Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/432

426 course. Col. Riley had to be branded over again, between the nose and cheek, this time right side up. One of the New Yorkers handed me a newspaper published in the city. In it I noticed a piece where Gen. Scott seemed to be much dissatisfied at the way the new troops are arriving, they hardly have clothing, shoes or blankets with them. It is supposed that all new troops should be well clothed, but the new troops look far worse than we do, who have been in the United States service for over a year. Commissary Quartermaster General T. S. Jessup, you must clothe the soldiers before you send them into this country, for there is no cloth manufactory in operation in Mexico. The only thing we find abundant in this tierra is pulga (lice) and fleas.

To-day I saw Lieut. Mayne Reid. He is a splendid looking officer and well uniformed, he still walks lame from wounds received while storming the Castle of Chapultepec. It will be remembered that the forlorn hope party was composed of regulars, volunteers and United States marines, under the command of Maj. Twiggs, They started off with cheers for Chapultepec, and when nearly half way up Maj. Twiggs was killed. The fire from the castle at this time was heavy and continuous and fatal to our men and officers, so much so that our men began to falter. Lieut. Reid, who at that time was with the New York regiment guarding a battery at the foot of the hill or castle, seeing that our officers and men were falling and beginning to waver, asked leave of his commanding officer to join with some of his men the storming party with the scaling ladders, and it was granted with the words "Go and God be with you." Off they went, his Lieut. Hypolite Dardonvill following him. Lieut. Reid now took command of the storming party, calling upon those around him and shouting in a loud voice "Will you stand by me? The castle must be taken or the American army is lost." "We will! we will I let us charge up the hill; we are ready" "Come on, I will lead you," shouted Lieut. Reid. On they charged, and when about half way up, the Mexicans opened on our men with