American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-06-02

before they could complete their loading and
fire on him. This promptness upset complet ely |
their calculations. Their artillery retrea ted |
quickly, and left the lancers, about 1900 strong,
to make the charge upon the 9Th infantry. |
This they did; but Maj. Stamford, true and |
perfect soldier, reserved his fire from the front
Of his square until they were within twenty |
yards of his line; he than gave them one tEe- |
mendous volley, and, had they thought proper
to continue on, had his double row Of bayonets
ready to receive them. But the unerrng aim
of our musketry had its effect, emptyng some
fifty saddles They halted in their headloug
career, with confusion in their ranks, wheeled, |
and ran for it like good fellows. Here We had
the need of cavalry to follow up this decisive
blow; but as it was, it was a death blow to the
! left flank of their army.
! During this time, It. Duncan was covering
himself with laures. His battery, posted on
the left of our line, hammered them soundly:
! his fire did tremendous execution. The cool
| ness of Lit. Duncan and that of his command
particularly his junior officers, Its. Reynolds
and Peck-commanded the admiration Of eve
| ry one. On one occasion, heard 1t. Duncan
say, after loading a piece with great care,
! "Now, fellows, Just see how will give it to
them!n and, true enough, he did, you could
! see the opening made in the enemys ranks
! through which you might have driven a wagon.
The scene at this time was particularly sub
| lime. The long prairie-grass had caught fire
| from the frequent discharge Of the guns; and a
| long column of fire and smoke was rolling on
between the armies; night was fast drawing
nigh; the shouts of the soldiery, heard even a
mid the roar of our artillery, and the groans of
the wounded-fully equalled, in my mind, the
strongest pictures Of the Revolution. 1t.
Sbovnr in command IF ono enctipn pf 4
Ridgely's battery, here brought his guns into
action beside those of 1t. Duncan; and in a
few moments the two batteries created such
confusion in the ranks Of the enemy as to make
them fly in every direction. The battle was
won,
The New York Herald contains letter writ
ten by 1t Lowery, of the I'd Dragons, giving
graphic description Of the two brilliant en-
gagements, in both of which he took promi-
nent part. We make a few extracts. In
speaking of the first battle he says:
We continued to advance, and received eight
OF ten rounds before we answered them; but
when we did, it was with a terrible effect
every shot ploughed its way through their
ranks and twenty horses were seen without
riders, galloping over the field. 1t was a mag
nihcent sight, and i'll should see one hundred
battles, shall never forget this; from my posi-
ton | could see everything at a glance, and to
me it seemed more like a sham fight on a field
day, than battle of life and death There was
. a constant roar from both sides, and not a mus
| ket was fired until thirty minutes after the
| commencement of the battle; about this time
upwards of l, 900 lancers had passed through
| the woods and made their appearance OIL our
right flank, in the position Indicated. Ring
, COLDS pieces, and the 9Th, were Immediately
| fronted in the new direction, and rolling fire
, of musketry commenced, which, with the guns,
soon emptied many saddle. Scarcely had
| ten minutes elapsed, when saw Ringgold re-
, turning at full speed; my first impression was,
| they were pursued, but almost Immediately
learned that they had driven the enemy, and
: were returning to their old position. Wounded
) men, and some dead, were being carried to the
rear by this time; and even this certainty of a
real strife could scarcely dispel the pleasing
novelty Of the scene TO me. Six and nine
FOUNDER balls whlstled about US, and fell fire.
5 quently within six or ten feet of US.
:
5 By this time, our moving gradually in front Of
the fires kinded by our guns, brought us within
' musket range of the enemy; they appeared to
Q be retiring, and we kept them in constant con-
D fusion, by the exactness of our aim, and the
v terrible destruction made by our | S Founders
; They made an attempt about dusk to charge
!, the latter with their whole line, but they were
: met by a simultaneous discharge from four
= Founders, and the two is Founders. They re-
| coled in confusion, and every one was in hopes
q that Gen. Taylor would order simultaneous
/, charge of our whole line, but it was not done
= At this period of the action the sight was truly
It subme-it was getting quite dark, so much SC
g that we could only distinguish the enemy's
# position by the flash of their pieces. At an
: occasional lull Of the war, the shrieks Of the
n wounded and dying could be heard, whilst ar
G tllery and cavalry horses were rushing madly
8 to and fro, some with broken legs; and some IN
l. the last agonies OF death. When it became
h fairly dark, the enemy ceased firing, and, APP
: parently, retired to the woods though oul
h fire was kept up some ten minutes longer
a 1t. L. in noticing the second battle, thus
u concludes:
g cannot describe the fight, it was a perfect
rout as you may suppose when enumerate th'
;. spoils | could see the road covered with the
. enemy's dead, and in many places it was literal
} ly blocked up with dead horses and mules W.
% continued the pursuit until dark and left scarce
= " a Mexican on this side Of the Rio Grande
i 800 were drowned in getting over.
,s War whilst raging in all its herceness oil
: the field of battle, is soul stirring and noble
excitement; but after that has passed away it i
" sickening and horrible to think of, even muct
:, less to be obliged to look upon its CHASTITY bar
r. barities. will not freeze your blood by tell
= ing you the horrid sights | have seen, thu
a shrieks have heard, whilst at the same instan
ir one might see bacchanalian orge, and hea
" the shouts of the jewellers. have read manl
=, accounts of battles, but never description o
If one. Every thing was carried at the point
,t the bayonet, and by brute bull dog courag
ID alone For four miles the enemy were torce'
A. from position to position without our troop