Letter from James T. Bryer to his family in Logansport, Indiana during the Mexican War : autograph manuscript, signed

Letter by a Cass County, Indiana volunteer describing his experiences in the border town of Matamoros during the Mexican War. Bryer, a resident of Logansport in Cass County, enlisted in June 1846, serving with the 1st Indiana Volunteers under Col. James P. Drake. They arrived at Matamoros at the end of August 1846. The letter details the soldiers' quarters: "good, dry houses and good bunks to sleep on and we would be very comfortable if it were not for the fleas but there is no pleasure without its pain" and the food, "we have two men to cook for us all and we pay them seventy-five cents apiece each month." He also gives a review of conditions on the front line in preparation for expected attack by Mexican forces, "there are about 50 men detailed for guard every day ... we have been engaged in making fortifications at the plaza - or public square. The fortifications will be finished today and the boys are glad of it for they had to work and dig pretty hard. It is rumored that we are to be attacked and in fact we have had several alarms but they proved to be false ... It has been reported that there are several thousand Mexican cavalry in the neighborhood of this place but I don't believe that the report is true." He mentions a number of officers, including Captain Stanislaus Lassell, Lieutenants David M. Dunn and George W. Blakemore. Bryer also describes the chuch and inhabitants of Matamoros: "This is quite a large place. It originally contained about twelve thousand inhabitants but since the war there has been a good many left ... Their churches here are poorly constructed. They have three large bells on one and about as many on the other ... The Mexicans are almost all low in stature but generally well built ... The better classes are very dandy but not so the poor ones. They are lousy, dirty, and ugly. Some of the women - or señoritas - are very good looking. We have a fandago here almost every night and the boys have a good deal of fun with the señoritas."

• 1847 February 17

• Bryer, James T, 1828-1895

2 sheets (7 pages) ; 25 x 40 cm

text

Letter has Pt. Isabel franking, dated Feb. 24, 1847. Addressed to Mr. David Bryer, Esq., Logansport, Indiana

• Matamoros (Tamaulipas, Mexico)

• United States. Army. Indiana Volunteer Regiment, 1st (1846-1848)

• Bryer, James T, 1828-1895

• Mexican War (1846-1848)
• Nineteenth century
• Soldiers' writings, American
• Sources
• Travel

• text

• English

Matamoros, Mexico

Public domain (US)

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2021-03-17