The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-06-27
THE BATTLES OF THE RIO
GRANDE.
Gen. Taylor's Official Report
to the War Department.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF OCCUPATION,

w viz Wv 01 SSpdl Ii1l CACH
Headquarters ARMY OF OCCUPATION, .
Camp near Matamoras May 10, 1916 s
SIR:-I have now the honor TO submit q
more detailed report ofthe action Of the 9Th
inst.
The main body ofthe army of occupation
marched undermy immediate orders from
Point Isabel on the evening Ofthe 9Th ofMay,
and bivouacked seven miles from that place
Our march was resumed the following
morning. About noon, when our advance of
cavalry had reached the water hole of "Palo
Alto" the Mexican troops were reported in
our front, and were soon discovered occupy
ing the road in force. ordered a halt upon
reaching the water, with view to rest and
refresh the men aud form deliberately our
line of battle. The Mexican line was now
plninly visible across the prairie, and about
thrce-quarters ofa mile distant. Their left,
which was composed ofhcavy force of caval-
ry, occupied the road, resting upon a thcket
ofchaparral, while masses of infantry were
discovered in succession on The right, greatly
ournumbering our own force
Our line OF battle was now formed in the
following order, commencing on the extreme
right: lth infantry, commanded by Lieut.. Col.
Mcintosh; Major Ringgold's artIlery;3d in
tjntry, commanded by Capt. l.. NJ. Moristwo
Ia Founders, commanded by Lieut.. Church.
i'll, 3d artillery; 4th infantry commanded by
Mai. G.. w. Allen; the 3d and 4th regiments
composed the third brigade, under command
ofLieut. Col. Garland, aud all the above
corps, together with two spuadrons of dra-
goons, under Capt. ker aud May, composed
the right wingumder the orders of Col Twigs.
The left was formed by the battalion of artil-
lery commanded by Lieut.. Col. Childs, Capt.
Dnrcan's light artillery, and the 9Th infantry
under Capt MontgomeIy,ul forming the first
brigade under command OF Lieut. Col. Bel
KNAPP. The train was parked near the water,
under direction ofCapt CrOssman and Myers
and protected by Capt. Ker's squadron.
Abunt two O'Clock we took mp the march
by heads ofcolumns ia the direction of the
enemy, the IL pouudcr battery following the
road. While the columns were advancing,
Lieut.. Blake, Typographical Engineers, vol
untecrcd reconnaissance otthe cncmys line,
which was handsomely performed, and re-
suited in the discovery otat least two batteries
ofartillery in the intervals oftheir cavalry and
infantry. These batteries were soon opened
upon us, when ordered the columns halted
and dcployed into line, and the Gre to be re-
turned by all our artillery. The Stn infantry
on or extreme left, was thrown back TO Sc
cure that flank. The first fires of the enemy
did lttle execution, while our lS-poundcrs
and Major Ringgold's artillery soon dIspers-
ed the cavalry which formed his left Capt.
Duncan's battery, thrown forward in advance
ofthc line, was doing good execution at this
time. Capt Mays squadron was now de-
achod TO support that battery and the left of
ourposition. The MeXmn cavalry, with two
pieces ofartillery, wereVhw reported 10 he
moving through the chnparral to our right, to
threaten that flank, make a demonstration
nginst the train. The 9th infantry was mmc-
liately detached TO check this movemcut,nnd
by Lieut.. Ridgely, with section
Of Major Rnggod's battery, and Capt. Walk
or's company ofvo!nnteers, etfcctua!ly re-
pulsed the enemy-the 9th infantry rcpeIliug
4 charge oilamccrs, and the artillery doing
great execution in the ranks. The third in
hntry was now detached to the right n IL still
further security to that flank, yet threatened
by the enemy Major RinggOld, with the re-
naming section, kept up his fire from an adj
!anced position, and was supported by the
It'll iniantry.
The grass ofthe prairie had been acciden-
ally fired by our artillery, and the volumes of
smoke now partially concealed the armies
rom each other As the encmy's left had
evidently been driven back, and left the road
rec, and as the cannonqde had been suspend
I'd, ordered forward the 1S-pounders on the
Dad nearly to the position first occupied by
he Mexican cavalry, and caused the first
brigade to take a new position, still on the
eft of the lS-pounder battery. The 18th was
advanced from its former position and occu-
bed noint on the extreme right of the new
inc. The enemy made a change of position
TO our own, and afiera suspen-
ion of nearly an hour the action was resum-
ID.
The fire ofartIllery was now most destruc
i've: openings were constantly made through
he enemy's ranks by Our fire, and the con-
tancy with which the Mexican Infantry slls-
aimed this severe cannonade was a theme of |
Universal remark and admiration. Captain !
Nays squadron was detached TO make a
on the left of the eremy's po-
'tion, and suffered severely from the fire of |
lrtillery,'to which it was for some time ex-
POSED.
The fourth infantry, which had benn order
ID TO support tho lS-pounder battery,was ex-
posed to n most CALLING fire Of artillery hy
which several men We're killed, and Captain
Page dangerously wounded. The enemy's |
ire was directed against our 1S-pounder bat |
cry and the guns under Major Ringgold
II its vicinity. The Major limselfwhile cool
v directing the fire Of his pieces, was struck
~ cannon ball and MORALLY wounded.
In the meantime. the battalion of artillery
lnder Lieut.. Col. Childs had been brought
m TO support the artillery on our right. A
strong demonstration of cavalry was now
made by the enemy against this part of our
inc and the column continued TO advance
lnder severe fire from the 1S-pounders.@
The battalion was instantly formed in square,
md held ready to receive the charge ofcavnl-