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

A STAMPEDE AMONG THE TEAMSTERS. 321
cloned the chase. Though the man had been promised, in
the event of his success, that his brother, then our prisoner,
should be released; yet there were many who placed no confidence in his report. Among those whose minds were filled
with the belief that the enemy yet lingered in the vicinity
with some ulterior designs upon our train, were the teamsters. On the 9th, the commander of the detachment issued
an order for the companies and wagons to be got ready for
resuming the march in the direction of Camargo. iHe was
soon informed by the chief wagon-master, that the teamsters
positively and unanimously refused to drive. This unexpected
ne exeat of Jehu involved us in a dilemna, for which, so far
as I am informed, neither 1iMars nor 3Marcy had made any
special provision: the oracles of the god and Secretary of
War, being alike ominously silent concerning teamsterso
They were not enlisted men, or considered subject to martial
law. Beholding in perspective a fate as dreadful as that
already encountered by some of their comrades, the little
subordination that had heretofore prevailed among them was
nlow lost in an appalling sense of danger.
The conmmanding officer, not being altogether satisfied
himself, that the enemy had abandoned the road; and knowing that in the event of another sudden attack by sucl a
force, more lives and wagons must be lost, was not disposed
to resort to any extreme measures to compel obedience. i-e
was free to admit too, that the unarmed drivers had some reason to dread an enemy who had proved so unsparing to them:~
and in this connection it may be remarked that in Langberg's
note, life and security were offered to the soldiers alone.