At First I Could Not Understand Why The Soldier Was Ordered Before Being Shot To Pull His Jacket Off; This

He explained by saying, that a rent in the garment made by the ball of a fusee, would have lessened

Its value; and further, that the American soldiers were averse, from superstitious fear at the time, to wearing any article of dress in which an enemy had yielded his breath; notwithstanding which repugnance, the American soldiers not long after dismissed the objection, from the extreme scantiness of the clothing afforded them.

On my intimating the abhorrence I felt at the relation, my entertainer informed me that it was impossible at the time to prevent such occurrences, the annihilation of the invaders was the _primum mobile_ of all Americans, and many citizens harassed the enemy on their own account, the principle being the same on which European vessels bearing letters of marque, are suffered to waylay and seize, for the purpose of private gain, the merchant vessels belonging to the country with which they are at war. Such atrocities, as he remarked, however horrifying in times of peace, are of every-day occurrence between contending armies.

Amongst those I had occasion to call on at St. Louis, was a Major - - . He had formerly been engaged in Indian warfare, and, having received a wound from a rifle-ball, that incapacitated him for active military duty, he was living as a retired citizen - his wife's jointure, and an allowance from Government, allowing him to keep up a tolerably good establishment.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 78 of 194
Words from 21309 to 21565 of 53222