The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-11-12

6hsFn RlnHlss, When We we're efdsFta
ta ehsFEs ap The street . slight Hesitation
Haa mSalfssies b. bath FsEnlsrs snd Eos
lualssFs. bui he of6rsFs sPFsnF 70 he
front in dsshls Sc, bsiag IlOagsids 81
CT Wsslnn.
We sdsaaesa | suppose aboaa kf.yI
yards, whsn Gel. Gssland. II TIE Afmy.
osdsrsd ~ 70 rssrr. We ssill advanced.
ard hs again ordered - . Fsiiff. SIDING
ihH lims. in coed order. nos besams
separated from CO.. Wslson. and nsssF
saw him AGAIN. He tOok The lsfl hand
aide u he sHsstsndll Ghs nshihsn and
shea | rsashsd the opsn 6sld whsfs be
hsd 6rst crdersd - 70 lie down. was
ioInsd BY Lisut. Aisgaith. wha. 10 ny
Inqairy. answered that be had Just sfs,hs
Colsnsl. and supposed be wasld soon Be
wilh -. Seeing m other officer srosnd
ms. 1 rallied he Battalion. lssmsmbsr
lhss The firing vas jusi - bot and - ~
esssans nov - IN had bssn slihs hrsil and
led them down 10 make another sslsck On
the iori. having made up my mind 10 take
il o. die IN lhe attempt.
Imagine my suTprise-a most sgreea-
bic one. | confess-lo find the Fort In
our possession. il having been captured
by ihs Mississippi and Tennessee regl-
menls when il turned lis FIRE on u a. We
charged into the Town. ] have not The
slightest doubt that IN was The charge made
BY The lei infantry and our Battalion into
The city which made the Mexicans reirsa.
from the Fort.
was ordered 10 shelter my men from
the fire, and await further orders. | took
them in the ditch and then claInbered ov-
er The ramparts 10 take lnOk u what
was going on. My appearance was greet.
ed with . dozen or 80 Of musket balls.
which accelerated greatly Islrcgade
movement. and | &c. down quietly. with
ten feel Of dirt between the and The enc
my's shot. This was The FIRST spot that
had been in in which was out Of fire
for more than Two hours, and was near
ly exhausted. One Of my men now came
up and reported 10 me the death If poor
Col. Watson. whom he had seen fall from
q muskel shot through The neck.
! As we'll as | can learn. the Colonel. in
retiring from the CITY. inclined a good deal
TO the left. and became separated from the
main body nj the battalion; that. in com.
pany with Lieut.. Bowie. who remained
with him. he me. another column adsan.
cling 10 the attack, joined them with the
few men he had with him. and fell few
moments afterwards. Ele met with gal.
liant soldiers desth-his face TO the foe.
His loss is deplored by all who knew his
generosity Of hear. and chivalry Of cha.
racIer. His loss TO me. individually, is
great, but 10 the battalion i, 10 irreparsble.
know moi how we will &c, along with
out him. We have much, very much 10
contend against. and have had ever since
we left home. But oil all this more anon.
We had been in the ditch for about a
quarter Of an hour when Capt. RidgeIy's
battery came up, also Tor shelter; but his
appearance vas the signal for The castle
10 open upon Us. which killed one OF his
horses the very FIRST shot. and woun,ed
one of my men. We were now ordered
TO support Captain Bragg's battery. which
had taken position to cut or the Ian.
GERS who had sailed out to intercept wha.
they thought was our retreat. We killed
five or SIX Of then. and The res, fled back
10 the city.
We were again ordered 10 The Fort 10
be ready fur another attack on the city.
Again the Castle opened on us and every
shot told. and | never was an glad in my
Lille as when got into The old ditch. Blu,
it was shors.lived qualification. for a re.
gimen, Of Mexican Infantry were firing
Oh Captain Webster's battery, and Their
balls raked The whole Fort. ditch and all.
We were then ordered To JON The Ohio,
Kentucky and Tennessee troops. which
were forming on the plain, for another al
tack on The city.
The attack was made. although | was
burning 10 have revenge, and from The
time las. left the ditch until we were
ordered back 10 the camp by General
Twigg's, We were constantly under fire,
being in open view and fair range Of the
artillery IN the grey castle. was under
frst one general and then another, until
became completely worn ont. as well as
my command, which had remained 80
faithfully with me. | returned to camp
as nigh. approached, wearied in body and
mind. but thankful to God for preserving
my life through The perils of the day.
Thus terminated, as far as our ba,tal.
ion was concerned. one Of The longes, and
bloodles. battles ever fought on this con.
slnen., and strange to say our battalion
only los. six killed and twenty wounded.
l had about lhirty-eight men of nv com.