Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-06-19

? Lieutenant Eaton. ra,,r;co,
One resim-a,al color, (bai;alion OF Tamp,coJ
7 ard .eany s,andaus and suidons of cavary were
taken al The affair oil The 9th. would De pleassu
10 receive yonr instructions as 10 The uisios's'oiil
10 be- made Of these trophies; whether hey Sl"''
be sent 10 Washington, &c.
lam, very respectfully your ooed'sns SCI ser on an
. B7eret Bri.adier General Un.fcd siaAs -n"s'
I Commanding. ,.,, r.-yci.
The ApJu7asr GENERAL q TIE ATm"' '"s'''
iaston, u. c.
REPORT FROM col. TwIGGs.
Hs.rouARrgRs RIGHT WIsG ARMY or
OccupATlu.:, Camp near Maiamo.as'
MAY nth, 1876. J
Sir have the honor 10 make the following IS,
port Of The transactions Of the different col Ps y
The RIGHT wing of the army, under my coi,ia.u,
during The actions with the enemy on Inc o'ii aug
OH inc, Abonr 9, p. NJ. on The 9Th, we found
nnrseIyes al the paIo Alto, within one mile OF the
chapporal which borders the Rio Grande, ana
nine miles from The river. My command belng
composed Of Major Ringgolds company OF iign'
artillery. Two souadrons OF dragons, The 5lh IN
fanrry and The Sd and 4th infantry, composing the
third brigade. ,.,r.
mile. opcned their batteries or their right. VIII zen
bein. immediately responded 10 b our TWO 10
Founders, in charge Of Lieutenant Churc hill,
brought on the action OF The Sth inst. M aJor
Rinegoid's battery was ordered TO the rlsnt ana
front of The lSpounders al distance OF aoon'
seven hundred yards from The enemy whtn the
battery was opened with great effect, as was shown
The next day by The number OF The enemy s dead
found alorg his line. The infantry in the mean
time was formed in rear OF the artillery, receiving
with the greatest possible GOODNESS The enemy ;
fire, and only anxious for the order 10 rush III anu
participate actively in the affair.
A regiment OF the enemy's lancers was ooserv-
| ed 10 move 10 our right apparently to gam pos
session OF our wagon lrain, lev hunareu ya.o>
in rear. The 9th iniantly and two pieces OF MA
| or RngeolG's artillery, under command oil Lieut..
| r. Ridgley, was ordered 10 check this movement.
Having gained ground 10 The right, some lour or
five hundred yards, the 9Th was formei IN a
square To receive charge from the ancefS, wao
advanced to within fifty yards, when The oppos-
| ing side OF lie square fired into and REFUSED hcm,
having received in tie mean time several lrresu-
| lar charges from the enemy. The lancers reform
ed, and continued their movement 10 get IN The
rear OF our right flank when ordered the 50 10
| move TO The right and rear around pond OF
water and prevent their progress in that direction.
| Seeing their movement frustrated II THIS point,
| the lancers commenced retreat in good order
marching apparently BY sqnadrons, when First
Lieut. K. R;dsely, o. Major RineSe'ld's battery.
/ assisted nv Brcvel Second Lieut.. French, opened
fire on them and scattered them in ali directions.
! In this affair the enemy io>i some iwcn'y-e'ght
ur lhi.ly men. This portion al the right wing
sefve in about this position until the close OF the
! action In TIC mean time MajcI Rinoao!d wilh
| the remaining rwo pieces OF his battery, continued
10 PLAY On the enemy with great snccrsS. The
gallant Major was MORALLY wounced ny can
non bali towards The close OF The action, and his
horse sbo, under him at the same time. The
army and the country will long deplore the loss Of
so brave and accomplished an officer
The second squadron OF dragons, commanded
| hv Captain Nav, who, during the day, was under
the immediate orders OF The General command
| IN, being ordered to turn il possible the LETT
| flank of the enemy. the llh infantry was ordered
70 support him. Having advanced in our right
and iron; some four hundred yards under very
severe fire from Two Of The enemYs batteries, u
! was found The iurce he had 10 oppose was eight
" Mae hundred cavalry; he retired agfceab!y 10
his orders, and the An infantry was accordingly
withdrawn In this operation Captain Ma; ;
squadron had five men wounded and SIX horses
killed, and the 4ih infantry one man killed, one
| officer (Cap,. Page MORALLY ard one man Sc
yerely wounded. Night coming on, The right
wing took position in front OF the wagon train,
aud slep, OH their arms on the ground first oecu-
pied by The enemy. The perfect GOODNESS OF Lieut..
