Democratic banner., 1846-05-30
THE BATTLES.

readers mayha,c 4 ~el,arcr idea of the ar
engagements On tie bats. field:
About : O'Clock, ca.:.. s.. Zen. Taylor
fam! the enemy i'll "os:..", ~ front Of a
ciararel, which lies opposi;et to tie timber
of a stream called PalG Alto.
The train was closed up. tic troops filled
tfcir can:ccns, and Gen. Taylor promptly
formed lis line Of battle as follows: on the
right was Rinanld's Ea,iery, 9TH arG&d IN
~fantry; thcntwo Is Founders; thea the Ar
~lt;'lcry Battalion. The left was composed
of tue 9Th and Sth Inf4ntry, and DuHcan's
battery. 4 daring reconnaissance by Capt.
J. J.. Blake, showed the cnrmy's line to De
%ncarlZ twice the strength rfonrs, With hra-
" reserves in Tie cEap"rcl. The Next
cars opened the action with their AIt!i:e-.
nv, the range Of wi!icI v as hardly great e.
though tn reach our Enc, which vas mos ing
slowly forward. and some got into the Tick.
icst of their s!:ot and hated. TIER ire WAS
returned ircir AL err bate ri,s, aEd ! vcn-.
iturc to say that no field of battle over dis
lplayed such skill, CIR rapidly CT Eie aud cv-,
i~oIution.
The first and cniy important movement.
attempted blythe enemy. wash detachment
of their cavalry Il make 4 dctomr around =.
clump of c!ial "rcl on our right, and attack!
the train. CAPT. Walker of Tie Texas Ran.
gers, promptly reported tits, and tie 9th III.
vas GetaciCa to nee; il, which it
did handsomely, receiving tie ~lanccrs in.
and driving them by we'll deliver.
ed valley. The cavalry ;Lcn pushed on a
gain fer the train, and found Tic Sd Infantry
.~advancin. in column # divisions upon
them. They ticn retired, and as tl.cy re
passed the 9th they received a fire from
Lieut.. Ridgrly'S two pieces, which lad ar
at the nccl; of time. Two field pirc-'
.cS which were following the ~carHy's caval-.
nv, were also driven back with item. :
meanwhile the cncmy,s left IVES riid!eG'
by the Is FOUNDERS, which slowly &dvanc-
ed up the road-Dunca..'s battery on Ike
Icltn"slcctiug the cnemy's fire. Tie grass
was set on fire IT Ike END Of an hours car
nonading. and obscurcd the encmys posi-
ton completely, and m Interval Of three
Of an hour occurred. During
this period cur liglt, now rrstin" on the IL
Founders. advanced along the wood. TO the
point originally occupied by the Mexican
left. and when the smoke had cleared away
sufficiently to show the enemy, the fire was.
resumed with increased rapidity and exc
cw.i0n. Duncan divided lis battery on the
left, giving 4 section to Lieut.. Roland, to
operate in front and with the otIcr lie adj
three feet high and the flames rolled
10 feet in the strong breeze. and seized the
p~rolunsa.iOn of til" cnrmy's right, enflad-
Ing that flank completely. Night found the
tx" armies i'll this position.
On the 9th. the General packed the hca-
train, collected the enemy 5 wounded. in.
buried t:,r Lead, arranged our
wounded, ami moved On i'll pursuit of the
rncrlY on ;lIc Matamor"> I'D. Il.ry had
taken post in the chaparci Tie second time.
occupying the bed of Il stream called Res
AGA dc Ia Palma, with their artillery On Tie,
road at tn" crossing. | have 10 time for
details of this af. ir TIE General brought !
up his troops by ha!tailinnS ani pc>tcd tEcn.,i
with bricforIrrs to iin! Tie rnri"y viii. TIE
h~ayonrt, and place TIE artillery wicre t!.cy
co I'D act IN tie road. Z
Tie Dragons were held III reserve. and
as soon rs Tie advance Of oHr line Lad un-
the MrNiran batteries, Grn. Inv,
lortoiu Capt. .Iiay tia! I.n ti.ar IA cone. !
tie ~rnrmy's battery. sif-t&Ec it. !
nolrnS volcnS" Mav dashed upon ! with I
his Squ?Grcn. and lest one third If il, but he
the battery ana captured It's CON- ,
mandcr. Gen. Nr"a. in t9:c act nj rai:;ng'
Il port-lir" TO Ere IL r:,c" himself. MaytnoA
his @s":or,l, and 'yo:,!i The General eff. Tie "
enemy remained TIE ;ri.S. and lat them '
The second time To The 9TH Infantry. Ca;t. :
Barbour, of thc Sd Infrrtry. with Lis SIN
5lc company and Il few mem from tl;c 9TH,
back agArii>t;w irra!r q ruSTals, 'irrernicd !
gaIInnily repealed Il cI:arg" of cavalry. .
Duncan, with lis battery, did terrible !
nxecutinn-hc is Il most promising o.iicrr.-i
Lieut.. Rid%rl"y WAS also alncng the fnrr-
most. In truth, it was a series Of brilliant
Ikirmisi.cS and heavy Shcrks, in which l.
800 men, met 5000 hand to haud-ovcr- !
wiclmcd them with Tie precision Of tLcir
and the steady coo!ncSSc Of the BAY
Dnct-and drove them ircm Tie feed with
tie loss Of their artillery, baggaecs, pack l
fixed ammunition, and near 1000
stands of muSkctS. i
The fort, meanwhile, had been summon :
with true Mexican duplirity- and tnI,l''