Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-11-27

THE BATTLE OF SALADO.

chapter from sSeatsfield's' Life in Texas. -
II details, in glowing colors, the circumstances
Of an Important battle which was fought on the
bank--or rather, behind the bank-of the river
Salado. FANNING, who had but few days
before the battle, been married to his fair Elyi-
"a. was the commander. The ground upon
which this battle was fought, is thus described
by the narrator: At quarter Of mile west
of the mission the river ran from northwest to
southeast the intermediate space there was
small musqneet- island or cluster of trees; all
the rest was prairie extending down to the
bank. which was pretty steep, oyergrown with
q brake Of vines, and about ten feet above the
water. At this place the Salado forms strong,
arched bend. At both ends of the cure there
is place at which alone the river is forbade,
and it is not broad but pretty deep and rapid
1t may not be improper to state here some
thing about ssBoB," who was prominent ac-
tor in the battle. On seeing him, Col. MORSE,
it is said, was struck dumb with establishment
No wonder: for it was the same being who had
been hung, at his own request, only few days
before, for murder, in the presence of the Col
We are informed in the sequel, however, that
''BoB" was taken down, before life was gone,
by gentleman who wished to secure his ser
vices in the struggle which he saw was near at
hand. The reader will agree with us that he
was right in saving him. ''BoB" was woun-
ded in this battle. and was supposed to be NOR
tally; but he escaped unobserved. He was
killed at the browning battle of San Jacinto.
while fighting bravely, an account of which
will be given in our next.-E.D. SENT
The evening-the night passed,
without any sign of the enemy. The
morning dawned, still no Mexican was
10 be seen. However, we did not
trust 10 the treacherous peace; let the
men eat their breakfast, who had just
finished it, when the picket placed at
the upper ford arrived with the news,
that strong body ofcavalry was adj
RANGING, and that their vanguard had
already entered the hollow way leading
down to the ford.
Some minutes after we heard the
sound Of their trumpets, and soon after
we saw the officers riding up the bank
in the prairie, where they were follow
ed by six squadrons. They were the
Durango Dragons, very well dressed,
perfectly mounted, and armed with car
bines and broad-swords. Their num-
Der may have amounted to about, three
hundred.
Probably they had recommended US
from the opposite bank, and found out
our position, but not our strength, as,
suspecting something of the kind, we
had kept our men in motion, making
them ride over the prairie, and again
disappear. All that was very right, but
on the other hand we had committed a
great fault against all military rules, in
not placing picket on the other side
of the river, which could have informed
us of the approach Of the enemy, and
the direction he was taking. Without
doub: some thirty or forty good marks
men, and all ours were so,-would not
only have stopped the enemy, but most
probably also have prevented his eros
sing. The hollow way which on the
other side led down TO the ford, was
narrow, rather sloping, and the bank
at least six times higher than that on
which we were, and completely within
reach of our rifles; horses and men, as
they were coming out of the windings
of the pass, could be aimed at and shot
down by couples. Now aswe saw the
dragons riding in the prairie, all that
became clear to US, but the fault had
been committed, and we had to con-
sole ourselves with the idea that the
enemy would not ascribe our negligence
to the real cause our inexperlence in
military matters,-but TO our daring
courage. At any rate we resolved not
to undeceive the good opinion which
we supposed him to have ofus, and to
give him warm reception.
when in the prairie, they had rid
den a considerable distance in wes-
terly direction, then turned to the south,
and wheeling about towards US, they
had halted at distance of about FIVE
hundred PAGES from US. In this posi-
ion they exactly occupied the chord Of
| the arc which the Salado here described.