strewn with the wounded, dead, and dying, — he would be content with his lot.

“The most heart-sickening spectacle I ever beheld was the arch-episcopal palace at Tacubaya, converted into a hospital on the day of Molino del Rey. The floors of the spacious apartments were covered with wounded officers and men, to the extent of many hundreds, who were suffering horrid agonies, while the corps of surgeons were actively engaged in amputating limbs; some of the victims screamed with agony, while others sustained themselves with heroic fortitude. I had occasion to go through the spacious building twice that day, and witnessed many operations. I saw the amputated limbs quivering with life, while the gutters of the court were filled with streams of human blood. It was heart-sickening, and enough to cure any man of a taste for war."

A Mexican writes as follows, of the taking of the Capital: "On the morning of the 14th, before day-light, the enemy, with a part of his force, commenced his march upon the city. Our soldiers, posted behind the arches of the aqueducts, and several breast-works which had been hastily thrown up, annoyed him so severely, together with the trenches which he had to bridge over, that he did not arrive at the gates until late in the afternoon. Here he halted and attempted to bombard the city, which he did during the balance of the day and the day following, doing immense damage. In some cases, whole blocks were destroyed, and a great number of men, women, and children killed and wounded.

"The picture was awful. One deafening roar filled our ears, one cloud of smoke met our eyes, now and then mixed with flame; and, amid it all, we could hear the various shrieks of the wounded and dying.

"Many were killed by the blowing up of the houses; many by the bombardment; but more by the confusion

which prevailed in the city; and altogether we cannot count our killed, wounded, and missing, since the actions commenced yesterday, at less than 4,000,- among whom are many women and children. The enemy confesses a loss of over 1,000; it is, no doubt, much greater."

CHAPTER XII.

ILLEGITIMATE BARBARITIES.

"War is also the fruitful parent of crimes. It reverses, with respect to its objects, all the rules of morality. It is nothing less than a temporary repeal of the principles of virtue. It is a system out of which almost all the virtues are excluded, and in which nearly all the vices are included." - ROBERT HALL.

BUT there is another picture, not of fierce and cruel passions, clothing themselves in the garb of the laws of war, or riding on the whirlwind of battle, but bursting forth, without any law, restraint, or sanction, unless vengeance have a law. Here, too, we see the natural fruits of war, the natural accompaniments, more or less, of every war. For, when the passions are aroused to their maximum, they cannot be checked at any particular point of propriety, morality, or even military subordination; but are ready to break over all bounds, and rush into the most ungovernable extremes of cruelty and lust.

In order to substantiate the facts under this branch of the subject, we shall quote the testimony of the soldiers and letter-writers, and confirm their statements by the authentic reports of the commanding generals on both sides. We shall thus see that the Mexican War, waged in the nine

teenth century, between two professedly free and Christian nations, was in most respects no better, and probably no worse, than the wars of past times. We have said all that can be said, when we call it war.

In relation to the march of a body of troops from the Rio Grande towards Monterey, a correspondent of the Louisville Journal writes as follows, in vindication of severe language used by Gen. Taylor, respecting the volunteers: "The march of the regiment, from the lawless character of some of those composing it, was everywhere marked by deeds of wanton violence and cruelty. Along the whole extent of the march, ranchos were burned, cattle were shot, hogs and poultry were killed, and even pet pigs were slaughtered at the very feet of the women and children that owned them. The shooting of cattle was often done in utter wantonness; the marauders either suffering them to lie just as they fell, or merely cutting out their tongues and leaving their carcases to rot; thus showing that it was not the want of food that incited them to outrage. These outrages were all reported to Gen. Taylor, before his arrival at Marin, and can be substantiated by Col. Fauntleroy, of the 2d Dragoons; Col. Randolph, of the Virginia Volunteers; Col. Belknap, Inspector General of the U. S. Army; Lieut. Patterson, of the Mississippi Regiment, and many others, if

necessary.

"At Marin itself, where the severe language of Gen. Taylor is said to have been used, the conduct of the advanced guard of Col. Curtis's regiment was marked by similar atrocities. The night before the arrival of the Ohio Regiment there, Gen. Taylor had slept in the town and seen the Alcalde, had been the guest of some of the principal citizens, had broken bread with them, and had promised them protection. But the advanced guard of Curtis's regiment entered the town; and instantly the work of pillage, robbery, and devastation was begun. At least four houses were set on fire by them.".

The Monterey correspondent of the Charleston Mercury, after the capitulation of the city, says: "As at Matamoras, murder, robbery, and rape, were committed in broad light of day; and, as if desirous to signalize themselves, at Monterey, by some new act of atrocity, they burned many of the thatched huts of the poor peasants. It is thought that more than one hundred of the inhabitants were murdered in cold blood; and one Mexican soldier, with Gen. Worth's passport in his pocket, was shot dead at noon-day, in the main street of the city, by a ruffian from Texas But for the moral influence, and the finally exerted physical force of the hirelings of government, the dark deeds of Badajoz would have been repeated at Monterey. Guards of 'mercenaries' are now placed in every street, and over every building, in the city; to prevent depredations being committed by those who come here from devotion to the land of the free and the home of the brave.'

"The Mexicans themselves admit, that before the arrival of the volunteers upon the Rio Grande, all Eastern Mexico was ripe for revolt, and annexation to the United States. Now there is no portion of the country so bitterly hostile to us and our institutions."

The army correspondent of the New Orleans Picayune, Mr. Haile, writing from near Mier, Jan. 4, 1847, says: "Below Mier we met the 2d regiment of Indiana troops, commanded, I believe, by Col. Drake. They encamped near our camp, and a portion of them were exceedingly irregular in their behavior; firing away their cartridges, and persecuting the Mexican families at a rancho near by."

“On arriving at Mier we learned, from indisputable authority, that this same regiment had committed, the day before, outrages against the citizens of the most disgraceful character; stealing, or rather robbing, insulting the women, breaking into houses, and other feats of a similar character! We have heard of them at almost every rancho up to this place.

"Gen. Taylor has issued proclamations, assuring the inhabitants of the towns in the conquered territory that they should be protected and well treated by our troops. Since this place has been garrisoned by volunteers, the families have been subjected to all kinds of outrages. At Punta Aguda it has been the same; most of those who could go, have left their houses. Some have fallen into the hands of the Camanches, while flying from the persecutions of our volunteer troops. Recently, the troops have received treatment from men stationed here, (I do not know who commands them,) that negroes in a state of insurrection would hardly be guilty of. The women have been repeatedly violated, (almost an every day affair,) houses are broken open, and insults of every kind have been offered to those whom we are bound by honor to protect. This is nothing more than a statement of facts. I have no time to make comments; but I desire to have this published, and I have written it under the approval of Capt. Thornton, Major Dix, (who has in charge $250,000 of the United States' money,) Capt. De Hart, Col. Bohlen, Lieut. Thorn, Mr. Blanchard, and my own sense of duty; and I am determined, hereafter, to notice every serious offence of the above mentioned nature."

In confirmation of these anonymous and other statements, we cite, from the Reports and Orders of Gen. Taylor, as follows. He writes from Monterey, Oct. 6, 1846, to the department at Washington: * "I have respectfully to report, that the entire force of Texas volunteers has been mustered out of service, and is now returning home by companies. With their departure we may look for a restoration of quiet and order in Monterey; for, I regret to report, that some shameful atrocities have been perpetrated by them, since the capitulation of the town."

* 30th Congress, 1st Session, House of Representatives, Ex. Doc. 6O. pp. 430, 512, 513, 521.