Bice 4;Bu.ttre. psx siDiirr THE LIFE MAJOR GENERAL ZACHAEY TAYLOE, ^niElftji ^Kstet nf tjiE ^niiBii Itntijs. EY H. MONTGOMERY. imiW fillusttatrons. TWENTIETH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. AUBURN: DERBY & MILLER. B.UFFALO: DERBY, ORTON & MULLIGAN. 1854. Enteked, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by JAMES C DERBY & CO. In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of New York. '\'N<-v ^WWW C-C-fc^-1'0 PUBLISHER'S NOTICE, Thb sudden and unexpected termination of "the earthly career of the lameiited TAYLOR, seems to have called for a final chapter to the great Hero's life ; including the closing scene of his deatL This is incorporated in the present edition by the esteemed author ; and it is now offered to the Public as the only complete record yet issued from the press, of the main iacidents in the life of one who " never surrendered," but to the Great Oou' queror of alL PREFACE. The sudden splendor with which General Taylok nas burst upon the nation, has created in the public mind an anxiety, as intense as it is universal, to be come acquainted, not only with the brilliant deeds which have rendered his name so illustrious, but with all the incidents of his life from his youth to his first prominent appearance before the country, as com mander-in-chief of the army, destined to operate against Mexico. It was to satisfy this anxiety more fully, if possible, and in a more durable form than it had yet been done, that this work has been prepared. The compiler claims for it no other merit than this over the many sketches of this eminent man's life that have pre ceded it. He has labored under much embarrassment in collecting materials for a work claiming even that merit. So little had General Taylor sought public no toriety, that almost his very name was unknown to a large portion of the American people, until the victories of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma revived the recollection of it. Even his heroic defence of Fort VI •¦. PEEFACE. Harrison, and his services in Florida, were nearly for- gotten. The inconveniences arising from this cause were increased by the rapidity with which* the m^aterials had necessarily to be prepared. In less than seven weeks from the day the first " copy" was written and placed in the hands of the compositor, the last sheet had run through the press. In addition to its prepara tion, the compiler had the management of a daily and weekly paper, and the various other duties connected with them upon his hands. Though the reader has a right to hold him strictly accountable for the ins^perfee- tions that may be discovered, yet he has some' confi dence that these circumstances will induce a less rigid exaction than he would have had anjr right to expect if he' had possessed ampler materials, longer time to collect, and more leisure to prepare them. It is proper to say, however, that be has been careful to exclude everything not believed,to be strictly authentic. Much of it has already been made public, principally through the newspaper press of the day. Some, of this has been £'cknowledged in the appropriate place. But with 'the exception of Mr. Thorpe's excellent work, entitled " Our Army on the Rio Grande," the sources of his information are so various, that it would be as tedious as it is unnecessary to specify theni. AuB^KN, June, 1847. • CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. FAoe. Life of General Zachary Taylor 13 Taylor's Family and Parentage 14 His Early Character ". 15 A Hazardous Exploit 16 Education and Youthful Associates 17 Appointed Lieutenant in the Army 18 War Declared 19 A Night of Horror = 30 Defence of Fort Harrison 21 The Official Account 22 A Conflagration 23 . A Deserter's Return 24 The Enemy's Retreirt 25 A Dangerous Position 28 The Garrison Relieved 27 Valor Rewarded, ¦ 28 Expedition against the Indians 29 Anecdote of Major Taylor 30 His Speech at Black River ,31 Arrival of Reinforcements 33 Another Promotion 33 CHAPTER II. The Florida War 34 Battle of Okee-cho-bee 37 Victory oj Okee-cho-bee 38 TheDetails *39 Meeting with an Indian Chief, 40 Indian Treachery 41 A March by Night 42 Alligator's Camp 43 Dispositions for Battle » . . . 44 The Final Arrangements 45 The Attack Begun 46 The Killed and Wounded 47 Remo\'ing the Wounded 48 Lieutenant-Colonel Davenport 49 Gallantry of the Sixth 50 Missouri Volunteers 51 Fruits of the Victory 53 Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson '. 54 Colonel Taylor Promoted 55 Letter from his Camp '. 56 Anecdote of General Taylor 57 Sought to be Censured , 58 Employment of Bloodhounds b-J Vfii CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. PAOK. Annexation of Texas °y Private Instructions °} Views of the Government °~ Taylor to repel Invasion - ^^ Texas assents to Annexation °J Taylor's Instructions , ' ™ Troops ord.ered into Texas "° A Naval Force to Co-operate " ' Volunteers from other States "° What Acts considered Aggressive "" How to act in case of War '" What Position to be Occupied 71 Taylor ordered to the Rio Grande 72 To act on the Defensive 73 General Taylor's Dispatches 7i At St. Joseph's Island ; 75 Health of the Army 76 At Corpus Christi 77 Character of his Troops , 78 Occupation of Point Isabel 79 Advantages of that Position 80 Army to oe Concentrated 81 Further Instructions Required 83, 83 Ordered to the Rio Grande 84 Artaed Vessels Required 85 General Taylor's Policy 86 Army leaves Corpus Christi 87 Conciliatory Orders ; 88 Good Condition of the Army 89 Arrives at Point Isabel 90 Fire at Point Isabel ' 91 A Mexican Protest . . ; ¦.. 93, 93 Hostility of the Mexicans 94 Mexican Preparations for War «. 95 A Summons to General Taylor ; .....'.. 96 General Taylor's Reply 97 His Refusal to Comply 98 The RioGrande Blockaded 99 Ampudia's Protest 100 General Taylor's Pacific Intentions 101 Reviews his Acts i 102 Responsibility Assumed 103 General Ampudia's Complaints 104 Warlike Preparations 105 Attempt at Corruption .'. jog Mexicans Cross the Rio Grande 107 Surprise of Captain Thornton 108 Mexican Rejoicing 109 CHAPTER IV. General Taylor leaves Fort Brown HO Mexican Boasting ¦ , . , , . . i ig CONTENTS. IX A Charge of Cowardice 113 Fort Brown Bombarded .....!!!'.!.!.!!! 114 The Enemy's Account-of it ..!!!!!!!...........'.' 115 , Their Opinion of American Troops '..'.'.'..'. 116 What they consider a Triumph 117 Mexican Valor .'.!.'.'..!..!..!.'.". 118 Death of Major Brown 120 Summons to Port Brown ..........'..'.'.[ 121 Their Fire recommenced 132 A Happy Omen 133 Taylor leaves Point Isabel 124 The Position of the Enemy 125 The Battle begun 136 .Effect of our Artillery '. 137 Lieutenant Ridgeley's Gallantry 138 Firmness of the Mexicans ^ 131 Death of Jlajor Ringgold 132 The Killed and Wounded .' .' 133 Taylor's Official Account '. ,',.,' 134I-137 Mexican OiBciail Account 138 — 140 CHAPTER V. Resaca de la Palma 141 General Taylor's Line of Battle 143 Character of the Mexican Troops 143 Driven from the Ravine 144 May's Charge , 145 Lieutenant Lincoln's Heroism 146 Incidents of the Battle 147 Fall of Colonel M'Jntosh 148 A Brave Mexican 149 Mexican Confidence of Victory 150 Taylor's Official Account 151 Capture of La Vega 154 The Enemy Retreat /... 155 American Loss 15q The Causes of our Success 157 Instances of Individual Gallantry 158 Good Conduct of the Officers 159 Details of May's Charge 160,161 An Awkward Position 163 Review of the Actions .' 163 Loss of the Mexican Army 164 Character of the Mexican Troops ' • 165 Importance of Discipline .• •. 166 Character of the Battles 168 European Opinions''of the Action '. 169 Anxiety at Furt Brown 170 A Painful Dilemma 1 71 The News of Victory 173 Flight of the De'feated 173 Terror of the Mexicans „ 174 A Dreadful Scene : 175 X C0NT 462 LIFE OP GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR. CHAPTER I. Ihi Taylor Family — Colonel Richard Taylor^Birth of Zachary Tay lor — His youth — Early indications of Character — Education — Disad vantages he labored under — His Bold and Adventurous Disposition — • Hazardous Exploit — Love of Military Display — Receives a Lieuten- , ant's Commission in the Regular Army — Promoted to the rank of Captain — His Gallant Defence of Fort Harrison — The Account of the Engagement — Receives the Brevet of Major — Expedition against the Indians — Services in the Black Hawk War — Promoted succes sively to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel — Appointed Indian Agent. Zachary Taylor is descended from an ancient and distinguished English family, which emigrated to Amer ica and settled in the eastern part of the colony of Virginia, in the year 1692, and the name has been in- timateiyidentified and interwoven with the civil, polit ical, and military history of Virginia, both as a weak , and languishing colony, and a great and powerful com monwealth, from that day to the present. Amongst others with whom General Zachary. Taylor is con nected, either by the ties of consanguinity or marriage, 14 Taylor's family and parentagk. and whose names have rendered its history illustrious, are num"bered the Madisons, Lees, Barbours, Pendle- tons, Conways, Talafieros, Hunts, Gaineses, &c. The father of Zachary Taylor held a colonel's com mission throughout the Revclution, and served with great valor ANECDOTE OP MAJOR TAYLOR. feat of their forces, he particularly distinguished him- self, and had an important agency in bringing the war to a close. He commanded the regular troops, in this fiercely contested and destructive engagement, as he had during the long and tiying march through the wilderness in pursuit of the enemy. An anecdote of Taylor, that occurred during the early scenes of the Black Hajvk war, is related' by C. F. Hoffhian, Esq., which-^may here be appropriately introduced, as illustrative of his character,, and fore- shado-wing those remarkable qualities of mind that have since shone forth so brilfiantly on so many trying occasions. As such it will undoubtedly prove interest ing to the reader. Such incidents, indeed, of such a man are always not only interestingj but valuable and instructive as a preface or introduction to the charac ter of the man. Some time after Stillman's defeat by Black Hawk's band, Taylor, marching with a large body of volunteers and a handful of regulars in pursuit of the hostile In dian force, found himself approaching Roek^ River, then asserted by many to be the true north-western boundary of the State of Illinois. The volunteers, as Taylor was informed, would refuse to cross the stream. They were militia, they said, called out for the defence of the State, and it was unconstitutional to order them to march beyond its' frontier into the Indian country. Taylor thereupon halted his command, and encamped within the acknowledged boundaries of Illinois. He would not, as the relater of the story said, budge an inch further without orders. He had already driven Black' Hawk out of the State, but the question of crossing Rock River seemed hugely to trouble his ideas of integrity to the constitution on one side, and HIS SPEECH AT ROCK KIVBR. 31 military expediency on the other. During the night, however, orders came, either from General Scott or General Atkinson, for him to follow up Black Hawk to the last. The quietness of the Regular colonel meaji- while had rather encouraged the mutinous militia to bring their proceedings to a head. A sort of town- meeting was called upon the prairie, and Taylor in vited to attend. After Mstening for. some time very q'uietly to the proceedings," it became Rough and Ready's turn to address the chair. " He had heard," he said, " with much pleasure the views which severgi speakers had expressed of the independence and dig nity of each private American citizen. He felt that all gentlemen there present were his equals — in reality, he, was persuaded that many of them would in a few years be his superiors, and perhaps, in the capacity of Members of Congress, arbiters of the fortune and repu tation of humble servants of the Republic like himself. He expected then to obey them as interpreters of the will of the people ; and the best proof he could give that he would obey them, was now to observe the or- dei:s of those whom the people had already put in the places of authority, to which many gentlemen around him justly aspired. In plain English, gentlemen and fellow-citizens, the word has been passed on to me from Washington, to follow Black Hawk, and to take you with me as soldiers. I mean to do both. There are the flat-boats drawn up on the shore, and here are Uncle Sam's men drawn up behind you on the prairie." " Stra-anger," added the man who told the stoiy, " the way those militia-men sloped into those flat-boats was a caution. Not another word was said. Had Zach Taylor been with Van Rensselaer at Niagara 32 f arrival of REINFORCEMENTS. River, in the last war, I rayther think, he'd a taught him how to get militia-men over a ferry." Taylor, as is well known, did follow Black Hawk thfough the prairies of northern Illinois — through the wooded gorges, the rocky fells, the plashy rice-pools, the hitherto unbroken wilderness of western Wisconsin.- The militia-men gave out from day to day ; the coun try became impassable to hprses, and the volunteer settlers who had first seized arms merely to repel an Indian foray, refused to submit their backs to the necessary burdens in carrying their o-wn supplies through the deep swamps and almost impervioiis for ests. At last the very Indians themselves, whom Taylor thus desperately pursued from day to day, and week to week, began to sink from fatigue and exhaus tion : they were found by our men stretched beside their trails, while yet the good Anglo-Norman blood of Taylor's band held out amid suff"erings in the wilderness which the ckild of the forest himself could not endure. The battle of the Bad-Axe, and the rout of Black Hawk by Taylor, at length terminated this arduous march. ' The steamer bearing Atkinson and his reinforce- fnents, reached the junction of the Bad- Axe and the Mississippi, just as the encounter was over, and we believe bfought Taylor along with his prisoners back to Fort Crawford, where, after landing the former, she passed on to St. Louis. When we remember the complimentary reception which Black Hawk met with all along our Atlantic border, how strange it seems that when the name of his captor was mentioned as the hero of Okee-cho-bee, his countrymen asked, " who is this Colonel Taylor that has just been brevetted a Brigadier?" Even as it was afterwards asked con- ANOTHER PROMOTION. 33 cerning the Hero of Rio Bravo, " who is this Brigadier Taylor who has so brilliantly earned the brevet of major-general ?" One might now, without extrava gance, venture to predict that the captor of Black Hawk is as well known as was that warrior himself; and that he would probably be received by the people in a progress throughout the country, with demonstra tions of aflTection and respect, at least equal to those which were showered upon the wily Sauk chief, the but too "successful rival of the chivalrous, and loyal, but neglected Keokuk. ' ^ By. the death of Colonel Morgan, Lieutenant-Colonel Taylor received the appointment of Colonel of the first regiment of Infantry, then stationed on the Upper Mis sissippi. He was employed there for several years as Indian Agent, in which capacity he won their confi dence, and acquired great influence over them by the ¦wisdom, prudence and tact with which he discharged his trust, and the unvarying kindness and good faith with which all his dealings and intercourse with them was marked. He was known among them as the " Big Chief." CHAPTER II. Commencement of the Florida War. — Severe Battle of Okee-cho-bee.— Charge of the Missouri Volunteers. — Brave conduct of the Regular ^Troops.— Colonel Taylor everywhere in the Eight. — Power of the Indians broken. — Colonel Taylor Brevetted Brigadier General for hia brave conduct. — Assigned the Command of the First Department of the Army. — Account of his movements at Fort Bassinger,— An amu sing Anecdote. — General Taylor and the Missouri Legislature. — His Agency in the Employment of Bloodhounds in the Florida War. At the breaking out of the Florida or Seminole war, Colonel Taylor was at Fort Crawford, Prairie du Chien, built by him, where he had been stationed for four years. In 1836 he was ordered to Florida, though he was then on furlough. He cheerfully relinquished it, however, to obey the call of his country. He was jilaced in command of a separate column, composed of the First, Fourth, and Sixth infantry, some artil- lery;*and the Missouri volunteers. . But notwithstand ing his eff'orts to meet the enemy, they successfully evaded him until the 25th of December, 1837, when he discovered his vicinity to Alligator, Sam Jones and Co-o-coo-chee, at the head of seven hundred Indians, all well armed, and most skilful marksmen. They had chosen their position with great judgment, in a dense hammock, perfectly concealed and strongly fortified', and were confident of victory. Their front ajad.one flank were protected by a low swamp, almost impas sable, and the other flank rested on lake Okee-cho-bee, » BAT^TLE OF OKEE-CHO-BEE'. 37 by jjrhich it was securely protected. They had there fore the advantage of position, if not of numbers on their side. Colonel Taylor's forces amounting to 'about one ^thousand men. As soon as he ascertained where Ihejr were posted, however, he determined to attack them without delay. No considerations of danger, of numbers, or advantage of position had any powei to tieter him from, attacking an enemy " wherever found, or in whatever numbers." On the contrary. the dangers to be encountered but nerved him the m^re firmly to meet them. g The only approach to the enemy led through a swamp covered with saw-grass, in the mud of which his troops sunk knee deep. This pass, difficult as it was from this cause, was rendered tenfold more dan gerous by being perfectly swept by the fire of the enemy. Colonel Taylor did not hesitate to make the attack. ' The engagement was brought on by the Mis sissippi regiment in gallaff style. They^dashed through a most destructive and deadly fire poured in upon them from every thicket and concealment, and from the itree tops. This murderous fire was accompanied with the most infernal yells from the savage foe. The vol unteers began to stagger under the shock, and were finally seized with a panic, and broke and fled in wild disorder. The otficers of the Sixth Regiment of regu lars promptly and boldly threw themselves in front of their troops, and led them gallantly to the charge. They were nobly . seconded by the First Regiment, commanded by Colonel Taylor himself in person, and by the Fourth, who assailed their right flank with ter rible efi'ect. The enemy could not long. withstand the shock of these -veterans. They were quickly thrown into disorder and drven in confusion from their strong 38 ' VICTORY OF eKEE«CHO-BEE. position, after a contest of three hours. ThS conflict was one of the fiercest and most fatal^of th« whole war, and so dispirited and weakened the en'emy that they were never after able to collect a sufficient force to resist openly th« Amlrican arms. In the enggge- ment the Americans lost^one hundred and twenty- eight officers and men in killed and wounded. Amongst the former were the brave and accomplished Lipiten- ant-Colonel Thompson, Captain Van Swearingen, Col onel Gentry, of the Missouri volunteers, and Lieuten ants Brooke and Carter. Lieutenant Walke% -wfeo went into the engagement -with twenty men, had only three left — seventeen had been killed or wounded ! Colonel Taylor was. everywhere to be found in the thickest of the fight, whe1"e the^. balls flew fastest, and the danger the greatest, encouraging and urging on fiis men. Nothing could resist his onsets. His coolness and presence of mind "reanimated those "Whose power of endurance had begun to lail, and ^ve new ardor to othersf Hfe presenc&*^inspired all with confideiiccj and gave assurai!ce of victory. Never was tliere a commander who possessed the^power of infusing his own indomitable spirit into his troops in a more re markable degree than Colonel Taylor. ' Wherever he is found all doubt of victory disappears,/ and his men fight ^vith a perfect conviction of finally triumphing : such* was the case at Okee-cho-be^, and such has been the case in all his engagements since. 'The description of the bloody and brilliant battle of Okee-cho-bee, and the l!icidents preceding and con nected with it, have been designedly brief, with a view of introducingColonel Taylor's own detailed report of the engagement. This is too minute and interesting, and paints too forcibly the terrific scene to be omitted, THE DETAILS. 39 or toiibQ^su|3j)lied by any account drawn by those who did *iot -witness and participate in it. The report of CoIcmmI Taylor' also contains a statement in detail of all lM!|t«)perations in the field, from the 19th of Decem ber to the 4th of January. On th^ 4th of January, < succHding the bat^e. Colonel Taylor thus wrote to Brigadier general Jones : " On the 19th ultiiiK), I received at this place a com munication from Major General Jesup, informing me that all hopes of bringing the war to a close by nego- tia%n, Jhrough the interference or mediation of the Cherokee delegation, were at an end, Sam Jones, with the Mickasukies, having determined to fight it out to the last, and directing me to proceed with the least pos sible delay against any portioa of the enemy I might Iiear of within striking distance, and to destroy or cap ture him. " After leaving two officers and ap. adequate force for the protection of ray "defot, I marched the Bext morning, with twelve days' rations (my means of trans portation not enabling me to carry moJfe,) ^ith the bal- Itace of my command, cipnsisting of Captain Munroe's company of the Fourth artillery, total thirty-five men ; the First infantry, under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Foster, two hundred and seventy-four; the Sixth infantry, under Lieutenant-Coloijiel Thompson, two hundred and twenty-one ; the Mis^uri volunteers, one hundred and eighty ; Morgan's" spies, forty-seven ; pioneers, thirty; pontoneers, thirteen; and .seventy Delaware Indians, making a force, exclusive of officers, of one thousand and thirty-two men ; the greater part of the Shawnees having been detached, auj^the balance refusing to acconapany me, under the pretext that a 40 MEETING W<^TH ANr INDIAN CHIEF. * wumber of them were sick, and the remainder were vithout moccasons. * * ? * * " I moved down the west sMe of the KissimmSl, in a iouth-easterly course, towards Lake Istopoga,*fti'r the oUowing reason^ : 1st* Because I knew a porj^n of ihe hdstiles were to be /ound in* that ^Jirection ; 2nd. [f General Jesup should fall in with the Mickasukies and drive them, they m*ht attehipt to elude, him by crossing the Kissimmee, from the east to the west side of the peninsula, between this and its entrance into the Oiee-cho-bee, in which case I might be nearjat hand to intercept them; 3rd. To overawe and induce such of the enemy who had been making propositions to give^ themselves up, and who , appeared very slow, if not to Hesitate in complying -vvith th^ir promises on that hea4, to surrender at once ; and lastly, I deemed it advisable to erect block»houses and a small picket work on the Kissimmee; for a'* third depot, some thirty or forty miles belbw this, and obtain acknowledge of the intervening country, a? I had no guide who could be reliedf on, and by thi^ means open a communication witR Colonel Smith, who was operating Up the Caloosehatchee, or Sangbel river, under my orders. " Late in the evening of the first d§,y's march, I met the Indian chief Jumper, with his family and a part of his band, coniisting of fifteen men, a part of them with families, and a few negroes, in all sixty-three souls, on his way to give himself up, in conformity to a'previous arrangement I had entered into with him. They were conducted by ^Captain rarks and a few Shawnees. He (Parks) is an active, intelligent half-breed, who is at the head of thdP friendly Indians, both Shawnees and Dela- wares, and who I had employed to arrange and bring in Jumper and as many of his people as he could pre- INDIAN TftEAOH|!RY. 41 *% .'" vail on to come in. We encamped that night near the same spot, and the next morning having ordered Cap- ' tain Parks to join me andTtake command of the Dela- wares, and having dispatched Jumper, in charge of some S^aawnees, to this place, and so 'on to Fort Fra- zier, I continuecfcmy iriarch, after having sent forward three friendly Seminoles to gain intelligence as- to the position of the enemy. " About noon the same day, I sent forward one bat talion of Gentry's regiment, under command of Lieuj^^^ tenant-Colonel Price, to pick up any stragglers that might fall in his way, to encamp two or three miles in advance of, the main force, to act with great circum spection, and to communicate promptly any occurrence that might take place in his vicinity important for me to know. Abbut 10, p. m., I received a note from the colonel, stating that the three Seminoles sent forward in the morning had returned ; that they had been at or near where Alfigat'or had encamped, twelve or fifteen miles in his advance ; that he (Alligator) had' left there with a part of his family four days before, under the pretext of separating his relations, &c., from the Micka sukies, preparatory-to his surrendering with them ; that there were several families remaining, at the camp re ferred to, who wished to give themselves up, and would remain there until we took possession of 'them, unless they were forcibly carried off" that night by the Micka sukies, who were encamped at no great distance from them. " In consequence of this intelligence, aftei* directing Lieutenant-Colonel Davenport to follow me early in the morning with the infantry, a little after midnight I put myself at the head of the residue of the mounted men and joined Lieutenant-Colonel Price, proceeded 42 A MARCH BY NIGHT. on, crossing Istopoga outlet, and soon after daylight took possession of the encampment referred to, where I found the inniates, who had not been disturbed. They consisted of an old man, and two young ones, and sev eral women aild children, amounting in all tp twenty. .two individuals. The old man inforgied me that AUi- ' gator was very anxious to separate his people from the Mickasukies, who were encaniped on the opposite side of the Kissimmee, distant about twenty miles, where they would fight us. I sent him to Alligator to say to him, if he were sincere in his professions, to meet me the next day at the Kissimmee, where the trail I was marching on crossed, and where I should halt. " As soon as the infantry came up I moved on to the plcice designated, which I reached late that evening, and where I encamped. About 11 p. m., the old In dian returned, bringing a very equivocal message from Alligator, who, he stated, he had met accidentally; also, that the Mickasukies were still encamped where they had been for some days, and where they were de-' termined to fight us. " I determined at once on indulging them as soon as practicable. Accordingly, next morning, after laying out a small stockade work for the protection of a future depot, in order to enable me to move with the greatest celerity, 1 deposited the whole of my heavy baggage, including artillery, &c., and having provisioned tbe command to "include the 26th, after leaving Captain Munroe with his company, the pioneer, pontoneers, with eighty-fiv# sick and disabled infantry, and a portion of the friendly Indians, who alleged that they were unable to march farther, crossed the Kissimmee, taking the old Indian as a guide who had been captured the day be fore, and who accompanied us with great apparent re- ALLIGATOR 9 CAMP. 43 luctance, in pursuit of the enemy, and early the next day reached Alligator's encampment, situated on the edge of Cabbage-tree Hammock, in the midst of a large prairie, from the appearance of which, and other en campments in the vicinity, and the many evidences of slaughtered cattle, there must have been several hun dred individuals. "At another small hammock, at no great distance from Alligator's encampment, and surrounded by a swamp impassable for mounted men, the spies surprised an encampment containing one old man, four young men, and some women and children. One of the party immediately raised a white flag, when the men were taken possession of, and brought across the swamp to the main body. I proceeded with an interpreter to meet them. They proved to be Seminoles, and pro fessed to be friendly. They stated that they were pre paring to come in ; they had just slaughtered a number of cattle, and were employed in drying and jerking the same. They also informed me that the Mickasukies, headed by A-vi-a-ka, (Sam Jones,) were some ten or twelve miles distant, encamped in a swamp, and were prepared to fight. " Although I placed but little confidence in their pro fessions of friendship, or theii' intentions of coming in yet I had no time to look up their women and chil dren, who had fled and concealed themselves in the swamp, or to have encumbered myself with them in the situation in which I then" was. Accordingly, I released the old man, who promised that he would col lect all the women and children and take them in to- Captain Munroe, at the Kissimmee, the next day. I also dismissed the old man who had acted as guide thus 44 DISPOSITIONS FOB BATTLE. far, supplying his place with the four able warriors who had been captured that morning. " These arrangements being made, I moved under their guidance for the camp of the Mickasukies. Be tween two and three, p. m., we reached a very dense cypress swamp, through which we were compelled to pass, and in which our guide informed us we might be attacked. After making the necessary dipbsitions for battle, it was ascertained that there was no enemy to oppose us. The army crossed over and encamped for the night, it being late. During the passage of the rear. Captain Parks, who was in advance with a few friendly Indians, fell in with two of the enemies' spies, between two and three miles of our camp, one on horseback, the other on foot, and succeeded in captur ing the latter. He -was an active young warrior, armed with an excellent rifle, fifty balls in his pouch, and an adequate proportion of powder. This Indian confirmed the information which had been previously received from the other Indians, and, in addition, stated that a large body of Seminoles, headed by John Cohua, Co-a- coo-chee, and, no doubt. Alligator, with other chiefs, were encamped five or six miles from us, near the Mickasukies, with a cypress swamp and dense ham mock between them and the latter. " The ' army moved forward at daylight the next morning, and after marching five or six miles,'reached the camp of the Seminoles on the border of another cypress 'swamp, which must have contained several hundred, and bore evident traces of having been aban doned in a great hurry, as the fires were still burning, and quantities of beef lying on the ground uncon- Bumed. " Here tbe troops were again disposed in order of THE FINAL AKRANGEMENT3. 