Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-02-24


ten shots when they executed a right-about
turn, with ant uniformity and rapdty which did |
infinite credit to their drill, and went off at |
pace that soon carried them out Of reach of our
bullets They had probably not expected SO
warm reception. We saw their officers do
iug everything they could to check their flight,
mroring, threatening, even cutting at them
with their sabres, but it was of no use, il they
were to be killed. it must be in their own way,
and they preferred being cut down by their
| officers TO encountering the deadly precision of
rifles, in the hands of men who, being sure of
hitting squirrel at a hundred yards, were not
| likely to miss a Durango dragoon at any point
" thin range.
Our object in ordering the men 10 fre slow
| ly, was, always to have thirty or forty rifles
| loaded, wherewith to receive the enemy should
! he attempt a charge en- masse. But our first
| greeting had been sickener, and it appeared
almost doubtful whether he would venture to
attack us again although the officers did every
thing in their power to induce their men to
advance. For long time neither threats. en-
treaties, nor reproaches produced any effect
We saw the officers gesticulatng furiously,
pointing 10 us with their sabres, and impaten-
tly spurrng their horses, till the fiery animals
plunged and reared, and sprang with all four
feet from the ground. II is only Just to say,
that the officers exhibited degree of courage
far Beyond anything we had expected from
J thru, nf tho tu,n SoI,al,pS tbot oh
two-ihirGs Of the officers had fallen; but those
who remained instead of appearing ntimiGated
by their comrades fate, redoubled their efforts
TO brjng their men forward.
At last there appeared some probability of ac.
complshlng this, after most curious and truly
, Mexican fashion. Posting themselves in front
ut their squadrons, they rode on alone for hun
drcd yards or so, halted, looked round, as much
as to say-"Iou see there is no danger as far as
this and the gallopping back led their men on
Each time that they executed this manDuvre
. the Dragons would advance slowly some thir
: ty or forty PAGES, and then halt as simutane.
ously as if the word of command had been g
! ven. Off went the officers again, some dis
. tance TO the front, and then back again to thci
y men, and got them on a little further In th
manner these heroes were inveigled once more
10 within hundred and fifty yards of our posi-
tion.
, OF course, at each of the numerous halt
which they made during their advance, they
favored us with general, innoXious discharge
r ofthcir carbines; and at last, gaining conf
dcncc suppose, from our passveness, and from
i the noise and smoke they themselves had beer
r making, three squadrons which had not ye
y been under fire, formed open column, and ad
= vanced at trot. Without giving them tim,
tohat or retlect-"Forward Charge !" shou
ted the officers, urging their own horses TO the;
, utmost speed, and following the impulse thu
b.. given the three squadrons came charging furi
! ouSly along.
: Up sprang thirty of our men TO receive then,
a Their orders were to fire slowly, and not throw
away shot, but the cleaning sabres and ra
h. pid approach of the dagoous furried some O
= them, and firing hasty volley, they jumPe,
= down the bank again. This precipitation ha
l. nearly been fatal to us. Several of the dra
o goans fell and there were some confusion an
5 momentarY faltering among the others; bu
a they still came on. At this critical momen,
t Wharton and myself with the reserve showGl
: ourselves on the bank. "Slow and sure--mar
! your men :" shouted we both. Wharton O
e the right and on the left. The command wa
d obcyed rifle after rifle cracked of, always
med at the foremost ofthe dragons, and at ever
1 report saddle was emIhied. Before we ha
: al: fred, Tanning aud dozen of his sharpes
n mCn had again loaded, and were by our side
;, For nearly minute the MeXlcans remained a
!, It supplied by our murderouS fire, and uncci
v tain whether to advance or retire but as thos
IA whoattcmpted the iormost were invariably she
j down, they at last began a retreat, which wa
n soon converted into route. We gave ther
n a farewell vo!ley, which eased few NOR
, horses of their riders, and then got under cove
again, to await what might next occur.
n Bot the Mexican cabelleros had no notion {
l. coming up to the scratch third time. The
d kept patrollIng about, some three or four hur
9 dred yards 1Jf, and firing yoeys at us, whIc
r, they We're able to do with perfect mpunIy, q
1t at that distance we did not think proper to rt
y turn shot.
as The skirmish had lasted nearly three qual
j, ters of an hour Strange to say, we had not