Source:Fleming-vera-cruz
George T. Fleming. "Kelly tells fine story of trip to Vera Cruz: Bugler in U. S. Army in 1847 writes of murder, storm and landing: Dash through waves." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Oct. 1, 1916, sec. 5, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85877274.
THE journal of Robert Hamerton Kelly, Sr., of Pittsburgh that he kept while in Mexico as bugler in Company I, Second Pennsylvania Volunteers, in 1847–48, is of absorbing interest.
It is furnished The Gazette Times by Robert H. Kelly, Jr., of Pittsburgh, and was described in last Sunday’s article in these columns.
R. H. Kelly, Sr., was best known as a school principal in Pittsburgh, his last charge (1886), the old Bayard School in Hatfield street in Lawrenceville, nearly opposite the Allegheny Cemetery’s Butler street entrance. Prof. Kelly was then a resident of Hulton, now Oakmont. He died in Oakmont in 1892, having retired from teaching in 1886.
Company I, Second Pennsylvania Volunteers, was the “Hibernian Greens” of Pittsburgh, more familiarly referred to as the “Irish Greens.” The company was the last accepted for the regiment and got in by reason of the German Greys of Pittsburgh that had been accepted, failing to secure the minimum strength allowed. In 1847–48 there was a surplus of recruits, many companies maintaining their organizations intact, putting their time in “watchful waiting” for a chance at Santa Anna that never came.
William G. Johnston in his “Life and Reminiscences” tells of recruiting in Pittsburgh in those years. He saw the five companies go from Pittsburgh, the “Duquesne Greys,” the “Jackson Blues,” the “Hibernian Greens,” the “Rough and Readies” and the regular company under Capt. P. N. Guthrie, which served in the Eleventh United States Infantry. The four companies were commanded by Capts. John Herron, Alexander F. Hay, soon succeeded by James O’Hara Denny; Robert Porter and Thomas A. Rowley.
The company records of the “Hibernian Greens” as written in an old Mexican book by Prof. Kelly are about the only original records of our Pittsburgh soldiers in Mexico that are extant. They deteriorate, for they become fragile and the pages brittle. Many priceless documents in the Congressional Library are kept under glass. Perhaps the most priceless of the government’s collection is the Declaration of Independence. The “Journal” of Prof. Kelly and the record of the “Hibernian Greens” are to be properly preserved, likely by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania or the Carnegie Library. Suggestions as to preserving them in Memorial Hall brings to mind the fact that the hall is a memorial only of and for relics of the Civil War in America, 1861–65.
William G. Johnston was aged 18 years when war broke out with Mexico in 1846. He had great aspirations of military glory, he tells us. The soul-stirring drums of the recruiting squad that daily marched through the downtown streets were delightful to his ears. He hung about the armories where the various companies were being formed and where drilling went on steadily. These places were most attractive to the youth then as now.
The well-known and popular Pittsburgh companies that the Pittsburgh youths had followed in street parades from the time they were old enough, were now doubly popular. The splendid uniforms, streaming feathers and nobby cockades more fervently appealed than ever before to the soldierly inclined. Still there were many members of Pittsburgh’s crack companies that were averse to actual warfare. Pittsburgh was a Whig stronghold. The war with Mexico was a Democratic war.
The old Pittsburgh Gazette, then under control of “Deacon” D. N. White, was a Whig organ and unalterably opposed to the war. Hence the columns of the paper for those years give little local news, and that briefly. Therefore Mr. Johnston’s musings and reminiscences and Prof. Kelly’s journal come as a golden find in these later days when Mexico is so much in mind. In fact, we have Mexico always with us in a [news?] sense and are likely to have.
By reason of the unpleasant and distateful [sic] phases of military life many men dropped out of the old militia companies in Pittsburgh. Recruits were required and the officers were busy for a time and recruiting was lively.
Where the buildings of the Pennsylvania Lines now stand at what was then Penn and Wayne street, now Penn avenue and Tenth street, there stood in those war days an old tavern kept by William Broadhurst, known as the “Mansion House,” which Harris’ Directories locate as on “Penn street near the canal.”
“Charley” Glenn recruited a company here for Mexico in 1847. “Charley” had been orderly sergeant of the Duquesne Grays, having joined the company at New Orleans in January, 1847, but was soon invalided home via sea to Philadelphia. Hence he did not get cooped up in Puebla and thus escaped the fate of 14 of his comrades killed there by Mexican lancers.