45 battle, but we found no enemy to oppose us ; and the command was crossed over about 11 a. m., when we entered a large prairie in our front, on which two or three hundred head of cattle were grazing, and a num ber of Indian ponies. Here another young Indian warrior was captured, armed and equipped as the for mer. He pointed out a dense hammock on our right, about a mile distant, in which he said the hostiles were situated, and waiting to give us battle. "At this place the final disposition was made to attack them, which was in two lines, the volunteers under Gentry, and Morgan's spies, to form the first line in extended order, who were instructed to enter the hammock, and in the event of being attacked and hard pressed, were to fall back in rear of the regular troops, out of reach of the enemy's fire. The second was composed of the 4th and 6th infantry, who were in structed to sustain the volunteers, the 1st infantry being held in reserve. " Moving on in the direction of the hammock, after proceeding about a quarter of a mile, we reached the swamp which separated us from the enemy, three-quar ters of a mile in breadth, being totally impassable for horses, and nearly so for foot, covered with a thick growth of saw-grass, five feet high, and about knee- deep in mud, and water, which extended to the left as far as the eye could reach, and to the right to a part of the swamp and hammock we had just crossed through, ran a deep creek. At the edge of the swamp the men were dismounted, and the horses and baggage left under a suitable guard". Captain Allen was detached with the two companies of mounted infantry to exam ine the swamp and hammock to the right, and in case he should not find the enemy in that direction, was to 46 THE ATTACK BEGUN. 1 r^Bturn to the baggage, and in the event of his hearing a heavjr firing to join me immediately. "After making these arrangements, I crossed the swamp in the order stated. On reaching the borders of the hammock, the volunteers and spies received a heavy fire from the enemy, which was returned by them for a short time, when their gallant commaniler,' Colonel Gentry, fell, mortally wounded. They mostly broke ; and instead of forming in rear of the regulars, as had beeii directed, they retired across the swamp to their baggage and horses; nor could they again be brought into action as a body, although eff"orts were made repeatedly by my staff" to induce them to do so. " The enemy, however, were promptly checked and driven back by the 4th and 6th infantry, which in truth might be said to be a moving battery. The weight of the enemy's fire was principally concentrated on five companies of the 6th infantry, which not only stood firm, but continued to advance until their gallant com mander, Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, and his adju tant. Lieutenant Center, were killed, and every officer, with one exception, as well as most of the non-commis sioned officers, including the sergeant-major and four of the orderly sergeants, killed and wounded of those companies, when that portion of the regiment retired to a short distance and were again formed, "one of these companies having but four members left untouched. " Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, with six companies, amounting in all to one hundred and sixty men, gained the hammock in good order, where he was joined by Captain Noel with the two remaining companies of the 6th infantry, and Captain Gentry's volunteers, with a few additional meil, continued to drive the enemy for a considerable time, and by a- change of front, sepa- THE KILLED AND WOUNDED. 47 rated his line and continued to drive him until he reached the great lake, Okee-cho-bee, .which was in the rear of the enemy's position, and. on which their encampment extended for more than a mile." As soon as I was informed that Captain Allen was advancing, I ordered the 1st infantry to move to the left, gain the' enemy's right flank, and turn it, which order was exe cuted in the promptest manner possible, and as soon as that regiment got in position, the enemy gave one fire and retreated, being persuaded by the 1st, 4th, and 6th, and some of the volunteers who had joined them, until near night, and until these troops were nearly exhausted, and the enemy driven in all directions. " The action was a severe one, and continued from half-past twelve until three, p. m., a part of the time very close and severe. We suff"ered much, having twenty-six killed, and one hundred and twelve wounded, .among whom are some of our most valuable officers. The hostiles probably suff"ered, all things considered, equally with ourselves, they having left ten dead on the ground, besides doubtless, carrying off" moi'e, as is customary with them when practicable. " As soon as the enemy were completely broken, I turned my attention to taking care of the -wounded, to facilitate their removal to my baggage, where I ordered an encampment to be formed. I directed Captain Taylor to cross over to the spot and employ every in-' dividual whom he might find there in constructing a small footway across the swamp ; this, with great ex ertions, was completed in a short time after dark, when all the dead and wounded were carried over in litters made for the purpose, with one exception, a private of the 4th infantry, who was killed and could not be found. "And here I trust I may be permitted to say that" I 48 REMOVING THi: WOUNDED. experienced one of the most trying scenes of my life, and he who could have looked on them with indiff'er- ence, his nerves must have been diff"erently organized from my own. Besides the killed, there ,lay one hun dred and twelve wounded officers and soldiers, who had accompanied me one hundred and forty-five miles, most of the way through an unexplored wilderness, without guides, who had so gallantly beaten the enemy, under my orders, in his strongest position, and who had to be conveyed back, through swamps and hammocks, from whence we set out, -without amy apparent means of doing so. This service, however, was encountered and overcome, and they have been conveyed thus far, and proceeded on to Tampa Bay on rude litters, con structed with the axe and knife alone, with pples and dry hides — the latter being found in great abundance at the encampment of the hostiles. The litters were carried on the backs of our weak and tottering horses, aided hy the residue of the command, -with more ease and comfort to the suff"erers than I could have supposed^ and with as much as they could have been in aipbu- lances of the most improved and modern construction. '^The day a,fter the battle we remained at our en campment, occupied in taking care of the woundpd, and in the sad ofiice of interring the dead ; also in pre paring litters for the removal of the wounded, and col lecting, with a portion of the mounted men, th^ horses and cattle in the vicinity belonging to the. enemy,' of which we found about one hundred of the former, many of them saddled, and nearly three hundred of the latter. " We -left our encampment on the morning of the 27th, for the Kissimmee, where I had left my heavy b^-. gage, which place we reached about noon on the 28th. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL DAVENPORT. 49 After leaving two companies and a few Indians to gar rison the stockade, which I found nearly completed on my return, by that active and vigilant officer. Captain Munroe, 4th artillery, I left the next morning for this place, where I arrived on the 3 1st, and sent forvgard the wounded next day to Tampa Bay, with the 4th and 6th infantry, the former to halt at Fort Frazer, re maining here myself with the 1st, in order to make preparations to take the field again as soon as my horses can be recruited, most of which have been sent to Tampa, and my supplies in a sufficient state of for wardness to justify the measure. " In speaking of the command, I can only say, that so far as the regular troops are concerned, no one could have been m^pe efficiently sustained than I have been, fi-om the commencement of the campaign ; and I am certain that they will always be willing and ready to discharge any duty that may be assigned them. " To Lieutenant-Colonel Davenport, and the officers and soldiers of the First infantry, I feel under many obligations for the manner in which they have, on all occasions, discharged their duty ; and although held in reserve, and not brought into battle until near its close the eagerness it evinced to engage, and the prompt ness and good order -with which they entered the hanc ¦ ¦ ' mock, when the order was given for them tp do so, u the best evidence that, they would have sustained their own charactSS-s, as well as that of the regiment, had il been their fortune to have been placed in the hottest of the battle. t " The Fourth infantry, under their gallant leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, was among the first to gain the ii.ammock, and maintained this position, as well as driving 3 portion of the enemy before him, until he ai- so GALLANTRY OF THE SIXTH. rived oil the borders of Lake Okee-cho-bee, which was in the rear, and continued the pursuit until near night. Lieutenant-Colonel Foster, who was favorably noticed for his gallantry and^ood conduct in nearly all the eng^ements on the Niagara frontier, during the lata war with Great Britain, by his several commanders^ as well as in the diff"erent engagements with the Indians in this territory, never acted a more conspicuous part than in the action of the. 25th ult. ; he speaks in the highest terms of the conduct of brevet Major Graham, his second in command, as also the officers and soldiers of the Fourth infantry, who were engaged in the ac tion. Captain Allen, with his two mounted companies of the Fourth infantry, sustained his usual tharacter for promptness and efficiency. LiqMen^t Hooper, of the Fourth regiment, was wounded through the arm, but continued on the field, at the head of his company, until the termination of the battle. "I am not sufficiently master of words to express my admiration of the gallantry and steadiness of the oiicers and soldiers of the Sixth regiment of infantry. If, was their fortune to bear the brunt of the battle. The report of the killed and wmmded, which accom- punies this, is more conojnsive evidence of their merits than anything I can say. After five companies of this regiment, against which the enemy directed the mast deadly fire, were' nearly cut up, there being £>nly four men left uninjured in one of them ; and 'tvery officer and orderly sergeant of those companies, 'with one ex ception, were either killed or wounded ; Captain Noel, with the remaining two companies, his own company, " K.," and Grossman's, " B.," commanded by second Lieutenant Woods, which was the left of the regiment, formed on the right of the Fourth infantry, entered MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS. 5£ the hammock with that regiment, and continued the fight and the pursuit until its termination. It is due to Captain Andrews and Lieutenant Walker, to say they commanded two of the five^iompanies mentioned above, and they continued to direct them, until they were both severely wounded, and carried from the field ; the latter received three separate balls. " The Missouri volunteers, under the command of Colpnel Gentry, and Morgan's spies, who formed the first linci and, of course, were the first engaged, acted as well, or even better, than troops of that description generally do ; they received and returned the enemy's fire with spirit, for some time, when they broke and retired, with the exception of Captain Gillam and a few of his company, and Lieutenant Blakey, also with a few men, who joined the regulars, and acted -with them, until after the close of the battle, but not untU they had suff'ered severely ; the- "commanding officer of the volunteers. Colonel Gentry, being mortally wounded while leading on his men, and encouraging them to enter the hammock, and come to close quar ters -with the enemy ; his son, an interesting youth, eighteen or nineteen years of age, sergeant-major of the regiment, was severely wounded at the same mo ment. " Captain (?hilds. Lieutenants Rogers and Flanagan, of Genlry's regiment, acting Major Sconce, and Lieu tenants Hase and Gordon, of the spies, were ysrounded, while encouraging their men to a discharge of their duty. " The volunteers and spies having, as before stated, fallen back to the baggage, could not again be formed and brought up to the hammock in anything like order ; but a number of them crossed over individually, and '52 GENERAL TAYLOR S STAFF. aided in conveying the wounded across the swamp to the hammock, among whom were Captain Curd, and several other officers, whose names I do not now recpllect. " To my personal staff, consisting-of first Lieutenant J. M. Hill, of the Second, and first Lieutenant George Ji. Griffin, of the Sixth infantry, the latter aide-de-camp to Major General Gaines, and a volunteer in Florida from his staff, I feel under the greatest obligations for the promptness and efficiency with which they have sustained me throughout the campaign, and more par ticularly for their good conduct, and the alacrity vrith which they aided me, and conveyed my orders during the action of the 25th ult. " Captain Taylor, commissary of subsistence,^who was ordered to join General Jesup at Tampa Bay, as chief of the subsistence department, and who was ordered by him to remain with his column until he (General Jesup) joined it, although no command was assigned Captain Taylor, he greatly exerted himself in trying to rally and bring back the volunteers into ac tion, as well as discharging other important duties which were assigned to him dtfi-ing the action. * " Myself, as well as all who witnessed the attention and ability displayed by Surgeon Satterlee, mediqal director on this side the peninsula, assisted by Assistant- surgeons McLaren and Simpson, of the^medieal staff of the army, and Doctors Hannah and Cooke, of the Missouri volunteers, in ministering to the wounded, as well as their uniform kindness to them on all occasionSj can never cease to be referred to by me but with the most pleasing and grateful recollections. " The quartermaster's department, under the direc tion of that efficient officer. Major Brant, and his as- •¦^'JITS OF THE VICTORY. 53 sistant. Lieutenant Babbitt, have done everything that could be accomplished to throw forward from Tampa Bay, and keep up supplies of provisions, forage, etc., with the limited means at their disposal. Assistant- commissaries Lieutenants Harrison, stationed at Fort Gardner, and McClure, at Fort Fraser, have fully met my expectations in discharge of the various duties connected with their department, as well as those assigned them in the quartermaster's department. "This column, in six weeks, penetrated one hun dred and fifty miles into the enemy's country, opened roads, and constructed bridges and causeways, when necessary, on the greater portion of the route, estab lished two depots, and the necessary defences for the same, and finally overtook and be9,t the enemy in his strongest position. The results of which movement and battle have been the capture of thirty of the hos- tUes, the coming in and surrendering of more than one hundred and fifty Indians and negroes, mostly the former, including the chiefs Ou-la-too-gee, Tus-ta-nug- gee, and other principal men, the capturing and driving out of the country six hundred head of cattle, upwards of one hundred head of horses, besides obtaining a thorou^ knowledge of the country through which we •operated, a greater portion of which was entirely un- kno-wn, except to the enemy. "Colonel Gentry died in a few hours after the battle, much regretted by the army, and will be, doubtless, by all who knew him, as his state did hot contain a braver man or a better citizen. f> " It is due to his rank and talents, as well as to his long and iinportant services, that I particularly men tion Lieutenant Colonel A. R. Thompson, of the Sixth infantryj who fell, in the discharge of his duty, at the" €4 DEATH OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL THOMPSON. head of his regiment. He was in feeble health, brought on by exposure to this climate during 'the past summer, refusing to leave the country while his regiment con tinued in it. Although he received two balls from tlie fire of t)ie eiiemy, early in the action, which wounded him severely, yet he appeared to disregard them, and continued to give his orders with the same coolness that he would have done had his regiment been under review, or on any parade duty. Advancing, he re ceived a third ball, which at once deprived him of life. His last words were, " keep steady, men, charge the hammock — remember the regiment to which you be^ long." I had known Colonel Thompson personally only for a short time, and the more I- knew of him the more I wished to know ; and had bis life been spared, our acquaintance, no doubt, would have ripened into the closest friendship. Under such circumstances, there are few, if any, other than his bereaved wife, mother, and sisters, who more deeply and sincerely lament his loss, or who will longer cherish his memory than myself. "Captain Van Swearingen, Lieutenant Brooke, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Center, of the same regiment, who fell on that day, had no superiors of their years in service, and, in point of chivalry, ranked among the first in the army or nation ; besides their pure and dis interested courage, they possessed other qualifications, which qualified them to fill the highest grades of their profession, which, no doubt, they would have attained^ and adorned,' had their lives been spared. The two- former served with mfe on another arduous and trying campaign, and on eveiy occasion, whether in the camp, on the march, or" on the field of battle, discharged their various duties to my entire satisfaction." The gallantry and good conduct of Colonel Taylor, GENERAL TAYLOR PROMOTED. 55 in this hard fought and important battle, received the highest commendation of Mr. Poinsett, the Secretary of War, General Macomb, the commander-in-chief of the army, and the country at large. General Macomb issued a general order to the army, upon the occasion o5 his victory, in which he especially referred to his bravery in the following terms : " To Colonel Taylor and the officers, non-commissioned officers and troops of the regular arrny, the Secretary of War tenders the thanks of the President of the United States for the dis cipline and bravery displayed by them on the occasion ; as, likewise, to the officers and volunteers of Missouri, who shared, in the conflict, and who evinced so much zeal and gallantry in bringing on. the action." He also received the brevet rank of Brigadier General, and was given the chief command of the operations in Florida, in consideration of his valuable services, which he re tained until the year 1840, having continued four years m that harassing and dangerous service. Immediately succeeding this victory General Taylor took up his position at Fort Bassinger, in Florida. Here he remained for several months, harassing the enemy, by cutting off their small parties, capturing several of their principal chiefs, and taking their cattle and means of subsistence. On the 8th of February, 1838, an officer of high standing in General Taylor's army, stationed at Fort Bassinger, gave the following account of their operations : " We (Colonel Taylor's army), have* just returned from the everglades. These everglades are, at the northwest, termed wet prairies. They are large wet prairies, or grassy lakes, and of which the Indians know but Uttle, and where they cannot live a month vidthout great suffering 56 LETIER FROM HIS CAMP. " We saw but few Indians, and they fled rapidly at our approach. We took about sixty horses, and ascer tained that their cattle we"re exhausted. Colonel Tay lor has taken about six hundred head. We found on. our last excursion but few cattle tracks, and only two cows were taken. The Indians are suffering for food ; in all their camps we find they had subsisted on pal metto roots and the cabbage tree, which are never eaten by them except when hard ru6. " One hundred and thirty Indians and Negroes have come in since the battle of Okee-cho-bee, and they say many more will comejn soon, and that they are tired of the war, and destitute of provisions. "Florida is generally a poor, sandy country. The southern portion is nearly all prairie, wet and dry alter nately. Not more than one tenth, a.t the utmost, of Florida is fit for cultivation, and I would not give one good township of land in Illinois or Michigan for every foot of land in East Florida. "The Indian prisoners now admit that they lost twenty in the fight with Colonel Taylor. They had. a strong position, and fought well, but were terribly whip ped, and have never returned near the ground since." An anecdote is told of the general while 'stationed at this fort that is as amusing as it is characteristic. He had a favorite horse which he called " Claybank," a very fine animal, and much attached to his master. But he did not much fancy the musty corn often fur nished the troops. The general used to partake of the same fare as his soldiers, and so did Claybank, so far 'as the corn was concerned, and they were both equally dainty. The general wAs very fond of hominy, and musty corn' made anything but a pleasant diet. He would subject himself to the suspicion of " picking," ANECDOTE OF GENEEAL TAYLOR. 57 to the prejudice of the soldiers, rather than eat it, when not compelled to. Finding that Claybank understood that business better than he did, he would quietly let him loose amongst the sacks 5f corn. After smelling very carefully, the sagacious a,nimal would commence gna-wing a hole in one that pleased him. The gene ral would patiently wat-ch the manosu-vre until he saw that Claybank had made a choice, tten calling his ser vants, he would direct him to have Claybank stabled immediately, for fear he might do mischief; ''but," he would say, " as the aninaal has eaten a hole in the bag, take out a quart or so of the ®orn and make a dish of hominy. The trick was played for some time, but at last it became known, that whenever Claybank gnawed into a sack, sweet corn was to be found there, and the incident became a standing joke during the war, and it was enjoyed by none more heartily than by the sub ject of it himself. After his resignation of this command, he was as signed to that of the First Department of the army, in cluding the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, &c., with his head-quarters at Fort Jessup, in the former State. There he remained in the quiet but vigilant attention to the duties devolving upon him, until his services should be required on a, wider and more extended field. Before accompanying General Taylor to the new theatre, upon which he is to act so glorious a part, and where his brilliant deeds are to stand out so promi nently before the world, it may not be, inappropriate to refer to one or two circumstances in the history of his operations in Florida, that have been the subjects of some discussion before the public, and have produced a contrariety of opinions in the public mind. 58 SOUGHT TO BE CENSURED. It will have been observed, that in his official account of the battle of Okee-cho-bee, General Taylor took oc casion, as truth and the interests of the service required him to do, to refer to the conduct of the Missouri vol- , unteers and spies in that engagement. He could do no less than to report to the War Department the sim ple fact that these troops fell into disorder and finally fled, after having gallantly attacked the enemy. This he did in as mild terms as he could well employ. But nevertheless, his report gave great offence to the people of Missouri, and General Taylor was unsparingly de nounced for his injustic^to the volunteers and spies of that State. Amongst other means of expressing theii dissatisfaction, Mr. Atchinson, then a member of the State Legislature, and subsequently a member of the United States-Senate, made a stringent report on the subject, and also introduced a string of resolutions of a very indignant character, which were appended to it. No definite action was ever had on either, however, and public opinion finally settled down into the belief that facts fully sustained General Taylor, and that if the Missouri volunteers did not evince the same un yielding courage as veteran soldiers, there was much in the circumstances of the case to palliate their con duct, especially as their first charge was made with so f much courage and effect. There is another circumstance in the history of the Florida war, with which General Taylor's name 'has been associated, that requires a brief reference, and that is the employment of bloodhounds to lead to the hiding places of* the Indians. No event of the whole war was so severely criticized arid condemned as this act of the administration. It was natural in times of high poUtical excitement, when only the simple fact EMPLOYMENT OF BLOODHGUNDS. 59 was known to the country, without any of the reasons that led to a measure that seemed so repulsive to hu manity, or the particular object for which they were employed, that it should have been so. The measure is one that even now, after the passions of men, have become calmed, cannot be approved, though there is much to palliate it, and much more to free General Taylor from any charge of inhumanity in advising the employment of these savage agents. The war had been waged for .several years against an invisible enemy, at an expense of many millions of money, and a vast sacrifice of life. Our soldiers were attacked and our best troops shot down at noonday, by a foe that defied all search. After discharging a deadly volley at our soldiers, they would betake them selves to impenetrable thickets, and there lay securely- concealed until another opportunity presented of poun cing down upon small parties of troops, and again flee to their hiding places. It was to find these hidden enemies that General Taylor recommended to the de partment the employment of bloodhounds. He says, in a letter to the Adjutant General of the army, dated July 28, 1838: "I wish it distinctly understood, that my object in employing dogs, is to ascertain where the Indians can be found, not to injure them." If any thing were wanted to exempt General Taylor from an implication of. cruelty for his agency in the affair, this explicit avowal of his motives will be sufficient. But he has on too many occasions, both before and since, given such evidence of his humane inclinations, that however mistaken any one may be disposed to consider him, no one will do himself and a brave man the injus tice to deny him that noble virtue in an eminent degree. CHAPTER III. idmission of Texas into the Unioh. — Indirect Cause of the -Mexican War. — War Recognized by the American Congress. — Prominent part General Taylor has acted since its Commencement. — Orders of the War Department to him. — Texas accepts the conditions of Annexa tion offered by the United States. — Ultimate Views of Government. — General Taylor arrives at Corpus Christi. — Extracts of the Official Correspondence between him and the Secretary of War. — Intentions of the American Government. On the first day of March, 1845, Texas was admitted into the Union, by a joint resolution of the Congress of the United States. Though this act was not the immediate cause of the rupture between the United States and Mexico, it led to the adoption of measures which brought the armies of the two governments into collision, and terminated in a declaration of the exist ence of war by the American government. But whether the war was declared formally or not, according to the laws of nations, having virtually been commenced, it was recognized and adopted, and the American people, with a unanimity not shown even in the last war with Great Britain, and notwithstanding there was a differ ence of opinion as to the necessity and justice of it, everywhere evinced their willingness to assist the gov ernment to prosecute it with vigor, or end it with , honor. Amongst those whose names are more intimately .Connected with the prosecution of this war than that PRIVATE INSTRUCTIONS. 