Washington telegraph., 1847-08-04
orlNIlN

STATEMENT Huuugrp 10 N uE fgaaGEDlN0a
"Ailur ifes aud incndly discussion IN regard
10 the matters involved in this Investigation, be-
tween the parties, va Capt Pike aud the officers
Of the Arkansas Regiment now present, the court
I Is informed b. tie parties that all matter in dis.
/ pute between Gali Fikc aud the Regiment have
been umeahg aiilsisd-anl Capl Pike states as
/ follows.
"l have stated Tat during the eonissi ofihe 2al
/ Of February. The rifle companies e lhe regiment
l fought gdliaallyi but ou the morning ol the 23d,
| they were driven from the hills By an oyerpowering
force and retired to Burna Nsia. Bat | learn
/ that large part Of them again wcnt 10 the front
/ In detached parties, iOr example, H. Mexican Of
/ Capt. Hunters company, with part of his men,
aud fought gallanily dunug The day.
THAT on the moaning oi the 2id, on an order
10 retreat gwen By their commander, the cavalry
portion Of The regiment fcuraled, at atPced, each
Tor himsclli and not by mluruycnug IN retreat
But that they were again rallied, except some ~
or 80 who lci the iifld entirely y-and again ironied
the enemy-and | nssigu0d as the cause ol their
rrtfealing in such miuncr, that ilry had not bccn
taught to man~iyrr, lni that the order simply
was "rcreat.". ! sm glad To adI 10 this, what
have learned since, that In their Teirrai they kept
well together, aud promptly reformed.
That afterwards, ptcs,cd By Nally superiornum-
bers they werr ordered 10 Tclire and did retire, to
Bueua Vista, whc,c, with the Kentucky cavalry
they formed la line aud awaited aa attack Of
body ol lanccu, numbering perhaps three thou
sand, That Al the cncmys approach they delly.
cred their fire At from 10 ~ yarts-the enemy
separated right aud left the 1.-Two regiments charged
the swofdsnel who were passing their right, and
the lanccr, composing tho greater portion Of the
enemy s lufcc, charged uicm IN tile rear.
THAT being 80 charged by u vastly superior
force they were broken up, and thrown into coniu-
sOn-putsu.ns The s. gordsmcn and pnsacd by the
hncers; they became uicrniAgd with them and
swept on towards llie Rancho, Sighting brayey 10
cNlrcnie themselves. Thnt on approaching the
Rancho, a iilc from the Infantry and wagoneE
there arrested Tie lancer, part OF whom kept on
to the westward, and the rest commenced retiring
to the hills on lhr lell at which time May came
IN sight charging down the road with hs Dnlgoons.
! have always supposed that Il was Mays ap-
proach whichiiuuly dispensed the lanccrs bat ai-
ter further investigation believe the ALTAR Is cor
reetly stated above, aud that The lauccEs were al
ready retiring when May came in sight.
"lhut being unexpectedly churgcd IN tho rear
by an overwhelming i1.ue, many VI ourm meu werc
killed and wounded hy lance ihrllsH IN the back
othcr- BY wounds Ia tue iuHt Tia; the Req-
distance on the Sllliilo road, being cut OF from
tile main body; aud many totally scattered. |
have been informed that great many then went
to Sallo; but ! am now convinced that those
who went there, except few, went curlicr IN the
morning; and also that not more thai 10 or 30 IN
all went 10 sAlillo-iuderd that the number OF
those who went there from The two Regiments
has been greatly exaggerated, owing to the fact
that many horses o, the dsIuuntrd companies
were taken by Infantry soldiers, fleeing the field
all Of which were supposed TO be men ul those two
regiments.
THAT the Regiment never again gathered in
body It. Gaines company was wholly dispersed
that his cOlors were brought IN aud remained
with my squadron most Of tie uiienuon-and all
the officers w,lh few OF the men also joined Us.
That Capt Hunter told mo his company was dis.
pcrsed; which was the case, except Us to those
who under 1t. Mexican, fought wththe Infantry;
as did most Of the men, IN different parts Of the
field
"That Col. Roane, with some 50 OF more men
of all companies joined Col Mays command when
it moved 10 the lel, but soon retired again. have
been informed by several officers, aud have stated,
that they did moi leave us unulthc enemy opened
his battery upon U.s. but upon CJl. Roan1's assur.
ance that they left before this time for the purpose
Of uniting The men ho had rallied with those who
had joined Col Marshall, | chceriuly make the
correction,
81 have always said, that the regiment did not
run from the field, or behave dishonOrably or dis
graceIully-bdt that it was oygrpowered By supe-
rior numbers, and badly managed, owing to want
of discipline, aud to lack OF military skill IN the
commander, which exposed ii to great dsadyan-
tagc; that there arc no Drawer or better men than
those Of the Regiment and that they acted as
well aud did as good service Us any volunteer cav
airy IN The same state of discipline did or could do
have never accused the Regiment Of cowurdice
some left the field, aud they ot couIso are dis
graecd but mencl all corps left the field and re-