Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-09-03

Yen term the surrender al EncarnacIon
an :. honorable capitulation.' 1t is so.
The mas Of mankind Judge of things BY
;heir apparent success or failure. With
hem victory is glcTy,and defeat disgrace.
But with eul ghiened minds it IS better 10
deSeTre success than win II. Yet para
doNical a. If may seem, ! say that the ex
petition 10 EncarnacIon not only deserved
hut achieved success.
Lieut.. Col. Field, Surgeon Roberts &
MaiorlGaines will remember that on The
night preceding the adventure, it was
urged that the accommodating party sho'd
consist Of a large body with artillery suf
ficienl to hold the enemy in check till the
arrival freinforcements. or strorg enough
tn retreat with It's lace TO the foe. o.
else it should DE a small bodv whose loss
would not materially he felt blythe army.
a mart Cf whom we might calculate from
the superior speed OF the horses and better
address of ne men would re turn with the
lid,nos of the enemV's position and force.
The last alternative we were compelled to
ADOPT. and he result was as tcretold.-
We found the enemy. and sent back word
Of his approach. Whether this reasoning
| be in accordance with military science, or
! no. and how far the success of the glori-
Gus battle Of. Buena Vista was owing to
! this timely warning. lave ADLER strata
eists than to determine.
But WHY anticipate capture? The
country through which they had to pass
WIS a grass. covered plain. shut in BY
mountains. where there was no growth of
wood to conceal Us. We were compelled
to 90 to fixed and well known places for
water. surrounded by rancheros who were
ever ready and not slow in giving timely
notice of our approach. The night before
reaching EncarnaciCn, we had resolved
according 10 the Spartan maxim, coniIn-
lualiv 10 change our camp TO avoid sur
! prise, and to move, if necessary, twice a
night. to prevent the peasantry fro III
knowing cur Whereabouts.
That we camped two nights successive
IL IN EncarnacIon, the cause in part Of
our capture, was rather the result of for
tune than q. sign on our part. FOR we
had on the 22nd advanced ten miles iii
the direction of SaitiiIo, int, nding to at
tack Two hundred men whrm we learned
WIRE stationed there, but night storm and
darkness comIrg on, we were compelled,
hayinG 70 guide, TO return, against the
protest 81 M. Of cur DEVIOUS rules OF
ac1ion. 70 Eurarf scion. The idea of pat
ing ont picket yards on a plain Of %
mlfs diameter, in'erscctcd by roads il
all directions l. absurd. And had She
picket guard Civ the alarm ~ g'e NO I
the result wan d have bren ..a Same. 'or
we could not have left our cartl. i. a.ar.
ling, TIL we saw the enemy a.d ...u
their force.
| Seventv-one men and officers a ol5
held General Minon and three III usand
regular and vetcraG troops, as numb red
bv himself, at bay frorn dawn tilI noon
OF 22ud day of January. Wuhout hall
as many rounds of shot as tIere was OF.
posing foes. without water. without pro.
visions, ono hundred and ten miles from
camp, without the remotest probabiIry Of
reinforccn,e nt, we unanimously determine
ed to crGci = the most honorable terms OF
Icapitulation known to nations" or sell
lunr lives ike men who held the faith that
horror j. The only necessity.
Holding Mexican Chief of equal rank
With our comm ndant * a hostage, Ma.
or Gaincs and General MinOn concluded
the following terms Of capitulation:
FIRST The most honorable treatment
as prisoners Of war known TO nations.
Second. Private property TO be strictly
IL pect,d.
IIird Our Mexican guide to receive
a fair trial in the civil courts.
when wc remember hat Taylor fought
at Rneua VISTA at a liberal computation
Of or to toUr. and had his hands full
and that ", stood less than one 10 forty
'r0 cf the enemy under Their most @alanl
rbI,f ! hazard the assertion that in the
history Of The Mexican war there vii
have been no exhibition of nohleI gaIlan-
ny than was displayed at the capitulatlon
l,f Fncaruacion
Accept assurances Of my lasting graft
'udc, that yon have, with Mrs. tlemans
IN the Captive Knight" entered into a
Epri~oncrs criefs. and magnarimouSlv vim
dicatcd our claims upon our rountrv's JUS
tice.-Ior all that Is generally deemed
remuneraliye in war falls 10 the lot OF
lothcr>- bat
TIN. worm rhr canker and the grief
Arr alone
Ever your ob't ser,'t,
| & NJ OF Az