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

within musket range of about three thousand
infantry while their battery three 81 yans and
;sts was ansued the ire against the infantry snd
iancers with tremendous effect Every sno. wnssnei
canister S .. advanced him about nifty yards
u strongly reinforced until In faet, iisuna ms
ne was s n-sssinr on The pieces were admirably
main ooay P siled any longer to check his advance
I ran in the Mexican ranks was closed as soon as
Lsy on looking round at this moment, discovered
naas ,rcmendous cross-fre of the enemy had forced
% regiment ordered to Ey support to fall back. Deem
tue s,ss,sss 10 remain alone and sacrifice my pieces
Ing ~ waited till the enemy s closer. and
then gave the order TO timber up and retire found
that all the horses aud all the cannoneers OF the
TN other pieces in but little better condition
succeeded however In Withdrawing them, and retired
q arriving there, had cannoneer to work the
guns All had been disabled or killed. Finding it i'm
possible to replace them either from the other batteries
or from any other source compelled to return to
your battery which guarding the pass at the foot Of
the heights 80 80
You then furnished me with two six Founders, with
which again assembled to the battle ground ! then
found myself opposed TO strong line OF the Mexican in
ntry and cavalry and Of their heavy batteries
was supported by body of infantry, posted in two
vines ON NV right and left The remainder OF our ar
tery and infantry were ss the in
check while our troops the left drove the body OPP
posed them round the head OF the ravne whe.e
united with those against whom was hiring AT TINS
moment | received orders TO push my section Forward
| advanced and again opened heavy nre Inc enemy
strongly reinforced
inc themselves so superior numbers by their junction
with this reinforcement and with their troops urNeh
from left they advanced Inc pos.on Oh now
appeared very critical II the enemy succeeded IN lore
ing our position at this pointthe day was thers Inere
other artillery opposed to them but my section
and one other piece 1t alimportant to maintain
our ground until artillery round the ravine
from the plain on our left and joined therefore de-
termined hold my post till the enemy reached the
muzzes Of nv guns The firing from the section be-
came and destructive the enemy advanced
1t repealed body Of ancers which was about charging on
lpca hal had
two horses shot under the one WAS then on was
wounded and limpng. had received wound in the
leg All my cannoneers, except few recruits who had
Joined some days before killed disabled. In the
midst Of this heavy fire. with horses and men dropping
around them the few recruits who were ut for duty lost
their presence Of mind; and found 1t impossible, with
all my efforts to keep them to their guns. remained
with the pieces the last until the enemy within
few yards of them when forced to retire for want
Of single to load fire. was, however de-
lighted to find that had maintained my ground suh-
GENTLY long to cause the victory be for
this moment the rest of artillery arrived and came
into action.
You are sir well aware that it is often the duty of
artillery officer to sacrifice his pieces for the safety OF
other troops Such my position could have
saved the guns had withdrawn them earlier but in
The large number Of Killed spd wounded men and
horses in the small command under will sufficiently
show the nature of the service in which we were en-
gagged There but and two horsed killed by
round shot All the rest struck by musketry OF
canister
JNO p. J. OBRIEN,
Captain U. s. A., Comd'g Detachment Art
To Captain J. M. WAsHrNcToN,
Comdg Company b, 4th Art
Capt. Brngg's Despatch.
Aqua NUEvA, Mexico, March ?, ls47
MAORI have the honor to report that marched
from Saltillo under instructions from Major Monroe
ssef Of tine Of ns a.a
gun under Captain Shower having been detached for
the defence Of the town. and under second euten
ant Kilbun to escort train On my arrival at Buena
Vista placed in reserve and directed to hold my
self in readiness for orders About noon under nstruc
tons from the ding general crossed the deer
ravne to the right of the road and took up command
ing position the extreme right Of our line supported
by Col McKee's regiment of Kentucky infantry. In
this position after throwing up s hit breastwork
placed my guns in battery and remained through the
night keeping vigilant watch.
Early on the morning Of the 23d skrmishng com
menced on the extreme left Of our line From my posi-
ton could clearly observe the enemy's movements
and perceived that unless recrOssed the ravne,
should be excluded from the action then about to
mence At this time was visited by Major Mansfield
engineers, and, after short consultation finding W.
FULLY coincded started to recross the ravine and re
join our main body. On facing to the rear, heavy
cloud of dust perceived several miles of the Sal
to road, and, knowing the enemy had cavalry forc'
IN that direction feared he moving upon depot
and train With the concurrence Of Major Mansfield
moved rapidly to that point, and my arrival met
orseman who reported the force to be the
general with his escort. The action had now COM
menced in my rear, and countermarched and moved
up to our lines Passing in my route to instruct
me, and finding opening on the left OF Captain Stein
squadron, LIST Dragons came into action with marked
pressing front Here remained, and kept up my
IRE until observed left flank turned and the enemy
rapidly gaining Being very closely pressed
with masketry front and without adequate support
retired two three hundred yards, and changed
the direction of my fire to the left to harass the
head of the enemys column and check his advance
An impossible ravine prevented my gaining
his front, In this position my guns were arduousy
served for d considerable time Captain Sherman was
in my vicinity, and fred in the direct on with ad
nirable effect. So destructive fire that the
enemys column was divided, and large portion of il
reti n hOped
Immediately limbered to the front, and moved up In
the direction of the foot of the mountains Passing Colo
mel Hardin, with his regiment Of illinois infantry re
qucsted his support which promptly given Having
advanced far as deemed prudent against heavy
force opposed me- came into action and again played
upon the enemys infantry and cavalry. 1t was but
short time however before discovered light battery
guns had been advanced by the enemy within
canister range Of and in short time it opened
with such effect that my and horses must al
fall If maintained my position accordingly retired
again beyond their and fired upon the force which
had gained our particularly indebted to the
amented Colonel Hardin for his able support under this
heavy fire.
My ammunition, by this time, was exhausted from my
timber boxes my old could not leave their
guns and my recruits, for the first time under fire,
found unequal to the task of replenishng my supply
therefore moved under in the ravine behind me,
and rapidly transferred my ammunition to the forward
boxes Before completing 1t, loud noise and cloud Of
dust attracted my attention to the depot and train
moved of in that direction, without orders, at rapid
pace supposng the enemy had attacked that point and
my presence might be essential in maintaining it,
Finding when arrived, that the attack had been
made and repulsed directed my attention to the large
infantry and cavalry force which had turned left
flank, and was still advancing At this time saw that
Lieutenant Kilburn had joined with his gun He
had been actively and gallany engaged in my vicinity
during the greater part of the day but my close
patton caused to overlook him Seeing that the force
which had turned was gradually moving along the
foot Of the mountain towards Salts and only held
in check by Captain Sherman with gun under the
support Of the Mississippi rfemen, which he had
darngy advanced against at least 1000 Of the enemy
put my battery motion towards them and sought sup
port from scattered parties Of mounted in the vi
cnity of the train About fifty followed me. BY the
being very SLOW owing to the jaded condition of my
horses-I noticed the Mississippi regiment calamity led
against q force immensely superior. Overwhelmed by
numbers II forced to fall back. am happy to be-
eve that my rapid and wedrected fire, opened just at
this time held the enemy In check until Colonel Davis
could gain position and assume stand. Under my
fire the enemy retired some hundred yards, and ad-
vanoed the distance and again came into action