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

O8'ITHE CAT-FISH WAR.
3States, a desirable esprit du corps had been awakened. A
kindly feeling also existed between the officers and soldiers,
which was strongly cemented by the common trials and triumphs of the campaign. There were some accomplished and
agreeable officers in the First Ohio regiment, whose unasiurning manners, united with happy social qualities, cheerful
wit and humor, rendered them pleasant companions, and enlivened many a dreary scene. The legal profession was well
represented among them, as indeed it was in every corps-so
numerous as almost to verify Dryden's verse,
"Soldiers the lawyers, and the bar the field."
I have thought that a green bag would have been no inappropriate banner for the volunteer army.
~ The evening of my arrival at Camp Belknap, I received
from our adjutant (who, if reports be correct, did not, on the,ccasion, place himself in the way of sharing very largely in
he beatitude promised the peace-makers,) an amusing ac-:ount of a difficulty that had occurred between our regiment.tnd the Baltimore battalion, originating in the larceny of a:i'atf-f5 belonging to our colonel; and which trifling cause;ad nearly resulted in a disgraceful fight between the two:egiments. At that time, Colonels i:. and W., the com-:nanders of the belligerant battalions were absent, having;one to head-quarters at Matamoros in consequence of the.fifair. Various accounts of the row reached the newspapers
at home; and in the dearth of more interesting intelligence,
their readers were regaled with some entertaining reports of
the "; cat-fish war." It is to be regretted that the ill-feeling
aroused by this quarrel, was permitted, by one of the parties