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

The brigade was lhtn oldered 10 haNduIc ~ -
lumn on The lci Of the army, the battalion oil az
tillery. under command Of Lieut.. Col. Chllds, on
The light, the eighth regiment of infantry, com
manded by Capt. Montgomery, on The leit, and
Capt. Duncan's battery i'll the centre. Inc army
then having been ordered 10 advance, The ofl9aae
moved in This order until The enemy opened Ms
batteries. When The brigade was hailed, Cap'
puncan's battery advanced abont two hundred
wards and commenced most destructive NE up
on the enemy. This disposition was Ua'nia ihet
Tor a about two hours, when The eneTys IRE SLACK
encd, and finally ceased. Nothing could su!ras:
the GOODNESS and seadincss Of the commant
while thus exposed 10 CALLING fire, receiving a
they did the heavy discharges OF the enernys well
aimed artillery without the power oil defending
| themselves.
In short Time after the firing ceased The army
was ordered 10 advance and take position some
what nearer 10 The enemy; The battalion OF aHi
lery taking post in rear and 10 the right OF the twC
eighteen Founders, Capt. Duncan's artillery on
their left, and The eighth infantry on the let and
TO The rear Of his battery. Al this moment Capt
Duncan, with his usual quickness OF perception,
discovered and communicated 10 me The tact thai
the enemy was moving the entire cavalry and in
iantry force Of his right wing upon our train in
rear Of Tie leiI oil our line OF ba',le and that his
battery could produce more destructive eiec.
upon The enemy BY taking position further 10 The
left. ordered him 10 proceed 10 the threatened
point with all possible dispatch, and hold the enc
nv in check MI he 9Th infantry could come up
10 his suppo':. The battery dashed back on tne
LETT flank in full view Of the enemy, and engaged
him within point blank range Of hissmall guns. SO
sudden and unexpected was this movement 10 me
enemy, who al moment before saw The battery DIS
appear in The opposite direction behind The smoke
oil The burning prairie, that his whole column Of
cavalry pulled up 10 halt before Shot had been
fred or even The guns numbered. A strong body
of the enemy's infantry, supported by two squad
rons oil cavalry debouched from the extreme right
point OF he chapporal and moved steadily for
ward 10 the attack; one section o the battery cpen-
ed npon them with round Shot, shells, and sphef!-
ca case 50 well directed that The whole advance,
horse aud loot Tell back in disorder TO The bushes;
tie other section PLAYED in The mean time upon
The masses Of cavalry thai had halted al The SIGHT
OF The guns before mentioned. Although these
shot were well directed, and each made an open
ing through an entire squadron, this part OF The
enemy's line stood mistaken.
The column Of cavalry and infantry driven
back in the chapporal by The other section, re-
formed there and moved forward q second time 10
the attack with great regularity After they ad-
yahced about one hundred yards from the chap
poral, the section before ordered 10 drive them
back again opened, and drove them with even
greater success than before. They Tell back pe
nell to The bushs, and commenced their retreat:
their supporting cavalr? abandoned them, rushed
back upon The head Of The co'umns that had be-
lore withsood our shot, and High, commenced.
Squadron after squadron TOOK Il up and The en-
tire right wing Of he army was IN iul relleat.-
Both sections were now brought 10 bear upon The
cnemy's broken and dying columns, and brisk
and destructive FIRE kept up Till they disappeared
in the chapporal or darkness put an end 10 the
baule.
When this battery first reached its position on
the le and before The infantry could arrive Tor
its support, Capt. Ker, Of the 81 Dragons who
had been directed with his squadron 10 guard The
baggage uan with promplness ant eagerness
worthy Of all praise, offered 10 repel any attempt
OF The enemy TO assail the battery m is le!,.
