on the trail to tucson—excitement in the town—meet mexican soldiers—our numbers overrated by the indians—mexican commander under orders to oppose us—colonel cooke announces his wish to pass on without hostilities—arrest of corporal cassaduran, son of the mexican commander at tucson, and other mexicans who are held as hostages for the return of our interpreter—the interpreter is liberated—an armistice proposed—surrender of tucson demanded—mexican prisoners released—surrender is refused—colonel cooke orders the battalion to prepare for battle—advance toward the town—flight of the mexicans—at the gates of tucson—our line of battle—address by colonel cooke—we enter the town, and pass through to camp—purchases of wheat, corn, etc.—the battalion nearly starved—night alarm of a mexican attack—difficulties of getting into line—no enemy in sight—start across the gila desert—agony on the burning sands and alkali flat—-strengthened by the divine blessing—reach the gila river.
on the 14th the battalion ascended to the plateau, traveling up hill for eight or nine miles, when it struck the trail leading to tucson. colonel cooke selected fifty men, with whom he pushed forward. passing the vanguard, he soon reached water, where he found four or five mexican soldiers cutting grass. their arms and saddles were on their horses near by, easily accessible to our men. but these had no wish to molest them, and the mexicans appeared to pay little attention to us.
the colonel learned from a mexican sergeant that rumors of a large force of american troops coming had reached tucson, and great excitement prevailed in the town. of course the colonel, who was possessed of generalship as well as a stern sense of discipline, took no pains to disabuse the mexicans' minds, and thus possibly expose our little army to unnecessary peril. indians who had seen us from a distance had overestimated largely our numbers, and thus served to impress the people of sonora with the accuracy of the statement made by the guides.
the colonel also learned from the mexican sergeant that the commander of the garrison had orders from the governor not to allow any armed force to pass through the town without resistance. a message was therefore sent to the commander by this same sergeant, saying that the people need not be alarmed, as we were their friends and would do them no harm, as we wished merely to purchase supplies and pass on.
the next day we traveled about twelve miles, passing a distillery, and camped without water. the battalion marched in front of the wagons, to protect the provisions. here a new (to us) species of cactus proved very troublesome. it was jointed, and when an animal rubbed against the thorns it broke loose at the joints, and sections about three inches long would stick fast to the animal. the same variety of cactus is found in southern utah.
this day a corporal, the son of cassaduran, commander of the mexican post at tucson, and three mexican soldiers were met with. they showed no signs of fear until colonel cooke ordered them arrested, when they seemed terribly frightened. on arriving at our camp, the corporal was questioned by the commander as to dr. foster. he said (and it proved to be true) that foster was under guard, but had been requested earnestly to come with them, and had refused. he had feigned indignation at being arrested, lest the mexicans should be suspicious as to our numbers and should get reinforcements and fight us. as he anticipated, his conduct inspired them with terror.
one of the mexican prisoners was released and sent to the garrison with two of the guides, one of whom took a note to the commander of the post, demanding foster's release and stating that the other three mexicans were held as hostages. about midnight, dr. foster was brought into camp by two officers, one of whom was authorized to arrange a special armistice.
colonel cooke sent a proposition to the mexican commander that he deliver up a few arms as a guaranty of surrender, and that the inhabitants of tucson would not fight against the united states, unless released as prisoners of war. the mexican prisoners also were released. our camp at this time was about sixteen miles from tucson; and on our advance the following day, when a few miles out, a cavalryman met us with a note from captain cassaduran, declining the proposition to surrender. we were thereupon ordered to load our muskets and prepare for an engagement. we had not traveled far, however, before two other mexicans met us, with the news that the garrison at tucson had fled, and had forced most of the inhabitants to leave the town. they also had taken two brass pieces of artillery with them. a little later in the day, about a dozen well armed men, probably soldiers in citizens' dress, met and accompanied the battalion to tucson. but before passing through the gates a halt was ordered.
that morning, when we were striking camp for the march into tucson, dr. sanderson opened up again by remarking that "every d—d man who could stand alone ought to fall into line." our first move was to form ranks with everything in proper order to make an assault or receive a charge. then we moved out in line of battle. when within three or four miles of the fort a stop was made, we were faced to the right, and the command came to forward march, double-quick time. at that the whole column moved on a smart trot. some of us, at least, thought we were advancing upon an enemy that had been discovered by the commander; but when we had gone pell-mell over cobblerock and gullies, through brush and cactus, for a distance of nearly three quarters of a mile, we received the command to halt. then came orders to left face, file left, march. this move brought us back into the road, where we filed to the right and marched on to the fort.
at the gates of the fort. colonel cooke made a brief speech, stating that the soldiers and citizens had fled, leaving their property behind and in our power; that we had not come to make war on sonora; and that there must not be any interference with the private property of the citizens.
