delay in this unhealthy camp without shelter or comforts of life. Men are seen going from one quarter to another making inquiry about the cause of this long delay, and the officers say it is on account of Gen. Scott awaiting for more re-enforcements and the necessary supplies and transportation for an advancing army, also that there being a number of regiments whose time will soon expire, which will weaken the army considerably, and the general conversation among the expired men is that not one will re-enlist in the United States army. They having got entirely disgusted with the campaign in Mexico (not with Gen. Scott, but the way our government is carrying on the war with Mexico, they having failed to prosecute the war according to our first instruction. So hurry up, you men who sit at Washington and send on the number of soldiers [50,000] you promised us).

To-night, on account of suffering and privation our soldiers have to endure, we have adopted the name of this camp miseria (misery) of Mexico.

Sunday, May 2, 1847.—This morning there was a detail of five or six men from each company to guard a train of about fifty wagons to Vera Cruz and back. They go down to bring up provisions and ammunition for the army. I wanted to go, but the detail was already made out when I first heard of it.