During tie absence OF the SIN infantry on the
leli, the commander Of The artillery battalion VI
solou>y and successfully repealed a des crate q.
tor, IN the part Of he enemy 10 carry lie lS-
punn.'ers, b. promptly forming square ana ar
resting the charge Of cavalry. While in This TO-
>iticn, he received a fire from line Of The enc
rny's infantry, which was quickly returned. he
then encamped on his own ground; al this time
the brigade was reunited near the lS-pounder
battery, and blvouacked in front Of the army
On tie morning Of the 9Th we were instructed
10 assume the same order and advance upon The
enemy, he having in the night and early in The
morning retired. The brigade advanced across
the plain and took position in the chapporal,
where we halted for several hours waiting in.
>lrucionS, and burying in the mean time eleven
of lha enemy's dead that were found terribly
mangled. The army having been PIT in march
in the afternoon, the brigade was ordered 10 halt,
as reserve, when within about a mile Of the
enemy'> position. In a lew minutes, the firing
having commenced in front, received orders 10
move up DIDcans battery ard one battalion OF
infantry the battery and the 9Th regiment were
Immediately put in motion, the latter in double
quick time.
On arriving at the scene Of action, the Sth re-
siment charged the enemy on the right Of The
road and drove him from his position. Al this
moment Capt. May, OF the 81 dragons, informed
me that he had charged and carried one OF the
cnemys batteries, but, being unsupported, was
unable 10 maintain il, | Immediately ordered
The S;h infantry 10 form III the road, when il was
led To a charge upon the battery, part OF which
had, as reported, been reiaken by the enemy
Th; movement was executed with The creates,
celcr;ly. and the battery secured The regiment
then charged upon the Eavine and across the
small prairie amidst sheet Of fire from the front
! and right drove the supporting column before ii,
| DESTROYING the enemy in vast numbers. they haV
| ing maintained a most determined and obstinate
resistance, until finally repulscd and driven
from The field Capt. Montgomery with his re-
eimenl pursued vigorously into the chapporal on
the opposite side OF The ravine, until, from The
rapid flight of The enemy, further pursuit was
useless. The conflict was short; The result
shows the severity.
Al The head Of the ravinc | met with Capt.
Mccall, 4lh infantry, who, in command oil me
advance, had CALAMITY brought On the action, and
| poured a most destructive and kept up an inces-
SAINT fire upon the enemy
Alter the commencement Of the action, on adj
yancing with the S,h infantry and The battery oi
artillery, ordered Lieut.. Colonel Childs 10 It.
main with his battalion rs reserve. It's due 10
Colonel Chds To STATE that he was DESTROYS that
his battalion should be selected 10 advance into
The action instead Of the SIh regiment. He soon
ater received orders from the Commanding Gen
era to advance He obeyed, and rapidly pursu-
ed the enemy TO The Rio Grande, where, having
thrown out picketS he captured one captain and
about twelve privatcs during III. enemy's fight
AS soon as the enemy's batteries were carried,
and his infantry began 10 give ground, Captain
Duncan was ordered 20 cross The rayEe and Ia kc
~ new position; that previously occupied rem
Gering il impossible ioT him 10 assai Inc enemy
without CALLING our own troops. This was done,
and the enemy vigorously pursued, a ew we'll
directed shots from Our batteries driving him from
position 10 position, till he reached the river.
Where all have acted nobly il may seem i'm
proper to speak OF individuals but l feel Gem
PEELED to name the commanders OF corps in the
brigade. The commander of the battalion Of ar
tlIery, Lieutenant Colonel Chiids, needs no
praise from me. His wellearned fame--won
on many fields known 10 all; but his cool
ness and ntrepidity in The battle Of the 9Th, du-
ring the heavy cannonade of the enemy, the
prompt manner in which he repulsed the charge
upon the ls-pounder battery, and his hot pursuit
oil the enemy 10 The banks Of the Rio Grande on
The evening Of The OH, are new evidences of his
zeal ard so!diership, which il gives me pleasure
10 record.
Captain Montgomery, in command Of The sih
inlanIry al Palo hIIo, manifested The utmost
cooIncss during The cannonade Of that Gay, when
his horse was shot under him; the CELEBRITY with
which he moved 10 The support Of The battery Of
artillery when threatened by the enemy's caval
ry, as we'll as his eagerness in getting into action
on the 9th, in which he was wounded, and his
i ~ 1,oh