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


that their vanguard was already in the hol-
low way leading 10 the ford We had scarce
ly received this intelligence when we heard
the bare of the trumpcts, aud the next mo-
ment we saw the officers push their horses up
the decviious bank. closely followed by their
men, whom they formed up in the prairie
We counted six srnall squadrons, about three
hundred mcn in all. They were the Durango
dragoonS-smart troops enough To all appear
ances, capi,ally mounted aud equipped, and
armed with carbiucs and sabres.
Although the enemy had doubtless reconnoi-
tered from the opposite shore, and asccrtaincd
our position, he could not form any accurate j.
dea OF our numbers, for with view to deceive
him, we kept the men in constant motion,
sometimes showing part Of them on the prai-
rie, then causing them to disappear again be-
hind the vines aud bushes. This was all very
knowing for young soldiers such as We were !;
but, on the other hand, We had committed a
prevous error and siuncd against all establish
cd military rules by not placing picket on
approach Of the enemy, and the direction in
which he vas coming. There can be little
doubt that if we had had earlier notice of their
approach thirty or forty good marksmen--and
all our people were that-might not only have
delayed the advarcc of the Mcxcars, but per-
haps even totally dsgnstcd them Of their at
tempt to cross the Silado The hollow way on
theothcr side Of the river, leading TO ihc fora.
was narrow and tolcrab'y steep. and the bank
at least SIX times as high as on our side. No
/ thing would have been easier than 10 have sta
toned party SO as to pick of the cavalry as
they wound through this sort of pass, and c.
merged two by two upon the shore. Our error
1 however, did not strike us till II was too latr tC
| repair it; so we were tain TO console ourselvc,
( with the reflection that the Mcxicans would be
! much more likely to attribute our negligence
| toan excess of confidence in our resources
than to the ncXpericncc of military matters.
I which was lis real cause. We resolved 10 do
our best to merit the good opinion which We
! thus supposed them 10 entertain ofus.
| When the whole of the Dragons had crossed
the water, they marched OF for a short dis
/ tance in an castcrly direction; ;hcn, whcelm!
/ TO the right, proceeded southwark, until with
/ in some five hundred PAGES of MS, where the,
, halted. In this position, the line cavalry form
/ ed the chord OF the arc described by the river
and occupied by us.
As roon as they halted, they opened thej
fire, although they could not see one of us, 70
We were completely sheltered by the bank
Our Mexican heroes, however, apparently dl
not think it necessary to be within sight q
range of their opponents before firing, for the
gave us n rattlIng vulev nj distance which N
carbine would carry. This done, others ga
loped on for about hundred yards, halted a
gain, loaded, fired another volcy, and thcl
giving another gallop, fired again. They con
tinucd this sort of HiahcHgc til they founr
themselves within two hundred and fifty pace
OF us, and then appeared inclined to take
ltle time for reflection.
We kept ourselves perfectly still, The dra
goons evidently did not like the aspect of mat
tcrs. Our remaining conccalcd, and not re
plying to their fire, seemed to bother them
We saw the officers taking a deal OF pains /
encourage their men, and at lasttwo squadron
advanced, the others following more slowly
short distance in rear. This was the momcn
we had waited for. No soonerhad the dragoon
90, into Il canter, than six of our men who la,