Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/242

236 H. Hill, of the Second Dragoons. He hailed from Philadelphia, Pa. He was at the siege of Vera Cruz and the battle of Cerro Gordo.

Saturday, July 31, 1847.—This morning Mr. N. P. Trist and the dragoons, with the white flag of truce, returned; and I believe there is no sign of peace. So more fighting must be done, and the sooner the better.

At noon Gen. Scott and staff paid another visit to the town of Chulula.

This afternoon the funeral of Lieut. Hill, of the Second Regiment of Dragoons, took place. His horse, with the deceased's boots in stirrups of the saddle, followed his corpse. The funeral was largely attended, with mournful music. He was buried in the Bishop Cemetery, which is beautifully laid out. Directly afterward we buried our comrade, William Dayton Huston, near our quarters, a piece of ground used by our regiment for that purpose.

This evening Gen. Scott and his party returned to the city, and no doubt were well pleased with their trip.

In the evening a theatre manager came to our quarters for a few men to volunteer in the play called "Hamlet." George W. Nightlinger and myself offered our services, Mr. Nightlinger took the character of the Ghost, "I am thy father's spirit." He being tall and slender, took and played his part well. Myself was one of the supernumeraries, and took different characters in the play. The house was crowded. After my return from the theatre I was detailed to go on picket-guard in the place of one of our men, who took sick. Soon afterwards a tremendous storm, rain and hail, set in; tronantors (thundering) increasing intensely and raining in torrents; and the sky was darkened as black as darkness could make it; the wind blew and dashed the large drops of moisture, in the form of spray, directly in your humble sentinel's face. I stood for nearly two hours, half bewildered by the violence of the storming wind, rain, hail, &c., saying to myself, "When will this storming wind cease?"