when we first came into this country it was impossible to get acquainted with the ladies, but now they go to the theatre, circus, balls and other places of amusement and pleasurable time-killing, their faces gracing the occasion. No city under the starry tent of the Supreme General furnishes such a variety of beldadz, beauty, as the city of Mexico, and it would be a sin were the dear angels to hide their bright eyes and sweet lips from so many gallant admirers of their sex as are to be found in the American army.
There is an abundance of game, such as snipe, partridges, pheasants, pigeons, wild ducks and many other birds; of fish there is very little in the market, and are very high in prices during Lent; what there is of them are caught in the surrounding lakes of the city.
The closing of all the liquor stores at 6 o'clock in the evening (as ordered by Gen. Scott), has already had an admirable effect. The order was absolutely necessary to prevent the midnight assassination of our soldiers, an occurrence by-the-by that was getting to be entirely too frequent. No Mexican, I believe, however inclined, will attempt to take the life of an American soldier when sober, for most all the men that have been assassinated have been beastly drunk.
I have written a great deal longer letter than I first intended, but I shall now come to a close by saying that I am pretty well tired of soldiering. Yours, &c., J. J. O.
H. Strunk, Three Locks, Five miles above Lewistown, Pa.
Friday, January 14, 1848.—This morning there was a complete mutiny at our quarters among the soldiers, all on account of not getting enough to eat. Finally a Mexican came along with a mula (mule), loaded with oranges and bread. At him our fellows made a regular charge and took all the poor Mexican had in his two panniers. The Mexican (or poor Indian as I was told he was), went to Gen. Cushing's quarters and complained of the outrage the soldiers had committed. So Gen. Gushing, who is a good-hearted fellow and has plenty of
