Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/379

Rh For this promotion I am thankful to my Captain, who has always treated me with due respect as a man and a soldier. In fact, Capt. Small is one of the best officers to his men, in our regiment. To soldiers who do their duty, Capt. Small is their best friend, but to soldiers who will not do their duty and refuses to obey his orders, Capt. Small is a terror, and they received no friendship or favors from his hands. No, no, Capt. Small is no friend to soldiers who shrink from duty.

I am also thankful to Capt. Small for mentioning my name in his, Capt. Small's general report to the commander. Col. Thomas Childs, Civil and Military Governor of Puebla City which I will copy and send to you, as follows:—

"Private J. Jacob Oswandel, of Mifflin County, Pa., has also distinguished himself by his steady bravery and untiring zeal in volunteering his services at exposed pickets, and his skill in the use of his musket, having killed several of the enemy during the siege, he being one of the best and bravest soldiers in my company."

During the siege the Mexicans started up several excitements in raising the people to take up arms and drive the Yankees out of the city. It is done by ringing the church bells in a rapid manner. Now, there are from seventy to seventy-five churches in Puebla, and each church has from six to ten bells; the cathedral has, I believe, sixteen bells. So you can imagine that when the bells are all rung in rapid succession that it makes a rattling noise, and the citizens come running from all sections to the main plaza in front of the cathedral. Here they are addressed either by some priest or broken-down politician or military man, urging the people to arms, making them believe that we (the Yankees) are now living on mule-meat, and that the Yankees can't hold out much longer—that they are now starving. This kind of business was carried on until Gov. Childs ordered two twelve-pounders and a ten-inch mortar at Fort Loretto to open directly upon the cathedral and the plaza, the shells bursting in the plaza and in the houses, shaking the houses and shattering the windows, besides killing and