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from San Antonio, Texas, June 25, 1860, to Mrs. Lee, his impressions of one of the holidays there: “Yesterday,” he says, “was St. John's Day, and the principal, or at least visible, means of adoration or worship seemed to consist in riding horses.
So every Mexican, and indeed others, who could procure a quadruped were cavorting through the streets, with the thermometer over a hundred degrees in the shade, a scorching sun, and dust several inches thick.
You can imagine the state of the atmosphere and suffering of the horses, if not the pleasure of the riders.
As everything of the horse tribe had to be brought into requisition to accommodate the bipeds, unbroken colts and worn-out hacks were saddled for the occasion.
The plunging and kicking of the former procured excitement for, and the distress of the latter merriment to the crowd.
I did not know before that St. John set so high a value upon equitation.”
There he remained until summoned to Washington in February, 1861, reaching that city on the 1st of March.
Once more, and for the last time, he was with his family under the roof of stately old Arlington.
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