61 of any other of the brave men who have added such lustre to the American arms during its continuance, by their gallant deeds, is that of General Zachary Taylor. Soon after the annexation of Texas, General Taylor, who was then stationed at Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, received the following communication, from Mr. Marcy Secretary of War, marked " confidential," and dated " War Department, May 28, 1845 :" " Sir : — I am directed by the President to cause the - forces now under your command, and those which may be assigned to it, to be put into a position where they may most promptly and efficiently act in defence of Texas, in the event it shall become necessary or proper to employ them for that purpose. The information re ceived by the Executive of the United States warrants the behef that Texas will shortly accede to the terms of annexation. As soon as the Texas Congress shall have given its consent to annexation, and a convention shall assemble and accept the terms offered in the reso lutions of Congress, Texas will theft be regarded by the executive government here, so far a part of the United States as to be entitled from this government to defence and protection from foreign invasion and Indian incur sions. The troops under your command will be placed and kept in readiness to perform this duty. " In the letter addressed to you from the Adjutant General's office, of the 21st of March, you were in structed to hold a portion of the troops under your im mediate command in readiness to move into Texas under certain contingencies, and upon further orders from this department. In the treaty between the United States and Mexico, the two i governments muc tually stipulated to -use all the means in their power to maintain peace and harmony among the Indian natidna, ' 5 62 VIEWS OF THE GOVERNMENT. inhabiting the lands on their borders, and to restrain by force any hostilities and incursions by these nations within their respective boundaries, so that the one would not suff"er the Indians within its limits .to attack, in any rrianner whatever, the citizens of the other, or the In dians residing upon the territories 'of the other. The obligations which in this respect are due to Mexico by this treaty, are due also to Texas. Should the Indians residing within the limits of the United States, either by themselves, or associated with others, attempt any hos tile movements in regard to Texas, it will be your duty to employ the troops under your command to repel and chastise them, and for this purpose you will give the necessary instructions to the military posts on the ^p- per Red river, (although not under your immediate command,) and, with the approbation of the Texan authorities, make such movements, and take such po sition, within the limits of Texas, as in your judgment may .be necessary. You are also directed to open im-^ mediate correspondence with the authorities of Texas, and with any diplomatic agent of the United States, (if one should be residing therein,) with aview to in formation and advice in respect to the common Indian enemy, as well as to any foreign power. - This commu nication and consultation with the Texan authorities, &c., are directed with a view to enable you to avail yourself of the superior local knowledge they may pos sess, but not for the purpose of placing you, or any por tion of the forces of the United States, under the orders- of any functionary not in the regular line of command above you. t " Should the territories of Texas be invaded by a for eign power, and you shall receive certain intelligence' thjiough her functionaries of .that fact, after; her con TAYLOR TO REPEL INVASION. 63 vention shall have acceded to the terms of annexation contained in the resolutions of the Congress of the United States, you will at once employ, in the most effectual manner your judgment may dictate,' the forces under your command, for the defence of these territo ries and to expel the invaders. " It is supposed here that, for the mere purpose of repelling a common Indian enemy, as above provided for, it may not be necessary that you should march across the Sabine or upper Red river (at least in the first instance) with more than the particular troops which you were desired in the instructions before re ferred to, of the 21st March, to hold in immediate readiness for the field, but it is not intended to restrict you positively to that particular amount of force. On the contrary, according to the emergency, you may add any other corps, or any number of companies within your department deemed necessary, beginning with those nearest at hand ; and in the contingency of a ' foreign invasion of Texas, as above specified, other regi ments from a distance may be ordered to report to you." This order was succeeded by another, also confiden tial, from the Hon. George Bancroft, Acting Secretary of War, and dated June 15th, 1845. After advising General Taylor, that on the 4th of July, or very soon thereafter, the convention of the people of Texas would probably accept the proposition of annexation, and that such acceptance would constitute Texas an integral portion of the Union, he ordered him forthwith to make a forward movement with the troops under his com mand, and advance to the mouth of the Sabine, or such other port on the Gulf of Mexico, or its navigable wa ters, as in his opinion might be most con-yenient for an embarkation at the proper time, for the western person 64 TEXAS ASSENTS TO ANNEXATION. of Texas. The point of his ultimate" destination, he was informed in this order, was the western frontier of Texas, and he was instructed to select and occupy, on or near the Rio Grande, such a site as would consist with the health of the troops, and be the best point to repel invasion, and to protect what, in case of annexa tion, would be our western border. He was further instructed to limit himself to the defence of the territory of Texas, unless Mexico should declare war against the United States, and not to effect a landing on the fron- ., tier,, until he had ascertained the acceptance of the proffered terms of annexation by Texas, from our min ister to that government. ; Not long after, the anticipated information of the acceptance of the conditions offered to Texas by the United States was received by General Taylor, and on the folL-^wing day he left New Orleans, with a por tion of his troops, and on the 25th of July arrived at St. Joseph's Island. In the early part of August, he took up his position at Corpus Christi, on the west side of the Neuces, and near its mouth, where he remained until the 11th day of March, 1846. Whilst in this position, he sent forward to the Rio Grande a party of observation, with the view of selecting some favorable position as a depot of military stores, and a proper po sition for the encampment of the army. Some time in February, 1846, this party returned, and reported in favor of Point Isabel, a few miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande, as a depot of provisions and military stores, und in favor Pf the position where Fort Brovra was subsequently built, as a suitable position to be occu pied by the army. It may be necessary here to give such portions of the correspondence between the War Department and Taylor's instructions. 65 General Taylor, while the latter was at Corpus Christi, as will explain the immediate and ultimate views and intentions of the government towards Mexico, the po sition of Taylor, and the agency he had, if any, in hastening the war. For this purpose, the part of that correspondence that throws the most light upon these subjects, is annexed. It -will be observed from it, and the order of the Secretary of War already given, that General Taylor acted under positive and specific in- , structions in all his movements, when such instructions? could, in the nature of the case, be given. In these orders, and the dispatches of Taylor, will be found all the information required, to lead to a correct under standing of the immediate steps on the part of the two governments which led to the collision between iheir respective armies, that ended in the existing war. On the 23id of August, 1845, Mr. Secretary Marcy addressed to General Taylor the following order : " The information hitherto received as to the inten tions of Mexico, and the measures she may adopt, does not enable the administration here to give you more explicit instructions in regard to your movements, than those which have been already forwarded to you. There is reason to believe that Mexico is making ef forts to assemble a large army on the frontier of Texas, for the purpose of entering its territory and holding forcible possession of it. Of their movements you are doubtless advised, and we trust have taken, or early will take, prompt and efficient steps to meet and repel any such hostile incursion. Should Mexico assemble a large body of troops on the-Rio Grande, and cross it with a considerable force, such a movement must be regarded as an invasion of the United States, and the commencement of hostiUties. You will, of course, use 66 TROOPS ORDERED INTO TEXAS. all the authority which has been or may be given you, to meet such a state of things. Texas must be pro tected from hostile invasion, and for th-at purpose you 'will, of course employ, to the utmost extent, aU the means you possess or can command. " An order has been this day issued for sending one thousand more men into Texas, to join those under your command. When the existing orders are carried into effect, you -will have with you a force of four thousand men of the regular army. We are not en- ^abled to judge what auxiliary force can, upon an emer gency, be brought together from Texas ; and as a pre cautionary measure, you are authorized to accept volunteers from the States of Louisiana and Alabama, and even from Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. Should ¦ Mexico declare war, or commence hostilities by crossing the Rio Grande with a considerable force, you are instructed to lose no time in giving informa tion to the authorities of each pr any of the above- mentioned states, as to the number of volunteers you may want from them respectively. Should yoti re quire troops from any of these states, it would be im- pdttant to have them with the least possible delay. It is not doubted that at least two regiments fi-om New Orleans, and one from Mobile, could be obtained and expeditiously brought into the field. You wiU cause it to be known in these places, what number and de scription of troops you desire to receive from them in the contemplated emergency. The authorities of these states will be apprised that you are authorized to re ceive volunteers from them, and you may calculate that they wiU promptly join you when it is made known that their services are required. Arms, ammunition, and camp equipage for the auxiUary troops that you A NAVAL FORCE TO CO-OPERAl 67 I. may require, will be sent forward, subject io /',ur or ders. You will so dispose of them as to be most avail able in case they should be needed, and at the same time with a due regard to their safety and preserva tion. Orders have been issued to the naval force on the Gulf of Mexico to co-operate -with you. You will, as far as practicable, hold communication with the commanders of our national vessels in your vicinity, and avail yoijrself of any assistance that can be de rived frorii their co-operation. The Lexington is or dered into service as a transport ship, and will sail in a few days from New York, with a detachment of United States troops for Corpus Christi. She will be employed as the exigency of the public service may require. In prder to keep up a proper communication between the army in Texas and the United States, the On-ka-hy-e, the Harney, and the Dolphin will be put into service as soon as they can be made ready, as dis patch vessels, to convey intelligence, supplies, &c. You wiU avail ysurself of these vessels, and all Other proper means, to keep the government here advised of your operations, and the state of things in Texas and Mexico." Two days after, on the 25th of August, the Secret tary of War addressed a circular letter to the Govern ors of Alabarna, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and on the 28th, a similar letter to the Governors of Kentucky and Tennessee, advising them that General Taylor had been appointed to the command of the army of occu pation in Texas, and that he was authorized to draw any auxiliary force he might need from that state. He advises them that General Taylor has been author ized to call on them for any additional volunteers he might consider necessary to repel the invasion of Texaa by Mexico, should it be attempted. He also observes, 68 VOLUNTEERS FROM OTHER STATES. " t^at the emergency rendering such assistance from the mUitia of your state necessary, does not appear to have been foreseen by Congress, and consequently, no appropriation was made for paying them ; but it is not to be doubted that such a provision wiU be promptly made when Congress shaU again assemble. In order to be paid, the state troops must be mustered into ser- vice. In organizing companies and regiments for that purpose, the number of officers must be, proportioned to that of the privates. Inclosed I send you from the Adjutant-General, a state&ient of the number and rank of officers for each company of men, as weU as the regimental and staff officers, should a regiment of vol unteers be called for. From the known patriotism and military ardor of the militia of your state, it is pre sumed that volunteers, to the number that may be re quired, will readily tender their services to their coun try in the contemplated emergency. Should aid from your state be required by the commanding general in Texas, it will be of the utmost importance that the trpops should be sent into that state without delay. This consideration will render it proper that they should come from such parts of the state as can most promptly furnish them.'' On the 30th of August Mr. Marcy wrote to General Taylor, t6 urge upon him the importance of avaiUng nimself of every opportunity of communicating with the War Department, as it was desirable to have early and correct information from him, so as to. enable the government to form a true judgment of ijhe designs and movements of Mexico, founded upon ascertained facts. He then continues : " It is presumed that, in pursuance of previous instructions from this depart ment, you have taken special pains to become ac- WHAT ACTS CONSIDERED AGGRESSIVE. 69- quainted with the proceedings of Mexico, particularly in regard to the number and kind of Mexican troops at Matamoras, Monterey, and other places, as well as those which are on the march towards them, and may be brought to act against your forces, or pushed across the Rio Grande, either in the vicinity of Matamoras or at distant points on that riyer. You will not, I trust, underrate the importance of such information, or fail to use the proper and necessary means for acquiring it. You are directed, should you deem it expedient, to employ competent and trustw^thy persons to obtain such intelligence. " The instructions heretofore issued, enjoin upon you to defend Texas from invasion and Indian hostilities ; and should Mexico invade it, you will employ all your forces to repulse the invaders, and drive all Mexican troops beyond the Rio Grande. Should you judge the forces under your command inadequate, you will not fail to draw sufficient auxiliary aid from Texas, and, if there be need, from the states, pursuant to your pre vious instructions. It is not to be doubted, that on your notification, volunteer troops, to the number you may require, will rally with alacrity to your standard. You have been advised that the assembling a large Mexican army on the borders of Texas, and crossing the Rio Grande with a considerable force, wiU be re garded by the Executive here as an invasion of the United States, and the commencement of hostiUties. An attempt to cross that river with such a force, will also be considered in' the same light. There maybe other acts on the part of Mexico which would put an end to the relations of peace between that republic and the United States. Should depredations he committedt^. on our commerce by her public armed vessels, or pri- 70 HOW TO ACT IN CASE OF WAR. vateers acting under authority, this wUl constitute a state of war. "Orders have been issued to the vessels of the United States in the Gulf, to furnish you with informa tion of any hostile proceedings of Mexico, and the state of things in that republic. You wiU embrace every occasion that may present, to for-ward fo the commariders of these vessels such inteUigence as vou may possess concerning the movements of the miUtary forces and the state of things in Mexico and Texas, and to suggest to them'%uch assistance and co-opera tion as you may desire to receive.. " In case of war, either declared or made manifest by hostile acts,"' your main object 'will be the protection of Texas ; but the pursuit of this object will not neces sarily confine your action within the territory of Texas. Mexico having thus commenced hostilities, you may, in your discretion, should you have sufficient force; and be in a condition to do so, cross the Rio Grande, dis perse or capture the forces assembling to invade Texas, defeat the junction of troops uniting for that purpose, drive them from their positions on either side of that river, and, if deemed practicable and expedient, take and hold poss|[ssion of Matamoras and other places in the country. I scarcely need to say that enterprises of this kind are only to be ventured on under circum stances .presenting a fair prospect of success." Again, on the 16th of October, 1845, the Secretary of War informed General Taylor that no apprehension was felt at Washington, that "any serious attempts would be made by Mexico to invade Texas, although she StiU continued to threaten it, and that in carrying out the instructions of government he would be left very much to his own judgment, as his superior knowl- WHAT POSITION TO BE OCCUPIED. 71 edge of localities, and his advantages for obtaining earlier notice of the views of Mexico, and the move ments of her troops, would enable him to juilge much more correctly what action on his part might be ne cessary. He was advised that he would, in a great measure, be left to act, during the coming winter; as circumstances might seem in his judgment to require, and instructed to approach as near the western boun dary of Texas, (" the Rio Grande,") as a due regard for his safety and the comfort of his army would permit. Having given such suggestions as he considered ad visable as to the movements of tbe army, the secretary proceeds : " Ought your present position to be changed ? the forces which are, or soon wiU be, assembled under your command, be kept together or divided ? and, if divided, what positions are to be taken, and how are they to be divided ?• These are questions which must be in a measure left to your judgment, or, at least, the decision upon them here, if there be time, wiU be influ enced in no inconsiderable degree by the information and views which you may furnish the department. You need not, therefore, wait for directions from Wash ington, to carry out what you may deem proper to be done. Upon all the points above enumerated, and Others not suggested, your reports and "views in full are desired, not only witli reference to the continuance of the present aspect of affairs between the United States and Mexico, but in the contingency of your selecting, or being directed to take, a position on the banks of the Rio Grande near its mouth, or places above, or even in the event of open hostilities. It is expected that the officers of the Engineer and Topographical Corps, who have been sent into Texas, wUl examine vements must be made. From the views heretofore presented to this department, it is pre sumed Point Isabel -wiU be considered by you an eligi ble position. This' point, or some one near it, and points opposite Matamoras and Mier, and in the Vicin ity of Laredo, are suggested for your consideration ; but you are left to your better knowledge to determine the post or posts which you are to occupy, as weU as the question of dividing your forces with a view to oc cupying two or more positions. TO ACT ON THE DEFENSIVE. 73' " In the positions you may take in carrying out these instructions, and other movements that may be made, the use of the Rio del Norte may be very convenient, if not necessary. Should you attempt to exercise the right which the United States have, in common with Mexico, to the free navigation of this river, it is proba ble that Mexico would interpose resistance. You wiU not attempt to enforce this right without further in structions. *' You are requested to report to this department, without delay, what means you may require, if any, beyond those you now possess, to enforce and main tain our common right to navigate this river, as well as your views of the importance of this right in the de fence and protection of the state of Texas. " It is not designed, in our present relations with Mexico, that you should treat her as an enemy ; but, should she assume that character by a declaration of war, or an open act of hostUity towards us, you will not .act merely on the defensive, if your relative means enable you to do otherwise. " Since instructions were given you to draw aid from Texas, in case you should deem it necessary, the rela tions between that state and the United States have undergone some modification. Texas is now fuUy in corporated into our union of states, and you are here by authorized by the President to make a requisition upon the executive of that state for such of its militia force as may be needed to repel invasion, or to secure the country against apprehended invasion." These extracts from the instructions and orders of the Secretary of War to General Taylor, in regard to his movements in Texas, and his operations there, will render sufficiently intelligible the objects and wishes of yi Taylor's dispatches. the American government in regard to Mexico, and what was expected of the commanding General. The dispatches of General Taylor to his government during the same period, are necessary, however, to place be fore the reader the whole question in all its bearings, to show the condition and number of the army, with which the first great achievements of this war were accomplished, and to help to illustrate the character of the extraordinary man whose name has been so closely identified with almost every incident of it. Besides the official dispatches of Taylor that are an nexed, there will be found a communication to him from the Prefect of TamauUpas, and also one from General Ampudia, Commander-in-chief of the Mexican ^my on the Texan frontier, as weU as General Tay lor's reply to it : " New Orleans, La., July 20, 1845. Sir : — I respectfully acknowledge your communica tion of July 8th, covering the instructions of the Secre tary of War of the same date, relative to the Mexican settlements on this side of the Rio Grande. Those instructions wiU be closely obeyed ; and the depart ment may rest assured that I wUl take no step to inter- • rupt the friendly relations between the United States and Mexico. I am gratified at receiving these instruc tions, as they confirm my views, previously communi cated, in regard to the proper line to be occupied at present by our troops. I am, sir, very respectfuUy, Your obedient servant, Z TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. AT ST. JOSEPH S ISLAND. " HEADaUARTERS, ARMY OP OCCUPATION, Steamship Alabama, Aransas Pass, Texas, July 28,1845. ^ Sir : — I respectfully report my arrival at this place on the 25th instant, with eight companies of the Ihira infantry, it having been found necessary to leave two companies of that regiment to be brought over in other transports. The troops are temporarily established on St. Joseph's Island. I am waiting the report of a boat expedition sent to Corpus Christi Bay, before 1 deter mine on the site of-an encampment. I hope to receive the necessary information in the course of the day, when I shaU immediately commence the removal of the Third infantry to the point selected. The positio^ ' wUl probably be " Live Oak Point," in Aransas Bay, some ten mUes from our present position. I am very anxious to establish myself at the mouth of the Nueces, but the extreme shoalness of the water wUl, I fear, pre- ,sent an insuperable obstacle, unless we can procure , lighters of much lighter draught than those we have at present. The difficulties of effecting a debarkation on this coast, and of estabUshing depots for supplying the army, are much greater than I anticipated, and wiU render our operations at once embarrassing and expen sive. Between Pass CaveUo and Brazos Santiago there is no entrance for vessels drawing more than seven or eight feet ; and the prevailing winds render the operation of lightening extremely uncertain and hazardous. We nave been favored with fine weather, and, should it continue, the pther transports, which may now be expected, wiU be enabled to discharge without difficulty. W6 HEALTH OF THE ARMY. We had a very favorable run from New Orleans and I am happy to state that the health of the command was greatly improved by the voyage. The eight com panies have scarcely any sickness at this time. The day before leaving New Orleans, I received from Major Donelson, a communication dated at Austin, on the 7th of July, informing me that the convention had unanimously accepted the proposition of annexa tion, and suggested that two companies should be posted at Austin. I stiU deem it best to concentrate my force until our. relations with Mexico shall become settled, and until the country can be examined, and the best mode of supply ascertained. I hear nothing important from the Mexican frontier. Some Indian depredations are committed from time to time near Corpus Christi, and wiU claim my first atten tion after I can get established. I am, sir, very respectfully. Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR. Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The A^DJIJTANT General of the Army, Washington, D. C. " Jt , " HEADaUARTERS, ArMT OP OCCUPATION, > ~ Corpus Christi, Texas, Aug. 15, 1845. \ Sir : — I have the honor to report that, by New Orleans papers of the 7th inst, I have received intelli gence of the preparatory steps taken by Mexico to wards a declaration of war against the United States. I shaU spare no exertions to meet suitably this proba ble change in the relations between the two countries and the additional force ordered to join me, as an nounced in your communication of July 30th, will, I trust, enable me to do something more than maintain AT CORPUS CHRISTI. 77 a merely defensive attitude on the Nueces. This will depend upon the demonstrations made by Mexico along the Rio Grande, in regard to which the Secretary,of War has solicited a report. I am enabled to say, upon information which is regarded as authentic, that General Arista was to leave Monterey on the 4th of this month for Matamoras, with one thousand five hun dred men — five hundred being cavalry. I learn, from the same source, that there are five hundred regular troops at Matamoras. In regard to the force at other points on the Rio Grande, except the mUitia of the country, I have no information ; nor do I hear that the reported concentration at Matamoras is for any pur pose of invasion. I have but just arrived at this place, and hope in a few days to be able to obtain more full and precise intelUgence concerning the moveirients of the Mexicans. I shaU not fail to communicate promptly to the department aU such intelligence upon which I think reliance can be placed. I am, sir, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. " Headciuartees, Army of Occupation, ) . Corpus Christi, Texas, Aug 30, 1845. \ Sir : — I respectfuUy report the arrival at this post of seven companies of the 7th infantry, under Major Brown, and two companies of volunteer artillery under Major GaUy. Major Seawell's company, I am in formed, was ordered back to Baton Rouge by General Gaines, and some small detachments of that regiment were also left at several posts. I have retained one 78 CHARACTER OF HIS TROOPS. conipany as a guard for the depot at St. Joseph's Island. The battalion of volunteer artillery has a fine battery of eight pieces — two twelves and six sixes, completely equipped in every respect. The officers are zealous, and the men seem to be quite weU instructed in their duties. In case of need, I look for some valuable ser vices from this battalion. I have just received a communication from PreMdent Jones, under date of the 23rd inst., notifying me that he had taken preparatory steps towards organizing a volunteer force of one thousand men to assist me if necessary. This mat,ter wiH form the subject of a special communication to your office in a few days. ¦Apprehending that the erroneous impressions currem in New Orlea^is iii regard to our situation, might induce General Gaines to order the muster of a battalion or brigade of infantry, I addressed a communication t6 his staff officer by the steamship Alabama, expressing ' my thanks for the reinforcement of the volunteer bat talion of artillery, but with the hope that no more vol unteers would be sent without a requisition from me. That communication -will reach New Orleans to-night or -to-morrow, in time, I trust, to stop the employment of any more volunteers. We have no news from the Rio Grande. Idle sto ries are brought in from that quarter, but with the means of accurate information which we now possess, I do not deem it necessary to repeat them. I am, sir, very respectfully. Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. OCCUPATION OF POINT ISABEL. 79 Headquarters, Army of Occupatton, ) Corpus Christi, Texas, Oct. 4 1845. J , Sir : — I beg leave to suggest some considerations in relation to the present position of our force, and the dispositions which may become necessary for the more effectual prosecution of the objects for which it has been concentrated. It will be recollected that the in structions of June 15th, issued by Mr. Bancroft, then Acting Secretary of War, directed me to " select and occupy, on or near the Rio Grande, such a site as wUl consist with the health of the troops, and wiU be best adapted to repel invasion," &c. Brazos Santiago is. the nearest entrance to the mouth of the Rio. Grande; and Point Isabel, within that entrance, and twenty-one miles from Matamoras, would have fulfilled more com pletely than any other position the conditS)ns imposed by the Secretary. But we had no artiUery, no engi neer force or appliances, and but a moderate amount of infantry ; and the occupation of Point Isabel, under these circumstances, and with at least the possibility of resistance from the Mexicans, might have compro mised the safety of the command. I therefore deter mined to take up thfe next accessible position in the rear, which is the mouth of the Nueces river. All the information which I could obtain before lea-ving New Orleans, seemed to point to Corpus Christi as the most suitable point for concentration ; and, although before the President's instructions of July 30th reached me, I would have preferred a position on the left bank of the river, yet a careful examination of the country had already convinced me that none could be found com bining so many advantages as this. Every day's ex perience has confirmed thes^ impressions. Corpus Christi is healthy, easily supplied, and weU situated to 80 ADVANTAGES OF TH.