The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1846-05-30
CAMP OPPOSITE MATAMoRAs,
May ID, 1916.

Since the evening Of the oh, nothing has
uanspired here. You may know ere this, that
we gave the McXicans "jessee" on The SIh anr
9th. Gen. Taylor, after establishing his little
eand fort hore, right opposite the town, lett the
Tlh Infantry aud two Artillery companies III 1t,
with instructions to defend it TO the death; ne
then left with The remainder OF his force for Bra
EOS Santiago for supplies, and with the hope
that the two mortars (Which he had ordered SIX
months ago)had arrived from Washington, and
| also TO bring up ammunition enough tor our four
| IL Founders to batter down Matamoras. Gen.
L. and command left on the Isl Of this month.
On the morning of the Sd, at daylight, the Mex
leans opened the batteries on our fort, or rather
our grand entertainments from that moment 1t
was righl hot work until II o'clock, when both
parties had tocease until their guns woud cool
Was you ever shot at in front with II poun-
der, in the flank by FOUNDER, and shell d.
rected to burst over your head? if not, try it,
just TO properly enjoy brandy toddy after the
gun cooling begins. Wen, after the refresh.
ments tho bali continued, varied only by little
more "vndicate looseness" and wild colt comet
like flying of shells. 1t was not only % min-
; utes after we commenced our fire before one Of
, our lS pound shot struck their IL pound can.
non directly in the muzzc, and knocked it head
back and stomach INTO the air about ~ feet, ant
it was accompanied by legs, head arms. Sever
Mexican officers were around their piece killed
We have not heard from their IL FOUNDER since
and 30 hot was the little fort in which it ha(
been placed, that they were compelled to aban
Il. When the first fire came, rushed into my
tent and jerked up my rife, and as stepped
out, a 0 pound shot struck my tent at the hca(
o of my bed, cut off the back upright pole, passed
out the back,part through two other tents, ant
then buried itself in the parapet. I'm glad
. was not "caught mapping"
In the first half hour sergeant of Capt. Lee
i company was killed he was carried over to TIT
!. hospital tent Gul OF sick) ard directly he wa
LAID on bed, bomb shell was thrown through
C the top of the tent, lit near the bed, burst an
n blew the dead mans head off without miurn
any one else. On Wednesday, the 9th May
: and Sd day of the bombardment, Major Brow
n was struck on the leg with bombshell, and hi
~, leg had to be amputated-he died on the 9Th
Il These are the only two we have lost during tn
whole of the bombardment, which commence
on Sunday, Sd, and lasted with little Intermis
70 sion, day and night, until the next Saturday a
,e dark. During this time the enemy had thrown a
bout $500 shots-sod and shell-amongst US.
D. is incredible that the damage should have been
VI slight. Finding we could not dIsmount the
mortars-they being sunk in the ground, wit
thick embarkments in front-and having onl
SIS about 400 rounds of ammunition to our cannon
we went to work to throw up kind OF tempo
D. rary bomb proof shelter, by taking our barre
c. of pork, laying sticks Of wood across them, an
II throwing up six feet of earth upon that. Thes
)" we built at points in the fort where they woul
ns be covcnient for the men; and when we saw tn
le smoke from their guns, every one would ia
r from the pBrape' aud 'holc" When we wou'