[143] I have remarked that whenever a citizen of the United States resides long enough in Mexico to discard his suspenders, and tie up his pantaloons with a red band around the waist, cover his shoulders with a blanket, and eat a gill of red pepper at a meal - beware of him! he will both lie and steal; and while his new ethics teach him to filch from his neighbour's pocket, they would cause him, for a Judas reward, to sell the country which gave him life.

Our men, under charge of Colonel Canales, with six hundred infantry and cavalry guards, and one piece of artillery, took up the line of march from Matamoras on the 14th January, two days after our party had left that place. They proceeded to the pass Sacarte, upon the Rio St. Juan, without any incident worth noting. At this place a plan of charging the guards had been perfected, but, through some misunderstanding of Captain Cameron's order, it was not carried out.4 It was then determined to wait until they reached farther into the mountains. They arrived at Monterey on the 29th, one day after the departure of our party, and remained here until the 2d of February, when, under charge of Colonel Barragan and about two hundred and fifty guards, they marched for Saltillo. February 2d, camped at St.Catharine, twelve miles, and on the 3d at the Rinconada, twenty-four miles. Here they intended an attack upon the guards, and a more favourable place could not have been selected, but the increased vigilance of those in charge of them prevented [144] it, and they supposed some "Judas" had betrayed their design to the commander.5 On the 5th they arrived at Saltillo, and were quartered at a different barracks from us. Colonel Barragan permitted several of our men to visit us in his company.

February 6th. Captain Ugartechia took up the line of march for San Luis Potosi with our party, and on the 7th Colonel Barragan followed with the main body of our men. Here Colonel B. increased his guards with a company of infantry known as the "Red Caps." Our march was interrupted with no more than the ordinary "incidents of travel" until we reached the hacienda Salado, forty leagues' distant. This road was over a barren country, very destitute of vegetation, and supplied from deep wells of brackish water, drawn up by mules working a very simply-contrived drum, with buckets attached to a broad leathern strap or hair ropes. This place we reached on the 9th, when Captain Ugartechia complaining much of his head and the want of sleep, Dr. Shepherd gave him some morphine. This had a singular effect upon him. He curled himself up in a corner of the room, would not speak above a whisper, concluded he must die, and sent an express back to Saltillo for his sister and another physician. In this situation he lay until the arrival of our men on the evening of the 10th, when we were turned over to Captain Romano; the main body of our men, under Colonel Barragan, having marched from Saltillo on the 7th, one day after our party [145] arrived at the hacienda Aqua Nuevo (New Water), being twenty-four miles, the first day. This was another favourable place to charge their guards,