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456 SHELBY AND HIS MEN; OR.
fears, however, were soon explained away, and General Shelby with a few
of his escort crosssed over to negotiate for the sale of the arms and ammuni-
tion. The governors of the States of New Leon and Coahuila came to
Piedras Negras; runners were sent post-haste over the surrounding country
for the prominent rancheros, and for two days the pow-wow went inter-
estingly on. Then the uninitiated had ample opportunity to thoroughly
understand the remarkable ease and rapidity with which Mexican hands
squeeze the last dollar from plethoric and horrified Dons. After much
pressing and assessinig-threatening and expostulating-eighteen thousand
silver dollars were at length concentrated. For safe keeping they were de-
posited in the office of the collector of customs. Engaged in this office as a
clerk, translator, spy-anything required, in fact-was a Louisiana Creole
who had served on General Canby's staff in New Mexico, but Who had in
all probablity deserted the service when the work became heavy and hot.
He was a rare polyglot. French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English
rattled off from his tongue in soft, persuasive accents, and his bows and
studied politeness were as seductive as Chesterfield's. However, the
night before the eighteen thousand dollars were paid to Shelby this amiable
interpreter very coolly abstracted one bag containing two thousand of the
bright silver dollars, and was the most uproarious the next morning in de-
nouncing robbers in general and Mexican's in particular. He certainly was
the most finished scoundrel ever encountered, and deserved the bag of
money for the superb affability with which he ingratiated himself into the
confidence of the Confederates.
So for the cannon, the arms, the ammunition, and the accouterments
Shelby received sixteen thousand dollars in cash and some sixteen thousand
more in "Juarez script"-which never brought a farthing and, perhaps,
never will. The money received was divided out among the officers and
men pro rata, and with it--small as the amount was to each man-they
started their march of a thousand miles into a strange and foreign country,
ignorant of the language and of the habits and customs of the natives.
After the Liberals had received all the munitions of war and before
General Shelby had given orders for the march from Piedras Negras-five
skulking Dutchmen from Texas, who had hurried into Mexico when the
war commenced in order to avoid conscription, concluded to make a little
raid upon the Confederates as a matter of speculation. Paying some thirty
or forty of those elegant brigands-the Liberal soldiers-a good round sum
to "stand by them," the Dutchmen bodly marched into the plaza where
Shelby's horses were picketed and laid claim to all having Mexican brands
upon them. Mexican law requires the owners of all horses having brands
about them other than their own peculiar marks to be armed likewise
with a bill of sale which testifies paticularly to the brand, and when and
where the animal was disposed of. Shelby's men had no bills ,of sale other
than their carbines and revolvers, so When some watchful scout brought
word to Shelby of how the game was going, the resolved to end the lawsuit
speedily. Six bugle notes and the five hundred Cofederates were mounted
and in line, waiting but for a half nod from their leader to begin a terrible
scene of murder and pillage. They were justly exasperated to see the
very Mexican leaders-to whom had been given almost a splendid cargo of
war materials-turning upon them and backing up the voracious robbers.
