The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1847-04-22
BATTLE OF DUENA VISTA.



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WIs-cal MzrxialFs 0kalgs-Tke gaiInf
M-sris.;fppsi4ns--Gsa. 7asEag's III fasak fuva-
el-Dsmzaa 10 surrcadsr-killadaHd auoun-
daa-NsaaAis disnOnk turc.
We had The pleasure Of n iaieTFiew
yesterday wilh Major Coffee. Of The A.
my. who brought over Geo. Ta.lof's
dispatches. This gallant cfheeE-a son
Of The distinguished General Who iorghl
90 brsyely on he Plains Of chslnslle,
and in various other hslllss. BY The side
Of The Illusuious Jsekson-aeled - he
aid OF Gen. Taylor IN the bloody light al
Buena Visa. We are grsslly indrbied
10 him for many particulars Of this hard
fought battle.
General Taylor bad fallen in icse, Al
frsi sight. viIh The position al which ne
faslly made his slsDd-aI Buena Vista.
His movement towards Aqua Nueye vas
merely ruse 10 deeoy the enemy inin
the field which he bad selected tor his
battle-ground. As soon as MeCulloeh's
men, who aere Invaluable % sc"u's, IN
formed him Of Santa ARns's approach TO
Aqua Nueya, General Tayl"r qriety
broke up bis camp. and cell back TO his
FIST Iose-Buena Visa. This position
was admnably chosen. II vas At the foot
ofs mountain, or rather OF two mountains.
between which ran The rosd through
narrow valley. On his right there vas
q deep Tavine. which protected that flank
more etfsclually than half . dozen reg'-
ments could have done. The left Of Gen.
TaylOr's line rested on the bsss III > mOun-
tain. The road IN the centre was enirench-
ed and defended by a strong battery. In
from, The ground was unevsn-hroken Inc
10 hills and deep ravlnes-well adapted
to tie mode OF igh'ing suited 10 our va.
lunteers, and BY IFS pecul,srities supply
ing the disadvantage Of great inlsriOrIty
oil numbers.
On The 2lst the enemy were deserted,
approaching over The distant hills. Al
their sppesrsnce the volunteers raised q
great shout, and gave three tremendous
cheers. Their engineers and officers
we're seen flying over the field, and drag
ging their cannon about TO get them intn
position; but the nature Of The ground d d
not favor The undertaking, and il was late
in The day before the big guns began 10
open.
The enemy had with them thirtv-,wO
cannon, mostly Of large csIbIe. Their
fre, though kept up very briskly. and sp-
psrenrly well manned, did so little execn-
ton in our ranks that il vas not consider
ed necessary TO return their fire. Our
cannon were therefore silent the whole Of
the 2ls,. Eigh, or ten killed and wounded
were the extent Of the casualties sustained
by or army on the 2lst. During the
day an officer approached our line with
q flag OF truce, and requested 10 be shown
10 Gen. Taylor. TIE brave old man as
sitting quietly on his old while charger.
with his leg over the pommel of The sad
die, watching The movements Of the ens-
my. when the Mexican officer was pre-
scented. In a very courteous and graceful
manner The officer stated tina, " lie had
been sent BY his Excellency Gen. SAINT;
Anna, TO his Exeellency, Gen. Taylor, tc
inquire in the most respectful manner
what he Gen. Taylor was wsi'ing for.
From The silence of Gen. TsyIor's BAT
teries, and the quie, manner in which h
received Santa Annals terrific csnnonsd
ing, the Mexican supposed lie was sskin,
svery pertinent question. to viii b. how
ever, old Rough and Ready CAV the yer.
pertinent reply that " he was only waitlnl
for Gen. Santa Anna 10 surrender 10 hI
l,nes. This message proved 10 be rus
TO ascertain where Gen. Tsylor's posi-
ZION was, for alter the return of the M. X
Jean, the bat cry seemed 10 open upor
Gen. Taylor's position, and the balls flew
over and about him like hail. UiterI
indiferen, TO the perIls of his situsIio:
there sat the old chief, IN his conspicuou
white horse, peering through hisspy glas
at the long line of Mexican troops tina
could be seen a, great distance on III
march. The persuasion of he aids coo!
not induce him 10 abandon his isvorsbl
point Tor observation. nor 10 give up hi
old white horse. To the suggestion OF b
san that oil Whitley wss rather too col
spicuous charger for he commander, i
replied +" thai The old fellow had mise
the f'a at Monterey, on account oil a sol
loot. and be was determined be shoul
have bis share this time"
At sunrise on The 22d February. III
battle began 10 earnest; the Nj. xicans " er
drawn out in immense numbers. TIL
dark columns of infantry extended as &;