The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-06-01

~ards The foot OF the mountains and to within a few
Of ns SsTnos o his
again into battery and in the course Of half an hour
by the steady and destructive fire of his artillery the
enemy forced to fall back. This advantage follow
ed up in doing which was Joined by section Of artil-
lery under Capt. Bragg My command still continued
position where able to deliver destructive fire.
which caused the enemy to retreat in confusion While
steadily advanced the cavalry but owing to the deep
ravines which separated my command from the enemy
was unable to gain ground on him. The enemy hav-
ing been thus forced to abandon his position left
and rear, was again directed to position in
supporting distance of Capt Shermans battery which
occupied its former position and against which the
my seemed to be concentrating his forces After hav
wing occupied this position time, the general in
chief directed to move my command up the ravine
towards the enemys batteries and to prevent any fur
ther advance that flank This position occupied
until the close of the battle, the enemy again
daring to attempt any movement towards rear.
The cavalry, except Capt Pixies squadron, which
detached for picket service the right of the road
cuped during the night Of the 23d, the ground
where directed last to take my position before the
close of the battle Finding the morning of the Oath
Pixies squadron and ordered by the general in pursuit
have the honor to be, your very obedisnt servant
Brevet Lieut. Col ID dragons comdg
Major w. W. s. Bliss, Assistant Adjutant General,
Army Of Occupation.
Col. Marshall's Despatch.
CAMP AT AQUA NuEvA, MEXICO,
March l, ls47.
When the presence of the enemy was first announced
my regiment ordered to take post along the base Of
the mountains which covered the left of position
but while proceeding to execute this order it was again
commanded to turn into the plain and to march to the
point occupied In person by Brgadier General Wool
Having accomplished this purpose you ordered me to de-
squadron of cavalry and to take ground Ito the front
and left" The remaining squadron was in few mo-
ments directed to support this movement
To render the explanation of our movements more sa
tsfactory it may be well to state here that the position
Of Buena Vista is in vale between two ranges Of noun
west The plain inclines from the south to the vale,
which courses in direction parallel to the mountains,
and Is by numerous deep ravnes worn by the
torrents that in rainy seasons rush its face.
These ravines have precptous and abrupt banks vary
ing in height from three to forty feet Their
the plain is Irregular that the ground which
to take position consisted of series of plains
issuing on the left from the Sierra Madre and terminate
ing on the right in the deep dell through which the road
passes from Aqua Nueva to Satllo In length they vary
from three quarters Of mile to mile in BREATH from
fifty to three hundred yards Ground which, at little
distance would entirely practicable for the opera
lens of cavalry, will appear exactly the more
Having the general direction to my regiment 'to
the front and left proceeded to the base Of knoll,
of spur from the Sierra and commands the entire
plain before mentioned Here halted the regiment
presuming from the appearance of the ground every
side that it would be ut point which to rest the left
Of line, and from its commanding position, that it
would be seized by the enemy the first opportunity
Fronting towards Aqua Nueva the ground the right
of the knoll presented broader plain than any other in
the immediate neighborhood. The of this knoll Tor
spur was bounded by broad deep ravne whose banks
could be passed with by cavalry while from the
other face issued numerous ravnes OF great depth which,
with winding courses extended to the vale below, Offer
ing almost perfect protection oremen against cavalry
and the utmost facility of resistance by small to large
force Issuing from the peak Of the Sierra with
the that terminated in the Knoll before mentioned,
was another which bore away to the valley in front
of the knoll and ut angle of about thirty degrees to
the line which connected the knoll with the mountain
By crossing deep valley this ridge accessible from
the knoll and, as the lines of these hills converged to
the point OF the mountain 1t evident that the
passage from to the other became more easy the
higher the point occupied by any force The ridge of
this second spur commanding view Of the entire plain
beyond and of the entire army of the enemy was to my
mind papaby correct line to be occupied by the light
troops who to defend left flank. In truth,
convinced and at the time repeatedly stated to
those around me that the enemy would fight the
battle until he succeeded in carrying this position
After hating at the base Of the knoll few moments
post the front spur have described and there to
ss attempt to turn our left but when overpower
ed by numbers retreat the ridge
Meeting the knoll with the SIERRA and there to fight
again; and should they be unable to hold that line
rson the ny rerestng along the rear face Of
were dsmounted, and held In concealment the hill
side of the ravine which bounded the Of the knoll
battalion Of the Arkansas cavalry formed the
plain at about 800 yards to the Of my position
while battalion Of Indiana rifemen took post under
the command of Major German near my squadrons In
this position We awaited the enemy, who had already
commenced depoyng battalions to his right Jour eft
with the evident intent Of carrying the points
pied His intention made maifest from the fact,
that from battery in the valley he commenced throw
ing shells at the rihemen who me- at the
and Beard and Lieut. Field promptly executed my or
der and already in possession of the heights in
prehension of Brgadier General Wool that this advanc
ed might be cut of by the regiments of the enemy
which were marching up the ravine beyond and his
wish that my should be recalled. Reluctant
ly yielded to the order and sounded the recall where
upon the rife battalion rejoned the regiment Scarcely
had the rihemen returned when Gen. Wool himself
rode up and explained that his views had been msap-
pretended by the officer who communicated them, it
his design merely apprze me of the danger which
threatened the advanced corps yet to leave their posi-
ton entirely to my discretion. At the same time he
charged with the command of the troops on the left
flank attempted immediately to rectify the error by
ordering company from the Indiana battalion to re-
sumo position the front heights while the three dis
mounted companies belonging to the Kentucky cavalry
(who much exhausted by their previous exercise)
ordered again to climb the hill and to take post
the ridge connecting the knoll and mountain The com
duty assigned to them and with deep regret observed
the Mexican troops were in short time in possession
OF the very heights my own men had half hour prev
ously advantageousy occupied The firing immed-
ately commenced. 1t was about 80 minutes past g. p.
m, the 22d of February. The Mexican light troops
appeared the ridge constantly taking additional
ground to their right so that Captain Shawhan
thanking them. At the same time three companies of
Germans battalion ordered to take position on the
knoll, with one of which the Kentucky battalion was
subsequently reinforced The Mexicans occupied high
er ridge than that on which my force posted They
overhot their mark continually for though the action
nlgnt, tney Killed no and wounded
only The loss of the enemy is not known butts
understood to have been large. The Mexican troops
continued to extend to their right until they scaled
the very summit of the Sierra Madre Foreseeng that
they would extend to this point ordered Captains Mi
lam and Pennington to dsmoun their companies pas,
the gorge in the mountain and by scaling mountain
from the to command the right flank Of the enemy
Darkness prevented them from succeeding though their
object nearly attained that they within the
fire of the enemy, who had reached the summit and
these would have been but for your order
calling all the troops to the plain for the night When
night closed, the enemy had succeeded in out-ankng
us though yet position not turned; and from
the abrupness of the face Of the mountain it was hoped
that his apparent would yield material nd
vantage.
Throughout the evening, Captains Shawhan and
Beard and Lieut.. Field acted with promptness and
bravery. their companies with coolneea akilI