^T POSITION. hold in observation the course of the Rio Grande from Matamoras to Laredo — ^being about one hundred and fifty mUes from several points on the river. I have reason to believe, moreover, that a salutary moral effedt has been exercised upon the Mexicans. Their traders are continuaUy carrying home the news of our position and increasing nuiribers, and are confessedly struck by the spectacle of a large camp of well-appoinl^d and discipUned troops, accompanied by perfect security to their persons and property, instead of the impressment and piUage to which they are subject in their own country. For these reasons, our position thus far has, I think, been the best possible ; but, now that the entire force wUl soon be concentrated, it may well be a ques tion whether the views of government wUl be best carried out by our remaining at this point. It is with great deference that I make any suggestions on topics which may become matter of delicate .negotiation ; but if our government, in settling the question of boundary, makes the line of the Rib Grande an ultimatum, I can not doubt that the settlement wUl be greatly facUitated and hastened by our taking possession at once of one or two suitable points on or quite near that river. Our strength and state of preparation should be displayed in a manner not to be mistaken. However salutary may be the effect produced upon the border people by our presence here, we are too far from the frontier to impress the government of Mexico with our leajjiness to vindicate, by force of arms, if necessary, our title to the country as far as the Rio Grande. The " army of occupatiqji" wiU, in a few days, be concentrated at this point, in condition for vigorous and efficient ser vice. Mexico having as yet made no positive decla. ration of war, or committed an^ overt act of hostilities ARMY TO BE CONCENTRATED. 81 I do not feel at liberty, under my instructions, particu larly those of July 8th, to make a forward movement to the Rio Grande without authority from the War Department. In case a forward movement should be ordered or authorized, I would recommend the occupation of Point Isabel and Laredo, as best adapted to the pur poses of observing the course of the river, and cover ing the frontier settlements of Texas. Point Isabel is accessible by water,^ and can be safely occupied by two brigades of infantry, with a suitable force of field artiUcry. On the arrival of the steamer Harney, I shall order a carefiiireconnoissance of Brazos Santiago, as a necessary preliminary measure to the occupation of Point Isabel. To occupy Laredo will require a land march from this point. Supplies may probably be transported by water as high as San Patricio, and pos sibly to the junction of the Rio Frio -with the Nueces, I propose to establi^ a depot on the Nueces river, probably at the crossing of the San Antonio and La redo road, from which to operate towards the Rio Grande. You wUl perceive from my " special orders " No. 24, that a reconnoissance has been ordered in that direction. A brigade of infantry, with the cavalry, and a battery or two of field artiUery, wiU be sufficient for the occupation of Laredo. That town is on the left bank of the Rio Grande, and possesses the mUitary advantage of holding in observation the main route from the interior of Mexico through Monterey to Mat amoras. In case it should be found impracticable to establish a suitable depot on the Nueces, the entire force, after strengthening San Antonio, might be thro-wn forward 82 FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS RECIUIRED. to Point Isabel, where it could be readily supplied, and held in readiness for any further service. I have deemed it my duty to make the above sug gestions. Should they be favorably considered, and instructions based upon them, I will thank you to send the latter in duplicate to Lieutenant-Colonel Hunt- one copy to be dispatched direct, without delay ; th,e other to be sent via Galveston, - should a steamer be running to that port from New Orleans. I am, sir, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U.^. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. P. S. It is proper to add, that should any auxUiary force be required, I propose to draw it whoUy from Texas. I do not conceive that it wUl become neces sary, under any circumstances, to call for volunteers from the United States. Z. T. HEADaUARTERS, ARMT OF OCCUPATION, \ ^Corpus Christi, Texas, Nov. 7, 1845. ) Sir : — I respectfully enclose a copy of a letter from Commodore Connor, commanding the home squadron, which I received by the " Saratoga," sloop of war, on the 6th instant. The intelligence communicated by the commodore will, doubtless, reach the seat of gov ernment long before the receipt of this lejter. The communication from the Secretary of tV,ar, dated October 16th, was received and acknowledged on the 1st and 2d instant. I purposely deferred a de tailed re^y to the various points embraced in that communication, untU I could receive an answer to mine of October 4th, which covered Corpus Christi, Texas, February, 26, 1846. J Sir : — I have to report that the preparations for a foi" ward movement of th|s command are now nearly com- 8§R GENERAL TAYLOr's POLICY. pleted. The examinations spoken of in my report of the 16th instant have shown the practicabiUty of both routes — ^by the main land and by Padre Island.. The reconnoissance of Padre Island extended to its southern extEemity, and included the harbor of Brazos Santiago and Point Isabel ; that of the main route reached to a point near the Little Colorado. A depot, with four "days" forage and subsistence for the army, wiU be thrown forward some forty mUes, to the Santa Ger trudes. A detachment of two companies, to establish and cover this depot, will march, on the 28th, under Brevet Major Graham. In about a week thereafter, say the 7th of March, the cavalry will march, to be followed, at intervals of one day, by the brigades of in fantry. By the 25th of March, at latest, I hope to be in position on the Rio Grande. I have taken occasion to represent to some citizens of Matamoras, who were here with a large number of mules for sale, and who are represented to have con siderable infiuence at home, that the United States gov- ei;nment, in occupying the Rio Grande, has no motive of hostUity towards M^ico, and that the army wiU, in no case, go beyond the river, unless hostUities should be commenced by the Mexicans themselves ; that the Mexicans, living on this side, will not be -disturbed in any way by the troops ; that they will be protected in aU their, usages ; and that everything which the army m^ need wiU be purchased from them at fair prices. I also stated that, untU the matter should be finally ad justed between the two governments, the harbor of Brazos Santiago would be open to the free use of the Mexicans as heretofore. The same views were im pressed upon the Mexican custom house officer at Brazos Santiago, by Captain Hardee, who commanded ARMY LEAVES CORPUS CHRISTI. 87 the escort which covered the reconnoissance of Padre Island. We are entirely without news of interest from the frontier, or the interior of Mexico, our latest date from the capital being the 21st of January, and the saiSne from Vera Cruz. I am, sir, very respectfully. Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. HEADaUARTERS, ARMY OP OCCUPATION, ) Corpus Christi, Texas, March, 8, 1846. $ Sni : — I respectfully report that the advance of the army, composed of the cavalry and Major Ringgold's light artUlery, the whole under the commaM of Colonel Twiggs, took up the line of march this morning in the direction of Matamoras, its strength being twenty-three ofiicers and three hundred and seventy-eight men. The advance wiU be followed in succession by the brigades of infantry, the last brigade marching on the llth inst. The roads are in good order, the weather fine, and the troops in excellent condition for service. Major Munroe wUl embark for Brazos Santiago in season to reach that harbor about the time the army wiU be in the vicinity of Point Isabel. He takes with him a siege train and a field battery. Captain Sanders, of-^the engineers, the officers of ordnance, and the pay. department, ac6ompany Major Munroe. The movement by water, to Brazos Santiago, -wiU be covered by the revenue cutter " Woodbury," Captain Foster, whose commander has kindly placed her at my disposal for this service. jP8 ^ CONCILIATORY ORDERS. ^ AU proper arrangements have been made by the staff departments for supplying the army on the route^ as weU as estabUshing a depot for its further wants at Point Isabel. f I have deemed it proper tp cause my "orders" No. 30, to be translated into Spanish, and circulated on the Rio Grande. Sixty copies have already been sent in advance of the army to Matamoras, Camargo, and Mier. This form of giving publicity to the spirit which actuates our movements in occupying the country, I thought preferable to a proclamation. I trust the order itself wiU meet the approval of the department. A few copies of the translation are herewith enclosed. I shall again comriiunicate with general headquarters before I march, and I expect to do so at least once on the route. , My headquarters wiU march with the rear brigade, but wUl soon pass to the advance of the army. I am, sir, very respectfuUy, Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant, General of the Army. Washington, D. C. [translation ORDER NO. 30.] HEADaUARTERS, ArMY OF OCCUPATION, ) Corpus Christi, March, 8, 1846. J The army of occupation of Texas being now about to take a position upon the left bank of the Rio Grande, ui^der the orders of the Executive of the United States, the general-in-chief desires to express the hope that the movement wiU be advantageous to all concerned; and' with the object of attaining this laudable end, he has GOOD Condition of the army. 89 ordered all under his command to observe, with the most scrupulous respect, the rights of all the inhabitants who may be found in peaceful prosecution of their re spective occupations, as weU on the left as on the right side of the Rio Grande. Under no pretext, nor in any way, -will any interference be aUowed with the civil rights or religious privUeges of the inhabitants ; but.the utmost respect'for them will be maintained. Whatsoever may be needed for the use of the army -will be bought by the proper purveyor, and paid for at the highest prices. The general-in-chief has the satis faction to say that he confides in the patriotism and discipline of the army under his command, and that he feels sure that his orders will be obeyed with the utmost exactness. Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A, commanding. HEADaUARTERS, ArMY OP OCCUPATION, Camp at " El Sauce." 119 miles ftom Corpus Christi, March 18, 1846. Sir : — I avaU myself of a chance opportunity to Cor pus Christi to report that I have advanced to this point with the cavalry and 1st brigade of infantry. The 2d brigade encamps to-night about seven mUes in my rear ; the 3rd brigade about nineteen. I shall concen trate aU my force on reaching the Little Colorado, thirteen mUes in my front, so as to be prepared for any contingency. I am happy to say that aU the corps of the army are in fine condition and spirits, equal to any service that may be before them. Within the last two days, our advance has met with s»»aU armed parties of Mexicans, who seem disposed 00 ARRIVES AT POINT ISABEL. to avoid us. They were, doubtless, thrown out to get iriformation of our advance. I am, sir, very respectfuUy, Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, ' Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant-General of the Army; Washington, D.G. HEADaUARTERS, ArMY OF OCCUPATION, ) Point Isabel, March 25, 1846. ( Sir: — I respectfully report that I marched on the morning of the 23rd inst. with the entire army from the camp near the Colorado, in the order prescribed in my order No 35, herewith inclosed. After a march of fifteen miles, we reached, on the morning of the 24th, a point on the route from Matamoras. to Point Isabel, eighteen miles from the former and ten from the latter place. I here left the infantry brigades under Brigadier-General Worth, with instructions to proceed in the direction of Metamoras untU he came to a suit able position for encampment, where he would h^ilt, holding the route in observation, while I proceeded with the cavalry to this point to communicate with our transports, supposed to have arrived in the harbor, and make the necessary arrangements for the establish ment and defence of a depot. While on my way hither, our column was approached by a party on its right flank, bearing a white flag. It proved to be a civil deputation from Matamoras, de siring an intervie-w with me. I informed them that 1 would halt at the first suitable place on the road, and afford them the desired interview. It was, however, found necessary, from the want of water, to continue the route to this place. ' The deputation halted while FIRE AT POINT ISABEL. 91 yet some miles from Point Isabel, .declining to come further, and sent me a formal protest of the prefect of the northern district of TamauUpas against our occu pation of the country, which I inclose herewith. At this moment it was discovered that the buildings at Point Isabel were in flames. I then informed the bearer of the protest that I would answer it when op posite Matamoras, and dismissed the deputation. I considered the conflagration before my eyes as a de cided evidence of hostility, and was not -wiUing to be trifled with any longer, particularly as I had reason to believe that the prefect, in making this protest, was but a tool of the miUtary authorities at Matamoras. The advance of the cavalry fortunately arrived here in season to arrest the fire, which consumed but three or four houses. The port captain, who committed the act under the orders, it is said, of General Mejia, had made his escape before its arrival. We found two or three inoffensive Mexicans here, the rest having left for Matamoras. I was gratified to find that the water expedition had exactly answered to our land movement — the steamers arriving in the harbor only two or three hours before we reached Point Isabel, with the other transports close in their rear. The " Porpoise" and " Lawrence," brigs of war, and cutter " Woodbury," are lying out side. I have thought it necessary to order Captain Porter's company in this place to reinforce Major Mun roe. Our great depot must be here, and it is very im portant to secure it against any enterprise of the enemy. The engineer officers are now examining the ground with a view to tracing lines of defence, and strength ening the position. As soon as a sufficient amount of supplies can be |B2 A MEXICAN PROTEST. thrown forward toward Matamoras, I shall march in the direction of that town, and occupy a position as near it as circumstances wiU permit. I inclose a sketch prepared by my ai4e-de-camp, Lieutenant Eaton, exhibiting the route of march since leaving the Colorado, and the bearings of important points. I am, sir, very respectfully. Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant-General of the Army, Washington, D. C [translation.] Office op the Prefect or the Northern District op the J » Department of Tamaulipas, Santa Rita, March 23, 1846. ) God and Liberty ! ' Sir : — Although the pending question respecting the annexation of the department of Texas to the United States, is subject to the decision of the supreme gov ernment of Mexico, the fact of the advance of the army under your exceUency's orders, ove'r the line oc cupied, by you at Corpus Christi, places me under the necessity, as the chief political authority of the north ern district of Tamaulipas, to address you, as I have now the honor to do, through the commissioners, who wiU place this in your hands, and to inform you that the people, under this prefecture, being justly alarmed at the invasion of an army, which, without any pre vious declaration of war, and without announcing ex plicitly the object proposed by it, comes to occupy a territory which never belonged to the insurgent prov ince, cannot regard with indifference a proceeding so contrary to the conduct observ^ towards each other PROTEST CONTINUED. 93 by civilized nations, and the clearest principles of the law of nations ; that, directed by honor and patriotism, and certain that nothing has been said officially by the cabinet of the Union to the Mexican government, res pecting the extension of the limits of Texas to the left bank of the Rio Bravo, trusting in the weU-known justice of their cause, and using their natural right of defence, they (the citizens of this district) protest, in the most solemn manner, that neither now nor at any time do they, or wiU they, consent to separate them selves from the Mexican repubUc, and to unite them selves with the United States; and that they are resolved to carry this firm determination into eflfect, resisting so far as their strength will enable them, at aU times and places, untU the army under your excel lency's orders shall recede and occupy its former posi tions ; because so long as it remains within the territory of Tamaulipas, the inhabitants must consider that what soever protestations of peace may be made, hostiUties have been openly commenced by your excellency, the iamentable consequences of which wiU rest before the world exclusively on the heads of the invaders. I have the honor to say this to your eXceUency, with the object indicated, and to assure you of my consider ation and esteem. Juan Jose Pineda. To General Z. Taylor, &c. JENES CARDENAS. [extract.] Camp on the left bank of the Rio Grande } Opposite Matamoras, March 29th, 1846. ' ) Sir :— I have the honor to rgport that I arrived at this camp yesterday, with the forces under my com 7 94 hostility of the Mexicans. mand, no resistance having been offered to my advance to the banks of the river, nor any act of hostility com mitted by the Mexicans, except the capture of two of our dragoons, sent forward from the advanced guard. I deem it possible that these two men may have de serted to the enemy, as one of them, at least, bears a bad character. Our approach seems to have created much excitement in Matamoras, and a great deal of activity has been displayed since our arrival, in the preparation of batteries. The left bank is now under reconnoissance of our engineer officers, and I shaU lose no time in strengthening our position by such de- , fensive works as may be necessary, employing for that purpose a portion of the heavy guns brought round by sea. The attitude of the Mexicans is, so far, decidedly hostile. An interview has been held, by my direction, with the military- authorities in Matamoras, but with no satisfactory result. Under this state of things, I must again and urgently caU your attention to the necessity of speedily sending recruits to this army. The noiUtia of Texas are so remote from the border, *' * * * that we cannot depend upon their aid. The strength gained by filling up the regiments here, even to the present feeble establishment, would be of very great importance. I respectfully inclose a field report of the force now in this camp. I am, sir, very respectfully. Your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington. D. 0. MEXICAN PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. 95 While the American government was thus prepar ing to meet any emergency that might grow out of the annexation of Texas, as will have been gathered from this correspondence, Mexico was not idle. She had, through her minister at Washington, General Almonte, warmly and decidedly protested against that measure. His protest, having been disregarded, he demanded his passports, and left the United States, thus putting an end to aU diplomatic intercourse between the two gov ernments. As soon as information was received at the capital of Mexico that Congress had admitted Texas into the American confederacy, active preparations were taken to resist what the Mexican government affected to believe a virtual dismemberment of the Mexican nation, and an encroachment upon the integ rity of its soil. The step seems to have been generaUy regarded as a sufficient and justifiable cause of war. Loans were immediately made, and an army ordered to Texas, and tHb regular army was to be increased forthwith to sixty thousand men. There were already two thousand troops at Matamoras, and these were joined, in AprU, 1846, by twenty- two hundred more, amongst whom were two hundred cayalry. On the 11th of March, 1840, General Taylor, with the troops that had not already preceded him, took up his line of march from Corpus Christi, and on the 28th of the same month arrived at the Rio Grande, where' Fort Brown now stances, a distance of one hundred and nineteen mUes from the post he had left on the Nueces. This march, at any season of the year, over a low marshy country, would have been attended with great difficulty and embarrassment. But it was espe cially so, at the time General Taylor, with his army, performed it. The soldiers were therefore nearly worn 96 SUMMONS TO GENERAL TAYLOR.' out with fatigue upon their arriving at their destina tion. Upon General Taylor's arrival at Point Isabel, on his -way to Matamoras, he had defences thrown up there under the superintendence of Captain Sanders, with a view to making it a depot for his provisions and military stores. While here he vvas met by a deputa tion of fifty Mexicans, who protested against his occu pying the country; but he coolly informed them he should not have time to consider their request until he reached Matamoras. When -General Taylor arrived at the Rio del Norte, the Mexican colors were flying from the headquarters of Gen. Mejia, the commander of Matamoras, troops were moving about in every direction, and everything indicated the excitement and activity of a mUitary en campment on the eve of some great event. , On the 12th of April; two weeks after General Taylor had taken up his position opposite the city, he was sum moned by General Ampudia, the corAmander-in-chief of the Mexican forces, to evacuate his posts, and the American Consul, and all other American citizens, were ordered to leave Matamoras without delay. The sum mons of General Ampudia was in terms as foUows : — " To explain to you the many grounds for the just grievances felt by the Mexican nation, caused by the United States government, would be a loss of time, and an insult to your good sense ; I therefore pass at once to. such explanations as, I ,consider of absolute necessity. " Your government, in an lincredible manner — ^you wiU even- permit me to say an extravagant one, if the usage or general rules estabUshed and received among all civilized nations are regarded — has not only in sulted, but has exasperated the Mexican nation, bear- GENERAL TAYIOR's REPLY. 97 mg its conquering banner to the left bank of the Rio Bravo del Norte; and in this case, by explicit and definite orders of my government, which neither can, wiU, nor should receive new outrages, I require you in aU form, and at latest in the peremptory term of twenty-four hours, to bre>ik up your camp and retire to the other bank of the Nueces river, while our go f- ernments are regulating the pending question in rela tion to Texas. If you insist in remaining upon the soil of the department of TamauUpas, it will clearly result that arms, and arms alone, must decide the question ; and in that case I advise you that we accept the war to which, with so much injustice on your part, you provoke us, and that, on our part, this war shall be conducted conformably to the principles established by the most civilized nations ; that is to say, that the law of nations and of war shaU be the guide of my opera tions; trusting that on your part the same wUl be observed." To this summons to General Taylor to withdraw his troops beyond the Nueces, he replied on the same day. After acknowledging the receipt of Ampudia's order, and recounting its purport, he says, "I need hardly advise you that, charged as I am, in only a military capacity, with the performance of specific duties, I cannot enter into a discussion of the international question involved in the advance of the American army. You will, however, permit me to say that the government of the United States has constantly sought a settlement, by negotiation, of the question of boundary ; that an envoy was dispatched to Mexico, for that purpose, and that up to the most recent dates said envoy had not been received by the actual Mexi can government, if indeed he has not received )is S8 HIS REFUSAL TO COMPLY.. passports and left the republic. In tl *- meantime, 1 have been ordered to occupy the cou *try up to the left bank of the Rio Grande, untU the boundary shall be definitely settled. In carrying out these instruc tions I have carefully abstained from all acts of hos tUity, obeying, in this regard, not only the letter of my nstructions, but the plain dictates of justice and humanity. " The instructions under which I am acting wiU not permit me to retrograde-from the .position I now oc cupy. In view of the relations between our respective governments, and the individual suffering which may result, I regret the altfernative which you offer ; but, at the same time, wish it -understood that I shall by no means avoid such alternative, leaving the responsibUity with those who rashly commence hostilities. In con clusion, you wUl permit me to give the assurance, that on my part, the laws and customs of war among civ- iUzed nations shall be carefully obser-ved." General Worth was appointed to' open communica tions with General Mejia, and bear to him this answer to General Ampudia's summons. Mejia at first de clined to receive either General Worth or General Taylor *s communication. He, however, finaUy con- * sented to receive the latter, and sent General La Vega to meet Worth. The interview terminated in nothing decisive, except the return of two dragoons who had been captured by the Mexicans, whUe in advance of the main body of the army. Matters having been brought nearly to a crisis, by the refusal of General Taylor to obey the summons of Ampudia, to withdraw his forces within twenty-four hours to the left bank of the Nueces, the Second regi ment of the American troops was on the 13th removedj THE RIO GRANDE BLOCKADED. 0§ out of the reach of the shot from the Mexican batteries, whUe the Third, and Duncan's and Bragg's companies of flying artiUery occupied the field works. ¦ The river was also blockaded, and all communications and sup- pUes thereby cut ofl" with this city. Four days after. Lieutenants Porter and Dobbins, with a party of ten men, were sent in pursuit of Colonel Cross, Deputy Quartermaster General, whom it was subsequently ascertained, was murdered on the 10th of April by the Mexicans, while he was taking a ride near the Amer ican camp. While in the performance of this duty, the party feU in, on the 18th, with one hundred and fifty Mexicans, whom they fired upon and put to flight, and took possession of their camp, equipage and horses. But they were 'attacked by night, on their return to camp, by a large party of Mexicans, and Lieutenant Porter, a brave and gaUant young officer, and son of the late Commodore Porter, was lulled. Upon ascertaining that the Rio Grande had been blockaded, Ampudia addressed a strong remonstrance to General Taylor against the measure. Up infornied 'Taylor that from varipus sources worthy of confidence, 'T have learned^;hat some vessels bound for the mouth of the river, have not been able to effect an entrance into that port, in consequence of your orders that they should be conducted to Brazos Santiago. The cargo of one of them is composed in great part, and of the other entirely of provisions, which the contractors charged with providing for the army under my orders had procured to fulfil the obligations of their contracts. You have taken possession of these provisions by force, and against the wUl of the proprietors, one of whom is vice consul of her Catholic Majesty, and the other .of her Britannic Majesty ; and whose rights, in place of 100 AMPUDIA S PROTEST. being rigorously respected, as was proffered, and as was to be hoped from tbe observance of the principles which govern among civiUzed nations, have, on the contrary, been violated in the most extraordinary manner opposed to the guarantee and respect due to private property. " Nothing can have authorized you in such a course. The commerce of nations is not suspended or inter rupted except in consequence of a solemn declaratii^n of blockade, communicated and established in the form prescribed by international law. Nevertheless, you have infringed these rules : and, by an act which can never be viewed favorably to the United States gov ernment, have hindered the entrance to a Mexican port, of vessels bound to it, under the confidence that commerce wOuld not be interrupted. My duties do not aUow me to consent to this new species of hostility, and they constrain me to require of you, not only thait the vessels taken by force to Brazos Santiago shall be at liberty to return to the mouth of the river, but the. restoration of all the provisions which, besides belong ing to private contractors, were destined for the troops on this frontier. I consider it useless to inculcate the justice of this demand, and the results which may follow an unlooked-for refusal. " I have also understood that two Mexicans, carried down in a boat by the current of the river near one of the advanced posts of your camp, were detained, after being fired upon, and that they are stiU kept and treated as prisoners. The individuals in question do not belong to the army, and this circumstance exempts them from the laws of war. I therefore hope that you wUl place them absolutely at liberty, as I cannot be persuaded that you pretend to extend to persons not mUitary the TAYLOR S PACIFIC INTENTIONS. 