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Writing Type: Book
Letters of Robert Anderson to his wife about his campaigns during the US/ Mexico war, 1846-48. He marched from Veracruz to Mexico City and describes the scenery, hardships and the people he met on the way.
Keywords: US/Mexico War, Mexican women, war, hardship
Publisher: G.P. Putham’s Sons, New York and London, The Knickerbocker Press
Archive: John Rylands Library
Location Details: .
Text: p.17 Miss Chase, an Irish woman "distinguished herself by raising the American flag as our Navy was coming up to town". [From letter dated 27 January 1847, Tampico.]
p.60 Describes a Mexican woman in the Veracruz market, "turning a stick between the palms of her hands as she stoops over that earthen pot on the fire. She is making a cup of chocolate for someone. She will pour some out, then put it on the fire and turn her stick in it again, and then pour more out; now she puts a piece of sponge cake into the saucer and hands it to that man; and he pays her sixpence for it, and she smiles a pleasantly as if her had made her a present." (Written 27 Feb 1847.)
p.80 15 March 1847 Writes of plans not to fire on the city of Veracruz. They hope it falls naturally making them "masters of the city, without the dreadful effusion of the blood of women and children".
p.91 23 March 1847
"It really goes to my heart to be compelled to do my duty when I know that every shot injures or severely distresses the poor inoffensive women and children, who have neither part nor lot in the war."
p.179 19 May 1847
I may as well say something about the dress of the common people; the ladies have not become sufficiently well accustomed to the presence of the barbarians to shew themselves.
p.180 The common women wear the chemise (I suppose) and over it fastened around the waist some petticoats, the outer one either entirely of some fancy colored material, or, at all events, the lower part, from the first swell of the hip downwards, will be found colored. Over their heads, breasts, and shoulders, you see again the blankets, or ribose which is worn by all who can afford it. These are placed on the crown of the head (sometimes fastened to the hair by a pin) crossed so as to meet about the chin, and the ends sometimes thrown over the left shoulder, as the blanket or cloak is worn by the men.
I saw a child carried by her mother, this morning, in a manner I never saw before. The woman had a basket full of some marketing, which was supported by her blanket, tied so as to form a kind of bag, the ends of the blanket tied together, and pressing on her forehead; between the basket and the blanket bag were seen divers kinds of vegetables, and under her left arm, its head (back downwards) dangling about the mother’s hip, and one of its little feet seemingly holding to her dress behind was carried her little Indian child. It was certainly a novel way of carrying a child. [...] The common people resemble our Indians so strongly in their habits, it would be easy for them to assimilate at once. Education would make them good citizens. Ignorance keeps them serfs.
p.184 23 May 1847
One thing I observe to-day which gives me great pleasure, viz., the ladies are making their appearance in the streets. This shows that confidence is being established. For the first four or five days after our arrival not a lady was seen in the streets, private carriages were not seen, but few females shewed themselves at the windows. To-day we see very genteel equipages and ladies and gentlemen taking drives. I hope that in a short time the Pueblans will find that we are not as barbarous as we have been represented and learn to regard us and their good friends.
p.204 9 June 1847 [He describes a market. Most of the sellers of food are women.]
Next are some women who have their charcoal furnaces at work selling various Mexican stews etc.; here you may buy from this girl, who removes a dirty cloth from the top of her basket near her, tortillas made of corn soaked in lime mashed by a roller on a large flat stone prepared for that purpose, and then baked. She is too dirty, or at all events the cloth which keeps her tortillas hot is too dirty - let us pass on.
p.215 16 June 1847 [He describes the "style of female attire" of the tortilla sellers:]
Instead of wearing petticoats, wrap around their waists a piece of blanket, which sometimes appears to be scant of going once and a half around them. Their black hair is passed in a coil around the largest part of the head, and is frequently interwoven with red cotton. I have not seen a bonnet in Puebla all, rich and poor, wear shawls, or ribosas on the head.
p.263 24 July 1847 [He describes how women prepare tortillas.]
I must confess that I have no desire to eat what they prepare. I see daily exhibited by the market women scenes disgustingly filthy.
p.277 6 August 1847
Directly in front of my window is the stall of two women who sell all kinds of fruit, disposed in piles or (on?) pieces of matting. This stall is covered with long shingles, and is closed behind by a piece of matting, but open on the sides and in front; the two are seated back, near a blazing fire of lightwood, giving a picturesque effect, as you see customers approach, and by change of position see them now in strong light, now mostly in deep shade.
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