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

36 BU RRITA TAKEN.
volunteers, one of Texas (foot), a battalion of Alabama, and
one of Missouri Infantry, retired from the frontier without
firing a gun or even seeing the foe. Of all those mentioned,
but one company (Captain Blanchardcl's, of Louisiana) remained. The residue, declining to extend their term of service to twelve months, were discharged by order of the War
Department.
After a short detention, caused by the usual parley with
the quarter-master of the post, we obtained transportation on
a small river steamer to the village of Burrita, around which
the volunteer army was encamped. The village is situated
on the first inland elevation; and is but eight miles from the
coast by the road, though fifteen by the river,-so crooked is
the course of the stream, as it doubles through the intervening plain. It was the middle of the rainy season, and the
swollen Grande poured along with such an impetuous current, that we were nearly four hours in reaching our destination. All of that time our boat was paddling to and fro
across the marshes, with, as it appeared to me, one or the
other broadside constantly turned toward the village and
camp, which were in full view all the way. The appearance
of Burrita, composed of a score of mud hovels, ludicrously
recalled the glowing panegyrics with which some of our editors, a month previous, had announced the capture of that
stronghold of the Mexican nation. "GLORIOUS NEWS
FROM THE ARMY! ANOTHER TRIUMPH! BURRITA HAS FALLEN! THE ENTIRE CITY REDUCED
TO ASHES!!" Such was the startling caption of the extras which the news-carriers thrust under the spectacles of