101 consequences of an invasion, which without employing this means of rigor against unarmed citizens, is marked in itself with the seal of universal reprobation." This remonstrance of the Mexican commander, seems to have made but little impression upon General Taylor ; and his reply to it is so much to the point, so happily conceived, and so elegantly expressed, that it deserves carefiil attention. After acknowledging the receipt of Ampudia's communication, Taylor expresses his surprise that the Mexican general should complain, after aU that had passed since the arrival of the Ameri can army on the Rio Grande, of a measure which is no other than a natural result of the state of war, so much insisted on by the Mexican authorities as actu ally existing. He then proceeds to recall to his mind circumstances that would show, in his opinion, that the stat6 of war insisted upon by Mexico, had not been sought by the American army, but had been forced upon it, and that the exercise of the rights incident to S'Uch state, could not be a subject of complaint. ".On breaking up my camp at Corpus Christi," he continues, " and moviikg forward with the army under my orders, to occupy the left bank of the Rio Bravo, it was my earnest desire to execute my instructions in a pacific manner ; to observe the utmost regard for the personal rights of aU, citizens residing on the left bank of the river, and to take care that the religion and cus toms of the people should suffer no violation. With this view, and to quiet the minds of the inhabitants, I issued orders to the army enjoining a strict observance of the rights and interests of all Mexicans residing on the ri'ver, and caused said orders to be translated into Spanish, and circulated, in the several towns on the Bravo. These orders announced the spirit -in which 102 REVIEWS HIS ACTS. we proposed to occupy the country, and I am proud to say that up to this moment tbe same spirit has con- troUed the operations of the army. On reaching the Arroyo Colorado, I was informed by a Mexican officer thaljthe order in question had been received at Mata moras ; but w^as told at the same time, that if I at tempted to cross tbe river, it would be regarded as a declaration of war. Again, on my march to Frbntone, I was met by a deputation of the civil authorities of Matamoras protesting against my occupation of a por tion of the department of Tamaulipas, and declaring that if the army was not at once withdrawn, 'war would result. While this communication was in my hands, it was discovered that the "village of Frontone had been set on fire and abandoned. I viewed this as a direct act of war, and informed the deputation that their communication would be answered by me, when opposite Matanaoras, which was .done in respectful terms. On reaching the river I dispatched an officer, high in rank, to convey to the commanding general in Matamoras, the expression of my desire for amicable re lations, and my -wiUingness to leave open to the use of the xitizens of Matamoras the port of Brazos Santiago, until tbe question of boundary should be definitely settled. This officer received for repJy, from the officer selected to confer with him, that ray advance to the Rio Bravo was considered as a veritable act of war, and he was aibsolutely refused an interview with the Americao consul, in itself an act incompatible "with a state of peace. " Notwitnstanding these repeated assurances on the part of the Mexican authorities, and notwithstanding the most obviously hostUe preparations on -the right bank of the river, accompanied by a rigid non-inter- RESPONSIBILITY ASSUMED. 103 course, -I carefully abstained from any act of hostility -determined that the onus of producing an actual state of hostilities should not rest with me. Our rela tions remained in this state until I had the honor to receive your note of the ¦12th instant, in which you denounce war as the alternative of my remaining in this position. As I could not under my instructions, recede fronvmy position, I accepted the alternative you offered me, and made all my dispositions to meet it suitably. But, stiU wilUng to adopt mUder measures before proceeding to others, I contented myself in the first instance with ordering a blockade of the mouth of the Rio Bravo, by the naval forces under my orders — a proceeding perfectly consonant with the state of war so often declared to exist, and which you acknowl edged in your note of the 16th instant, relative to the late Colonel Cross. If this measiire seem oppressive, I wish it borne in mind that it has been forced upon me by the course you have seen fit to adopt. I have re ported this blockade to my government, and shall not remove it untU I receive instructions to that effect, unless indeed you > desire an armistice pending the final settlement of the question between the govern ments, or until war shaU be formaUy declared by either,- in which case I shall cheerfully open the river. In regard to the consequences you mention as resulting from a refusal to remove the blockade, I beg you to understand that I am prepared for them, be they what" they may. "In regard to the particular vessels referred to in your communication, I have the honor to advise you that, in pursuance of my orders, two American schoon ers, bound for Matamoras, were warned off on the 17th instant when near the mouth of the river, and put to- 104 ampudia's COMPLAINTS. sea, returning probably to New Orleans. They were not seized, or their cargoes disturbed in any way, nor have they been in the harbor of Brazos Santiago to my ' knowledge. A Mexican schooner, understood to be the " Juniata," was in or off that harbor when my instruc tions to block the river were issued, but was driven to ' sea in a gale, since which time I have had no report concerning her. Since the receipt of youf communi cation, I have learned that two persons, sent to the mouth of the river to procure information respecting this vessel, proceeded thence to Brazos Santiago; when they were taken up .and detained by the officer in com mand, until my orders could be received. I shaU order their immediate release. A letter from one of them to the Spanish vice consul is respectfuUy transmitted here with. "In relation to the Mexicans said to have drifted down the river in a boat, and to be prisoners at this time in my camp, I have the pleasure to inform you that no such p^ons have been taken prisoners, or are now detained by my authority. The boat in question was carried 4own empty by the current of the river, ^nd drifted ashore near one of our pickets, and was secured by the. guard. Some time afterwards an at tempt was made to recover the boat under the cover of the darkness ; the individuals concerned were hailed by the guard, and, failing to answer, were fired upon as a matter of course. What became of them is not known, as no trace of them could be discovered on the foUowing morning. The officer of the Mexican guard directly opposite was informed next day that the hoat would be returned on proper apphcation to me, and I have now only to repeat that assurance. " In conclusion, I take leave to state that I consider WARLIKE PREPARATIONS. 105 the tone of your communication highly exceptionable, where you stigmatize the movement of the army un der my orders as ' marked with the seal of universal reprobation.' You must be aware that such language is not respectful in itself, either to me or my govern ment ; and while I observe in my own correspondence the courtesy due to your high position, and to the mag nitude of the interests with which we are respectively charged, I shaU expect the same in return." In the meantime, matters were rapidly ripening for an open resort to arras, and everything indicated too surely that the Mexicans were only waiting for the most favorable time to strike a blow at our army that should annihilate it, and rid themselves of such unwel come neighbors. They did not rely alone on the power of their arms to accompUsh that object They resorted to the less dangerous expedient of attempting to corrupt Ihe fideUty of the American soldiers, and of inducing Ihem to desert, by the most tempting offers of lands and promQtions. Add.resses were iss^d to them con taining these flattering propositions, which they always found means to have introduced into General Taylor's camp. One of these papers, signed by Arista, who had superseded Ampudia in the command of the Mexican forces, and which wiU be found below, most artfully appeals to the cupidity and prejudices of those soldiers not native citizens of the United States. " HEADaUARTERS AT MaTAMORAS, \ April 26, 1846. J " Soldiers ! — You have enlisted in time of peace to serve in that army for a specific, term ; but your obli gation never implied that you were bound to violate the laws of God, and the most sacred rights of friends ! The United States government, contrary to the wishes 106 ATTEMPT AT CORRUPTION. of a majority of all honest and honorable Americans, has ordered you to take forcible possession of the terri tory of a friendly neighbor, who has never given her consent to such occupation. In other words, while there exists a treaty of peace and commerce between Mexico and the United States, the United States, pre suming on her strength and prosperity, and on our sup posed imbeciUty and eo'wardice, attempts to make you tbe blind instruments of her unholy and mad ambition, and force you to appear as the hateful robbers of our dear homes, and the unprovoked violators of our dear est feelings as men and patriots. Such viUany and outrage, I know, is perfectly repugnant to the noble sentiments of any gentleman, and it is base and foul to rush you on to certain death, in order to aggrandize a few lawless individuals, in defiance of the laws of God and man ! " It is to no purpose if they tell you, that the law of the annexation of Texas justifies your occupation of the Rio Bravo c||^ Norte ; for by this act they rob us of a great part of Tamaulipas, Coahidli, Chihuahua, and New Mexico ; and it is barbarous to send a hand ful of men on such an errand against a powerful and warlike nation. Besides, the most of you are Europe ans, and we are the declared friends of a majority of the nations of Europe. The North Americans are ambitious, overbearing, and insolent as a nation, and they wiU only make use of you as, vile tools tp carry oiit their abominable plans of pillage and rapine. " I warn you in the name of justice, honor, and your own interests and self-respect, to abandon their despe rate and unholy cause, and become peaceful Mexican citizens. I guarantee you, in such case, a half section of land, or three hundred and twenty acres, to settle MEXICANS CROSS THE RIO GRANDE. 107 upon, gratis. Be wise, then, and just,- and honorable, and take no part in murdering us who have no unkind feelings for you. Lands shaU be given to officers, ser geants, and corporals, according to rank, privates re ceiving three hundred and twenty acres, as stated. " If in time of action you wish to espouse our cause. thrpw away your arms and run to us, and we will em brace you as true friends and Chfistians. It is not de cent nor prudent to say more. But should any of you render important service to Mexico, you shaU be ac cordingly, considered and preferred." It has already been stated that General^ Taylor had established a depot of provisioij^, arms, and munitions of war at Point Isabel. On the 24th of April, informa tion was received by him that twenty-five hundred Mexicans had crossed the Rio Grande, part above and part below his camp, and cutting off all communication between Fort Brown and Point Isabel. Captain Ker's squadron of dragoons was immediately ordered to re connoitre the country between the t#0 positions, and Captain Thornton was dispatched above the Fort for the same purpose. The latter proceeded up the river for about twenty mUes, when his Mexican guide re fused to proceed any further, aUeging as his reason that the country was filled -with Mexican troops. Cap tain Thornton proceeded to move on, however, until he came to a farm-house and plantation, which were entirely surrounded»by a thick chapparal fence. He entered the plantation -wWh his squadron in single file, and whUe making inquiries at the house he was com pletely surrounded and taken by surprise by a Mexican force of several hundred infantry and cavalry, under the command of General Torrejon. Captain Thornton charged upon the Mexican cavalry in gallant style, and 8 ^ 108 SURPRISE OF CAPTAIN THORNTON. drove them back. But thfe- infantry, from every quar ter of the chapparal, poured in a destructive fire upon his command, and prevented them from reaching the opening by which they had entered. Thornton, how ever, succeeded in clearing the chaparral hedge and making his escape, though his noble charger was se verely wounded, in the act of making this extraordi nary leap. His follcJ^ers were less fortunate in the attempt. They immediately rallied under Captain Har dee, upon whom the command now devolved, and en deavored to escape from the snare in which they had become so fataUy entangled, by escaping to the Mexi can side of the river. But here they again failed; the banks of the stream being impassable. AU retreat being thus rendered impossible. Captain Hardee ex pressed his wiUingness to surrender, on condition that the Mexican commander would guarantee to him and his men the treatment to which prisoners of war are entitled amongst civUized nations, and he declared their determination to gell their lives as dearly as possible, if such terms should be refused. This assurance, how ever, was readUy given, when the Americans surren dered themselves prisoners of war, and were taken to Matamoras. This remarkable victory of three or four hundred Mexicans over twenty-five Americans, was received with unbounded delight by the Mexican army, and filled thfcir imaginations with numerous future tri umphs over the American arms. Upon the receipt of the tidings. General Arista i^ed the foUowing glow ing congratulatory letter to General Torrejon : — " This has been a day of rejoicing to aU the Division of the North, it having this" day been known of the tri umph achieved by the brigade which your excellency so worthily commands. The rejoiced country will MEXICAN REJOICING. 109 doubtless celebrate this p*6Hminary of glorious deeds that her happy sons wUl in future present to her. Your exceUency wUl communicate to your brave soldiers that I have seen with the greatest pleasure their valiant behavior, and that I await for the detailed dispatch to elevate it to the knowledge of the supreme government, so that the nation may learn the triumph of your arms." Captain Thorrtton succeeded! in reaching the Amer ican camp within five mUes, after almost miraculously escaping a perfect shower ©f Mexican buUets, while fleeing through their Unes, when he was captured and taken to Matamoras.' He remained there for some time, but was finally given up. In this encounter Lieu tenant G. T. Mason was kUled. Captain Ker, with his detachment, after having re- connoitered the country between Fort Frown and the mouth of the Rio Grande, returned, without having fallen in with the enemy. On the 28th, however. Cap tain Walker, of the Texas Rangers, who was at Point Isabel, attempted a reconnoissance of the route towards General Taylor's headquarters, but was driven back 'with some loss, having encountered a force of fifteen hundred men. The next day he made a successful attempt to con-vey a message from Major Munroe, in command at -Point Isabel, to General Taylor. CHAPTEK IV. , ¦# General Taylor leaves Port Brown. — Mexicans prepare to Dispute hi« Passage. — Mexican estimate of their Valor.^Charge of Cowardice against General Taylor. — Eombardment of Port Brown. — Further account of their Glorious Deeds. — Erect a Battery in the rear of the Fort. — Death of Major Brown. — The Fort Summoned to Surrender. — Refusal. — Bombardment Resumed. — Taylor starts on his return from Point Isabel.^Meets the Enemy .^ — Battle of Palo Alto. — The Details. \ On the 1st of May, 1846, immediately after receiv ing the message of Major Munroe, General Taylor left his intrenchments opposite Matamoras, and took up his line of march for Point Isabel, determined to open the communication between the two positions, at all haz ards, and to fight the enemy, however strong he might be. He left Major Jacob Brown, a brave and accom plished officer, in command of Fort Brown, with tHe Seventh regiment of infantry, and two' companies of artiUery, the latter commanded by Captain Lowd, and Lieutenant Bragg, respectively, making a force of about five hundrecj effective men. Arista mistook the'move- ment of General Taylor towards- Point Isabel for a pre- cjpit'ate retreat of the American forces, and forthwith dispatched a bulletin to Mexico, announcing the fact ; or, if he did not himself believe our army intended to letreat, he meant to create ¦such an impression amongst the Mexican soldiers, and in the mind of his own gov ernment. AU the movements of General Taylor seem AN IMAGINARY VICTORY. Ill to have been well known at Matamoras, however im perfectly his motives and intentions were understood, and preparations were accordingly made for cutting him off The designs of the Mexican generals are re vealed in the following semi-official communication, taken from the El Monitor Republicano of May 4th, three days after General Taylor left Fort Brown. It is in the usual exaggerated and grandUoquent style of Mexican documents, but it reveals the feelings which they entertained towards the Americans before the breaking out of hostilities, and the large expectations of success by which they were governed : — " On the first of this month (May) at eleven o'clock in the morning, the general-in-chief left this place (Mata moras) to join the army, who several hours before had. left with the intention of crossing the river at a short distance from the'camp of theenemy. In consequence of the Orders given, so that this dangerous operation might be performed with due security, and according to the rules of mUitary art, when our troops arrived at the spot designated for the crossing of the river, the left bank was already occupied by Gen. D. Anastasio TOTrejon, with all the force under his command. The enthusiasm of our soldiers to conquer the obstacles which separated them from the enemy was so great, that they showed themselves impatient of the delay ¦sccasioned by the bad condition of some of the flat boats, which had been very much injured in the trans portation by land, and could not be used, as they would fill up with waiter as soon as they were launched. In spite of that obstacle, the work went on with such ac tivity, and so great was the ardor of the most exceUent general-in-chief, whose orders were obeyed with the greatest promptness and precisilm, that a few hours 112 MEXICAN BOASTING. were sufficient to transport, to the opposite bank of the Bravo, a strong division, with aU its artillery and train. " This rapid and weU combined movement ought to nave proved to the invaders not only that the Mexicans possess instruction and aptness for war, but that those qualities are now brought forth by the purest patriot ism. The Northern Division, fearless of fatigue, and levelling all difficulties, ran to seek an enemy who, well sheltered under parapets, and defended with guns of a large calibre, pould wait for the attack with indis putable advantage. With deep trenches, with a multi tude of fortifications, the defence was easy against those who presented themselves with their naked breasts. '¦' But General Taylor dared not resist the valor and enthusiasm of the sons of Mexico. Well did he foresee the intrepidity with which our soldiers would rush against the usurpers of the national territory. Well did he know the many injuries which were to be avenged by those who had taken up arms, not to ag grandize themselves with the spoUs of the property of others, but to maintain the independence of their coun try. Well did he know, we repeat it, that the Mexi cans would be stopped neither by trenches, or fortre^es, or large artiUery. Thus it was that the chief of the American forces, frightened as soon as he perceived from the situation and proxinuty of his camp, that our army were preparing to cross the river, left with pre cipitation for Point Isabel, with almost aU his troops, eight pieces of artiUery, and a few wagons. Their march was pbserved from our position, and the most exceUent General D. Francisco Mejia immediately sent an express extraordinary to communicate the news to the most excellent general-in-chief. Here let me pay to our brave men the tribute which they deserve. The A, CHARGE OF COWARDICE. , 113 express verbaUy informed some of the troops which had not yet arrived at the ford, of the escape of the Ameri cans; in one instant, all the soldiers spontaneously crossed the river, almost racing one with another. Such was the ardor with which they crossed the river to attack the enemy. " The terror and haste with which the latter fled to the fort, to shut themselves up in it and avoid a con flict, frustrated the active measures of the most excel lent Senor General Arista, which were to order the cavalry to advance in the plain and to cut off the flight of the fugitives. But it was not possible to do so, not withstanding their forced march during the night. General Taylor left his camp at 2 o'clock in the after noon, and, as fear has wings, he succeeded in shutting himself up in the fort. When our cavalry reached the point where they were to detain him, he had already passed, and was several leagues ahead. Great was the sorrow of our brave men not to have been able to meet the enemy face to face; their defeat was certain, and the main body of that invading army, wKo thought that they inspired the Mexicans with so much respect, would have disappeared in the first important battle. But there was some fighting to be done; and the Americans do not know how to use other arms but those of dupUcity and treachery. Why did they not remain -with firmness under their colors? Why did they abandon the ground which they pretend to usurp with such iniquity ? Thus has an honorable general kept his word. Had not General Taylor said, in aU his communications, that he was prepared to repel aU hostilities ? Why, then, does he fly in so cowardly a manner to shut himself up at the Point ? The com mander-in-chief 6i the American army has covered 114 FORT BROWN BOMBARDED. >himself with opprobrium and ignomiiiy in sacrificing. a part of his forces, whom he left in the fortifications, to save himself ;- for. it is certain that he wiU not return to their assistance — not that he is ignorant of their perU, but he calculates that this woiild be gi'eater if he had the temerity of attempting to resist the Mexican lances and bayonets in the open plain." The Mexican general conceived that, as General Taylor had " retreated" from Fort Brown, the small detachment left to defend it must faU a very easy prey to Mexican valor and prowess. On the 3rd of May, they opened upo.n it a fire from a seven-gun battery, which was returned by Major Brown with great spirit and effect, silencing their guns in a very few moments. They immediately commenced another attack, how ever, with shot and shell, kiUing Sergeant Weigard while at his post, but doing little other damage. The firing upon the fort was heard by General Taylor, at Point Isabel, and he immediately dispatched Captains May and Walker to ascertain the position of affairs there. The^ returned with inteUigence that the fort was in a condition to resist any force that could be brought against' it;- ¦ The result of their first day's bombardment of Fort Brown filled the Mexicans with even greater delight, if possible, than the remarkable achievement of sur prising and capturing Captain Thornton's handful of 'men with their overwhelming force. Great rejoicings were had in Matamoras over the brilliant achievement, and an official dispatch, in the foUowing terms, was for warded to the Mexican government : - "But let us relate the glorious events of yesterday. As Aurora dawned, we began to fire from our ram parts on the fortifications of the enemy, and the thun- THE ENEMYS ACCOUNT OF IT. 115 del* of Mexican cannon was saluted by the reveiUe from every point of our line, by the bell of the paro chial church, and by the vivas of the inhabitants of Matamoras. In a moment the streets 'were fUled, and aU were rejoiced to see at last the hour arrived, when we were to give a terrible lesson to the American camp, whose odious presence could no longer be tole rated. The enemy answered, but they were soon convinced that their artiUery, although of a superior calibre, could not compete 'with ours. After a fire of five hours, our ramparts remained immovable, on ac- count of the solidity of their construction, and the in teUigence with which the rules of art had been observed. The same did not happen to the American fortifica tions, whose bastionsjwere so completely demoUshed, that .towards eleven o'clock in the morning their artU lery ceased to play, and their fire was hushed. We continued to fire 'with activity during the day, 'without the enemy's daring to respond to us, because the para pets imder which they would shelter themselves being destroyed, they had not courage -to load their guns, which remanied uncovered. This result shows us of what in reality consists the exalted skUl of the Ameri can artUlerists. They have eighteen pounders, and we have nothing larger than eight pounders ; and yet the intelUgence and practice of the Mexicans sufficed to conquer those who had superior arms. _ UnequaUed glory and eternal honor to our brave artiUeryrnen. "The enemy, in their impotent rage, and before they concealed their shame behind the most distant parapets, had the barbarous pleasure of aiming their guns towards the city, to destroy its edifices, as it was not in their power to destroy the fortifications from 'which they received so much injury. This -wicked re- 118 THEIR OPINION OF AMERICAN TROOPS. venge, which only springs from cowardly and miser able souls, did not meet with the success expected by those who so unworthily adorn themselves with the title of savans and phUanthropists. Their stupidity was equal to their wickedness. Almost aU the baUs passed too high ; and those which touched the houses, although they were eighteen pounders, did not cause any other mischief but that of piercing one or two walls. If those who conceiAsed the infamous design of destroying Matamoras, had seen the contemptuous laughter with which the owners of those houses showed their indifference for the losses which they might sus tain, they would have admired the patriotism and dis interestedness of the Mexicans, always ready to un dergo the greatest sacrifices, when it is necessary to maintain their nationaUty and independence. .The glorious 3rd of May is another brilliant testimony of this truth ; through the thickest of the firing, one could remark the most ardent enthusiasm on all faces, and hardly had a baU faUen, when even the chUdren would look for it, without fearing that another aimed in the same manner should fall in the same place. That, we saw ourselves in the public square, where a multitude of citizens were assembled. " The triumph of our arms has been complete, and we have only to lament the loss of a sergeant and two artiUerymen, who fell gloriously in fighting for their country. The families of those victims ought to be taken care of by the supreme government, to whose paternal gratitude they have been recommended by the most excellent senor general-in-chief. We must also be consoled by the thought that the blood of these brave men has been revenged by their bereaved com panions. As many of our baUs passed through the WHAT THEY CONSIDER A TRIUMPH. 117 enemy's embrasures, the loss to the Americans must have been very great ; and although we do not know exactly the number of their dead, the most accurate information makes it amount to fifty-six. It is probable that such is the case. Since eleven o'clock in the morning, the abandonment of their guns, merely be cause two of them were dismounted, and the others were uncovered ; the panic-terror with which, in aU haste, they took refuge in their furthest entrenchments, taking away from the camp all that could suffer from the attack of our artillery ; the destruction which must have been occasioned by the bombs, so weU aimed, that some would burst at a yard's distance from the ground in their descent to the point where they were to fall ; everything contributes to persuade that indeed the enemy have suffered a terrible loss. If it were not the case — if they preserved some remnant of valor, why did they not dare to repair their fortifications in the night. It is true that, from time to time, a few guns were fired on them in the night, but their aim could not be certain, and cowardice alone could force them not to put themselves in an attitude to return the fire which was poured on them again at daylight. No American put out his head; silence reigned in their camp ; and for this reason we have suspended our fire to-day — that there is no enemy to meet our batteries. " To conclude, we wiU give a brilliant paragraph relating to the contest, by the most excellent senor general-in-chief, as to the part which he took in the events of yesterday. He says thus : ' Mexico must glorify herself; and especially the vaUant men of the Division of the North, that a force inferior in its ele ments, and perhaps in number also, and which required nearly two months to swell itself 'with the auxiUaries 118 MEXICAN VALOR. coming from the capital, should meet in an immense plain, defying the army of the United States, and the whole power of that repubUc, writhout their opponents, who could receive succor in the space of fifty hours, daring to leave the fort to give us battle.' " From the news which we publish to-day, it wUl be seen that the Northern Division, so deservedly in trusted with the first operations against the North American army, has most nobly fiUed its highly im portant mission. Not that we mean to be understood as considering its task is yet fuUy completed, but we ¦anticipate^ before the end of the present week, to 'wit ness the total discomfiture of the enemy, who has had the temerity to answer the fire of our ibatteries ; of those batteries that gave them yesterday such abun dant proof of that valor, so characteristic of the Mex icans : a valor rendered famous in a hundred bloody contests ! It were endless to recount all the acts of patriotism performed by the troops of the garrison, and the valiant citizens who shared in the defence of the city— they courted danger with that intrepidity always inspired by a just cause. " So rapid is the fire of our guns, that the batteries 'of the enemy have been silenced. But what is most worthy of notice, as showing the great enthusiasm of this place, is the fact that many of the inhabitants, of both sexes, in the hottest of the cannonade, remained firm in front of the enemy, filled with enthusiasm; indeed, fear is always unknown to those whose mission is to avenge an outrage upon the sacred rights of their beloved country, " From our account of the war, the world wiU judge of the great superiority of our troops, in courage as well as skill, over the Americans. It. is indeed wonder* THEIR SUPERIOSITY OVER AMERICANS. 