“Charley,” however, was a good recruiting officer and soon had a company ready which was recruited at the Broadhurst tavern, and this company Mr. Johnston joined and immediately fell under parental displeasure mainly on account of the lack of respectability of Capt. Glenn’s recruits. Mr. Johnston admits his comrades were a hard lot, but he was game and made no attempt to withdraw and admits also his father was right in his strictures.
Glenn’s company was not accepted, there being no need of it, “consequently,” Mr. Johnston observes, “our company, myself included, were left out in the cold.”
The desk of the recruiting officer was a drum on a box outside the tavern, with a flag flying from a small pole close by. Mr. Johnston, who was fond of adventure, crossed the plains in 1849 to California and those who knew him can readily believe he would have become an ideal soldier.
There were many “hard cases” in the troops for Mexico in the Pennsylvania companies that rendezvoused in Pittsburgh in December, 1847, as Jacob Oswandel’s journal and newspaper accounts of the time attest, but our Pittsbrugh [sic] soldiers in the main were made of good material and all acquitted themselves well in actual warfare. Their rosters of familiar Pittsburgh names permit no other belief.
Prof. Kelly’s Journal tells the complete story of the service of the “Greens” from the day the company left Pittsburgh January 9, 1847, until they received marching orders to return home May 29, 1848, when the Journal abruptly closes. Yellow with age and closely written, stained and broken, the “Journal,” nevertheless, is legible and the story a narrative of surpassing interest.
Prof. Kelly begins:
January 9, 1847, marched on board the steamer Cambria, Capt. William Forsythe, and were detained until 12 o’clock at night on account of some members of the company who were missing. Search being made some were marched on board, and the balance were left.
Sunday morning, 10th, passed Wheeling at daybreak very quietly. The day was stormy and cold and snowing very hard. Nothing of interest occurred from this time until we arrived at New Orleans, which port we made on the 17th and dropped down to Camp Jackson about six miles below the city, where for the first time we knew the comforts of camp life. We divided ourselves off in messes of 13, each taking his turn at cooking. The change of diet to many of us was not very agreeable, being boiled pork and beans, hard biscuit, salt beef and coffee; occasionally rice and sugar.
A veritable bunch of “rookies” our soldiers of today would term them. “Greens” by name and “green” otherwise, from the captain down unless we can except some of the 14 German “Hibernians” in the company who undoubtedly had that military training, compulsory in the German states.
Then the rations—those of Company D of the First Pennsylvania which served three months before Wilkes-Barre in 1877 and never fired a volley, will smile now. If such a layout, as the “Greens” got in New Orleans, had been handed out to Company D (a Pittsburgh company) the boys would have thought they were dining at the best hotel in the town.
Mr. Kelly comes to a news item now. He says:
On the night of the 18th a foul and brutal murder was committed by some persons unknown upon the person of Fleming Montgomery, a member of the company. He was stabbed in the shoulder and neck and when discovered in the morning was dead. He was very decently interred. Suspicion rested upon a young man named William Garrett, but sufficient evidence not being produced, nothing could be done with him. He afterwards deserted from us at New Orleans.
Garrett was a member of the company at the time. His name occurs without comment in the roster of the “Greens” in the Allegheny County History (1876), but does not appear on either of the two rosters in Kelly’s Journal. Hence nothing is known of the man. The journal continues:
On the evening of the 23d we were visited by one of the most tremendous storms I ever witnessed. It commenced about 5 p. m. and continued without cessation until about 12, when it moderated a little. By this time the water was from 10 to 20 inches deep in our tents. Everything was flooded. Our blankets, knapsacks, etc., were throughly [sic] soaked. Here we were in a nice situation, well calculated to initiate us into the comforts of a soldier’s life.
Nine of us at this unpleasant state of affairs concluded to procure lights and seek the bank of the river, the ground there being much more elevated than where we were. We started, but before we went 20 steps from the tent our lights were extinguished by the rain which continued to fall in torrents, and now commenced a scene which baffles all description.
We were in total darkness and nought to be seen save what an occasional flash of lighitng [sic] would reveal, and again all was darkness. We at length succeeded in reaching the bank after wading some three-quarters of a mile in water up to our knees and plunging some eight or 10 times into ditches and drains up to our necks. We then made ourselves as comfortable as we could on the lee side of a wood pile until morning.
The whole company and in fact the whole regiment was dispersed in different directions and all seemingly discouraged, disgusted with our fare in this place that it seemed next to impossibility to assemble them, but on the 25th got all together with five recruits.
