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

LASSOING A TEAM.2o i23
under arms in the open country toward Buena Vista, a
position not then selected for a battle-ground, but at
dark, scouts coming in with the intelligence that no enemy
was within fifty smiles of us at least; we were provided
with filthy quarters in town and slept on Christmas-night,for the first time since leaving the United States,-unde:r
a roof.
The next rmorning, it was satisfactorily ascertained that
the Mexican army was still at San Luis, and we marched
back to our old position near the Palomas pass. About a
week afterwardS some regiments long kept in the rear, (thle
2d and 3d Indiana and 2d Kentucky,) having arrived to claim
places in front, we were ordered to return and garrison lMonterey. The men, finding themselves deceived in the prospect
of a battle, and disgusted with the privations of their dreary
and miserable bivouacs among the mountains, contemplated
their return to the cheerful and smiling valleys of Tueva
Leon with much pleasure. On New-Year's day, 1847, we
set out, attended by a large train of empty wagons going
down the line fbr provisions. At the moment of starting)
one of the teams took fright, and dashed off at full speed
into the plain skirting the wood. A XMexican who happened
to be near, with a clriat as usual hanging to his saddle-bow,
immediately gave chase. Overtaking the runaways he decterously threw his lasso over the head of the leading mule,
(there were five in the team;) and then by gradually checking and turning his prize in easy circles, as a skillful angler
would play a strong fish, finally succeeded in bringing the
fugitives back to the starting point, panting and quite sub