119 fu? to witness the dismay of the enemy : rare is the occurrence when an American ventures outside of the breastwork. There can be no doubt of this, that the Mexicans wiU be considered by foreign nations as the very emblems of patriotism. How evident that they inherit ihe blood of the noble sons of Pelayo ! Happy they who have met with so glorious a death in defend ing the -territory bequeathed to them by their fathers ! " The nation with which we are at 'war is most savage in its proceedings ; 'no regard being paid to the flags of friendly nations : even those usages and cus tom's respected by civilized nations, to divest war of some of its horrors, have been shamefully disregarded. The enemy have fired red shot against this innocejit city, and we publish it to the world in proof that, with aU -their boasted wisdom and liberty, they are unworthy of being counted among enlightened nations. ""His excellency, the general-in-chief of the Northern Division, and his intrepid soldiers, are ready to fight the enemy in any numbers, and we are certain that our arms wUl be successful; but the nation against whom "we have to contend is excessively proud ; and it ia also possessed of resources which may perhaps surpass those within our reach. Let us then make an immense effort to repel their aggressions. Let us con tribute everything most dear to us, our persons, our means, to save our country from its present danger Let 'US oppose to the unbridled ambition *of the Anglo- American, that patriotic enthusiasm, so pecuUar t® lis. Indeed, we need, only foUow the glorious example of Matamoras, that noble city, which wUl be kno-wn in future by the name of Heroic. Its inhabitants have emulated the examples of Menamia, and Sagantum ; they have. determined to die at the loot of the eagle of 120 DEATH OP MAJOR BROWN. Anahuac, defend their fort whUst they retain the breath of life — this plan is settled. Th§ supreme government 'is making strenuous exerticms in order to protect the territory placed under its care by the nation, and nothing is now wanting but for the people to rush in a mass to the frontier, and the independence of Mexico is safe." During the night of the 4th of May, a large body of Mexican troops crossed the river and' erected a strong battery in the rear of Fort Brown, and on the morning of the 5th a heavy fire was opened from this battery, and the fort was assaUed with great vigor. At the same time a hot fire was opened from the batteries at Matamoras, and a galling discharge of shot and shell was kept up for about an hour. The fire of the enemy fnom both these positions was returned with spirit and effect, by Major Brown, nntU they were silenced for the day. Early on the morniqg of the 6th, the fire from tbe enemy's batteries was renewed with increased vigor, their shot and shell falling in every direction, tearing tents to pieces and wounding many of the horses. But for the great size of the field-works and the very few men to defend it, the loss of Ufe must have been very severe. As it was, the only one who feU during the bombardment, which continued through out the day, was Major Brown, the noble, high-minded and accomplished commander of the fort. After the firing had continued for several hours, this gaUant officer took his usual round to satisfy himself that every man was at his post and in the performance of his duties. While making his observations he was (Struck by a shell, which took off one of his legs, and dreadfully mangled him. He was immediately taken to the hospital and his leg amputated above the kne* SUMMONS TO FORT BROWN. , 121 But he could not be saved, and after lingering until the 9th of May, he died, universally lamented, not only by the army, who best knew his worth, but by the whole country. Few men, indeed, had obtained a stronger hold upon the affection of the soldiers, or was more sincerely esteemed by his brother officers, of whatever rank, than Major Brown. Upon leaving Fort Brown for Point Isabel, General Taylor gave orders to Major Brown to maintain his post, whatever contingency might arise, and under no circumstances to hazard his position by making a sally against the enemy. In the event of the fort being sur rounded and an assault made upon him, he was ordered to warn him of the fact, by firing, at stated intervals, his eighteen pounders. On the evening of that day, accordingly, the signal guns were fired, and their warn ing voice informed him, though many miles distant, that the contemplated danger was threatening the gal lant defenders of Fort Brown. These signal guns seemed to stimulate the enemy to stUl more active ex ertions to capture the fort, before they could caU Gene ral Taylor back to its aid. So satisfied were they that they were making dreadful havoc amongst the Ameri cans, and that Captain Hawkins, who had succeeded Major Brown in command, could not hold out, against their destructive - fire, that Arista summoned him to surrender, out of pure humanity. Captain Hawkins, however, was whoUy insensible to this magnanimous conduct, and informed him that, as his interpreter was not skiUed in Spanish, he might npt have understood his communication, but if he did, he should respectfully decUne to surrender the fort. This indifference to tho humane proposition, brought upon the fort a more hea-vy fire from the Mexican batteries than they ha4 122 THEIR FIRE RECOMMENCED. yet suffered. Shells and shot were literally showered into the fort. This storm of iron Captain Hawkins was unable t9 retui'n for want of powder, -vvhich ren dered the condition of his troops extremely irksome and mortifying. With the morning light of the 7th the enemy's bat teries recommenced, but after pouring into the fort a large number of shot and shell, they suddenly ceased. About half-past seven o'clock a large number of Mexi cans were discovered in and around the Fanques del Raminero, and the houses formerly occupied by the guards of the Second Brigade. Several rounds of can ister and grape were fired into them, which caused them to make a_precipitate retreat, after throwing a few sheU in return. The Mexicans had theretofore used shell made of bronze ; they now used iron, which they fired at intervals uutU noon. It was at this time dis covered that the mortar battery in the rear of the fort, had been removed to the city of Matamoras. About noon some sheUs were thrown, which kiUed four of Lieutenant Bragg's horses, and broke the wheel of one of his caissons. Soon after, all their batteries opened, - and kept up a steady firing, of roij^d shot and shell, which continued for nearly two hours. By one of these discharges the sentinel lost his arm, but the bomb proofs w^ere so far advanced that the men Were com paratively protected. Random shots were now fired from under the bank of the river, and the rear of the fort ; it 'was evidently the determination of the besiegers to give the fort no ijgst, and induce them to expend all their ammunition, having been informed by deserters that there was little in the fort. Orders had been given to return no fire more than eighty yards distant, and as the Mexicans never approached to within twice that A HAPPY OMEN. 129 distance, they elicited no reply. At half-past two a regular bombardment commenced from all the batte ries, howitzers, and mortars, which continued without intermission untU sunset. At dark, the indefatigable Captain Mansfield, with a smaU party, left the fort, and leveUed the -traverse thrown up by our troops when they first arrived on the banks of the river, and also cut down a large quan tity of chapparel that served at times to cover the " sharp shooters" of the enemy. ' Everything after this remained quiet until midnight. Each man was at his post, and anxiously awaiting the assault, when the stiUness was broken by volleys of musketry, and bu gles " sounding the charge." The firing then ceased, but in a short time recommenced, and continued until dayUght. At noon the bombardment was resumed, and kept up about two hours. Many of the soldiers began to show symptoms of being worn down with hard labor and watching ; nature was becoming exhausted, they grew indifferent about the exploding sheUs, and list lessly let them burst in dangerous proximity to their persons. The heavy bombardment had hardly ceased, when a severe cannonading was heard towards Point Isabel ; so sudden did it commence and so rapidly was it carried on, that it seemed like one contiaued voUey of field-pieces. The soldiers in the fort sprang as one man to their feet, and Ustened. The sounds of artillery continued to roU on the plain ; a simultaneous shout rose from the men in the fort, that must have sounded in Matamoras more terribly than our severest cannon ade, for it must have told the people there that those in the fort believed that General Taylor was on the advance from Point, Isabel. The enemy felt that shout, 124 TAYLOR LEAVES POINT ISABEL. for there immediately commenced a severer bombard ment than the fort had yet sustained; and a new, mor tar battery havii^g been opened across the river, west of the fort, made four playing upon it from different points at the same time. The enemy's cavalry and infantry were seen above and below the fort crossing the river in masses, supposed for the purpose of rein forcing the enemy. At seven o'clock the bombard ment ceased, the fprt having received through the day three hundred shot and/sheU, with comparatively Uttle injury. As soon as General Taylor was satisfied by the sig nal guns from Fort Brown, that it had been attacked and was in danger, he made prompt preparations for opening his communication between it and Point Isabel and for relieving its gallant defenders from their peril ous situation. Accordingly, on the evening Vjf the 7th of May, he left Point Isabel with a force of about twen ty-one hundred men, and a train of two hundred and fifty wagons, loaded with provisions and military stores, determined to give the enemy battle, however numer ous he might be. That night his army encamped about seven mUes from Point Isabel; and resumed his march early on the morning of the 8th. About twelve o'clock, his advanced guards reported that the Mexican forces were drawn up in large numbers to dispute his progress. Another report immediately foUowed, however, inform ing him that they, had withdrawn their advance, and were retreating towards Fort Brown. His wagon trains and troops were therefore again put in motion, and processed until the country opened into a broad prairie, bounded by Palo Alto, a thick grove of dwarfish trees.-- On both the light and left of the American army were ponds -of fresh water, and beyond them, chapparal. THE POSITION OF TIIE EUE,.H . 125 Upon this prairie the enemy were again drawn up, pre pared for battle. On the extreme right was drawn up a division of Mexican cavalry, with their long, sharp- pointed lances glittering in the sun, and their pennants gayly waving in the breeze. Next, were posted their^ artillery and their heavy bodies of infantry, the whole forming a solid column of over a mile in length, with artUlery, infantry and cavalry, alternately arranged, and presenting a most formidable appearance. General Taylor's train was immediately formed into a solid square, and his army rapidly advanced until the heads of his column reached the open prairie. While thus advancing. Lieutenant J. E. Blake, of the Topo graphical Engineers, passed at full speed the advance guard, saying " he was going down to observe the en emy's lines." He continued on, until within one hun dred and fifty yards of them, -when he dismounted, and drawing out his spyglass, commenced a reconnoissance, the boldness of which, called forth admiration from the thousands who witnessed it. While thus engaged, two Mexican officers, evidently under the impression that he had some important communication to make to their. communding general, rode out from the ranks to meet him ; Lieutenant Blake observing this, remounted his horse, and rode deliberately down the whole of the enemy's line ; then returning, he gave to General Tay lor, what was subsequently proved to be a correct ac count of the Mexican force, in both artillery, cavairy, and infantry. The space between the two armies was now gradu- aUy lessening, and soon the details could 4)e distin guished. The tall, rank grass of the prairie, deadened the heavy tramp of the cavalry, and the lumbering wheels of the artillery ; and the whole moved forward 126 THE BATTLE BEGUN. so sUently that the rattling of their trappings could be heard singularly plain. • A space of seven hundred yards only, intervened between the two armies, when the batteries on the right of the Mexican line opened, • throwing their baU and grape over the h^ads of the Americans, and announcing, in tones of thunder, that the contest had begun. In quick succession the whole of their artiUery, from extreme right to left, poured forth voUeys of ball, which made the earth tremble, and filled the air with clouds of dust and sulphurous smolie. The word was now given for the advancing columns to halt, and deploy into )ine. When this was done. Lieutenant Churchill's eighteen-pounders boomed above the sur rounding din, announcing, in fuU rolling echoes, that the Americans were "in tbe field." Major Ringgold's and Captain Duncan's ' commands were now ordered for ward into the open prairie, and commenced their rapid discharges. A genera! cannonading now raged, un paralleled, it is beUeved, in any fight .upon an open bat tle-field. Duncan;'s battery, from its consfricuousness and nearness to our line, had often the concentrated _ fire of the enemy upon it. For two hours t-wenty oi thirty pieces of artiUery rent the air with their thun ders ; the iron baU tearing up the prairie in deep fur rows, and sending the dry dust in clouds in the air. There was but little precision in the enemy's firing, The missiles almost invariably passed over the Ameri can lines. Far different was it with our own ; at every discharge, the sudd(Mi opening that followed in the solid masses, iparked the terrible course of -death where the Mexiga-a ipavalry bit the dust. The infantry, cool spec tators of the raging battle, marked with eagle eyes this havoc in the opposing ranks, and mingled their exult ing shouts -with the din, as they witnessed the prowess EFFECT OF OUR ARTILLERY. 127 of their companions in arms. The terrible eighteen- pounders rose ever above the tumult, and seemed as if keeping time in solemn sound, as at every discharge they sent their huge masses of crushing iron into the Uving wall at which they were directed. As the battle thickened, the infant]^, now formed in our rear, grew impatient to participate in the fight, and the IMexican cavalry, by suffering so severely by our artiUery, pre pared for the charge. The manoeuvring of the day now commenced — the time for cOol courage, quick thought, and deeds of individual heroism had arrived. A regiment of Mexican lancers, commanded by Gen, eral Torrejon, moved towards our right, as it was sup posed to gain possession of our train. The Third and Fifth regiments of infantry, with a portion of Ring gold's battery, under the command of Lieut. Ridgeley, were ordered to check this moveinent, and turn the left flank of the enemy. They, however, slill keeping up an irregular fire, continued steadUy to advance toward our right and front, so as to out-flank our line, if possi ble. Upon their near approach, the Fifth was thrown into square, with Captain Walker, and twenty mounted • men, on its right. Lieutenant Ridgeley having dashed forward, unlimbered his battery, and commenced rapid discharges of grape and canister upon the enemy's ar tiUery, causii^ it to retreat ; but the lancers, .fifteen hundred strong, continued steadUy to advance, in spite of all opposition, until the Fifth, poured into them from the head of the square, a fire so deadly, that the front of the cavalry recoiled ; great numbers fell dead, and^ those in the rear, without pressing forward on the bay onets, ready to receive them, broke into confusion. A portion, however, re-formed, and kept bravely on, in the attempt to reach the trains, when Coloned Twiggs 128 LIEUTENANT RIDGBLEy's GALLANTRY, ordered the Third infantry to the extreme right, to cut off their advance. When the enemy sa-w this -move ment, fiiey comnieriOC'd a retr.'..;! v^ good order, march ing apparently by squadrons, when Lieutenant Ridge ley, assisted by -Lieutenant French, opened his batte ries, scattering them in aU directions. WhUe Lieutenant Ridgeley was engaged in directing this fire, his horse was shot from under him, and the same ball probably that caused the death of his steed, 5l«Tmed the horses at one of-his caissons, which sprang madly iorward in range of the gun. Lieutenant Ridgeley, regardless of personal danger, mshed forward between the two contending fires, seized the front hoii§|e by the head, and brought them into their places ; thus saving not only his horses, but the ammunition of his battery. During this time, Major Ringgold's bat; tery was not idle ; but, supported by the Fourth infan try, kept up a galling and continuous fire. Qn the left', and in the advance, was Duncan's battery, which, sup ported by the Eighth infantry and Captain Ker's squad' ron of dragoons, poured forth a terrible discharge. The dragoons, who, from their elevated position couW witness its effects, say that horses and riders were fre quently blown into the air, and long openings were often visible that it made in the columns against which it was directed ; notwithstanding this, the enemy's line remained unshaken. So rapid were these discharge's, that the wiry grass of the prairie, that reached nearly up to the muzzle of the pieces, dried before the sheeted flame, and burst into a blaze ; the sulphurous smoke of the exploded cannon and the musket cartridges had al ready "clouded the air, as if to veil the horrors of war from the clear blue sky above ; but, when this confla gration took place, the very heavens were at times '-'"? FIRMNESS OF THE MEXICANS. 131 darkened, and hije masses of smoke rolled across the plain, complete'l^bscuring our lines from the enem^-'s view. ¦* After the battle had raged two hours, the Mexican batteries began to slacken, and finally ceased altogether. They were unable Jonger to withstand the terrible and destructive fire of Ringgold's, Churchill's, Duncan's and Ridgeley's guns, and began to fall back for the purpose of forming a new Une of battle under cover of the smoke, (^r eighteen pounders were then moved forward untU they occupied the position where the Mexican cavalry were posted at the beginning of the battle. The Americans also formed a new line, their right wing resting on these eighteen-pounders. The two armies were now fornjed in parallel Unes, but the Mexicans were better protected than in their first posi tion, by the chapparal in their rear. Scarcely an hour elapsed before the action was re sumed. It was commenced by our ai'tiUery, which was evidently more destructive than ever. Biit the Mexicans withstood the shock with great firmness. Soon after the action *vas renewed. Captain May was ordered to attack their left. He cheerfully obeyed the order, but he was unable to make much impression on the cavalry with his small force, and accordingly re sumed his former position without again having an op portunity to share in the engagement. It was now nearly night, and the Mexicans resolved to make one last effort to shake the firmness of the American lines, and to silence the deadly fire of the eighteen pounders and Ringgold's battery. Accordingly, they poured in upon them almost a literal tempest of baUs. Captain Page fell, mortally wounded, a cannon ball having car ried away the whole of his lower jaw, and the brave 132 DEATH OF MAJOR RINGGOLD. , Major Ringgold had, both legs nfl^Jy shot away by a ball which jassed- entirely thi-ough his horse. San guine' expectations of his recovery were for a time en tertained. But they were not to be realized, and on the evening of the 11th he died at Point Isabel, mourned by the army as a loss to the service and the country, not easily to be repaired. The artillery battalion under Colonel ChUds was now brought up to support the artillery on the right, when a .fierce chaYge was made upon this part of the line by a strong body of Mexican cavalry, which con tinued to advance in spite of a destructive fire from our artiUery. The battalion was formed into a hoUow square, and calmly awaited the attack; but a severe discharge of canister from the eighteen-pounders threw them into confusion, and finally dispersed them. A heavy fire of musketry was in the meantime opened upon the square, wounding Lieutenant Luther slightly, and killing and- severely wounding several soldiers. Colonel Childs, however, poured in upon them a well- directed discharge from his guns, which effectually si lenced the enemy's left. But another effort was made by Arista to turn our flank, and get possession of our stores in the rear. This movement was fortunately discovered by Captain Duncan, and he was imme diately ordered to hold the .enemy -in check untU the eighth infantry could come to his assistance. This he accomplished in most gallant style, opening upon them a deadly fire before they were aware of his vicinity. Every discharge was fearfully destructive, mowing down whole ranks of the enemy. They could not long Stand under this murderous fire, though they continued to advance with great firmness for a time. They were driven back in confusion, but immediately reformed THE KILLED AND WOUNDED. 133 and again moved |pward, and were again driven back in hopeless disorder, and commenced a precipitatp re treat, throwing aU into confusion who had yet stood firm. Thus they were driven from the field and com pelled to take shelter in the chapparal. Night now put ap end to the contest. Thus ended the battle of Palo Alto, after the action had continued for nearly five hours with almost uninterrupted fury. -When it was ended, our soldiers sunk down wherever they chanced to be, wholly exhausted" by the exertions and excite ment of the day, and feU asleep with nothing but the sky above them and the earth beneath. The dragoons, however, kept watch all night, fearing an attempt would be made to surprise them by the enemy. Too much uacertainty .hung over the future to allow the officers .any repose. All felt that the morrow would bring forth another day of battle, and excitement, and carnage, and that the Mexicans would make another mighty effort to crown it with victory to their arms. They held a councU of war, however, and after calmly considering the events of the day they had just passed, and the probabUities of the approaching contest, they unanimously resolved to move on early the next morn ing and give the enemy battle again, if they should be found on this side of the Rio Grande. The force under General Taylor in this hard fought battle, but Uttle exceeded two thousand men ; while the Mexican army was, at least, six thousand strong, or about three to one against, the Americans. ,Our loss in the engagement, was fow men killed, and three officers, and thirty-seven wounded— Several of the lat ter mortally. -The loss of the Mexicans -ysas two hun dred killed and about four hundrq^H^gfeded, besides the missipg and desertions. It is beheved, however, 134 Taylor's official account. that their loss in kiUed, wounded, and missing, was but little short of one thousand men. " Our march," says General Taylor, in his official dis patch, "was resumed the following morning. About nopn, when our advance of cavalry had reached the water-hole of 'Palo Alto,' the Mexican troops were reported in our front, and were soon discovered occu pying the road in force. I ordered a halt upon reach ing the water, with a view to rest and refresh the men, and to form deliberately our line of battle. The Mex ican line was now plainly visible across the prairie, and about three quarters of a mile distant. .Their left, which was composed of a heavy force of cavjilry, oc cupied the road, resting upon a thicket of chapparal, whUe masses of infantry were discovered in succession on the right, greatly outnumbering our own force. " Our line of -battle was now formed in the foUowing order, commencing on the extreme mght : — 5th in fantry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Mcintosh ; Major Ringgold's artillery; 3rd infantry, commanded by Captain L. N. Morris ; two eighteen-pounders, com manded by Lieutenant ChurchUl, 3rd artillery ; 4th in fantry, commanded by Major' G. W. Allen ; the 3rd and 4th regiments composed the Third brigade, under com mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Garland ; and all the above corps, together with two squadrons of dragoons under Captains Ker and May, composed the right wing, un der the orders of Col. Twiggs. The left was formed by t^e battalion of artiUery commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Childs, Captain Duncan's Ught artUlery, and the 8th infantry, under Captain Montgomery — all form mg the First brigade, under command ^f Lieutenant- Colonel Belknap. The train was parked near the wa- TAYLOR 3 OFFICIAL ACCOUNT. 135 ter, under direction of Captains Cros.