tain, place him on their shoulders or heads, and
bring him to me in the line on shore without a wet thread on him.

I informed the corporals that I had been placed in full command by
Captain Swift; warned them he would probably resist their bringing him
ashore; but no matter what he said or did, they must obey my orders.
They did it. The corporals were athletes--over six feet in height, young
and active. In the Captain's then physical condition he was as helpless
as an infant in their hands.

The water where they went overboard was nearly up to their necks; but
when they brought the Captain to me he was as dry as whilst sitting in
the boat. He had resisted them more violently than I anticipated. In
vain they explained to him that they were instructed by me to take him
ashore without his touching the water. He ordered them to put him down,
used all his force to compel them to do so, repeated his orders in no
measured terms, and continued to denounce the corporals after they had
placed him on his feet by my side.

He was wild with rage. I at once relinquished to him the command of the
company, and said: "Captain, the corporals are not in fault. They simply
obeyed my order whilst I was, by your authority, in command of the
company. Blame me, if you will, but exonerate them."

He apologised to the corporals for kicking, striking, and otherwise
abusing them, and thanked them for the service they had rendered him.
The termination of this incident made an indelible impression on the men
in favor of their Captain.

That night the company slept among the sand hills a few hundred yards
from the shore, undisturbed, except by a flurry of firing which occurred
about 10 P. M., between a Mexican detachment and the Light battalion of
Worth's division. This firing continued for a few minutes, and then all
was quiet for the rest of the night.

About sunrise next morning, the company moved several hundred yards,
into its position on the sand hills, on the right of Worth's division in
the line of investment, facing Vera Cruz which was about two miles
distant.

The Captain showed wonderful increase of vitality after he reached the
shore. He conducted the company to its assigned place in the line of
investment without much apparent difficulty in walking through the sand.

But three hours exposure to the hot sun was more than he could bear; his
strength was gone. He lost consciousness and was, by my order, carried
to the beach on an