Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-11-11


10 storm the nearest height and take the bat
'etl winch had annoyed IA 40 much. have
:. ldon' i''it more painful scnSaiions than al
lh's TINE. To climb The height alone. indie
tr',den, 81 lighting. isextrrmelv difficult. rem
ueung the strongest man puwrTlts> as on in-
ien' iro'n the sSeriion. Add Ia this, attack
'ng a superior iofce aud the ~ hole ALTAR might
well seem desperate. How eagerly we watch
ed the flashes OF mt,sketv. now advancing
and now recc,ling, until at last the distant
cheers snd The waving oi caps on the height
told that II was ours. Our troops in reality
had taken the place without much difficulty
the Mexicsns running away a. soon as they
reached the summit. Two IL FOUNDERS were
found IN the breast work, but an the Mcx,csns
hsd carried oil the hammer IL was some time
oe'ofe they could be used. Afet this apture
oui troops did not delay a moment but rushed
forward aud attacked another battery, also of
Two guns, which was taken ian the sa,ne m n
nef "a the hrst. Our dead aud wounded i'm
thes, Affairs could not have amounted 10 over
eight or ten. AT night we succeeded in hav-
inS liiilo fncd pork AMI some coffee Tor sup
pr, being Our lirst meal fur two DAYS We
also bad pat NJ "a Kind ol tent. but torrent
ol rain eane down, puddle OF water was
faPih3 formed around us, and io adj to our
discomfort, the Wind blew over our tent, and
all this without our having had any sleep Foe
TWO nights, and without single blanket To
protect u. Twas lucky enough Ia find place
among some saddles IN a deserted Mexican
nut, winch, when arrived. was already filled
W ith olhcets. Another storining purity was
ordered Ia te IN readiness to attack the prin.
cipai height, an undertaking which seemed
desperate, siucc IL was much higher than the
Others Was said 10 be defended by a larger
BODY o' choice soldiers, and even after il was
taken would b. raked by the guns OF the Cas-
tle' Nevertheless IL WAS stottncd with the
same facility as the Others. At this tune the
outpost having reported bodies of cavalry ON
the Satillo road, my company was sent out
WIN the dpgoous, the rangers and another
company OF artillery, to defend a small village
OF Touring mills about two miles from the
CITY. IL was an admirable position, aud
mink had even the whole of Santa Anna, ar
my attacked NJ there, we could have driven
,hem OH. The cavalry, however, proved To
be mere bodies of rancheros, 10 use the cx-
preston OF our dragon officer, not wo nth the
trouble oil chasing. We accordingly returned
last ia time 10 hear of the fall of the Castle.
Inc circumstances were most extraordinary.
Alter taking the principal height, a small body
OF Louisiana volunteers were thrown out as
skirmishers towards the castle-ihe fire was
returned of course-the volunteers were or.
dered to hall back-the enemy's lancers made
a sally 10 attack them. Several more OF our
companies who were concealed in the bushes
sprohg up and fired. The lancers retired i'm
confusion. Our troops pursued them 20 Wig
orously as To prevent their re entering the
castle; The garrison seeing the lancers desert
ing mem, abandoned The castle snd our troops
occupied it. This capture was most impot-
'ont in every sens. We were now in pos. |
session at three batteries a. well as the heavy
'uns OF the castle, Ond this Obliged the enemy
. desert The lower part OF the town entirely,
Is 1t was commanded by our guns.
That night my company guarded the princi-
'al u I5ht. The first part of the evening I \
hard the contents of my layersack anal can
cen with Que oi tie Mexican wounded and
hen sent him To the rear, and vet have no !
oubt those very fellows would if they had :
ninrd the victory have cut my throat We
'assed another very Uncomfortable night, the !
Old wind on account of our high elevation
Nh'sutns all Minds OF melancholy tunes about
'nr heads. The post was too important To al
low W to sleep, IL being evident IL the enemy
Keep The city that they must attack /
ns That night, and indeed onlerlics cnmc fire.
lucnily rom the General To know il all was
lulet. Once IN the night we had false alarm.
HE sentinel at the castle firing his musk [.
As soon a. our troops heard il they raVe
ieaiening yell and sppng TO their arms, bu,
all again subsidized into silence. | recollcct
al tins time that, shocked at seeing some of 1
my men apparently still sleeping, rushed i
forward TO wake and Tcprimand them. As |
stopped over them saw they were sleeping
their last sleep. Ii was pile OF Mexican
dead looking CHASTITY and distorted ia the
Ali the next day we were fighting in the
ireets.-We drove thu enemy rom house 60
house and from square TO square. The Texans
pre- eded us snd my company followed clos.s
bchtud. when the streets bec8me 40 hot that
II became certain death to venture in ,bern.
the Rangers would break through the inner
Partition ot the houses and 50 advance grad
uaily, driving the enemy's sIlartsllooieTs from
the hOusctops. For our part, we would re-
main Ia SOME house until they were a sho,t
distance ahead, we would then make our wsv
ia single file, while complete hurricane OF
grape shot played about our ears, until we
reached new position. As soon as this was
attained, we would break into the doors or
each sidc with our axes and burst in a,nong
the inghtencd Inhabitants. who shricked and
iemblcd before u. A storm ct bull,.,s cam,
from every house tops shower OF grape swept
The sIret like q tOfnsdo. aud IL was not posi-
bic 10 siif from an > Ter without being liz at
~ on from oil sides every wand was a fort
OF which tie bous. WIS citadel. ID wa,
perfectly astonishing 10 nie how ihe enemy
could keep up suchs continual slream ol balls:
bot every street was hsrfirsdcd sud bltteries
wrtt erected on the houso-tops Sing. sioa.
wat the bullets. VIM. whew. went the efs,,e.
slot. bat still we advanced In spite oi eys,y
ihiug Occasionally | would =. G man struck
dead another bortc tD thc rear dangerously
wound 1t, btl kept my eyes To the front aud
never 10 'ked behai. Although crossed and
fccross'd thc street AMI ran tllc gauntlet of
ihc shot in every way, came out OF the isbt
u iiIurt. A. almost all tunes was in great
danger. Once one oi ihe enemy must have
marked nc on account oi my uuifUsn. | wos
~ me heat Ut my company, part OF which
hal euictcd hOuse, bat a. | had received 40
Orders "a enter, remained outside, my men
bsing drawn up On lhe side Of the street, the
centIe Oi which was ukcd by the enemy,
lire. ] stayed uisfs about twenty minuirs