Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/172

166 after a short setting, the Court acquitted nine, and the tenth confessed his guilt, and was sentenced to receive sixty lashes on his bare back in the main plaza of Perote, on the 29th of this month. This fellow is young, wild, stout and handsome, and has a fair looking wife with one child. His wife brings his meals to him regularly, and always brings the child along, which is a fine little baby. She takes it very hard, and would like to see him out. She says that when the deed was done he was drunk, and she did not believe that her husband was the guilty man. After he receives his lashes he is to be confined in the castle until the end of the present war with Mexico.

Report to-night that the guerillas captured Gen, Worth's messenger with his despatches. This is the reason we have heard no news.

Friday, May 21, 1847,—This morning the mail coach came in town, stating that they were robbed at the town of Tepegahualco, but, fortunately, it contained no Americans in it at the time, only a Frenchman and his family; they having Gen. Worth's despatches of the capture of Puebla, and for having these despatches the guerillas took from them all they had with them, and barely spared their lives. The town of Tepegahualco is notorious for the guerillas, and seems to be their headquarters. Our next excursion will be in that direction, and God help them if we ever get hold of them,

Saturday, May 22, 1847,—This morning two companies (F and H) of our regiment, accompanied by Col. Wynkoop, went in pursuit of the guerillas, who are said to be near here, at a small town named Cruz Blanco (White Cross). And after a whole day's scouting they returned this evening without finding or seeing anything of them.

It is rumored this evening that Mr. Nicholas P, Trist, an Envoy or a Commissioner of the United States, arrived at Jalapa with despatches to certain persons in the city of Mexico, Thus it seems that our government is anxious to make peace at any price. This is strange; does our government really think that the Mexicans will negotiate and make