Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

WE RZEACH SAN FRANCISCO. 131
The army marched five leagues on the 18th, and before
dusk had encircled, with its camp, the little village of San
Francisco, which, like all others on our route, was nearly
deserted. During the day, the men traveled merrily and
briskly, their ardor increasing at every step which brought
them nearer to the foe. The jest and repartee flew rapidly
fiomn rank to rank, and the songs were more frequent and
vociferous. The few old campaigners, in the regiment, had
already taught their young comrades some merry, marchingballads, the measure of which chimed well with the swinging
route step. Thus they went on, laughing and singing, over
hill and plain; and, in the light-heartedness and unconcern
of youth, extracting mirth from every trivial incident or
accident of the march. Of course, in such a campaign,
laughable as well as lamentable events were of frequent
occurrence; and the former, by afobrding amusement, served
to lessen the fatigues of duty. A scene, so ludicrous that it
has not yet escaped from my memory, was witnessed between
Alarin and San Francisco. It was one of those that should
be seen to be enjoyed; and which tle pencil of Hogarth or
Cruikshank could describe more faithfully than the pen of
Dickens or Thiackeray.
In the progress of the march we came to a creek, or rather
what our western woodsman call a sccte; the boggy banks
and muddy bottom of which had been much cut up by the
trains in advance. It was a sluggish stream of disgusting
mire, which the wheels and feet of preceding battalions had
scattered far along the road, causing it to look, as a sergeant
remarked, "'like the slimy track of an army of mnud-tur