^iunn and Myers, and protected by Captain Ker's squadron. "At two o'clock we took up the march by heads of columns, in the direction of the enemy — the eighteen pounder battery following the road. While the columns were advancing, Lieutenant Blake, topographical engi neer, volunteered a reconnoissance of the enemy's line, which was handsomely performed, and resulted in the discovery of at least two batteries of artillery in the intervals of their caveilry and infantry. These batteries were soon opened upon usj when I ordered the columns halted and deployed into line, and the fire to be re turned by all our artillery. The 8th infantry, on our extreme left, was thrown back to secure that flank. The first fires of i.' .e enemy did Uttle execution, while our eighteen-pounders and Major Ringgold's artillery soon dispersed the cavalry which formed his left. Cap tain Duncan's Battery, thrown forward in advance of the line, was doing good execution at this time. Cap tain May's squadron was now detached to suppoft that battery, and the left of our position. The Mexi-" can cavalry, with two pieces of artUlery, were now re ported to be moving through the chapparal to our right, to threaten that flank, or make a demonstration against the train. The 5th infantry was immediately detached to cheek this movement, and supported by Lieutenant Ridgeley, with a section of Major Ringgold's battery and Captain Walker's company of volunteers, effectu ally repulsed the tnemy— the 5th infantry repelUng a charge of lancers, and the artilKry, doing great execu tion in theii; ranks. The 3rd infantry was now de tached to the right as a stUl further security to that flank, yet threatened by the enemy. Major Riiagg«j||» vjdth the remaining section, kept up his fire frof&fc ah 10 - ¦ 136 Taylor's official account. advanced position, and was supported by the 4th in fantry. " The grass of the prairie had been accidentally fired by our artillery, and the volumes of smoke now par tially concealed the armies from each other. As the enemy's left had evidently been driven back and Jeft the road free, the cannonade having been suspended, I ordered forward the eighteen-pounders on the road nearly to the position first occupied by the Mexican cavalry, and caused the First brigade to take up a new position still on the left of the eighteen-pounder battery. The 5th was advanced from its former position and occupied a point on the extreme right of the new line. The enemy, made a change of position corresponding to our own, and after a suspension A nearly an hour the action was resumed. " The fire of artiUery was now most destructive — openings were constantly made through the enemy's ranks by our fire, and the constancy with which the ]\liexican infantry sustained this severe cannonade was a theme of universal remark and admiration. Captain May's squadron was detached to make a demonstration on the left of the enemy's position, and suffered severely from the fire of artillery to which it was for some time exposed. The 4th infantry, which had been ordered to support the eighteen-pounder battery, was exposed to a most galUng fire of artillery, by which several men were killed and Captain Page dangerously wounded. The enemy's fire was directed against our eighteen- pounder battery, and Ihe guns under Major Ringgold in its vicinity. The Major himself, whUe coolly direct ing the fire of his pieces, was struck by a cannon baU ..and mortaUy wounded. ' ' "In the- meantime the battalion of artUlery under TAYLOR S OFFICIAL ACCOUNT; 137 Lieutenant-Colonel Childs, had been brought up to sup port the artillery on our right. A strong demonstration of cavalry was now made by the enemy against this part of our line, and the column continued to advance under a severe fire from the eighteen-pounders. The J)attalion was instantly formed in square, and held ready to receive the charge of cavalry, but when the advan cing squadrons were within close range, a deadly fire of canister from the eighteen-pounders dispersed them. A brisk fire of small-arms was now opened upon the square, by which one officer. Lieutenant Luther, 2nd artUlery, was sUghtly wounded, but a well-directed vol ley from the front of the square sUenced all further firing from the enemy in this quarter. It was now nearly dark, and the action was closed on the right of our line, the enemy having been completely driven back from his position, and foUed in every attempt against our Une. " WhUe the above vvas going forward on our right, and under my own eye, the enemy had made a serious attempt against the left of our line. Captain Duncan instantly perceived the movement, and by the bold and brUUant manoeuvring of his battery, completely, re pulsed several successive efforts of the enemy to ad vance in force upon our left flank. Supported in suc cession by the 8th infantry and Captain Ker's squad ron of dragoons, he gaUantly held the enemy at bay, and finally drove him, with immense loss, from the field. The action here and along the whole line, continued until dark, when the enemy retired into the chapparal in rear of his position. Our army bivouacked on the ground it occupied. During the afternoon the' train had been moved forward about half a mile, and was parked in rear of the new position." General Arista, in his official report of the battie, ex. 138 MEXICAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT. ercises the usual ingenuity of Mexican generals, in turning a disastrous defeat into a brUliant and decisive victory. The tone of his dispatch affords a remarka ble contrastjo the modest and unassuming account of the same battle by General Taylor. In his dispatch the Mexican commander says : " Constant in my pur pose of preventing General Taylor from uniting the forces which he brought from the. Fronton of Sante Isabel, with those which he left fortified opposite Mat amoras, I moved this day from the Fanques del Rami nero. whence I dispatched my last extraordinary cou rier, and took the direction of Palo Alto, as soon as my spies informed pie that the enemy had left Fronton, with the determination of introducing into his fort wagons loaded with provisions and heavy artillery. " I arrived opposite Palo Alto about one o'clock, and observed that the enemy was entering that position. " With aU my forces, I established the line of battle in a great plain, my right resting upon an elevation, arid my left on a slough of difficult passage. " Scarcely was the first cannon fired, when there ar rived General D. Pedro de Ampudia, second in com mand, whom I had ordered to join me after having covered the points which might serve to besiege the enemy in the forts opposite Matamoras. , "The forces under my orders amounted to three thousand men, and twelve pieces of artUlery- those of the invaders were three thousand, rather less than more, and were superior in- artiUery, since they had twenty pieces of the - calibre of sixteen and eighteen pounds. " The battle commenced so ardently, that the fire of caiinon did not cease a single moment. In the course of it, the enemy wished to follow the 'road to Matamo- MEXICAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT 130 ras, to raise the siege of his troops ; wdth which object he fired the grass, and formed in front of his Une of battle a smokp so thick, that he succeeded in covering himself from oUr view, but by means of manoeuvres this was twice embarrassed. " General Taylor maintained his attack rather de fensively than oflfensively, employing his best arm, which is artUlery, protected by half of the infantry, and aU of his cavalry, — ^keeping the remainder fortified in the ravine, about two thousand yards from the field of battle. " I was anxious for the charge, because the fire of cannon did much damage in our ranks, and I instructed General D. Anastasio Torrejon to execute it with the greater part of the cavalry, by our left flank, with some columns of infantry, and the remainder of the cavalry. " I was waiting the moment when that general should execute the charge, and the effect of it should begin to be seen, in order to give the impulse on the right ; but he was checked by a fire of the enemy, which defended a slough that embarrassed the attack. " Some battalions, becoming impatient by the loss they suffered, fell into disorder, demanding to ad vance or fall back. I immediately caused them- to charge with a column of cavalry, under the command of Colonel D. Cayetano Montero ; the result of this operation being that the dispersed corps repaired their fault as far as possible, marching towards the enemy, •who, in consequence of his distance, was enabled to faU back upon his reserve, and" night coming on, the bat tle was concluded, — the field remaining for our arms. " Every suitable measure was then adopted, and the division took up a more concentrated curve in the same scene of action. 140 MEXICAN OFFICIAL ACCOlTVT. " The combat was long and bloody, which may be estimated from the calculations made by the com mandant general of artillery, General D. Thomas Re- quena, who assures' me that the enemy threw about three thousand cannon shots from two in the afternoon, when the battle commenced, untU seven at night, when rit terminated, — six hundred and fifty being fired on our side. " The national arms shone forth, since they did not yield a hand's breadth of ground, notwithstanding the' superiority- in artiUery of the enemy, who suffered much damage. " Our troops have to lament the loss of two hundred and fiftys-two men dispersed, wounded and killed, — the last worthy of national recollection qjid gratitude for the intrepidity with which they died fighting for the most sacred of causes. " Will your excellency please with his note to report to his exceUency the President, representing to him that I -wiU take care to give a circumstantial account of this deed of arms ; and recommending to him the good conduct of all the generals, chiefs, officers, and soldiers under my orders, for sustaining so bloody a combat, which does honor to our arms, and exhibits their diacipUne." CHAPTER V. Resaca de la Palma. — The Battle Commenced. — Character of the Mex ican Troops.— May's Charge. — Captm-e of La Vega. — The Americana Victorious. — Lieutenant Lincoln's Heroic Conduct. — Incidents of the Engagement. — A Brave Corporal. — Colonel Mcintosh. — Mexican con fidence of Victory.— Taylor's Official Account. — ParticulMS of May's Charge. — Notice of the Battle. Early on the morning of the 9th the enemy com menced their retreat from Palo Alto, towards Fort Brown, the cavalry being the last to leave the ground. They continued to fall back upon that post untU they advanced several miles, to Resaca de la Palma, a po sition naturally very strong. At this point they had throvra up intrenchments and erected three batteries, so as completely to command the approach to Fort Brown. The road at the place where they had planted their batteries, crosses at right angles a ravine, which is about four rods wide, and four or five feet deep. The lowest part of it is usuaUy fiUed with water, and m a wet season it forms a stagnant pond, which unites across the ridge forming the road, over which the Ame rican army had to pass. On the side of the ravine occupied by the Mexicans is a dense growth of chappa ral. The enemy was formed in double line, one in the ravine, under the front bank, and the other behind the waU of chapparal. They were seven thousand strong, having been reinforced during the night, and strongly fortified, and skilfully posted. The narrow ridge of 142 GENERAL TAYLOr's LINE OF BATTLE. road through the ravine, already referred to, which formed the only unobstructed approach to them, was perfectly commanded by their batteries. Soon after the enemy had withdrawn. General Tay lor formed his army in Une of battle and commenced his march. He moved on until he reached the edge of the chapparal, where he halted, -and ordered several companies to advance and reconnoitre the enemy and ascertain their position. WhUe they were in the per- formaiiMS of this duty, Lieutenant J. E. Blake, who had been on duty the whole, of the night previous, and was therefore nearly exhausted, dismounted for the purpose of obtaining a few moments rest. He un buckled his holsters and threw them on the ground, when^ from some cause, one of the pistols exploded, the ball entering his body, and producing almost immediate death. Captain ^cCaU, who had command of the recon- noitering forces, moved on until he reached Resaca de la Palma, when he was suddenly fired upon by one of the Mexican masked batteries, kiUing one of his men and wounding three others. General Taylor, upon receiving a message acquainting him with the facts, immediately ordered Lieutenant Ridgeley, with his battery, and the Third, Fourth, and Fifth infantry to engage the enemy's infantry. Captain Smith was_ ordered to the right and Captayi McCaU to' the left, 'with instrueflons to bring on the engagement. Lieu tenant Ridgeley immediately advanced, and when he had discovered tlje position of the enemy's batteries, he charged upon them at fuU speed, quickly foUowed by the Fifth regiment and a portion of the Fourth, the Third and remainder of the Fourth advancing towards the ravine on the enemy's left. In the meantune Cap- CHARACTER OF THE MEXICAN TROOPS. 143 tain McCaU had gallantly attacked their right. The Eighth regiment was also now ordered to enter the engagement, which they did in gallant style, at double quick time. At the same time Lieutenant Ridgeley was hotly pressed by the enemy, but he poured in upon them such an overwhelming shower of grape and can ister, that they could make no impression upon him. But for the fact of the enemy's shots going nearly all above the heads of his men, they would have been literally cut to pieces. He was" supported bythe Fifth regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Mcintosh ; the Third regiment, under the command of Captain L. N. , Morris, and the Fourth, under Major Allen, scattered by the dense chapparal, were obliged to form in the ravine. The Eighth, under the command of Captain W. R. Montgomery, with Smith's Light and o,ther corps, faced to the right. Duncan's battery was at the edge of the ravine, but he could not use it, as the only poaition from which the enemy conld be engaged, without galling our troops, was in possession of Ridgeley. The enemy fought with great valor and almost des peration. They were the best troops in Mexico ; all veterans of many a bard contested field ; arid they ¦ seemed to have resolved Upon victory or dea,th. The contest in the ravine, therefore, was long and bloody. The Mexicans contested every inch of ground, 'with a bravery and determina tion that only the vaJjpr of Ame rican soldiers could have overcome. But the deadly discharge of artillery and musketry, and the repeated charge of our troops, was too much for flesh and blood long to endure,, and they now began to waver, and at fast to give way. They were finally driven from the ravine, and our troops occupied the position in it held by them at the beginning of the action. The infantry 144 DRIVEN FROM THE RAVINE. had captured one of their guns, and they frequently attempted to charge across the ravine, in the mean- whUe keeping up upon our front ranks a murderous fire of artillery. But it was of no avaU against the discipline and firmness of our gaUant troops. They were equally resolved on victory, and had never con templated any other result of the contest. The enemy still retaining their strongest positions, General Taylor saw that they must be dislodged, and the batteries taken. He therefore gave orders to Cap tain May to take them at all events. May replied, " I will do it, sir," and immediately placing himself at the head of his dragoons, said, "men, follow me!" and dashed forward with lightning speed, his command rapidly upon his heefe. As he was rushing on, he was stopped by the brave Ridgeley, who said to him, "wait, Charley, untU I draw their fire," and at the same instapt discharged- his batteries upon the enemy. The discharge of their guns was almost simultaneously with Ridgeley's. By this great presence of mind, and noble-hearted magnanimity, he saved May from a fire that must have made dreadful slaughter amongst bis men, and drew the fire upon himself. There are but few" instances of equal bravery and magnanimity on record. The instant Ridgeley had thus drawn upon himself the fire of the Mexican battery, May again dashed on in advance of his command, in spite of a most d^tructive fire, and cleared the enemy's works at a bound, cutting down the guhners at their pieces. He was gaUantly supported by his men, and the Mexi cans were driven from their guns by their furious charge. They immediately raUied, however, and again got possession of them. May's command having scat tered amongst the enemy. But he collected several of MAY S CHARGE. 145 theifl," and again charged thef enemy. In this charge he captured General La Vega, whUe bravely fighting at the guns. He immediately surrendered to Captain May, and was carried to our lines in charge of Lieu tenant Stevens. But though the battery had been sUenced for the time, it was not captured. The enemy re-irianned their guns, and were preparing to pour their deadly fire again into our ranks. But the Fifth regiment, which had foUowed closely upon the heels of the dra goons, now approached the battery, and charged the enemy up to the very cannon's mouth, the enemy and our soldiers contending hand to hand for the posses sion of the works. The struggle was a fierce and bloody one, but the enemy were cut down at their guns, or compeUed to fly, and the battery was left in possession of the Americans. The enemy having thus been driven from their bat teries, the Eighth regiment under Captain Montgomery, and the Fifth under Lieutenant-Colonel Mcintosh, charged the Mexicans up the ravine, amidst a destruc tive fire from their right and front. Though vastly superior in numbers, the enemy were compelled to re treat after great slaughter, and were ultimately driven from the field. The battle was now nearly ended, and the victory won. In every part of the field where the contending parties met, the enemy were defeated. Whether they were only equal in numbers to the Americans, or four to one, made no difference — the re sult was the same. On aU sides they were eompeUed to give way before the superior discipline, courage, and physical strength of our troops. The further detaUs of the action are supplied from " Our Army on the Rio Grande," the most minute and 146 LIEUTENANT LINCOLn's HEROISM. interesting account of -General Taylors's opeMions from the time he entered Texas to the capture of Mat amoras, that has been published. Duririg the progress of the action. Lieutenant Lincoln, of the Eighth regi ment, made a charge on a body of Mexicans lodged in a thicket of chapparal, who were pouring a destructive fire upbn his regiment as it advanced up the road. In the midst of the conflict, he_ saw Lieutenant Jordan, (who haid personally charged, the enemy,) wounded upon the ground, with a Mexican over him, in the act of running a bayonet through his body ; Lincoln sprang forward, and the Mexican faltering, in alarm, ran his bayonet through the arm, instead of the breast of Jor dan. At the same instant, Lincoln cleft. his skuU. This gaUant officer, with his sergeant, engaged in a conffict with others of the enemy, causing them to re treat, after having slain three of them with their o'wn hands. Lieutenant Chadbourne, also of the Eighth, after distinguishing himself for his bravery, in one of these skirmishes feU mortally wounded, at the head of his command. The third regiment, under the command of Captain L. N. Morris, and the Fourth, under Major Allen, were conspicuous for the spirit with which they en tered the contest. These two corps gallantly rivalled each other in sharing the briUiant events of the day. They fearlessly charged through the densest chappa ral ; and whUe Captain Morris, and the other officers of the Third, were overcoming what appeared to be insurmountable difficulties; to meet the enemy, the Fourth came into the ravine, opposite an infrenchment supported by a piece of artillery, tl\^t poured a most galling fire into our ranks. Captain Buchanan, being senior officer nearest the point, collected some twenty- INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE. 147 five Or thirty men, and with Lieutenant Hays and Woods charged across the lagoon, knee and waist deep in water, and after a close-quarter conflict, 'routed t] and requested of him a party to support himj whUe he crossed the lagoon, and forced tbe eneHiy from their strong position. In the hurry of the moBEsent Lieutenant Duncan did not per ceive that Colonel Mcintosh was wounded. The Col onel turned to Lieutenant Duncan, presenting a most terrible si^t. The blood from some of his numerous wounds had clotted on his face, and he answered with difficulty, " I -wiU give you the support you *need." Lieutenant Duncan perceiving his situation, asked, with some emotion, " if he couid be of any service to hun?" Colonel- Melntosb replied: "Yes!' give me some water, and show me my regiment." v* Lieutenants Woods and Hays, with a portion of the Fourth, pressed on, and came up with Leutenants Cochrane and Augur, with a few men of every regi ment, when, to their sur^se, they found ttemselves in the head-quarters of General Arista. After taking pos session of it, the party stiU kept up the road, untU re connoitred by e Mexican officer, who was seen riding very close. He was saluted with a discharge of mus- A BRAVE MEXICAN. 149 fcetry, but he escaped unharmed. Again he was seen moving towards our party, and again he was fired upon, and again escaped. Undauntedly he moved on, hel ^ his ground, and received a volley of musketry, and most singularly hfe remained upon his horse, and rode off. A moment only elapsed, when he returned with a squadron of lancers, chaiging like a whirlwind ; our sol diers delivered thfiir fire steadily, bringing one cr two +0 the ground, and then TeU back into the chapparal. Lieu tenant Cochrane remained in the open space, and re ceived the whole charge ; he nobly defended himsi If ¦ with his sword, but was crusTied down, falling deaJ with seven lance wounds in his bi-east AU order of battle was now lost, yet the enemy, driven from their intrenchments, and without artillery, and with their camp in our possession, still chivalrously, but unsuccessfuUy, disputed the onward march of our troops. The last Mexican flag that waved over the field had 'struck, thetri-color of the Tampico veterans, that had so gaUantly shown itself on the Palo Alto, where it was torn by our artiUery, and had been defended on th'^ Resaca de la Palma, untU the regiment to which it had belonged was literally destroyed, was torn from its staff by the gaUant spirit that bore it ; concealing it about his peillon, when all hope was lost, he attempted to flee to his countrymen on the east of the Rio Grande. The poor standard-bearer, however, did not escape ; rode down by our dragoons, he, with others, was taken pris oner, and the flag of the Battalion Tampico, hangs a trophy in our national capitol. Both Duncan's and Ridgeley's batteries were open^-..^ on the retreating enemy, driving them from their last holds, and completelv routing those who stiU lingered. 150 MEXICAN CONFIDENCE OF VICTORY. Cavalry ana infantry wiere seen in confused masses, flying in every direction ; many rushing towards the Rio Grande. The camp of Arista told the perfect confidence he had in the strength of his arms. It was evide:it that not the least preparation had been made for a defeat — no such thought had ever been indulged in. Arista brought with him into the field an unnecessary amount of baggage. His head-quarters were just being ar ranged ; his splendid marquee, his trunks, and private property were together, surrounded by pompously -ar ranged walls, comprising the military wealth of the army. There were stands of small-arms, ammunition boxes, hundreds and thousands of musket ball cartridges, and nearly five hundred splendid pack-saddles ; in short, almost an eastern prodigality of military equipage. In the camp of the army Were found the preparations for a great festival, no doubt to follow the expected vic tory. The camp-kettles were simmering over the fires, filled with savory viands, from which our troops made a plentiful evening meal. In the road were car casses of half-skinned oxen. The hangers-on of the camp, whUe the battle was. raging, were busy in their feast-preparing work, unconscious of danger, when, on an instant, a sudden panic must have seized them, and they fled, leaving their half-completed labors to-ll con summated by our own troops. Never, probably, in the history of war, had- a more perfect consternation seized upon a defeated army, and seldom has one left such singularly eloquent memorials of the fact, as did the Mexicans at Resaca de la Palma. The detailed report of this briUiant action, so glori ous to the American arms, and reflecting so much honor upon our gaUant army, is given below. Howevei Taylor's official account. 151 minutely and correctly it may nave been described, the account would be imperfect without the report of the conimanding officer. General Taylor seems to be everywhere and to see everything, and is therefore bet ter prepared to give perfectly aU the particulars of the engagement. He does it in this instance, as in all oth ers, with that rare combination ©f modesty and good sense, and it is marked by the same beauty and ele gance of style, and clearness and perspicuity of expres sion, that have distinguished aU his dispatches : " Early on the morning of the 9th instant,' the enemy who had encamped near the field of battle of the day previous, was discovered moving by his left flank, evi dently in retreat; and perhaps at the' same time to gain a new position on the road to Matamoras, and there again resist our advance. " I ordered the supply train to be strongly parked at its position, and left with it four pieces of artillery — the two eighteen-pounders which had done such good ser vice on the previous day — and two twelve-pounders which had not been in the action. The wounded offi cers and rilen were at the same time sent back to Point Isabel. I then moved forward with the columns to the edge of the chapparal or forest, which extends to the Rio Grande, a distance of seven mUes. The light com panies of the first brigade, under Captiain C. F. Smith, 2d artUlery, and a select detachment of light troops, the whole under the the command of Captain McCall, 4th infantry, were thrown forward into the chapparal, to feel the enemy and ascertain his position. About three o'clock, I re'ceived a report from the advance, that the enemy was in position on the road, with at least two pieces of artiUery. The command was immediately put in motion, and at about four o'clock I came up 152 CAPTURE OP LA VEGA. 'wiMi Captain McCall, viiio reported the enemy in force in our front, occupying a ravine which intersects the road and is skirted Ijy thickets of dense chapparal. Ridgeley's battery and the advance under Captain Mc Call were at once thrown forward on the road, and into the chapparal on either side, while the 5th infantry and one wing of the 4th 'were thrown into the forest on the left, and the 3d and ,the other wing 'of the 4th, on the right of the road. These corps were employed as skir mishers to cover the battery and engage the Mexican infantry. ' Captain McCall's command becarne at once engaged with the enemy, Avhile the light artillery, though in a very exposed position, did great execution. The enemy had at least eight pieces of artiUery, and main tained an incessant fire upon our advance. , " The action now became general, and although the enemy's infantry gave way before the steady fire and resistless progress of our own, yet his artUlery was stUl in position to check our advance — several pieces occu pying the pass across the ravine, which he had chosen for his position. Perceiving that no decisive advan tage could be gained untU this artillpry was silenced, I ordered Qaptain May to charge the batteries with his squadron of dragoons. This was gallantly and effectu ally executed : the enemy was driven from his guns, and Gen. La Vega, who remained alone at one of the batteries, was taken prisoner. The -squadron, which suffered mUch in this charge, not being immediately supported by infantry, could hot retain possession of the artiUery taken, but it was completely silenced. In the meantime, the Eighth infantry had been ordered up, and had become warmly engaged on the right of the road. This regiment and a part of the Fi|"th, were now ordered to charge the batteries, which was handsomely ¦ 1 .'lit---. '*^-- * ' ¦; ./ ;V THE ENEMY RETREAT. 155 dene, and the enemy driven from his artillery, and hfs posi^adn on the left ofthe road. "The light companies of the First brigade, and the Third and Fourth regiments qf infantry, had been de ployed on the right of the road, wheje, at various points, they became briskly engaged with the enemy. A small party under Captain Buchanan and Lieutenants Wood and Hays, Fourth infantry, composed chiefly of men of that regiment, drove the enemy from a breastwork which he occupied, and captured a piece of artiUery. An attempt to recover this piece was repelled by Cap tain Barbour, Third infantry. The enemy was at last completely driven from his position on the right of the road, and retreated precipitately, leaving baggage of every description. The Fourth infantry took posses- siori of a camp where the headquarters of the Mexican general-in-chief were established. All his official cor respondence was captured at this place. " The artiUery battalion (excepting the flank compa nies) had been ordered to guard the baggage train, which was pai-ked som% distance in rear. The bat talion was now ordered up to pursue the enemy, and with the Third infantry. Captain Ker's dragons, and Captain Duncan's batteryjpRlowed him rapidly to the river, making a number of prisoners. Great numbers of the enemy werQ droWned in attempting to cross the river near the town* The corps last mentioned en camped near the river ; the remainder of flie army on the field of battle. " The strength of our marching lorce on this day, as exhibited in the annexed field report, was one hundred and seventy-three officers, and two thousand and forty- nine men — aggregate, two thousand two hundred and twenty- two. The actual number engaged with -the 156 AMERICAN LOSS. enemy did not exceed one thousand and seven hundred. Our loss was three officers^ kUled and twelve wounded ; thirty-six men killed and seventy-one wounded. Among the officers kiUedf I have,to regret the loss of Lieuten ant Inge, second dragoons, who feU at the head of hia platoon, whilcgaUantly charging the enemy's battery ; of Lieutenant L)ochrane, of the Fourth, and Lieutenant Chadbourne, of the Eighth infantry, who likewise met' their death in the thickest of the fight. The officers wounded were Lieutenant-Colonel Payne, inspector general ; Lieutenant Dobbins, Third infantry, serving with the light infantry advance, slightly ; Lieutenant- Colonel Mcintosh, Fifth infantry, severely (twice) ; Captain Hooe, Fifth infantry, severely (right arm since amputated) ; Lieutenant Fowler, Fifth infantry, slightly; Captain Montgomery, Eighth infantry, slightly ; Lieu- teliants Gates and Jordan, Eighth infantry, severely (each twice) ; Lieutenants Selden, Maclay, Burbank, and Morris, Eighth infantry, slightly. A statement of the kiUed and wounded is annexed herewith. "I have no accurate data |rom which to- estimate the enemy's force on this day. He is known to have been reinforced after the gction of the 8th, both by cavalry and infantry, and no doubt to an extent at least equal to his loss on that day. It is probable that six thousand men were opposed to us, and in a positic-.i chosen by themselves, and strong defended with ar tillery. The enemy's loss was very great. Kt uly .two hundred of his dead were buried by us on the day suc ceeding the battle. His loss in kUled, -wounded, and missing, in the two affairs of the 8th and 9th, is, I think, moderately estimated at one thousand men. " Our vjctory has been decisive. A smaU force has overcome immense odds of the best troops that Mexico THE CAUSES OF OUR SUCCESS. 157 can furnish — veteran regiments perfectly equipped and appointed. Eight pjeces of artillery, several colors and standards, a great number of prisoners, including four teen officers, and a large amount of baggage and public property have fallen into our hands. . "The causes of victory are doubtless t^be found in the superior quality of our officers and men. I have already, in former reports, paid a general tribute to the admirable conduct of the troops on both days. It now becomes my duty — and I feel it to be one of great deli cacy — to notice individuals. In so extensive a field as that of the 8th, and in the dense cover where most of the action of the 9th was fought, I could not possibly be witness to more than a small portion of the opera tions of the various corps ; and I must, therefore, de pend upon the reports of subordinate commanders, which I respectfuUy inclose herewith. # " Colonel Twiggs, the second in command, was par ticularly active on both days in executing my orders, and directing the operations of the right wing. Lieu tenant-Colonel Mclntoshv commanding the Fifth in- f^try, Lieutenant-Colonel Garland, commai ; x-^ the Third brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Belknap, comimand- ing the First brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel ChUds, com manding the artiUery battalion. Major Allen, Captains L. N. Morris and Montgomery, commanding respec tively the Fourth, Third, and Eighth regiments of in fantry, were zealous in the performance of their duties ; and gave examples to their commands of cool and fear less conduct. Lieutenant-Colonel Mcintosh repulsed ¦with his regiment a charge of lancers in the action of Palo Alto, and shared with it in the honors and dangers of the foUowing day, being twice severely wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Belknap headed a charge of the 158 INSTANCES OF INDIVIDUAL GALLANTRY. Eighth infantry, which resulted in driving the enemy from hisgun^and leavmg us in possession of that part of the field. :% " Captain Duncan aftd Lieutenant Ridgeley deserve especial notice for the gaUant and efficient manner in which they,|manoeuvred and served their batteries. The impression made by Captain Duncan's battery upon the extreme right of the enemy's line, at the affair of Palo Alto, contributed largely to the result of the day ; while the terrible fire kept up by Lieutenant Ridgeley, in the affair of the 9th, inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy. The eighteen-pounder battery, which played a conspicuous part in the action of the 8th, was admirably served by Lieutenant ChurchUl, Third artil lery, assisted by Lieutenant Wood, topographical en gineers. The charge of cavalry on the enemy's Hatteries on the 9th, was gallantly led by Captain May and had complete success. " Captain McCaU, Fourth infantry, rendered distin guished service with the advanced corps under his orders. Its loss, in kiUed and wounded, wUl show how closely it was engaged. I may take this occasion to say that, in two former instances. Captain McCaU has rendered valuable service as a partisan officer. In this connection, I would mention the services of Captain Walker, of the Texan Rangers, who was in both affairs -with his company, and who has performed very meri torious service as a spy and partisan. " I must beg leave to refer to the reports of subor dinate commanders for the names of many officers, non-commissioned officers and privates, who were dis tinguished for good conduct on both days. Instances of individual gaUantry and personal conflict with the enemy were not wanting in the aflTair of the 9th, but . GOOD CONDUCT OF THE OFFICERS. 