Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/294

288 To-night the whole city seems to be in an uproar; drums were beaten up and down the streets, followed by pastrge a wicked, boisterous crowd, with mucho salado (good, merry), sky rockets illuminated the dark skies, and it reminded me of a picture I had seen when a boy, of the judgment day. The citizens in general all seemed to be much confused.

To-night every soldier was ordered up on the ramparts.

Thursday, September 16, 1847.—To-day is the thirty-seventh anniversary of Mexican independence, and, no doubt, it will cause great excitement and enthusiasm among the lower class of people. They will mostly all get borracho (drunk), and, perhaps, be foolish enough to attempt a charge on our quarters; for bad whiskey has been the cause of doing many foolish things and killed many innocent people.

About 10 o'clock,, Gov. Childs received a letter from Gen. Rea, stating that this was the thirty-seventh anniversary of their independence, that his umbras were full and wild with entusiasmo and fight, and that he (Gen. Rea) has fully determined to make an attack on our forces, and take the garrison of San Jose from us, if he had to lose five hundred men; and, to save life and blood, he (Gov. Childs) had better surrender. To this Gov. Childs promptly replied by telling Gen. Rea to come on with his strong and entusiasmo forces, as he (Gov. Childs) had about three hundred effective men for duty, and about two thousand sick soldiers lying in the hospital under his protection; that Gen. Rea will have to lose over five thousand men before his (Gov. Childs') men will be willing to surrender up the garrison to your excellency.

After Gen. Rea received the answer, the Mexican officers could plainly be heard making military and warlike speeches, singing songs, passing the bottle around and drinking toasts until noon, when a large rocket went up into the air as the signal for the grand charge on the Yankees. It was reasonably supposed that we would have a hard and bloody battle, and, I assure you, we were all ready and well prepared to receive them. We now saw them forming into line; the lancers