Ridgely, and The great precision with which he
fired his pieces whilst acting in concert with the
9Th deserves notice, The last and most effective
| shot ne having aimed himself
| On The morning OF The 9th, some OF the enemy
| being discovered in The edge OF the chappo!a
we advanced the 9TH infantry on the right, with
| The q soaat:r.n OF DRAGONS in front Mai. Ring
colds battery, commanded By Lieut.. Iii gely, on
he !eh Of thc 5h, and The 81 brigade Oh lis lett.
| On advancin = the enemy having retired, We en-
tered the cha pnral and approached 10 within elSh
| hundred yard of ReSuca IL IN Palma, where the
enemy had IA Ken position Tor fight. The advance
| guard having KEEP; up fire I'LL our arrival, Lieu
| tenant RideeH was ordered in front Of the 5f
with his battery, and having advanced cautious
" to within about four hundred yards Of their
battery in The road the enemy opened on him
with grape. Lieut. Rdgely pushed forward "a
pidly about 100 yards further and returned their
fire with srca, spirit and success, advancing on
| tfem whenever their fire slackened. AT times
lie two batteries were firing canister al each other
| when no: more Than one hundred yards apart
| uaying advanced in this manner about five HIM
!rci yards, Captain Mays .quadcon was ordered
10 charge the encmys guns. Dashng forward
in columns Of laurs, The main road admitting Of
| no other formation The squadron charged across
Tie ravinc through seven OF the enemy's pieces
driving The gunners from them; Captain May
with Lieuts. Inee, Stevens and Sackcu and The
ist and ID platoons Of the squadron charging the
guns in,he road and on the right OF il; CAPITA in
Graham, accompanied by Lieuls Winship and
Pleasonlou, with the Sd and 4,h plaloons leading
the charge against The pieces on the LETT of The
road in The ravine. Capt. May having charged
through The pieces in the road, rallied some 81,
men, and charged again at some of The eunners
who had rceaned their pieces, drove them of
and took Gen. Vega prisoner In the charge
Lieut.. lnge tell al The head Of his platoon, whis
leading i, on saliani'y, having passed through
their batteries. Corporal McCauley was takeT
prisoner, nine privaies and eighteen horses wert
killed, Sergeant Maey, nine privates, ard lei
horses wounded.
The 4,h Infantry, under The comman nd OF Bre
vet Major Allen, the 5Ih, commanded by Lieut.
Col. Mcintosh, and The Sd, commanded by Capt
, l.. y. Morris, retained possession of the enemy
artillery, repulsing at different times largely su
peror parties brought 10 bear against them, ant
finally brought of the pieces, making severa
prisoners Of war. After the UNSURPASSED, if no
uaequalIed, charge OF Captain Mays squadron
the enemy was unable 10 fire piece In this nj
air, Lieut.. lrge, 2i dragoons and Lieut. Cocn
rane Alb infantry. were kiile', and Lieut.. Col
Mcintosh Capt. Hoe, and Lieut.. Dobbins wrr
wounded. | would respectfully call lie atentoi
ut iha Commanding General 10 The gallant con
duct If Col. Mcintosh, oh and Col. Garland
In inianrv, Commanding the 81 brigade Lieu
tenants Ridgely, Shower, and French, 81 arlllie
r., Captains MAY and Graham. Licuis. Winship
Stevens, P:easonton AMI Sackeii, Cd dragons
and Captain Buchanan Lieuls. Hays and Wood
4th infantry, &C. The later two having captured
piece Of artillery, defended By one hundred AM
fifty or two hundred, with but few men.
The enemy having been rented with grea
loss this days action closed with much honor Il
the American army, spreading Terror amonss
The Mexican people In this action every Office
and man performed his duty most gallaniiy.
Capt. a rnold aud Lieut.. Mcdonald, 2i dra
soons, my aid, on the e;h and 9ih instant, per
formed the several duties assigned them will
i. rromr'ncss GOODNESS and courage. They acorn
ranied me during The whole of The affairs, cScep
, when detached carryin. orders. The detailed
account Of The commanders OF each regiment an,
corps is herewith submitted.
, lam, sir, very respectfully, your obd'l serv't,
, D. Z. TWiGGS,
n, 0J Dyoroor, ra,,i,Io ,,,Jt ,,;no 4 n