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

a. !
10 Point Isabel. then moved forward wan u
columns to The edge OF The chappofa! or ioie'
which extends 10 the isio Cisaae, distance
seven miles. The iighi companies oil The nIsl Vi
gade under Captain G. T. Smith, second aIii'lef
and a select detachment Of light troops, 'ne uno
under the command Of Capt.. Mccall, louTlh Il
taplry. were thrown forward into The charpoiai'
lee lhe enemy ana ascertain MS posliich. hoo
, o'clock, received a report TON inc a'Na"'
that the enc nv WAS in passion on The road WIN
le.s, Two pieces oil artillery The command WI
Immediately put in molten, ana "oou. ioui =
clock came up With Capt Mceai', "ho ielo'
Cd the enemy in force In oaf ho!.'' oI' W! 80
| rayiue which inlcIseciS The read, and - snile
by thcke,s of dense chappora Ridse.y's bali
~ ard The advance under Capt. McCall, were
once larvwn forward on The road and INTO N
chapporal on either side, while The nun ihiah't
and one wing OF the fourth was lhrown i"lo ~
forest on the LETT and he third and The olner win
| oi the fourth on the right otlhe road. Ibese col
were employed as skir'nishers 70 cover 'ne oa''.
ry and engage the Mexican infantry. Capsal
| McCall's command became al once engaged WI
the enemy, while the light artillery, though N
very exposed position, did g'ea, execution.
enemy had al least eish. pieces oil ai'iHe'y' dn
ma intained an incessan. hie upon oui "us "h'''
The action now became genera, s'ia d''nou5
the euemy'S infantry gave way before ''e s'cuu
fire and resis,lcss progress oil our own yet III
artillery was ,;iil in position to check cur 40
vance-seyeral pieces occupying HE pass acros
Inc rayiue which he had chosen for his position
perceivno thai no decisive advantage couia "
gained until this artillery was silenced, ordeie'
CAPT Nav 10 charge the battery win his sqnau
ron of dragons. This was CALAMITY ana eiiec
,ually execu,ed The enemy was driven i'e'li ii''
Guns and General La Vega, who renamed aIone
?, ono of The batteries, was taken prisoner. mt
snnadron which suffered much in this charge
not being Immediately supported by Infantry
could mol retain possession oil The aItii;eFy taken
bnl il was completely silenced. In inc mean
time. the Sh infantry had been orcrieu up, dno
had become warmly engaged on 'he ilSnl VI 'he
road. This regiment and part OF The MN Were
now ordered 10 charge The aterles, Wnich was
handsomely dune aud he enemy entirely driven
from his artillery and his position on lie iei' u
The road
The LIGHT companies Of The frs, brigade, and
The third and fourth regiments ut infantry, had
been deplnyed on the right OF the road, When, al
various poinS, they became briskly engaged WIN
The enemy A small party, under Captain bnc-
hanan and Lieu'enanls Wood and Hays, iourih
infantry, composed chiefly VI men OF mat lesi'
men,. drove the enemy from breastwotk which
he occunied. and captured piece OF af'il'efy.-
AN attempt 10 recover this piece was REFUSED
h. Captain Baibour's third infantry. be enc
NV was at last completely driven from his posi-
lion on the right oil The road, and reiieaed nrcci'
nraiely. leaving baggage Of every description
The fourth infantry look possession c q caih'
wher, ,h. headquarters 81 he Mexican General
n.Chief we're established. All his official cor
re>pcnd.nce was rar.ursd 4; Ibis mace,
The artillery battalion i,xcefi'ng me n'nh
compsDi.s> had been oide,sd 10 guard the "a
gage train, which wa> parked some distance IN
rear. That battalion was now ordered up ~
nursue the enemy, and, with the third infantry,
Can, kefs dragons, and Capt, Duncans bat
,ery. followed him rapidly 10 the river, making
number al prisoners. Great numbers Of The
enemy were crowned in attempting 10 cross me
river near me town. The corps las! mentioned
eacamred near the rirer-the re;nande! o. the
army on the field CT battle.
The rcn.th al our marching force on ih's
lav. rs exhibited in The annexed held report, was
i13 officers aad cog men aggregate 2,3@2 =
The actual number engaged with ih- enemy did
not exceed 40. our loss was three ciiicei
killed. thirty six men killed and seventy one
wounded. Among the officers KILLED have 70
report the loss OF Lieut. lpge, ID Dragons, who
i.ll at The head Of his platoon while saliahliY
charging the cnemy's battery; Of Lieut.. Ccci!-
rane, oil The 4th, and Lieut.. Chad5ourne, OF thr
9Th infantry, who likewise met their death IN The
thirkes, OF the fight. The officers wounded were
Lieut.. Col. Payne, inspector general; Lieut..