159 cannot find place in a general report. The officers serving in the staffs of the different commanders, are particularly mentioned by theqa. " I derived efficient aid on bpth days from aU the officers of my staflf. Captain Bliss, assistant adjutant- general, Lieutenant-Colonel Payne, inspector-general. Lieutenant Eaton, A. D. C, Captain Waggaman, com missary of subsistence. Lieutenant Scarret, engineer, and Lieutenants Blake and Meade, topographical en gineers, promptly conveyed my orders to every part of the field. Lieutenant-Colonel Payne was wounded in the affair of the 9th, and I have already had occasion to report the melancholy death of Lieutenant Blake, by accident, in the interval between the two engage ments. Major Craig and Lieutenant Brereton, of the ordnance depa-rtment, were actively engaged in thejy appropriate duties, and Surgeon Craig, medical direc tor, superintended in person the arduous service of the field-hospitals. I take this occasion to mention gen erally the devotion to duty of the medical staff of the army, who have been untiring in their exertions both in the field and in the hospitals, to alleviate the suffer ings of the wounded of both armies. Captains Cross- man and Myres of the quartermaster's department, who had charge of the heavy supply-train at both en gagements,- conducted it in a most satisfactory manner, and finally brought it up without the smaUest loss, to its destination. "I inclose an inventory of the Mexican property captured on the field, and also a sketch of the field of 'Resaca de la Palma,' and of the route from Point Isabel; made by my aide-de-camp. Lieutenant Eaton. One regimental color, (battalion of Tampico,) and many standards and guidons of cavalry were taken at 160 DETAILS- OF MAYS CHARGE. the affair of the' 9th. I would be pleased to receive your ins.tructions as to the disposition to be made of these trophies — whether they shall be sent to Washing ton, &c." • There is no incident connected with this brilUint action that has created so much admiration throughout the country, and which, in reality, displayed such daring courage, as the charge of Captain. May upon the Mexican batteries. Though this bold and hazardous achievement has already-been incidentally referred to, it is believed the foUowing more detailed account, by an eye witness and actor in the charge, wUl possess interest. It is by Sergeant MUton, an officer of May's dragoons : " At Palo Alto," says he, " I took my rank in the troop as second sergeant, and while upon the field my Horse was wounded in the jaw by a grape-shot, which disabled him for service. While he was plunging in agony I dismounted, and the quick eye of Captain May observed me as I alighted from my horse. He inquired if I was hurt. I answered no — ^that "my horse was the sufferer. 'I am glad it is not _ yourself,' replied he; 'there is another,' (pointing at the same time to a steed without a rider, which was standing with dUated eye, gazing at the strife,) ' mount him.' I approached the horse, and he stood stUl untU I put my hand upon the rein and patted his neck, when he rubbed his head alongside of me, as if pleased that some human being was about to become his companion in the aflTray. He ,,was a noble bay, which had, with a number of others, been purchased for the troop in St. Louis. I bestrode him, and we passed through the first day unharmed. "On the ' second day, at Resaca de la Palma, our troop stood anxiously waiting for the signal to be, DETAIL OP MA-y's CHARGE. 161 given, and never had I looked upon men on whose countenances were more clearly expressed a fixed de termination to win. The Ups of some" were pale wdth excitement, and their eyes wore that fixed expressior, which betokens mischief; others, wdth shut teeth, would quietly laugh, and catch a tighter grip of the rein, or seat themselves with care and firmness in the saddle, while quiet words of confidence and encourage ment were passed from each to his neighbor. All at once Captain May rode to the front of his troop — every rein and sabre was tightly grasped. Raising himself and pointing at the battery, he shouted, ' Men, follow !' There was now a clattering of hoofs and a rattling of sabre sheaths — the fire of the enemy's guns was partly dra-wn by Lieutenant Ridgeley, and the next moment we were sweeping like the -wind up the ravine. I was in a squad of about nine men, who were sep arated by a shower of grape from the battery, and we were in advance. May leading. He turned his horse opposite the breastwork, in front of. the guns, and with another shout 'to foUow,' leaped over them. Several of the horses did foUow, but mine, being new and not well trained, refused ; two others balked, and their riders started do-wn the ravine to turn the breast work, where the rest of the troop had entered. I made another attempt to clear the guns -with my horse, turn ing him around — feeling aU the time secure at thinking the guns discharged — I put his head towards them and gave him spur, but he again balked ; so turning his head down the ravine, I too started to ride round the breast5SK>rk. " As I came down a lancer dashed at me with lance in rest. With my sabre I parried his thrust, only re ceiving a slight flesh-wound from its point in the arm, 16S AN AWKWARD POSITIOlf. which felt at the time like the prick of a pin. The lancer turn^ tod fled ; at that moment a baU passed through my horse on the left side and shattered my right side. The shot kiUed the horse instantly, and he feU upon my left leg, fastening me by his weight to the earth. There I lay, right in the midst of the action, where carnage was ridmg riot, and every moment the shot, from our own and the Mexican guns, tearing up the earth around me. I tried to raise my horse so as to extricate my leg, but I had already grown so weak with my wound that I was unable, and from the mere attempt, I feU back exhausted. To add to my horror, a horse, who was careering about, riderless, within a few yards of me, received a wound, and he commence^ struggling and rearing with pain. Two or three times, he, came near falUng on me, but at length, with a scream of agony and a bound, he feU dead — his body touching my own fallen steed. What I had been in momentary dread of now occurred — my wounded limb, which was lying' across the horse, received another baU in the ankle. ^' I now felt disposed to give up ; and, exhausted through pain and excitement, a film gathered over my eyes, which I thought was the precursor of dissolution From this hopeless state I was aroused by a woundeo Mexican, caUing out to me, ' Bueno Americano,' and turning my eyes towards the spot, I saw that he was .holding a certificate and calUng to me. The tide of action now roUed away from me, and hope again sprung up. The Mexican uniforms began to disappear from the chapparal, and squadrons of our troops passed in sight, apparently in pursuit. WhUe I was thus nursing the prospect of escape, I beheld, not far from.me, a vil- lanous-looking ranchwo, armed with an American ser- REVIEW OF THE ACTIONS. 163 geant's short sword, dispatching a wounded American soldier, whose body he robbed — the next he came to was a Mexican, whom he served the same -way, and thus i looked on while he murderously slew four. I drew an undischarged pistol from my holsters, and, laying myself along my horse's neck, watched him, ex pecting to be the next victim ; but something fright ened him from his vulture-like business, and he fled in another direction. I need not say that had he visited me I should have taken one more shot at the enemy, and would have died content, had I succeeded in mak ing such an assassin bite the dust. Two hours after, I had the pleasure of shalting some of my comrades by .the hand, who were picking up the wounded. They lifted my Mexican friend, too, and I am pleased to say he, as weU as myself, live to fight over again the san guine fray of Resaca de la Palma." The splendid victories of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma were received with unbounded enthusiasm in every part of the Union. Fought against such over whelming odds as the,y were, they were looked upon, not only by miUtary men in this country, but by com petent and not over partial judges in Europe, as evin cing the very highest order of military genius in the commander-in-chief, and great courage and discipline in his soldiers. No actions, in modern times, were ever fought under such disadvantages of numbers and posi tion, as those under which General Taylor labored in these two engagements, with such decisive results. The foUowing notice of these actions, from a gentle man formerly attached to the army, will give a correct ¦view of the character of the victories, besides possess ing interest to all classes of readers : " General Taylor,- in his pecuUarly modest manner. 164 LOSS OF THE MEXICAN ARMY. says : ' It is probable that six thousand men were . op posed to us, and in a position selected by themselves, and. strongly defended with artiUery.' The whole tenor of the general's dispatches, proves an anxious desire not to overrate the numbers opposed to him or the character of his victories ; and the concurrent tes timony of the officers of both armies, leaves no question that, on the 9th of May, the enemy had actuaUy en gaged upwards of seven thousand troops, or more than four times the number opposed to them; and it 'is -equally certain, that their loss greatly exceeded in kUled, wounded and missing, one thousand. General Taylbr accounts for four hundred buried by our troops in the two actions ; and Colonel Twiggs in a letter- now before us says, ' we found in the hospitals at Mata moras three hundred and eighty-two wounded soldiers and several officers, and -very many wounded accom panied the retreating army.' This, it must be borne in mind, was on the 18th of May — nine days- after the battle ; and an officer writes that the number buried at Ma^tamoras between the 9th and 18th must have been several hundred. Our conviction is, that in the two engagements the enemy's loss was nearer two than one thousand ; and this fact is very material, as demonstrat ing the character of the Mexican troops, and proving that an army seldom fought better. They did not retreat on the night of the 8th, nor even on the 9th, until at least one-seventh of their whole army had been either kUled or wounded ; or, in other words, untU our army had rendered hors du combat a number exceed ing one half of its whole force. " These facts prove that the Mexicans fought bravely. ItJs admitted on aU hands that they were admirably discipUned, the flower of the Mexican army — and com. CHARACTER OF THE MEXICAN TROOPS. 165 posed of officers and men who had been engaged in *battle after battle, and had nobly earned for themselves the title of veterans. This army, commanded, as has been said, by one of the most gallant and accomplished artillery officers of the age, (Arista,) selected its posi tion, and arranged at leisure its line of defence, com posed of three batteries of artUlery, supported by five thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry-r whose boast is, that they are the best cavalry in the world ; and that they are brave; daring, and the best horsemen on the continent is fuUy admitted. Thus posted, thi^ army is assailed by the American army only onefourth as strong. General Taylor reports that its artUlery, with the exception of Ringgold's and Dun can's eight pieces of light artiUery, was parked with his immense baggage train and provisions a great dis tance in the rear, and was only employed in pursuing the enemy after he had been completely routed. Thus then, the naked fact is presented to the consideration of the country, that our army attacked the Mexicans ' strongly posted in a position selected by themselves.' The forces thus posted and assailed, were composed of veterans, disciplined troops, /oar times as numerous as their assailants, with a heavier train of artillery, and nearly five times as many cavalry! They fought bravely for three hours ; lost one-seventh of their whole number ; and then were literally dispersed by the bayo nets of our troops — throwing their muskets ^ our men in the spirit of desperation, swearing that *hey were devils incarnate ! " Such was the battle; of Resaca de la Palma, and such, too, was thai of Palo Alto on the day preceding it. To judge of this achievement and compare it with European battles, we need only ask ourselves, on what 12 166 ^ IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE. occasion have eighty thousand , disciplined troops, strongly posted, in a position -selected by themselve^ been driven from that position, routed and cut to pieces, by twenty thousand.? When and where did any army thus conquer, rout and completely disperse, four times its number of brave and disciplined troops, who fought in a manner which, under ordinary circum stances, entitled them to victory ? ' When such affairs can be found in modem history, we wiU yield to them the palm. But we know that there are no such battles on record ; and we desire to impress upon our country men, that our Uttle army, under General Taylor, has achieved for itself a reputation, such as no «ther army has ever won in modem times, and the scene of which ¦R[iU hereafter be referred to as another Thermopylae. " Now a few words as to the causes which produced these two- victories. We said, on the I2th of May, when apprehensions were very general for the fate of our army, we 'felt very certain, that before that day. General Taylor had met and dispersed the entire force of the enemy, if it was not more than four times as great as his own ! We said that this -opinion was based, upon a knowledge, that no disciplined troops ever yet abandoned their officers ; that we knew our old comrades well, knew of what material they were composed — ^what West Point had made them — and that they would never yield or retreat. We knew that every officer in that little army was prepared for vic tory or death; and that such being the case, and kno-wing their men were disciplined and would certainly stand by them, we felt that victory was inevitable, unless the opposing force was so great as to forbid its possibility ; in which case our whole army would- be cut' to pieces — seUing their lives dearly, but never POSITION OP OFFICERS IN BATTLE. 167 yielding. And such, too, would have been their con duct, and such the result of this affair, if the opposing, force had been English instead of Mexican. " To this gaUantry and determination on the part of our officers, we are indebted for the glorious achieve ments of the 8th and 9th of May ; and an examination into the kUled and wounded, very certainly demon strates this fact. When in order of battle,. the officers are always posted with a view to their greater security, as they are required to conduct the battle. Thus the company officers are immediately in the rear of their men in line of battle, and the field and staff, stUl further in the rear ; and it is admitted to be a sound 'calcula tion, fhat when the proportion of officers to. the rank and fUe is as one to twenty, the proportion of kUled and wounded should be one officer to every forty of the rank and file, owing'to the greater security of their position, intended to preserve their lives. Now let us apply this calculation to the battle of Jlesaca de la Palma. "In that ever memorable aSair, the proportion of officers to the rank and file, was as one to thirteen ; and therefore, according to European calculation, the • proportion of killed and wounded, should have been one to twenty-sis. Now what are the facts? The total of killed and wounded is one hundred and twenty- two, of whom fifteen were commissioned officers, or one out of every eight ! " Here, in a few words, the country has the means of determining how it was that seventeen hundred American troops drove from their selected position, defeated arid utterly routed, four times their number of disciplined Mexican cavalry, artiUery, and infantry 1 Here, is the true cause of the victories of the 8th and 168 CHARACTER OF THE BATTLES. 9th of May, being the most wonderful in the history of modern warfare. Our officers fought in front of their men. They literaUy led them to the cannon's riiouth ; and as the history of these battles proves, when their swords were useless, threw them away, picked up the muskets and accoutrements of those who had fallen, and with these, set .their men an example of coolness and daring which made every private in the little army feel himself a hero. When officers thus lead their men up to the very mouths of the enemy's cannon ; when sword in hand, or with the bayonet, they drive the enemy from their guns, and then them selves perform -the work of gunners ; when for hours, as was the case in our flying artillery, the officers helped work the guns, and iii some cases did the duty of three privates — victory is certain — inevitable. " Sueh was the character of the battles of the 8th and 9th May — such the manner in which they were -won — and such the conduct of such officers. Under such circumstances, our whole army might have been destroyed ; but if not, then was victory absolutely cer tain. We care not how exalted -the character of the troops opposed to them, or to what nation they belonged, in this, their first fight after years of peace and the taunts of members of Congress, it was moraUy and physically impossible to resist them. Honor — unfading and -perpetual honor— to General Taylor, the gaUant officers who so nobly sustained him, and to the army of heroes they led to victory on the 8th and .9th of May, 1846 ; and most fortunate for them and for the country was it, that we had no undiscipUned volunteers or mUitia in those battles. We doubt not tKeir cour age ; but no undisciplined troops dould have fought those fights. It -would have been morally impossible EUROPEAN OPINION OF THE ACTIONS. 169 for any such to have withstood the fire of the enemy on those days and do what was required of our soldiers and officers ; and had there been any faltermg— had a single battalion given way, as they most assuredly would— the enemy would have been encouraged to persevere, and our -whole army might have been anni- hUated and cut to pieces. Never was the value ol discipUned men more triumphantly demonstrated than on these gl9rious occasions ; and since we have learned that General Taylor compels the volunteers with him to receive six hours' drUUng per day, and relieves them from aU other duties, to make soldiers of them, we venture to predict that they, too,' when they meet the enemy, -wiU add to the reputation of our arms. ' Rough and Ready' vrill first make them soldiers, and then -win victories with them." The London Herald remarks : " The proceedings of the soldiers under General Taylor have been such as to do honor to the Republic. The little army, amount- to but a handful of men, at a distance of thousands of mUes from any avaUable succor, has defended itself against superior numbers, and at length has crossed the Rio Grande, and took possession of Matamoras, almost in sight of an opposing enemy — an exploit which Na poleon has pronounced to be the perfection of general ship." It is not easy to imagine the painful solicitude and anxiety that prevailed at Fort Brown during the actions of the 8th and 9th. Although within sound of the firing, the result of the contest was, of course, for many hours in doubt, however strong their confidence was that victory vfould, in the end, crown the American arms. But if they were in painful doubt as to the fate of the contest in which they knew their brothers in 170 ANXIE'TY AT FORT BROWN. arms were engaged, without being able to aid them in the struggle, they were left in comparative quiet by the Mexicans during the memorable two days, and had time to repair the damages done to the fort by the bombardment to which they had so long been subject ; and, accordingly, on the morning of the 9th, their first act was to raise the national flag. The history of the events during the action are resumed from " Our Army on the Rio Grande." On the 8th, continues this work, the halyards had become unrigged, at a, time when the firing from the enemy was too intense to estabUsh them, the staff at that time beihg outside of the fort. To meet this difficulty, the regimental colors were raised on a temporary substitute, erected on the para pets. An officer of the Seventh succeeded in lower ing the topmast of the staff, and rigging the halyards. While engaged in this patriotic duty, the enemy opened on -him from' all their batteries, with round shot and shell, amidst which he coolly labored for fifteen or twenty, minutes. Finding he was not strong enough to elevate the topmast to its proper place, he lashed it in' its position, and gave the stars and stripes to the breeze. At 10 o'clock, a sergeant and ten men went out, and .set fire to the rancho, known by Arista's dispatches as the Fanques del Raminero, the buUdings of which had been successively occupied by our own and the ene my's pickets. This act brought forth a heavy dis charge of sheU, canister, and round shot, which con tinued at intervals for about four hours. ¦ Major Brown, since his wound had lingered on, his friends bestowing on him every attention that the cir cumstances would admit : he bore his sufferings with the greatest fortitude, and whenever he spoke, he urged A PAINFUL DILEMMA. 171 his men to do their duty, and never surrender the fort. It vfas necessary that he should be placed in one of the bomb-proofs, to protect him frond the missiles of the enemy : the weather was exceedingly warm, and the air in the bomb-proof- necessarily close ; this circum stance perhaps, joined -with the aggravated nature of his wounds, hastened his death. He graduaUy sunk, and at two o'clock peacefnUy breathed his last. At the time of his death, everything around the fort was perfectly stiU; the soldiers around the dying man seemed scarcely to breathe, lest they should ir.trudr, upon his parting spirit; nor was the silence broken, untU Ridgeley opened his batteries upon Resaca de la Palma. No language can describe the intense interest -with which the raging battle was Ustened to : each man was at his post, and every booming gun called forth an almost agonizing interest to learn its nationaUty and effects. Meanwhile the bombardment opened simul taneously with the firing on the field, and continued to increase with unprecedented severity ; but it was not ' to the batteries of the Mexicans that attention -was di rected. Our eighteen-pounders were occasionally fired, to let General Taylor know that aU was still well in the fort. The firing on the battle-field was now grow ing less and less powerful, and the discharges were be , coming irregular. " They have charged on the guns !' shouted one of the officers ; another, and another was sUenced. " They have carried them !" shouted anothe.r in uncontrollable ecstasy. All cannonading ceased; volleys of musketry were next heard, then aU.was stiU. How eloquently the sUence spoke of the hand-to-hand conflict, and how the blood in the hearts of these brave men went and came, from excitement to be engagef* 172 THE NEWS OF VICTORY. in it ! The victoriods result of our arms was now al most certain. General Taylor and his brave jnen would either ccaiquer or die. No bells were now ring ing in Matamoras, and the noisy mosic, that was wont to belabor the air, had been silenced since the evening of the 8th. This, to the heroes of the fcart, was fuU of me'aning, and the tale was soon told. At a little before six, a confused rush of cavalry and straggling infantry towards the Rio Grande, announced the Afictory of the Americans, at sight of which, an officer of the Seventh jumped upon the parapet, beside the regimental flag staff, and gave three cheers, vrfiich were respcMided to so 'loudly and heartiJy by aU in tbe fort, that they si lenced the enemy's batteries, for from that moment they ceased firing. The news had reached Matamoras that to Mexico the day was lost. The distance from Resaca de la Paltoa to the river, is about four miles. Beyond the bavttle-ground the road forks, leading to both the upper and lower ferries, be tween which is situated Fort Brown. The country here is more broken, and the chapparal of strongeir and denser growth \than in the' interior. Into these intricate thickets a majority of the Mexicans fled after the rout became general; hundreds and tlK>usands of troops here buried themselves, waiting for the veil erf night to aid them in their escape. Along the road, however, great numbers swept, " fear lending them -wings." In this flight the slightly wounded infantry fell exhausted ; norses that had been shot, but able to maintain their feet untU put at full speed, rolled on the earth, carry ing their -i^ers with them. The soldiers stripped them selves of every encumbrance ; they threw away their muskets, cartridge-boxes, their military cloaks, with every thiag calculated to retard their speed, plainly mark- FLIGHT OF THE DEFEATED. 173 iiig their route by the abandoned articles. Squadrons of cavalry, finding their movements impeded by the in fantry, rode over, without scruple, those whom the fate of war had spared. Our troops pursued ; but their arms lost their force when directed against troops of defenceless beings, or individuals fleeing before a vic torious foe. One of the " eighteens" in the fort was now turned towards the upper ferry, sending a shower of grape among the fleeing hundreds. As our pursuing columns debouched from the chapparal that surrounds Fort Brown, and saw the flag of our country stiU waving in triumph from its ramparts, they raised to the glory of its defenders, a shout that made the welkin ring, and it was sent back from the fort until cheer answering cheer, reverberated along the valley of the Rio Graflde. The want of a sufficient number of dragoons made it impossible immediately to extend our lines so as to cut off the enemy's retreat, and General Taylor, deficient in means to cross the river with rapidity and force, had made no previous arrangements to attempt so desirable a consummation of his- victory. With the approach of night aU offensive measures on our part ¦ ceased. A part of our pursuing troops, including May's command, having drunk of the water of the Rio Grande, feU back to the battle-ground, where they, with the main army, bivouacked for the night. Dun- • can's and Ridgeley's commands, Lieutenant-Colone Childs' battalion. Captain Ker's dragoons, together with Captain C. F. Smith's command, jDivouifcked on the banks ofthe river, many upon the same ground they had left nine days before. Throughout both battles, the Mexicans"bfla§ kept up 174 TERROR OP THE MEXICANS. a constant' communication with Matamoras by means of a secret crossing above the upper ferry. By this they had sent over their wounded, and brought over their reinforcements as the contest thickened. They forced the poor -wretches into sacks slung across the backs of mules, and thus the agony of their wounds increasing at every step, they were conveyed to that city they had hoped to enter so p'roudly as victors. When Captain May made" his charge, many of the soldiers in the rear of the Mexican army abandoned their ranks and fled ; and the rancheros, who had hung about as vultures waiting for prey, finding that our train was not Ukely to fall into their hands, rushed into the camp of their own countrymen, robbed it of what ever loose valuables they could find, then scattered over' the country and disappeared. Colonel Curasco, the "bull-dog," so caUed, ofthe Mexican army, was the first officer that fled. Early in the contest he crossed to the east of the Rio .Grande, and secreted himself in the suburbs of the town. After our troops charged, and took the batteries. General Ampudia also sought safety in flight, and was the first man that appeared in Matamoras after the defeat of the army. Mad with terror, and .exhausted by his narrow escape from being drowned whUe crossing the river, he en tered the Plaza, and circled it several times uncon scious of what he was' doing, until his senses were recalled by his wondering countrymen, who learned Arista's total defeat, as Ampudia exclaimed, "All is lost!" At their secret classing the Mexicans had but one flat, which was entirely insufficient for the numbers who now, in terror, sought the river. While the flat swarmed with infantry, the cavalry would charge, and, A DREADFUL ^SCENE. iT SUng the flait, drive the wret