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Show APPENDIX TO PART HI. pl atoons, sections, &c. in g-a rri son, where they ~en·c as llllantry, wuh their car~1 b in c s . In these manccuv res they wen : ,·cry deficient. On n march a detachment of ca\'alry genera lly encamp inn circle. They r cli cn : th eir p;uards at ni~ ht, anc~ as ~0011 as they halt 1 he new !{l'al"l is fol'ln cd on f(JOt with their carab:ncs, Llul th 11 111-tlThcd IJeforl' the connnandarn's tt·nt, where the CO i l l i1Hl ll cli ll ~; oO'tn.r of the guatrl invokes the holy vi rgin tlil'C.:c ti n1cs : the comma1Hiing- o11iccr rrp:ics, " It is well." They tiJC ll retire uncl mount th eir I orscs, and arc told off, so nte to act as "!;Uard of the lw r~es," as candry, ot iH'rs as g uard of the camp, as inf~111 try . T he old g uar Is arc then paraded and relie ,·ed, and the new seutinels take post. Their s<:lltincl<> arc !:>in ging half their tim e, and it is no uncommon thin!; lor them to quit th ei r post to come to the J1rc, go ii:H· wat<.:r, &c. i11 l~trl, afttr the o{li.cer is in bed, frequently the whole g uard contes in, } et l ttcvet· ] .. new any m.m puni~h cd fur thu~c breaches of n tilitt~r y duty. Their mode of attack is by ::i(}uadrons, on the difl'ercnt llank-; of thc:ir enemies, but without reg ulari ty ot· concert, !:ihoutin g-, lJall ooing·, and fir· ing thcit• carabincs, af'tcr which, j f they think t!Jemsclvcs Cfjllili to the enemy, they cltarg·c with n pistol and t h ~ n a l.t ttcc. From my ohscn ation on tltcir tlisci pli nc T have no h c~itati otl itt declaring- th .. t I would uot be afraid to march ove r a plain, with 500 .inf:utt ry and ;1 proportionate allowance of horse-artille ry or the Uuited :•tatcs ~mtty, in the presence of 5000 or these dragoons ; yet I do not prC'>tllllC tiJ say that an army with that infe riority of numbe rs would do to oppo~e them, for they would cut off your supplies, and harrass your march and camp, nig ht and day, to such a deg ree a~ to oblige you in the end to suncndcr to them without ever hn ving come to action. I I~ h o1~· ever, the event depended on one sin gle engagement, it would eventuate with gl01·y to the American arms. The conclusion must not Le drawn that I conside t· th ey arc defi cient in phy~ical fit·muess more tlli.ln other nations, for we sec tile savages, 500 of whom on a plain fly before fifty bayonets, on other occasions brave clanger and death in its most horTid shapes wi th an undaunted fo rtitude t1cver sur· passed by the most disciplined and hardy veterans. I t arises solely from the want of discipline and confi dence in each othe r, as is al ways the case with undisciplined corps, unless stimulated by the godlike sentiment of Jove of COttntry, of which these poor fellows know little. ·rhe travelling foocl of the dragoons in New Mexico consists of a very excellent species of wheat biscuit and shaved meat, well dried, with a vast quantity of red peppet·, of which they make bou· .illi and then pour it on their broken biscuit, whcu it becomes soft and excellent eating. • AP PE~ D IX TO PAHT III. IJ ·' Farther south they use large f]llantit ics of parched com-meal ~tnd su~ar (as practised by our hunters) each dragoon ha, ing· a small bag-. ln short, they live, when on comm<tnd, 011 an allowance which our tr·oops would concci ,·c little better th..tu st.lt'\ ing, ncn;r, except at nig ht, attem pti 11 g- to cat any thing like a meal but IJitc a pit'CC u! biscuit, or· dri11k some p:uchctl Jncul and Sttg~.11· with \\;.ncr durin£'· the (.•l ay. 0 F rolll the physical, as well as moral propenies of the inhabitants of ~\ e w Spain, 1 do bel ieve they arc capa!Jic of being- made tJ.c best troops in tLc wol'ld, po'>scssing sob1·icty, erltl'l'pl·isc, g-reat phr~ icul for·cc, docility, aud a conception c<p lnlly quick and pen<·tt·ati n~;· T he mode of promotion in the inte rnal provinces i~ !:>ingular, but proua!J ly produrti\·e of g-ood cfT'ccts. Should a vacancy o[ fit!:>l. licutcmutt offe r in a cumpm1;, the captain conwlallclin!~ no!llinate~, with the scnio1· second lie utenant (\~ho by seniority wonld fill LIH· vacancy) two ot her· li cutcnanls to the gellcral, giving his commcnt'l on all th ree. The gencnd sdccts two for a ttominat ioll to the court. from whom is selected the fortunate candidate, whose comlllission is made out and forwarded ; and, as the lcttcr·s of' nomination are always kept a secret, it is i lllpossible Lo t· the young- olllccrs to sa\ who is to blume should they be disappointed, and the fortunate on~; is in n direct way to th ank the king only fo r· the ul timate decision, nnd thus with superior g- rucles to the colonel. The ki ng; of Spain's ordint~nccs for the government of his at'l1l} arc generally founded on justice and a high sense of honor. I could not get a set from any of the ofliccrs to take it to my quarters, conseq u~ntly my obse rvations on them we re (;X tremcly cursory. T hey prov1dc that no old so ldier shall C\'C I' be discharged the ser vice, l~nless fo1· infamous crimes. \ V hen a man has served " itiJ rcputatton .fot· 15 yen rs and continues, his pay is aug·mcutcd ; 20 years, he receives anothe r augmentation ; 27 yeats, he receives the bt'C \o Cl rank and pay of an ensign, and 32, a lieute nant, &c. T hose cir·cunrstances arc a great stimulant, although not on~ in a t housund anivc at the third period, when they arc pennittt:d tu retire from the ser~ vice with full pay and emnlumcuts. All bOllS of captains, or oJ grades superior·, at·e e ntitled to rnter the ki11g's schools as cadets, ul the age of twelve ye;11 "· The property ol HllY ofllcer or· solcl i<·l', wl1o is killed on the fi eld of battle or dies of his wounds, is not liable to he taken fot· debt, and is secured) a'> ''ell a<; the king'-; prn..,ion, ttl tlw l'rlati\ ro; of the deceased. |