Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/343

Rh I have spent at home; in fact, on account of everything being so very quiet, I feel as though I was once more in a free and Christian land.

Before I was released from guard duty, I noticed two Catholic priests talking to some four or five greasers, who were making signs, motions, etc. I took it for granted that they were the very Mexicans who attempted to kill me last night. These old priests, as a general thing, are the bitterest enemies we have in this country; they principally go around among the poor, ignorant, and half-civilized people, and make them believe that we, the Americans, are heretics; that we were fighting for the cause of the diablo (devil), and against the Catholic Church; that their, the Mexicans' cause was for God, Christ, and the Holy Catholic Church. In this way they make many people believe that if they fight for their country and the Catholic Church, and fall or be killed in fighting these heretics, their souls would then fly to heaven without any mass; and this is one reason why so many bold, ignorant Mexicans stand up to be fired at, and blow their ignorant souls to heaven or some other port.

Before I was relieved from guard I went and examined the track of the wounded Mexican, and I saw big blood spots as far as I dared to go, and from the loss of blood, showed that I must have wounded him pretty badly—the villain who would have been my asesino (assassin), if not for an instant prevented.

Thus, these holy apostles not being satisfied with shooting our men down whenever they show their heads outside of their quarters, but must come cowardly, sneakingly, up along the walls of the houses in the darkness of the night, and try to murder a man while his face, for a minute, is turned in another direction; but I assure this is only lent; I will, if God spares me, make it all right with them some day.

In the afternoon the Mexicans again gathered in large numbers in the Tivola Garden, and unexpectedly and unlooked for, commenced heavy firing on our pickets, also on our quarters; but Gov. Childs bade us not to fire, as he was determined to