Excerpt from "The Leader", Princeton, Ky. Feb. 9, 1940 Editors Note-- The Leader is greatly indebted to Miss Quincy Mitchell, Durant, Okla., for some interesting data on early Caldwell County history that is self-explanatory. This data is authentic, and is well worth preserving, as it is a record of those brave pioneers, frm this, and what is now Lyon County (formerly a part of Caldwell County) who volunteered their service in the Mexican War, many of whose descendants reside in this vicinity. Attention is called to the similarity of the names of those former soldiers to those that are quite familiar to present day residents of this community. Editor of the Leader Princeton, Ky. Dear Mr. Catlett, I have been thinking for some time that it might be interesting to your readers to have a few facts and experiences relating to the Mexican War published in your paper. These facts were obtained from my uncle, James F. Mitchell, who was a member of the company of soldiers who enlisted from Princeton and the surrounding country. The enclosed roster fo the volunteers from Caldwell contains names of many who descendants are still living in Princeton and vicinity. As a war this conflict with Mexico was not one of the top ranking wars in the history of our country. Nevertheless many lives were sacrificed among the youngmanhood of the South. Some from battle casualties, but more from diseasesincident to the tropical climate and lack of proper food and medical care.Kentucky shared in this sacrifice, Princeton and Caldwell County contributedtheir portion as an offering upon the altar of Mars. I have heard my uncle tell of that day in the autumn of 1847 when the CaldwellCounty Volunteers assembled in Princeton to begin their long and wearisomejourney to Mexico. On that momentous day so long ago, a large crowd hadgathered to see the “boys” off to war. The soldiers were congregated on thelawn of the Court House (not the present Court House, but the one that wasburned later during the War Between the States). There they heard the usual plaudits and flights of oratory from speakers who expectedto remain at home. When the moment of departure arrived a three volley salute of musketry was fired.The soldiers marched around the Court House, then amidst cheers and farewellsnot unmixed with tears, set off afoot for Edyville, the nearest point where aboat could be taken to go down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.There an ocean going vessel was boarded that took them to Vera Cruz, Mexico.The crossing was rough and many of the soldiers suffered from sea sickness. Myuncle said his friend and neighbor, Erastus Pickering, was one of theseunfortunates and frequently declared that he wished he had stayed home and nottried to be a hero. The troops from Princeton never reached the battle front as the fighting waslargely over before they arrived at Mexico City. The they suffered otherhardships, tropical heat and illnesses which caused many deaths. The Caldwell Guards spent nearly a year before being sent back home. To while away the tedium of waiting to get back home the boys wrote long letters to theirrelatives and friends. Some of the company, my uncle, one of that number, owingto their limited skill in letter writing, detailed that undertaking to his friend,Patrick H. Lang, of eastern Caldwell County, who was quite a scholar for hisday and time and had a gift and skill in penmanship and letter writing. UncleJames said in later years Mr. Lang moved to Illinois, studied law, enteredpolitics, and became a man of considerable prominence. The Caldwell troops were sent home by a different route. I think it was across theIsthmus of Panama and around by New York. They were mustered out at Louisville,Ky. in 1848. This list of names of Caldwell Volunteers was copied from a muster roll belonging to my uncle who was a member of the company. The roster is dated October 23, 1847. Commissioned Officers Captain, Joseph Conn 1st Lieut. Jeremiah F. Dorris 2nd Lieut. John B. Wadlington 2nd Lieut. Cyrus A. Scott Non Commissioned Officers 1st Sergeant John Massie 2nd Sergeant David M. Wadlington 3rd Sergeant Shelton Jone s4th Sergeant John P. Guess 1st Corporal Bradford Cantrell 2nd Corporal Morrison D. Wilcox 3rd Corporal David R. Paden 4th Corporal Geo. W. Bond Drummer Erastus Morrison Fifer West A. Melton Privates Wm. R. Armstrong Benj. F. Armstrong James F. Brewster John H. Brooks William D. Bailey James D. Bridges Etna M. Brewster Madison Buntin Ezekial A. Beard Amos K. Bradley Willis N. Blick Thomas R.Cardwell Jas. T. Cravens Jas. W. Cooksey Joseph P. Cook Henry Cook William Clinton James H. Catlett Spenser Calvert John Camden John Cannon Thos. W. Campbell Robt. A. Davidge Alfred R. Davis Henry M. Davis Alfred F. Dunn James E. Eison Charles W. Fleer Thomas Ferguson Benjamin S. Fox James R. Fann Augustus A. Gore James Glass Joseph A. Goodloe John W. Gregory Samuel Hanks James Hunter John M. Hunter ---- JohnsT Thomas F. Johnson Benjamin Jordon James W. Kendricks James Keene yBenjamin Krone Mathew M. Lyon William B. Lambert Henry Lewis Wiley Lamb Henry Ladd Archibald Lamb Patrick H. Lang James Lynn Benjamin Martin Lohn/John Martin James E. Mercer James F. Mitchel lWilliam Miller Coleman C. May Wilson Moneymaker Collin B. Moore George Maguire W. H. McCaslin Jas. G. McFarland William Owens James M. Pearce E. R. Pickering William Prince Joseph B. Prunty Thornton Robertson James Robertson Benjamin H. Ray Clement Sailers William Scott Columbus Scott William Stevens Henry F. Stone Washington Shaw Josiah Shaw Josiah Smith Bailor Spratt Joseph Shipley Clarence Sells Charles L. Trotter NoahW. Wadkins There are no mistakes. The events we bring on ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we have chosen to go. --Richard David Bach