is ordered on duty with sixty rounds of cartridges in his box. We, the old regulars, are all up on the ramparts, watching with all our eyes and listening with our ears wide open.
12 o'clock.—No attack yet.
Sunday, September 26, 1847.—This morning, long before daylight, we expected to be attacked by Gen, Santa Anna, but he did not come.
At noon Gen. Rea issued an order for every Mexican citizen to move three squares from the Yankees' quarters, and any citizen refusing to move, or is known to sell or have any trading and dealing with the Americans, would be considered and looked upon as traitors to the Republic of Mexico; and in case the American army should be defeated, they will then suffer the penalty of death, and their property, if they have any, will be confiscat (confiscated).
This unexpected order caused a good deal of confusion and excitement among the Mexican people who live in our immediate neighborhood, and you should have seen the people moving. It beat all the first of Mays in the United States. Many of the pobre (poor) people refused to move, but preferred to stay under our protection and run the risk. They are mostly regateros (hucksters).
Thus the Mexicans are not satisfied with stopping off our beef, bread, etc., but they have the impudence to deprive us of our vegetables and leche (milk). Col. Black remarked that this looks as if the Mexicans wanted to starve us out in place of driving us out.
In the afternoon it was discovered that Gen. Santa Anna had the Saint Augustine Church barricaded with sand-bags and cotton or tobacco bales.
Gov. Childs ordered the twelve pounder stationed in the front of our quarters to fire upon it. A tall sergeant of the regular army, named George Orwill, who trained the piece and made some good hits—one shot in particular which struck the clock and knocked it to pieces; so you can see we beat their time.
