Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/77

Rh here) right in the rear of our encampment, but doing no damage except to one of our men belonging to Co. I, First Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, who was wounded. Thus the first soldier wounded and first blood spilt in Gen. Scott's army was of Pennsylvania Volunteers. This little excitement raised the whole army on their feet in a minute; expecting an attack by the enemy. Officers were dashing along the line urging the men to be quiet, for they wanted to make a charge on the sand hills. All was soon quieted, and all, except the guards, laid down again with their muskets close by their sides and finished our first nap on the Aztec shore.

Capt. A. Cady and Lieut. Fitzergald, of Co. H, Sixth United States Infantry, were the first to land and form their company on the beach below Vera Cruz.

Wednesday, March 10, 1847.—This morning the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa commenced firing some of her heavy shots toward our encampment, but all fell short. We finished our breakfast on some of Mr. Mason's mouldy crackers and old fat pork, having no cooking utensils on shore to cook anything. Some made their coffee in their tin-cups, others were compelled to wash fat pork down with bad water. After breakfast we were formed into line of march to surround the city of Vera Cruz, and it was one of the marches the volunteers will never forget. All along the road-side men could be seen, who had dropped down with blistered feet, exhausted and thirsty for want of water. In fact we could hardly walk ten steps without seeing some poor soldier, whose tongue was thirsty for water, laying on the wayside and begging for a drop of water.

Lieut. Casper M. Berry, of our company, was sun struck. It looked as if you could almost see his brain gushing out of his forehead. He is not expected to live. We marched on until we arrived at a chaparral tangled with the thickest of cactus. Here we struck what we called an Indian pathway, filed through the chaparral, headed by Brig.-Gen. Gideon J. Pillow. When we were almost half way through, the Mexicans, who were lying back in ambush, fired volley after volley