Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-06-24

= The reconnoItrelng party under Capt. Ker
, left no bush unsearched, and discovered
numerous large graves in which the Mex.
) leans had buried their dead the night before,
but no enemy was TO be seen.
Gen. Taylor then gave orders to Capts.
Mccall of the Sd Inf, and Smith of the
LIST Art, to select, at their option, 400
picked men, as an advance guard, and 10
select such officers as they thought proper.
from the whole command The command
could have not fallen into ADLER hands,
Mccall had distinguished himself by his
indelatigable eXertious on scout some
time before; and Smith lead the charge at
the Colorado. Among the officers selected
by them, were Its. Dobbins and Meow
an, tw o of the best woodsmen in The ar.
my, and who can hit dollar one hundred
yards pithow trying very hard. Their
orders were 10 go forward, and that the
General would follow. The main body
was then organized, and body of artille
ry under Duncan, and the Sth Infantry I'M
der Belknap, and the Artillery Brigade,
Col. Chllds, were then thrown forward to
the chaparral. Gen Taylor then ordered
the company wagons forward, and order.
ed 1t. Churchill to throw up entertainments
where the main pack of the wagons was
then established, and place his Is. Founders
and some long twekes, that were in the
wagons, in the works; and defend the
train, should it be attacked.
! At this moment it was that the gallant
Blake received the shot from the discharge
of his pisto--of which wound he died the
same day. In the. death of Capt. Blake,
the army sustained great loss. A more
gallant and accomplished officer could not
have been found in our ranks.
The wounded were carefully placed in
wagons, and sent 10 Point Isabel.
Nothing Of consequence transpred for
several hous, when message arrived
from Capt. Mccall, then four miles ahead
Of the main army, that he had been fired
upon by a 6.pounder on debouching from
the chaparral on TO Jackass Prairie -
This had no effect on Gen, Taylor, other
than TO quicken his go.akead character;
and he pushed on. On arriving at the
edge Of the prairie no enemy was 10 be
seen. Capt Mccall had entered the Sc.
cond chaparral, and was about one mile
ahead.
But now, the eventful moment was
drawing nigh, aud scarcely had we entered |
the second chapparel, when word came
from the advance that the enemy were in
force at Resaca de la Palma, and within
five hundred yards of the advance guard |
Orders were Immediately given to pack |
the wagons, aud form the order of battle |
The wagons were placed in tho rear, and T,
the Artillery Brigade, with Dnncan's bat.
terry left to protect them Capt, Ker's |
squadron covering The extreme rear. The
Sd, 4th, Slh, and 9th Infantry, aud Mays |
squadron, were posted along The road with |
in the chaparral. Gen. Taylor then or.
dered RldgeIy, with his battery, 10 forward
and clear tho way-Capts. Mccall and
Smith to depIoy on the right and left as
skirmishers, until reinforced by The 9Th
and Stb. Ridgely waited not a moment.
but started his battery at full speed, deter
mined TO have no more long.law shooting,
but test the Mexican metal at close quar-.
tiers. As he charged, with one loud shout
from his men; The Mexcans opened their
artillery and musketry upon him. On he
went, until he halted pieces within one
hundred yards Of the muzzle of the enc.
my's pieces, and commenced the action.
Smith and Mccall soon depoyed, and en-.
gagged the infantry. The fire from the
Mexican batteries was awful The infan.
try we're engaged wilh'n twenty PAGES Of
Rldgely's battery, and the whole fire oil
their nine pieces concentrated on his bat.
terry. The first fire from the Mexican bat.
terry knocked over one man and three hor.
SEES at our first piece. The enemy fred
too high, as on the day before. The 9Th
and Sth Infantry soon came up, deployed
as skirnishers, and took hand in the game
the space separating the two lines of
Infantry not exceeding twenty PAGES
Our men and omcers seemed particularly
determlned TO have a close hug of the en-.
envy, and so cool ard collected were all
hands, that not a shot was thrown away.
The command from one end Of the line 10
the other was,not 10 fire until you could see
the whites Of their eyes.
At this time no adequate idea can be
had of the showers of the grape, canister,
and round shot that few from the enemy's
was perfect haiI.s,orm.
Their battery, composed of nine pieces,
kept up an incessant roar, whilst Ridgely
gave it to them at the rate Of four guns
per minute from each piece. The can.
nouiers threw off their coats; tied their
suspenders around their waists rolled un
heir sleeves TO the shoulder, and piled the
match increasingly. For twenty minutes
his battery, supported by the 9th and sih,
bore the concentrated fire of the enemy.
As yet the enemy budged not one inch.