Three Months in the Southern States, April-June 1863 | Page 7

off the
ground when at full tilt, and, in their peculiar fashion, are beautiful
riders; but they confessed to me they could not ride in an English
saddle, and Colonel Duff told me that they could not jump a fence at all.
They were all extremely anxious to hear what I thought of the
performance, and their thorough good opinion of themselves was most
amusing.
At 9 o'clock Colonel Buchel and I rode back to Brownsville; but as we
lost our way twice, and were enveloped in clouds of dust, it was not a
very satisfactory ride. Poor Captain Hancock must be luxuriating at
Bagdad; for with this wind the bar must be impassable to the boldest
mariner.
In the evening, a Mr ----, a Texan Unionist, or renegado, gave us his
sentiments at the Consulate, and drank a deal of brandy. He finished,
however, by the toast, "Them as wants to fight, let 'em fight--I don't."
* * * * *
11th April (Saturday).--Mr ----, the Unionist, came to me this morning,
and said, in a contrite manner, "I hope, Kernel, that in the fumes of
brandy I didn't say anything offensive last night." I assured him that he
hadn't. I have now become comparatively accustomed and reconciled to
the necessity of shaking hands and drinking brandy with every one.[5]

The ambulance returned from Bagdad to-day. Captain Hancock had
managed to cross the bar in Mr Oetling's steamer or lighter, but was
very nearly capsized.
I went to a grand supper, given by Mr Oetling in honour of Mr Hill's
departure for the city of Mexico. This, it appears, is the custom of the
country.
[5] This necessity does not exist except in Texas.
* * * * *
12th April (Sunday).--I took an affectionate leave of Don Pablo,
Behnsen, Oetling, & Co., all of whom were in rather weak health on
account of last night's supper.
The excellent Maloney insisted on providing me with preserved meats
and brandy for my arduous journey through Texas. I feel extremely
grateful for the kindness of all these gentlemen, who rendered my stay
in Matamoros very agreeable. The hotel would have been intolerable.
I crossed to Brownsville at 3 P.M., where I was hospitably received by
my friend Ituria, who confesses to having made a deal of money lately
by cotton speculations. I attended evening parade, and saw General Bee,
Colonels Luckett, Buchel, Duff, and ----. The latter (who hanged
Mongomery) improves on acquaintance. General Bee took me for a
drive in his ambulance, and introduced me to Major Leon Smith, who
captured the Harriet Lane. The latter pressed me most vehemently to
wait until General Magruder's arrival, and he promised, if I did so, that
I should be sent to San Antonio in a first-rate ambulance. Major Leon
Smith is a seafaring man by profession, and was put by General
Magruder in command of one of the small steamers which captured the
Harriet Lane at Galveston, the crews of the steamers being composed
of Texan cavalry soldiers. He told me that the resistance offered after
boarding was feeble; and he declared that, had not the remainder of the
Yankee vessels escaped unfairly under flag of truce, they would
likewise have been taken.

After the Harriet Lane had been captured, she was fired into by the
other ships; and Major Smith told me that, his blood being up, he sent
the ex-master of the Harriet Lane to Commodore Renshaw, with a
message that, unless the firing was stopped, he would massaCREE the
captured crew. After hearing this, Commodore Renshaw blew up his
ship, with himself in her, after having given an order to the remainder,
sauve qui peut.
* * * * *
13th April (Monday).--I breakfasted with General Bee, and took leave
of all my Brownsville friends.
M'Carthy is to give me four times the value of my gold in Confederate
notes.[6]
We left Brownsville for San Antonio at 11 A.M. Our vehicle was a
roomy, but rather over-loaded, four-wheel carriage, with a canvass roof,
and four mules. Besides M'Carthy, there was a third passenger, in the
shape of a young merchant of the Hebrew persuasion. Two horses were
to join us, to help us through the deep sand.
The country, on leaving Brownsville, is quite flat, the road, a natural
one, sandy and very dusty, and there are many small trees, principally
mosquites. After we had proceeded seven miles, we halted to water the
mules.
At 2 P.M. a new character appeared upon the scene, in the shape of an
elderly, rough-faced, dirty-looking man, who rode up, mounted on a
sorry nag. To my surprise he was addressed by M'Carthy with the title
of "Judge," and asked what he had done with our other horse. The
judge replied that it had already