Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-04-10

with The following extracts from private letter written by
Lieutenant Colonel MANSFIELD of the corps of engineers
to brother officer in this city, giving brief and hastily
written description of the battles Of the a2d and 23d of Feb
ruary.-Unica.
EIGHTEEN MILES South SALTILLo,
Al Camp United States Army, Aqua Nueua,
March /, ls47
DEAR CArTAIN We are Just recovering from the fagues
of tremendous battle fought by this little army the 22d
and 23d February Buena Vista, place about eleven miles
| in our rear and seven miles this side Of Saldlo
We had previously been this very ground from the 9Th
the Goth February recommending the POSITIONS roads, &c.,
and asceraning where the enemy was, and his numbers
We found Santa Anna at Encarnacon thirty miles in
advance with twenty thousand troops Of infantry and
artillery and that left General Mnon, Edorda,
say twenty five miles off with three thousand cavalry and
ancers
On the 2st noon, broke up camp, and fell back
to good position at Buena Vista, to await the enemy On
the 22d he sighths advance heavy body Of Ian
and cavalry, followed by large bodies of infantry, and
about eighteen pieces of artillery skmsh commenced in
the afternoon, and the enemy gained the mountain side
our left On right of the road impossible gues,
deep and pependcuar extending to the mountains
say mile On our left of the road commenced steep
the tops Of the spurs Of the mountain which united
and formed beautiful tabeland for ground say
mile and west by half mile north and south There
other spurs the side stretching along the road
north and south OF with deep gules between many
them impossible, but forming table-land like this
ditch and parapet were Immediately thrown
the road, and Washngtons artillery placed there supported
by two companies of volunteers behind another paape
On the morning of the 23d the enemy made rush with
his infantry and ancers to possess the abeand the key to
the whole position and at the time column of nan-
try and cavalry advanced the road towards Washngtons
battery. terrible fight ensued Our left forced back
off the tabeand and rallied under the bank but centre
charged with tremendous fire Of horse artillery (egh peces
and volunteers and hurled them back against the mountain
and broke their CENTRE that large bodies Of infantry saved
themselves by moving into the avnes and the spurs the
mountains to the of left where regiments
and artillery fight them and drive them back across the
Isame plaffa hal
orced we had had but single full regiment Of regu-
lars IN reserve we could have charged their battery
reme left and taken four five thousand prisoners As it
was, we could only hold our against such odds.
AT the close of the day they another charge and rush
in great force to the table land and were again re-
pulsed with great slaughter and with much loss on our part
Night put end TO the scene and under the cover of dark
ness the enemy ereaed to this place. Agua Nueva where
our light troops followed them the morning
IL was beautiful battle-not mistake made the whole
day but every man perfectly exhausted night Our loss
about 264 killed and $50 wounded The enemys loss about
$500 in killed and wounded, and 1000 missing.
Is said that Santa Anna in full Maahuia and
San Luis with his army dspirted and dsorganized He is
said to have lost many officers of high rank You will in
due time get correct accounts
Nothing could exceed the gallant bearing Of our horse ar
ey and Dragons the bravery and good conduct of the
volunteers as body Not regular infantry soldier was in
this fight.
We have lost most valuable officers Capt Lincoln was
killed in the first charge Col. Mckee and Lieut. Colonel
Clay, OF the Kentucky regiment and Col Hardin were killed
three pieces Of cannon, which had the men recover
Our men actually sunk to the ground om excessive ex
hauson.
has ever been the misfortune of old General 10
I've Obliged to fight the enemy with inferior numbers. But
there is no backing out with him. This his last battle has
done him credit than any his previous His case
was not near desperate Pao Alto, for there he had the
best Of regular infantry
| had almost forgotten 10 speak of our CORPS We en-
deavoed to do duty Lieut. Benham behaved well and
was slightly wounded As for myself was fortunate
than at Monterey, and escaped unhur. The old General
however, made ragged by the balls passing through his
clothes Yours &c. JOS. X. F. MANSFIELD.
Tar BATTLE BuEsA VrsrA.-The Tropic has given
US IN his columns yesterday The most interesting and graphic
letter the subject of the battle mt we have vet SEEN We
understand that is from highly intelligent officer Of the
army and who present in the scenes he a.scrbes.
We regret perceive that confirms the prevo.s renor,s
regards the conduct of the Indiana and Arkansas ,,l
teers The latter, appears actually left the battle ground
in the very heat of the action, and rode into alo with in
formation that Gen. TArLoR retreatng Wehave plea
in saying that companies Of these mounted Arkan
volunteers who acted with the Dragons under Colonel
MAY, did not partake in the fight Of the regiment but per-
formed their duty noby through the whole battle The Mis-
sspp, Kentucky, and Illinois regiments took the brunt Of
the fight without giving inch Of ground The Colonel of
the Indiana regiment learn, abandoned his after their
flight and fought the rest Of the battle with his rifle in the
ranks OF the Kentucky regiment.-N o. Bulletin.
The Mobile papers Of the 30th umo state that the dead
body OF MOSES, Of that place, formerly Of
Philadelphia found the woods some four or five miles
below the city the shore of the bay the Sunday eve
ming previous His mysterious absence for about two weeks
had excited WONDER especially dngs could
be obtained Of his having off by any ordinary
Of egress from the CITY, The condition which his mani
mate body found leaves the manner death still con-
jecura and mysterious, with the exception that there was
probably no violence used unless by his own hand He