we then marched through the town, where a few aged men and women and some children brought us water and other small tokens of respect. we made no halt in the village, which had contained some four or five hundred inhabitants, of which number all but about a hundred had fled. our stop was made about half a mile down stream from the place.
in the town we made purchases of wheat, corn, beans and peas, which we parched or boiled. we were so near starved that we could not wait for this food to be more than half cooked before we ate it. there was no general supply purchased at tucson, but each man or mess obtained as much as could be with the scanty means on hand.
on the night of december 17, albern allen and his son rufus c. allen had been placed on picket guard above tucson, with orders that if any body of men, say ten or more, appeared, an alarm was to be fired, and the guards were to run into camp. sometime between midnight and two o'clock a body of mexicans put in an appearance, and the alarm was given as ordered. the bugle sounded at the colonel's quarters, and soon lieutenant george oman, who was officer of the day, rushed through the camp, shouting, "beat that drum; if you cannot beat the drum, beat the fife!" the drum-major, r. d. sprague, obeyed the order, and hit the drum. immediately the stern voice of the colonel shouted to cease that music. in less time than it takes to tell it, lights sprang up through the camp. then came the sharp command from the colonel, "dust those fires!" and the flames went out; the adjutant rushed through the camp with orders to the officers to form their companies into line, the men were commanded to fall in, and all was rustle and bustle.
the writer had been up relieving his stomach of half-boiled wheat, corn and peas, and had just got settled back in bed when the alarm was fired, so he heard all that was going on. as we all slept in our pantaloons, the first thing i thought of in that country of prickly pears was my boots; and while reaching for these and bumping heads with comrades, some of the men whose muskets were used for uprights for the tent thought these the first articles in the emergency and seized them, the tent coming down and the ridge-pole making another bump on heads. at the same time we were all trapped in the fallen tent, which was pinned down tight. i was trying to get the left boot on the right foot, and my footwear being rather small i had no easy job. all being caught in the tent-trap, the thought came how easy it would be for a body of mexican cavalry in a charge to cut us to pieces, and we soon burst through the tent and fell into line.
for the first time in the whole march the writer brought up the rear in getting to his place, and received a rebuke from the officer in command, george p. dykes. right here, however, in that brief experience, i learned a lesson i have never forgotten, namely, order in dressing and undressing. we had been in the habit of putting our clothing anywhere and each throwing his on top of another's, if convenience appeared to suggest it, so that in the dark it was difficult for each to get into his own raiment. i realized then how important it was to have "a place for everything and everything in its place;" hence to put every article of wearing apparel down so that in the darkest hour of night i knew where to place my hand on it, and when armed always to have my weapons in the best possible order and where the hand might be laid on them without any mistakes.
notwithstanding all the confusion, it seemed to me we were in line of battle in very short order, awaiting an attack of mexican cavalry. there was a few minutes' breathless silence after we were ready for the assault, and no enemy appearing, reconnoitering parties were sent out to ascertain the true situation. we were held in readiness an hour or more, then learning that everything was quiet, were permitted to retire to our tents, but not without some apprehension of danger until the dawn of day, which came bright and peaceful, and we began our march out on what was known as the ninety-five mile desert, which lay between us and the gila river.
after the first day's march on that awful stretch of barren waste, we began to straggle along, and before the gila was reached the command was scattered along on the clay beds and sand strips for twenty miles. we traveled night and day, not stopping at any one place more than six hours.
the command was in a most deplorable condition on this journey. many were the men that lay down by the wayside without a hope that they would live to reach water, and often thinking that they were behind the command. but after they had rested for a few hours and perhaps dozed long enough to dream that they died on the desert, and that the wolves that were howling around were dragging their emaciated carcasses over the sands or perchance in the alkali pools, so strongly impregnated with poisonous stuff that it would consume, in a short time, the flesh if not the bones also, then the thought of home and loved ones would come; and what was sometimes last, though not the least, would be the memory of the promises which the servants of god had made when we left the dear ones of home. then the worn and weary soldier would stagger to his feet, survey the surroundings, and perhaps would catch sight, in the distance, of some comrade who was staggering and reeling onward toward the setting sun, and would follow in his path.
so the almost dead soldier would go on, his feet playing pit-a-pat as they dragged past each other, until his limbs would refuse to carry him farther, and down he would go and repeat the agonizing experience of a few hours previous. he would also chew a buckshot or two to induce moisture in his parching tongue, and would offer an earnest prayer from his humble soul—a further exertion which he would not have brought his wearied mind to do if it had not been for the confidence he placed in the promises of god, made through his faithful servants.
thus, dear reader, the renowned mormon battalion passed forward across the great gila desert, almost without a human reason to hope that they would reach the goal, and only able to accomplish their aim through divine grace. when they succeeded in reaching the banks of the river, their clothes were so tattered and torn that it was with difficulty they could cover their nakedness.
