Three Months in the Southern States, April-June 1863 | Page 4

told me they had seen this happen several times; and Mr
Oetling declared that he himself, with three ladies, arrived at the city of
Mexico in this predicament.
* * * * *

4th April (Saturday).--I crossed the river at 9 A.M., and got a carriage
at the Mexican side to take my baggage and myself to the Consulate at
Matamoros. The driver ill-treated his half-starved animals most cruelly.
The Mexicans are even worse than the Spaniards in this respect.
I called on Mr Oetling, the Prussian Consul, who is one of the richest
and most prosperous merchants in Matamoros, and a very nice fellow.
After dinner we went to a fandango, or open-air fête. About 1500
people were gambling, and dancing bad imitations of European dances.
* * * * *
5th April (Sunday).--Mr Zorn, or Don Pablo as he is called here, Her
Majesty's acting Vice-Consul, is a quaint and most good-natured little
man--a Prussian by birth. He is overwhelmed by the sudden importance
he has acquired from his office, and by the amount of work (for which
he gets no pay) entailed by it,--the office of British Consul having been
a comparative sinecure before the war.
Mr Behnsen is head of the firm. The principal place of business is at
San Luis Potosi, a considerable city in the interior of Mexico. All these
foreign merchants complain bitterly of the persecutions and extortion
they have to endure from the Government, which are, doubtless, most
annoying; but nevertheless they appear to fatten on the Mexican soil.
I crossed to Brownsville to see General Bee, but he had not returned
from Boca del Rio.
I dined with Mr Oetling. We were about fourteen at dinner, principally
Germans, a very merry party. Mr Oetling is supposed to have made a
million of dollars for his firm, by bold cotton speculations, since the
war.
We all went to the theatre afterwards. The piece was an attack upon the
French and upon Southern institutions.
* * * * *

6th April (Monday).--Mr Behnsen and Mr Colville left for Bagdad this
morning, in a very swell ambulance drawn by four gay mules.
At noon I crossed to Brownsville, and visited Captain Lynch, a
quartermaster, who broke open a great box, and presented me with a
Confederate felt hat to travel in. He then took me to the garrison, and
introduced me to Colonel Buchel of the 3d Texas Regiment, who is by
birth a German, but had served in the French army; and he prepared
cocktails in the most scientific manner. I returned to Matamoros at 2.30
P.M.
Captain Hancock and Mr Anderson (the paymaster) arrived from
Bagdad in a most miserable vehicle, at 4 P.M. They were a mass of
dust, and had been seven hours on the road, after having been very
nearly capsized on the bar.
There was a great firing of guns and squibs in the afternoon, in
consequence of the news of a total defeat of the French at Puebla, with
a loss of 8000 prisoners and 70 pieces of cannon.
Don Pablo, who had innocently hoisted his British flag in honour of
Captain Hancock, was accused by his brother merchants of making a
demonstration against the French.
After dinner we called on Mr Maloney, whose house is gorgeously
furnished, and who has a pretty wife.
* * * * *
7th April (Tuesday).--Mr Maloney sent us his carriage to conduct
Captain Hancock, Mr Anderson, and myself to Brownsville.
We first called on Colonels Luckett and Buchel; the former is a
handsome man, a doctor by profession, well informed and agreeable,
but most bitter against the Yankees.
We sat for an hour and a half talking with these officers and drinking
endless cocktails, which were rather good, and required five or six

different liquids to make them.
We then adjourned to General Bee's, with whom we had another long
talk, and with whom we discussed more cocktails.
At the General's we were introduced to a well-dressed good-looking
Englishman, Mr ----, who, however, announced to us that he had
abjured his nationality until Great Britain rendered justice to the
South.[2] Two years since, this individual had his house burnt down;
and a few days ago, happening to hear that one of the incendiaries was
on the Mexican bank of the river, boasting of the exploit, he rowed
himself across, shot his man, and then rowed back. I was told
afterwards that, notwithstanding the sentiments he had given out before
us, Mr ---- is a stanch Britisher, always ready to produce his six-shooter
at a moment's notice, at any insult to the Queen or to England.
We were afterwards presented to ----, rather a sinister-looking party,
with long yellow hair down to his shoulders. This is the man who is
supposed to have hanged