Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/336

330 At noon, owing to Capt. Herron's party making a raise of apples yesterday, most every mess in our quarters (San Jose) had apple dumplings for dinner, but the infernal greasers stopped our leche so were obliged to eat them without Ieche, but we had plenty of sugar, and I can assure you we didn't growl much about the leche.

About 2 o'clock,, a Mexican came around the corner with a white flag, and a letter in his hand addressed to Gov. Childs. The Sergeant of the guard took him in charge, and handed him over to the Governor; and in about a half an hour he returned, and the Sergeant escorted the Mexican outside of our picket-line.

The result and contents of the letter I did not learn, but I suppose it was like all the rest, to exchange prisoners in disguise, so as to catch us Yankees in a trap.

We still hold possession of the Tivola Garden, but exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy's breastworks, near the Saint Augustine Church, and from other vicinities, which is annoying our men very much.

In the afternoon some of our pickets discovered a fire in a building close to our quarters; several of our men went to the burning building, and to their astonishment they found several drunken teamsters lying on the floor asleep; our men soon extinguished the fire, and they say that had it not been for our picket-guard, they would have been burned up like a terebintia barrilete (turpentine barrel), for they were really travelling distilleries when they got up and left.

During the day, three of our pickets were wounded while on duty at their posts; also one of our teamsters while crossing the street, was shot through the foot, fracturing it to such an extent, that it is feared that it will have to be amputated; also one of Co. A, Fourth United States Artillery, wounded through the left knee.

It has rained all the afternoon, which has the effect of slacking the firing considerably, with no regret on our side.