Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/184

178 Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, who are stationed here, to move, or be prepared to move, on to the city of Puebla by the next coming train from Vera Cruz. We hope the rumor may prove true, for we are all getting tired of hunting and fighting nothing but guerillas.

Many of our men have an attack of diarrhœa, a disease which if not strictly attended to will prove fatal. This is mostly the men's own fault in not taking proper care of themselves; they eat too much fruit and green vegetables.

Tuesday, June 8, 1847.—Este manana received orders to hold ourselves in readiness to march for Puebla by the returning train from Vera Cruz.

This order caused a good deal of merriment and joy among the men, and our prayers are that it may speedily come.

In the afternoon one of Capt. Walker's riflemen was buried near the castle. He was followed by his horse and company, besides many of our regiment to his resting-place. At the grave Lieut. Thomas Claiborn, of the same company, read a chapter from the Bible, after which he spoke in the highest praise of the deceased as a gallant soldier, a true Christian, a faithful companion and a true friend to all his comrades.

His death was caused by exposure and cold contracted while out skirmishing and in pursuit of guerillas.

His brother, who belongs to the same company, and who, of course, was at his funeral, was grieved at the idea of leaving his brother under the sod of a foreign country. He marked his grave with a nice little head board.

In the evening two men from the hospital were buried near the same grave. These men's companies are with Gen. Worth's division, now at Puebla, and, as the saying is, they died in the hospital among strangers, and strangers buried them without any honors. Oh! My prayers shall forever be that I may not be left to die in the hospital, or among strangers.

This is enough for this day, so buenas noches (good-night).

Wednesday, June 9, 1847.—This morning, after drill was over, Peter Ahl, Alburtus Welch, Don Jose and myself took a