January 28—Went on board the J. N. Cooper, Capt. Varney, and were towed to the Balize by the towboats Panther and Southerner which we reached at 4 the next morning and passed over the bar at 7 when we were left to manage for ourselves. The sails were all spread and a gentle gale gradually wafted us from the land of our birth. We could still discern the lighthouse until after dark. The next morning no land could be discerned. The morning was beautiful and a profound calm prevailed. All was joy—much merriment on our ship.
We had four companies on board, viz., Company A, the Reading Artillerists, Capt. Thomas Loeser; Company H, the Fayette Volunteers, Capt. Wm. ⸻ (illegible); Company E, Westmoreland Guards, Capt. J. W. Johnston; and Company I, Capt. Porter.
We had a very pleasant voyage with the exception of two very severe northers which caused not a little alarm to those who were inexperienced to a life on the ocean wave.
February 12th we arrived at Lobos Island, and went ashore on the 13th (my birthday), where I was immediately met by many of my Pittsburgh friends of the First Regiment with whom I spent the day and at dark sought for the company who had been busy all day in clearing away every brush in order to put up our tents.
This is a small island about one mile in circumference and thickly covered with brush and vines of every description and densely populated with lizards and sand. We passed the time here very pleasantly for two weeks amusing ourselves in gathering shells, coral and other curiosities and fishing.
Feb’y 22d—This being the birthday of the immortal Washington, we celebrated it in a becoming manner. A supper was given by the company, and one to which we all did justice. Although we had no means of cooking a regular French supper we had pies, poundcakes, wines, etc., of no inferior quality.
After we had saitsfied [sic] ourselves with the eatables, Capt. Loeser was called to the chair and Lieut. John Sturgeon made secretary, when the wine and toasts went ’round right merrily. We adjourned about midnight, all well pleased with the festivities of the evening.
A supper was also given by Company A of the First Regiment, Capt. Hay, and one by Capt. Scott’s company, all of which were creditable to the patriotism of the representatives of the old Keystone State.
Company A was the Jackson Blues of Pittsburgh and Capt. Scott’s company the “Cadwallader Greys” of Philadelphia. Prof. Kelly tells next of the rendezvousing of many regiments from the South on Lotos [sic] Island. The edges of the page are so broken here and the writing so close to the edge and top that the exact language of the journal cannot be used. He observes that the Southern troops seemed not to mind the heat of the tropical climate as much as the Pennsylvanians and New York troops.
February 28th—Went on board the ship J. N. Cooper.
March 1st—The island was completely abandoned. We started the evening before for Point Lizardo in company with some 75 or 100 vessels consisting of steam and sail, the whole army being conveyed. Gen. Scott and staff were on board the steamship Massachusetts, and as she passed gracefully around and passed each vessel was greeted with deafening cheers from the soldiers and the bands continued playing national airs until the distance gradually softened the sound that we could no longer catch the faintest tone.
Evening now gathered around us and all men were busily engaged in speculating about what was before us and what our prospects were in regard to taking the invincible castle of San Juan.
March 6—Rounded to at Point Lizardo, 11 miles from Vera Cruz, from which, with the aid of a spy glass, the castle and the Mexican flag upon it could be seen. On the morning of the 9th we were ready to start for Sacrificios, three miles above the city. After being furnished three days’ provisions we embarked on the Potomac and sailed down with the whole fleet within three miles from the city, when landing commenced, the surfboats numbering over 100, each conveying from 60 to 80 men.
Gen. Worth’s division was sent off first, about 3,000 regulars. When the boats were all filled and ready to pull for shore, a distance of about three-fourths of a mile, the signal was given to start and all put off together.
At this time the most intense anxiety prevailed throughout the whole fleet; it was to see what kind of a reception they would meet. The masts, yards, shrouds and rigging were thronged with soldiers and sailors, all anxious to see the landing. At the same time the bands were playing the most popular national airs.
At length they have made the shore. The Stars and Stripes are seen waving within gunshot of the city and castle and not a gun fired yet. The bands struck up “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and the shouts which burst from the decks and rigging of the vessels would make one believe that old Neptune himself was participating in the joy and enthusiasm so unanimously manifested by our soldiers and navy.
We did not effect our landing until 9 o’clock at night and were obliged to ware [sic] about 100 yards in the surf, the spray occasionally dashing over our heads. We were now on the enemy’s land. About 11 o’clock we were permitted to lie down on the beach, our knapsacks for pillows.
The Mexican scenes depicted today are all referred to in Prof. Kelly’s Journal and were made shortly after the Mexican War.