The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-20
From the New Orleans Delta, April ~
Santa Anna's Account Of the Battle.

800. From the New Orleans Delta, Apriis.
Santa Anna's Account Of the Battle. 4.n
Detail, Of the actions .cheh occurred on the ED ana
23d Of February last. on ne feld q Angostara.
t,e General-in- Chief: Campaign Secretary's Once;
Morr rxcrLLENr SIR: In my despatch from the battle
field OF Angosura, dated the 23d promised to give yo,
details of tie action of the 22d and the battle OF the 23d
as should effect the movement which our en-
BILE In those engagements the army and the natior
have restored the lse of their by overcoming OBJ
saces inconcsvabe to all save those who wl'ne ne
contest and OF own stuaton but also from the rgo
of the season. and the exhaustion OF the country along
almost desert route Of over nifty leagues that wa
destitute Of good water and OF all the most limited
SUPPLIES, r.s Informed hv commu.
nications made before my leaving San LUIS, thal .ne
army under my command would not commence ITS OPP
eratons till the end of winter. knew by experience
the severe climate of the region which was also scan!
Of habatons provisions shelter and eyeH Q, qe,
and clothing the army and IN word, % pu. in.o
itary shape the forces which had just been assembled
My intentions, however could not DC nuley ali Gu,
The want of pecunary resources embarrassed aii my
DISPOSITIONS The soldiers, though well disposed to com
bat with the enemy had been badly supplied for month
and would soon have been want even OF food put nat
the exertions of the commanders OF corps prevented
that destituton from driving them from their ranks
While those meritorous men were suffering all KINDS Oh
Fiction party spirit perhaps, from mistaken patriot
ISM were zealously engaged in thwarting the plans
which might otherwise have proved successful ms
they did BY unjust charges against the army and parc
lar Individuals whom they abused Tor not marching to me
conflict accusing them Of want OF decision and assert
ing that the position Of the army at San LUIS was more
threatening to our liberties than to the enemy In the
clubs Of that capital they abored with assduy 70 make
the army the instrument of revolt; but frustrated their
intrgues by timely steps There was one writer VINO
had the audacity to intimate that was in COLLISION with
the enemy Yes /, to whom they may attribute errors,
but whose whole previous course has shown the most
elevated patriotism Traitors are they who seek not only
10 raduce me- but by their deacon OF the army to I'M
nerve its ygor for the Of the country 1t seems as
fatality directs the desnies OF this nation and inter-
diets unanmity OF the public will for its deence and
from this fatal blindness the moment when every heart
and every aspiration should be directed to one object is
the very uncture when division and disrus are dissent
mated Behold me, then, compelled by every clrcum-
menced to shameful extent; and was fully persuaded
that if the scarcity should continue the army would De
dshonoably frittered away therefore resolved, that II
annihilated, it should be with glory Having no sup
plies l. to obtain them, compromised my private fortune
and the credit of myself and my friends All this pro-,
cured me the Of one hundred and eighty thousand
the army for twelve days knew well the country we
had to Cross and the necessity there would be Tor carry
ing provisions and sympathized in anticipation with the
soldier for what he would endure from the ngor OF the
season. but to render good service to the country and
save its honor, had to overlook all this
The army moved from San Luis by brigades, SO as to
country we were The force consisted OF 3132
infantry divided into IS baalons; 1885 cavalry, in 80
squadrons and train of artillery OF three 24Pounders
three 16 FOUNDERS five 70 FOUNDERS hive spounders and
7-nch howitzer, all served by 4l3 arerymen-the to-
tai being 1873 Of this force there remained behind
the garrison of the works at San Luis and others which
allotted 10 towns the route also two squadrons
to escort our small and only reserve OF ammunition
brigade of infantry, Of two battalons under Gen Don
Ciraco vasquez, which remained as corps OF reserve
in Matehuala, and of observation upon lula as also
brigade OF cavalry, under Gen: Don Jose Urea Inc
latter was intended TO pass lula, and move through la
sR e 20 hoo Try po o
cenaton for the brgades ought necessarily to be
this place, that in the region through which they had
to many troops might not be at thrown toge
Their therefore fixed on the hacienda of Encarnacion
for that point being calculated the last stage but
one Of my march. ! there held review OF the army,
which had already lost thousand by sickness and
deserton The former caused by the scanness and
bad quality of food, and still more OF water which was
brackish well as by snow storms and
the of the troops who had always to be IN BIZ
vouac and without fuel These snow storms obliged me
10 suspend the march two days. till the weather became
more settled for the cold had already caused the death
of severalmen and horses, and felt bound by every
means to diminish the losses were mourning. These
hardships will account for the number OF desefiions
which occurred up to arrival at Encarnacion and
which afterwards even increased 1t must also be re-
membered that almost the whole army had been recent
ly formed and is well known, OF men taken by vlo-
lence from their homes. H
We had advices that the enemy fortified in the
hacienda of Aqua Nueva with 5000 men and 80 pieces
resolved to defend the dees known by the names OF the
passes of Carnero and Aqua Nueva. The Americans
did know the precise point on which our march was
directed for though they exchanged some shots with
our advance in Encamacion and had frequent small Skin
mishes with in the above passes they supposed our
troops to be scouting parties OF the first brigade OF cav
airy, under Don Jose v. Mnon, whom had advanced
as lar as the hacienda of Potosi These were the i'm
pressons when made my dispositions
: 1t was my intention to place my forces between the
enemy and Salto to oblge him to light under the
disadvantage of having his communication cut OF, Or II
he would not leave his works to enable me to besege
him in Aqua Nueva This plan might be carried out in
three different ways One was by marching 20 leagues
by the direct roadanother by moving to the right BY
Ia Hedonda, as to occupy Buena Visaand the third
by moving to the left by IA Punta de Santa Elena, SO as
to occupy the hacienda Of la Banquera, and thereafter
the road to SaltIlo The two last movements were at
this time mpractcabe, for they would either OF them re-
qure three four days march, while we were without
operate by the direct road force the positions, and. after
passing the last dee, make diversion by the lett and
occupy the rancho of Encantada, with the view OF OBJ
than eighteen leagues All this favored by the enc
mys ignorance Of our march but misfortune stlll ol-
lowed u.s. deserter from the regiment OF Coraceros
native Of Salto, named Francisco Vadcs passed ovel
from Encarnacon to the enemy, and gave HIM niorma
tion of the movement The execrabe treason OF TINS IN
famous wretch frustrated the best combinations,
On the 2ist, at noon, ordered the march to COM
mence the four light battaions, under Gen. Don Pedro
Ampudia forming the vanguard had not heslta'ea &c
court martiaed for the affair Of Monterey to participate
in these operations only because did not consider
them cupable but also on account Of the zeal ney man
Tested This brigade was followed by one OF artillery
of 18pounders with the regiment of engineers and their
train and those by the park of the regiment OF hussars
Then came the first division, commanded by General Dor
Manuel Lombardini, with four 12-pounders and the
park. The second division, under General Don Fran
cisco Pacheco followed next with four spounders and
whole of the cavalry, under