Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/478

472 tore down the white flag when hoisted by the real Mexicans, they knowing our way of drilling, which caused many of our soldiers to fall and kiss the dust. They were all captured, and our men were so enraged with madness that, had it not been for our officers, every deserter would have been bayoneted or shot dead upon the spot. They were taken to San Angel by the Third United States Infantry, and in a few days after the arrival at the above place, the deserters were tried by court martial, of which Col. Bennett Riley, of the Second United States Infantry, and at that time in command of the Second Brigade, Second Division, was president. The finding of the court was, that all who had deserted before the war with Mexico, should be flogged and branded with the letter D on the right cheek, and all those who deserted after the war should be hanged. On September 10th, the sentence of the court was carried out by the hanging of eight deserters and the flogging of Col. Riley and the rest.

The eight were hanged in a field opposite the convent, or near the place where they were captured. They were conveyed to their place of execution in four wagons, two in each wagon, with ropes around their necks, and their hands pinioned on their backs. They were driven under the cross-timber, erected for that special occasion. A detail from the rifle regiment guarded them and tied the ropes to the cross-timber. At a signal the drum beat, the teams started and left the eight deserters dangling in the air until they were dead.

Next came the deserters. Col. Riley having deserted before the declaration of war, received fifty, some say sixty lashes; the rest got from fifty to twenty-five lashes. The flogging was done by two Mexicans with mule whips. The other thirty two deserters were hanged September 13th, at Miscoac. We returned to San Angel.

Tuesday, January 25, 1848.—This morning there is a rumor at San Angel that a move of part of our army is anticipated soon. The first move will be to Zacatecas, and from thence to San Luis de Potosi, for the purpose of opening commerce