The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 366: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

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THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI'S YOUNG CAPTAIN. nnn ee nEnESEE=EEEEEEEE ee a “This did not suit our hero. ‘He advanced his piece several hundred yards, and ‘shortened the distance,’ dismounted his oppo- nent’s guns, and remained master of the position. ‘“‘ He left the army, and was professor of mathe- matics and tactics in the University of Mexico, but was generally looked upon by the students as an old fogey of little talent, and not over-gifted any way. “tt is my opinion, that this man will assuredly make his mark in this war. “For his untiring industry, and eternal watchful- ness, must tell upon a numerous enemy unacquainted with the country, and incommoded by large bag- gage trains. *‘Hscobedo evidently intends to supply himself at the enemy’s expense, and, as he is a true fire- eater, and an invincible believer in our ‘manifest destiny,’ poor Maximilian will find him a disagree- able opponent to confront in the mountain passes or at the many fords. “The Mexicans have an idea that he is veritably ‘the coming man,’ and from the numbers joining him, it looks as if he meant mischief, “But to form an accurate idea of the doings of this man, it is necessary to state in proper order the various affairs in which he has been engaged since last I heard from you. ‘When we reached Matamoras I was glad to hear that a fresh division had formed a junction with us, ‘‘ Within a few days we learned that tremendous forces combined under command of Marshal Bazaine, were again slowly advancing, swarming over the country like locusts, eating or destroying every- thing, carrying off property, capturing negroes, and impressing them into service ; driving in our pickets, &ce, and had camped about three miles off, “ This was a startling position for us, truly ! “Our main line of communication was in their possession, and we obliged to travel many miles round to keep open intercourse ! “We have but two lines of road, and both were taxed to the utmost. “But what could we do with but one, while the enemy had several outlets by land and rivers for advance or supplies? ‘To add to our misfortunes, Matamoras was a miserable site for encampments, utterly destitute of water, good or bad, and what little could be obtained was scooped up from the sand, or from pools fed by occasional rains, “You fully know the place and are aware that, although there were then not more than ten thou: sand camped here, the water was so bad many fre- open gave money for a gallon from indifferent wells. “ Except to keep open free traffic with the south, Escobedo would not hold the place five minutes, particularly as out of fifteen thousand men present, the heat, insufficient and bad food, wretched water, and other causes, had reduced our effective strength to about ten thousand, “Add to these disagreeable things the fact that Marshal Bazaine did not seem inclined to fight us in our breastworks, but occupied ground north of the town, which, you know, was higher than ours, and began intrenching, depending on time and patience to work up till within shelling distance, and then destroy us at Icisure. “Notwithstanding our small force, and the tre- mendous odds against us, Escobedo put a bold face upon matters ; frequently marched out and offered battle, but, to our surprise, he found them OAT \e iZ / to leave their entrenchments, which grew larger and more numerous every day. ‘But if things looked so discouraging in our little army, among troops born on the soil and accustomed to the heats, rains, sudden changes, and abominable water, what must be said of the French general’s losses from similar causes in his nume- rous and well-appointed army of men, who were never before in such a climate in their lives? “Their loss was truly appalling—it is beyond conception ! “ Ag long as Marshal Bazaine held the road to our front and another on our left flank, he seemed suf- ficiently contented to advance slowly upon us, and having more or less completed a vast line of elabo- rate breastworks, began to manceuvre on our right, so as to gain possession of the other road ; thus leaving Escobedo in possession of but one line to the south, viz., the south branch road. “ Such intention was early perceived by Escobedo, who moved counter to the design, without weaken- ing Matamoras itself. “The labour and pertinacity of Bazaine were wonderful. “ Having to build roads as he advanced into the interior, he employed large bodies of men, and when trenches were opened before Matamoras, his army had completed several fine military roads to his immediate front, by which ponderous guns and immense trains of supplies were regularly moving to and from his base of operations. “For a distance of thirty miles or more, ox, horse and mule teams, were unceasingly moving night and day, much facilitating the speedy con- struction of his works, miles in extent. ‘Sickness, however, greatly weakened his forces, and chills, fevers, chronic disorders, and agues, filled the hospitals, and occasioned large ambulance trains to move to and from the river continually. “His sanitary system was much superior to ours, and scores of deep wells were bored, and an ample supply of water obtained, while we in Matamoras were almost decimated for the want of a sufficient quantity, and the surrounding country filled by our sick men, too weak to stand, reduced to skeletons from heat, exposure, chills, &c., &c. ‘Indications became apparent, however, that since Bazaine would not advance from his works, Escobedo must be compelled to retreat at no distant day, or be massacred at discretion by the enemy’s guns, which every day approached nearer and nearer with apparent impunity, The Imperialists were sorely afraid we would retreat, “In that oase all their mammoth trench and road-building would be vain, and nought left to compensate them for their patience and sufferings. ‘Immense roads, as I have said, were dug and levelled through miles of timber. ‘“‘Unheard of supplies of shot, shell, and mammoth mortar batteries had been brought to the front with infinite labour, and much sacrific2 of life and money, when early one morning all our army quietly decamped towards Monterey, and, ere the mists had risen were beyond sight or hearing. ““A few regiments were thrown out to our front as usual, and maintained picket firing, but were much surprised to receive orders to fall back, and could not believe the army had left, “For the movement had taken place so quietly, orderly, and unexpectedly, that it required ocular proof to convince them of the fact, “When the pickets retired from the front the enemy quickly perceived it, and, though much astonished, prepared to pursue, we Gomicboo (E)