To Mexico With Scott; Letters of Captain E. Kirby Smith to His Wife

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1917. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... much more detention and shall hope to overtake the Second Infantry at New Orleans. . . . Cairo, Sept. 6,1846. I landed here at daylight this morning. The " Tempest " had passed here last evening, so here I must wait another opportunity. You perhaps remember this place at the mouth of the Ohio. There is an immense hotel and a few warehouses which were erected during the speculating mania of '35 and '36. They are now unoccupied and are sad monuments of that period of folly. The site of the town is overflowed in high water and in the hot season it is exceedingly sickly, bilious and intermittent fevers being prevalent. We stepped from our boat upon an old hull which has been moored here and fitted up as a house of entertainment. It was a boat of the largest class and the magnificent cabin of one of the most expensive boats ever built on the Western waters has been transferred to it, the staterooms being used for sleeping apartments, and the long range of saloons for drawingrooms, dining-room, etc. It is well kept, no gambling or drinking being allowed on board; each one, however, is compelled to be his own servant, everything being exceedingly democratic. It is very hot and solitary, not a single boat being here this morning. The prospect outside is anything but inviting. The low grounds around are covered with rank, unwholesome-looking weeds, the river coated with a thick layer of yellow, slimy, putrid-looking ooze, the filth of the river Ohio for a hundred miles collected in the slack water at the mouth through which the catfish can scarcely squirm and upon which a light-footed lass might run, all lying under a burning sun unmoved by a breath of air. Over all reigns the stillness of a Sabbath morning unbroken by a sound save the screams of a dirty wench g...