Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-06-18

the enemy In full retreat along the road. The ar
my was halted, and Gen. Il. rode back TO the train
to write some communications. While there, Lieut..
Blake, OF the Typographical Corps, accidently shot
himself 1t was a sad occurrence. He had
behaved with distinguished gallantry on the
9Th. took advantage of the halt to go over the
field oil battle 1t was truly shocking sight. Our
artillery had literally moved them down! There
were heaps OF dead lying hither and yon, with the
most ghastly wounds ever saw, which made one
shudder. The number of killed could not be accu-
rately asceitancd, but of killed and wounded there
must have been at least 500. The prisoners taken
acknowledge that they were badly whipped. Their
accounts confirm us in the belief that there were
OOopposed to us We got a wagon load of can
non cartridges off the field
AS we were advancing we came across poor
fellow who was wounded. He gave us to under
stand he wanted bread and water. Col Twigus
exclaimed. "Men give this poor fellow something
to eat and drink" In instant the haversacks
and canteens of the company We're at his service
Such acts of generosity threw Pickering sunbeam
over the deep shades of the battle field. On the
field was found dog lying by the body of his mas
ter. No entreaties could prevail upon him TO leave
the body of him, who, iii life, had caressed him.
Gen Il. ordered out parties in every direction, to
search Tor the enemy's wounded, and had them
brought in and attended to with the same care as
our own men,
About p. NJ, the army resumed its march.
When we first halted, Capt. c. A. Mccall had
been sent ahead with 100 picked men to scour the
chapparal and watch the progress of the enemy.
Capt Smith OF the Artillery, with his battalion,
followed. We proceeded through the chapparal till
within about three miles of the Fort when word
was passed TO the rear that the enemy were in force
LII front, and in a selected position. There was no
stopping for reflection or plan. The troops fled
past the wagons, and deployed skirmishers to the
right and left OF the road. We had hardly deploy-
ed when the heaviest fire commenced The enc
my were posted upon the opposite side of a rvine,
Their lett guarded by pond, with three batteries
containing i'll all pieces of artillery; established
one on the left one in. and the right of the
road. Capt. McCall's command drew the first fire.
and the hrst man fell from the unerrinr aim of
LIT. Dobbins, of the Sd Infantry. The enemy's ar
tllery then opened, and complete shower of balls
fell Oh every side. To the left OF the road was the
fercest struggle. The 4th, 9Th, and Sth Infantry
were all in there and part Of the Sd.
Owing to the dense chapparal the Regiments
became much mixed, but fought not the less severe
iy. Lieut. Ridgeley advanced with his battery and
threw shells and shrapnel shot among the enemy
The enemy chung to their batteries with the great
est pertinacity. The gallant Lieutenant, in one of
his advances, had not yet unlimbered, when he was
charged by body of Lancers, who came dashng
upon him like thunder fortunately of his pieces
was unlImbered, and Sergeant Keans put load of
canister on top OF shell and fired it. This scat
erng all but four, who came dashing along, 1t.
H. charged them in person, and drove them oil all
this time the balls We're rattling like hail stones
Captain May rode back TO the General and asked
If he should charge the enemy's battery in the road
with his squadron? ''Charge, Captain nOieas 10
lens" was the reply, and away dashed the fellow
and his squadron down the ravne The enemy
poured voley Of grape into them, which killed
Lieut. lnge, and swept away nearly the whole of
his first platoon On they went and drove the
enemy from their pieces, and captured the battery !
On their return Gen. La Vega surrendered to Capt.
May, and was passed to the rear
This charge Of the Captains was truly gallant
act On the right of the road where the Sd de
ployed we met no enemy; the greater part of the
Regiment so far outfanked the fires that they soon
were In range Of the fires from our guns They
soon backed out of that and came up into the action
The 9TH, 9th, and 9Th were still pouring in their
fires upon the left, and driving the enemy before
them. Some companies of the 3rd were ON the
same ground Immediately after Capt May car
RED the battery, Duncan came up and took the adj
vance, driving The enemy with his fires The
Dragons, the Sd, and Capt. Smiths command
were ordered TO support the Artillery. The enc
my were giving away faster and faster On we all
pushed, henmed into narrow road, with dense
chaparral on each side, the artillery advancing and
pouring In It's bloody fire and clearing the road
About POO yards from where their battery was post
ed in the road, we came upon the camp of the enc
my. TWAS already captured and deserted. Three
huge packs were arranged upon the ground mules
some with packs on, were scattered about, beeves
Were killed, the camp fires made, and their meals
cooking. They had evidently expected to have
been undisturbed that night. On, on we went
keeping up run and yelling like mad men! The
enemy now and then made stand, but were driven
on. Nothing coud resist Tie adrancc of The acurt
Of The progressive annexation deDOcyGcu
We neared the lines of our old camp our cheers
reached high heaven, when they were suddenly 81
fenced by three shots from an lS FOUNDER, which
came over our heads coming very near killing some
OF our men. 1t was thought that our friends had
nStoOk us for the enemy, and were firing at lis
from the fort. The idea was horrible. 1t was af
forwards discovered that the shot came from the
city The enemy fled in every direction, and hun
drcdS were drowned in the attempt to swim the ri
ver IL was perfect rout, ''horse, foot, and dra-
goons." The General had gained a glorious victo-
ry over the best appointed army that Mexico had
ever sent into the field, confident OF success, i'm a
position selected by themselves, and with an over
whelming force, at odds of more than 8 TO l.
They had 1000 fresh troops, which were moi in
the battle of the 9Th, and had come over in the
morning expressly for the fight. They were vete-
rams OF t,cCaty successful battles, and in their OWL
country, upon which ever side they fought victory
pcrched. Every thing was in Their favor-position
numbers, and confidence. and yet. with ali these
they were badly whipped. History does not fur
nsh parallel with the battle of La Resaca de Ia
Palma Such is the name Of the battle of the 9th
So confident were they OF victory. mat Ampuda
speaking 10 Capt. Thornton, no was then their
prisoner, said that sit ute ~ impossible that
it should be otherwso--that their numbers alone
sufficient, Independent Of those uetcydn regi-
ments." Gen. La Vega said that ''if he had had
100000 in camp he should have considered it as
safe fat the city Of Mexico. and he ,couid hare
bet Hat Gmo'nH that no ten thousand could have
driven them.'
The dead, dying, and wounded, were srewn in
crcrv direction. We cantnred one Gencral ono