Dobbins, 81 infantry, serving with the light IL
;aniry advance, slightly; Lieut.. Col. Mcintosh,
5,h infantry, severely. twice; Capt Hooe, 9Th
infantry, severely, Origin, arm since ampn;a:cd;)
Lieut. Fowler, 5ih Infantry, slightly; Capt
Montgomery, Sh infantry, slghtly; Lieuis
Gates and jordan, Sih infantry, severely, (eaeh
iwice y Lieuts. Selden, Ma@lay, Burbank and
Morris, S,h infantry, slightly.
have 10 accngale GAIA from which 10 cSti-
mate the en-my's force on lhs day. lie is known
,o have been rcinorccd after the action of the Sh
both by ca-alTy and infantry, and no doub, 10 an
extent al least eenal 10 MS loss on that day. Ii Is
PROBABLE that 5000 men were opposed 10 US, anc
in a position chosen By themselves, and strongly
de(enGed with artillery. The enemy's loss va:
ysry great Nearly 200 of his dead were buriet
by us on the DAYS succeeding the battle His loss
in killed and wounded and missing, in the Two at
fairs Of the 5h and oh, is, | think, moderated.
estimated 4, ,G90 men.
Our victory has been decisive. Il small force
has overcome immense odds oil the best troop
that Mexico can iugni>h; ve'ctan regiments per
,ec,iy equipped and appointed. Ejgh, pieces @
Artillery. several colors aud standards, a g,ea
numaer oil prisoners, inciuding fourteen officers
and large amount oi baggage and public pro
perry, have lalien into cur hands.
The causes OF victory ale doubtless TO be iounl
in the superior quality OF our officers and men
have already, in former reports paid genera
tribute 10 the admirable conduct ot the troops 0,
both DAYS. Ii now becomes my duty: and ieel
to be one of greal,'e icacy, to noice Individuals
In so extensive field as that OF the 9Th, and il
the dense cover where mos, Of the action of ID
9th was fought, could not possibly be witnes
10 more than a snail portion Of The operations {
the various corps, AMI mus, therefore depen
upcn the reports oi SUB r! Innate commanders
WHICH respectfully enclose herewith.
Col. Twie.s, Inc second in command, was pal
tcuar!y active or both days, IN executing M ol
,!sfs and directing the operations Of the right win:
Lieut.. Col. Mcintosh, comma nding the 9Th inlar
Try; Leu. Col. Garland commanding the hir
brigade; Lieut.. Col. belkfap, commanding h
Is, brigade; Lieut.. Col. Chiids Commanding ii
artillery battalion; Major Allen; Caps. l.. !
Morris and Mon somery, commanding respective
~ the 4'h, Sd, and 9Th regiments Ct inianir
were Jealous in tie performance oil !neir du,ie
and gave examples to .acir nds OF cool ar
fearless conduct. Lieut.. Col. Mcln:osh repulse
with his regiment charge Of ancers in the d
ton of Palo Alto ana shared with il in he hol
ors and dangers of the following dav. being lwit
severely wounded Lirul. Col. Belknap aeadc
a charse Of The Sih infantry, which resulted
driving the enemy lfcm his guns, and caving
in possession OF that par Of the field.
Captain Duncan and Lieut.. RiicelY Geser;
special nJ.ice for the gallant AMI eificien. ma
ner in which they marGoyred and served the
batteries. nc impression madc BY Car,. Du
can's battery uroa The extreme right Of The en-
my's ine a, the affair q! Palo Alto, con,ribu,,
largely TO the result of lie day; while Inc leTib
fire kept up BY Lieut.. Ritgsly, in The affair OF II
9Th, inflicted heavy losses upon The enemy. TT
iS-p ounCer battery, which played a conspicuor
par, in the action OF The s b, was admirably serve
by Lieu.enan, Churchill. Sd artillery, assisted b
Lieutenant Wood. Tuposfs ?hieal engineers
The charge oil cavalry aganS; the encmv's Ia
.eries on The 9ih, was galiaa,iy led by Cap,ai
MAY and had complete srccess Capt. alcCai
in infantry, rendered distinguished service wi
the advanced corps under hi orders. lis loss
killed and wounded viii how nov closely il VI
engaged. | may lake this occasion 10 say lha
| in Two former instances, Captain Mccall h;
rendered valuable service IS ilisan officer
| In this connexioa, would mention the service
of Captain Walker, Of The Texas rangers, vi
was in both affairs With his company, and wi