Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-11-18

down g house in the nefghborkood, thpss,
fcouid: tsv e will postpone it awhile az al
ssfevents,M r. was Houstoh,s reply. In fb,
medntinis. he had ordered Deaf Smith te
report " him, with d comp mon nion well mount
6 retired with the enl to the spot sslier.
pE Che had been dap Lii .le raSf1i1ls
! aking one m eisher hand, and exarninirse
o them carefully, he handed them to the two
t1rusty fellows, saying, "Now, my friends,
: take these axes, mount and mako the best
Of your wayto Vince's bridge; cut it down,
and burn it up, and come back like eagles,
or you will be too late for the day." This
was the bridge over which both armies had
crossed in their march to the battle ground
| of San Jacinto, and it cut off all chance of
escape for the vanqushed. "This," said
Deaf Smith, in his droll way CLOCKS q good
deal like fight, General"
The reader will not fail to notice the diff.
ference between Houston's calculations of
the results of that day, and those of somo of
his officers. They bethought themselves of
building neac bridge-he of cutting down
and burning up the only bridge in the neigh
borhood. The fact was, Houston was de-.
termined his army should come off victori-
GUS that day, OF leave their bodies on the
field.
The day was now wearing away it was
three o'clock in the afternoon, and yet the
enemy kept conceled behind his breast
works, and manifested no disposition to come
to an engagement. Events had taken Just
such current rs Houston expected and
desired, and he began to prepare for battle
In describing his plan of attack, we bor-
row the language of his official report, after
the battle was over. "The lst Regiment,
commanded by Col. Burleson, was assigned
the centre. The I'd Regiment, under COM
mand of Col. Sherman, formed the left wing
of the army. The artillery, under the spo-
cial command of Col. Geo. w. Hockey,
inspector-general, was placed on the right
Of the lst Regiment, and four companies of
infantry, under the command of Lieut.. Col.
Henry Hilliard, sustained the artillery upon
the right. Our cavalry, sixty one in num-
Der, commanded by COL Mirabeau B. Lam
, ar, placed on our extreme right, completed
our line. Our cavalry was first despatched
to the front Of the enemy's left, for the pur-
pose Of attracting their notice, whilst an ex-
, tensive island Of timber afforded US an op-
Portunity of concentrating our forces and
displaying from that point, agreeable to the
previous design Of the troops. Every ovo-
t luton was performed with alacrity, the
whole advancing rapidly in line, and through
, an open prairie, without any protection
whatever for our men. The artillery ad-
> vanced and took station within two hundred
yards of the enemy's breast-works."
: Those who expecta minute and accurate
, account of this engagement from the writer
! or any one else must be disappointed, for no
5 such description can ever be written. II
Z was slaughter more than battle. We
can only give the reader, with aid of an
> illustration a perfect idea of the position Of
both armies when the engagement began
fill up the interval of the next few min,
utes with blood and smoke and cries and
$ slaughter, and then tell the almost incredi-
] Bile result. The two armies were now drawn
r up in complete order. There were 700
t Texans on the field, and Santa Annals
, troops numbered over eighteen hundred.--
$ Houston had informed Mr.. Rusk of the plan
Of the battle, and he approved of it as per.
> feet. The Secretary, it is true, had never
l been a soldier-ho understood little of mil.
3 itary evolutions or the discipline of an army;
Y but Houston knew he carried lion-heart
1 in his bosom, and he assigned him the COM
> nnand ofthe left wing The General ol
/ course led the centre.
/ Everything was now ready, and every
, man at his post waiting for the charge. The
> two six Founders had commenced a well
, directed fire of grape and canister, and they
3 shattered bones and baggage where they
> struck. The moment had at last come
+ Houston ordered the charge and sounded
Y out the war cry, Remember the Alamo
These magic words struck the ear Of every
g soldier at the same instant, and the Alamo!
> the Alamo! went up from the army in one
j, wild scream, which sent terror through the
e Mexican host. At that moment q rider
@ came up on horse covered with mire and
T. foam, swinging an axe over his head, and
d dashed along the Texian lines, crying out,
s as he had been instructed to do, II have cut
V doom Tince's bridge-now fight for your
Q lioes and remember the alamo, "-and then
+ the solid phalanx which had been held back
= for a moment at the announcement, launch
0 ed forward upon the breast-works like an
= avalanche of fire. Houston spurred his
d horse on at the head of the centre column
i right into the face of the foe.
i. The Mexican army was drawn up in per.
o feet order, ready to receive the attack, and
o when the Texans were within about sixty
It Ipaces, and before they had fired rifle, q
It general flash was seen along the Mexican
= lines and storm Of bullets went rushing
@ over the Texian army. They fired toe
g high--several balls struck Houston's horse