Mexican drums beat the long roll. The excitement in Piedras Negras was
intense; women, rushed frantically into the streets; weapons were bare;
the Americans were clamorous for a fight, and Shelby was taxed greatly
Object Description
| Title | Shelby and his men, or, the war in the west |
| Author | Edwards, John N. (John Newman), 1839-1889 |
| Subject.LCSH |
Shelby, Joseph Orville, 1830-1897 Missouri -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 Arkansas -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 |
| Coverage | United State -- Missouri |
| Source |
Digital reproduction based on reprint edition republished by his wife Jennie Edwards, Kansas City, Mo. : Hudson-Kimberly Pub. Co., 1897 Originally published: Cincinnati, Ohio : Miami printing and publishing, 1867. |
| Language | English |
| Date.Original | 1897 |
| Date.Digital | 2003? |
| Type |
Books and pamphlets |
| Format | JPEG |
| Collection Name | Civil War in Missouri - Monographs |
| Editorial Note | All blank pages have been eliminated |
| Publisher.Digital | University of Missouri Digital Library Production Services |
| Rights | These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please contact contributing institution for information. |
| Contributing Institution |
University of Missouri--Columbia. Libraries |
| Copy Request | Contact Ellis Library Special Collection, University of Missouri - Columbia at (573) 882-0076 or email: SpecialCollections@missouri.edu |
Description
| Title | civk000028p0456 |
| Description | 456 SHELBY AND HIS MEN; OR. fears, however, were soon explained away, and General Shelby with a few of his escort crosssed over to negotiate for the sale of the arms and ammuni- tion. The governors of the States of New Leon and Coahuila came to Piedras Negras; runners were sent post-haste over the surrounding country for the prominent rancheros, and for two days the pow-wow went inter- estingly on. Then the uninitiated had ample opportunity to thoroughly understand the remarkable ease and rapidity with which Mexican hands squeeze the last dollar from plethoric and horrified Dons. After much pressing and assessinig-threatening and expostulating-eighteen thousand silver dollars were at length concentrated. For safe keeping they were de- posited in the office of the collector of customs. Engaged in this office as a clerk, translator, spy-anything required, in fact-was a Louisiana Creole who had served on General Canby's staff in New Mexico, but Who had in all probablity deserted the service when the work became heavy and hot. He was a rare polyglot. French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English rattled off from his tongue in soft, persuasive accents, and his bows and studied politeness were as seductive as Chesterfield's. However, the night before the eighteen thousand dollars were paid to Shelby this amiable interpreter very coolly abstracted one bag containing two thousand of the bright silver dollars, and was the most uproarious the next morning in de- nouncing robbers in general and Mexican's in particular. He certainly was the most finished scoundrel ever encountered, and deserved the bag of money for the superb affability with which he ingratiated himself into the confidence of the Confederates. So for the cannon, the arms, the ammunition, and the accouterments Shelby received sixteen thousand dollars in cash and some sixteen thousand more in "Juarez script"-which never brought a farthing and, perhaps, never will. The money received was divided out among the officers and men pro rata, and with it--small as the amount was to each man-they started their march of a thousand miles into a strange and foreign country, ignorant of the language and of the habits and customs of the natives. After the Liberals had received all the munitions of war and before General Shelby had given orders for the march from Piedras Negras-five skulking Dutchmen from Texas, who had hurried into Mexico when the war commenced in order to avoid conscription, concluded to make a little raid upon the Confederates as a matter of speculation. Paying some thirty or forty of those elegant brigands-the Liberal soldiers-a good round sum to "stand by them," the Dutchmen bodly marched into the plaza where Shelby's horses were picketed and laid claim to all having Mexican brands upon them. Mexican law requires the owners of all horses having brands about them other than their own peculiar marks to be armed likewise with a bill of sale which testifies paticularly to the brand, and when and where the animal was disposed of. Shelby's men had no bills ,of sale other than their carbines and revolvers, so When some watchful scout brought word to Shelby of how the game was going, the resolved to end the lawsuit speedily. Six bugle notes and the five hundred Cofederates were mounted and in line, waiting but for a half nod from their leader to begin a terrible scene of murder and pillage. They were justly exasperated to see the very Mexican leaders-to whom had been given almost a splendid cargo of war materials-turning upon them and backing up the voracious robbers. Mexican drums beat the long roll. The excitement in Piedras Negras was intense; women, rushed frantically into the streets; weapons were bare; the Americans were clamorous for a fight, and Shelby was taxed greatly |
| Source | Shelby and His Men |
| Type | Books and monographs |
| Format | JPEG |
| Identifier | civk000028p0456.jpg |
| Collection Name | Civil War in Missouri - Monographs |
| Editorial Note | All blank pages have been eliminated |
| Publisher.Digital | University of Missouri Digital Library Production Services |
| Rights | These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please contact koppk@umsystem.edu for more information. |
| Copy Request | Contact Ellis Library special collection at: SpecialCollections@missouri.edu |
