The Arkansas banner., 1847-04-21


 Hc- . whole army, al the tiist approach of sn.n,y. had been formed upon the 6eld. ue rs.,ed upon our arms liii 3 o'clock, pw whea the eaeiny fired gun--a uiae- nounJsr think fl was.
 P0TsS n.S vou ever hear the first gun of battle q r. t,s.ts expectancy, and speaks that the diel .n 1'. ,.,,, l,s cast. Al it's sound we all star- ..S ,o our feet; but some time passed beiore| =. heard another, and we were soon loliing| ~. ,ae ground. joking about the eotningI events. ,n J <, 5,,tle field. looking towards the south; ..4 {, was on tue side of thus mountain tlfatI - srs, discovered the Mexicans. Al lheI ,5.s,nee of two miles, they could be plainly s.so n,rching up the steps by thousands; md all so regular that they looked like al ~,., bIaek belt that girded the emiuences.
 sf,er an hour O. so. volley of mnskesryI L.,s, Eor,h from slope of the nRouatainI ',.on ,br Keu,aekians and the indisnians thaiI .I.,g stationed at the base of the north end TSsv returned 1t. and the battle was com ,.sn.s3 in earnest. Occasionally, we couid ~., ,be smoke rise from Santa Annass cannon, .,d in '. few seconds afterwards we could hen, the sound eehoIRg in She mountains m fl thev were warring with guns. Thus ,s, fgh, continued til half hour after night N, olher demonstration was made by the ensmy. and the troops except those engaged ,w.re called from the held. az4d while return me. we often looked back al inc battle on the mountain. and the flashes of the guns seemed streams of bright meteors darting from black cloud.
 We slep. upon our arms, and before day break next morning the 23d, tremendous popping of guns up the valley, made us jump ,o our feet In a second we were ou our horses. and soon again upon the field The position assigned our Regiment was ai the north base of the mountain. The battle vpos the heights had commenced with the break of dav-the enemy above and the vol unteers lower down. Bayonets and guns gIittered among the rocks and shrubberi-s as if shower of silver was falling. The ene- mv's number increased till the whole noun taia was n a roar, and covered with smoke. They swept down IF thousands and the few defenders gave way and took another posi- non lower down.
 Soon after the main body of the enemy appeared. coming immediately to our post ,ion One of the Indiana Regiments was or dered 10 our support; but after standing q heavy fire for a time, Il gave way and ieit us alone We were ordered To fall back and take position across deep ravine. We did so. but the result was that we had to abandon i, also, for we were threatened with a charge from the lancers Tn the midst ot a shower of balls from cannon and muskets- As soon as we commenced falling back the lancers did make charge, and We repoised them and drove them back to the Mexican infantry. Here Col. Yell gave an unforsu- nate order He dismounted Dillard's squad- ron 10 fight in a raslne, till aid could come from the right flank of our army. The Mexi- can infantry was advancing and pouring a shower of bullets down the ravine. We were near being taken, prisoners. Alter firing round or so which checked the ad- vance of the enemy we started for our hor- ses. They were all killed or gone but two or three Some of us regained ours and joined the Regiment. We then took stand about two hundred wards from the ranch of he Buena Vista. The Kentucky Cavalry. under Col. Marshall, forgot to meniion. lad shared the day with us, bad as il had been. When the stand ai the ranch Sas made. both regiments could not have coun- ted more than three hundred and fifty men; fhe rest had all been scattered by horses get ting away, throwing them, or being kiiled under them.
 The lsacesS, ahoat two thousand strong, bore dswn aPon us; at about one hundred yards distance we leveled and fired upon them. They sprung al the fire and we charged them. They separated In two di- sisions, one on our Jeff and the other on our right We pressed those on the lef:, and the work of death was raging. If balls and iances, sabres, smoke and dust, shouting. groanmg, and dying compose glory. we were ia the midst of 1t Not a word was spoken it was all fighting. Here Col. Yeii fell. and Capt Porier-and poor John Pelham, ihe beloved ot our regiment.
 The Mexicans tumhIed on every side. saw them struck down with sabres and tram pied beneath our horses feet. 1 saw them beg xiih uplified hands for mercy, but ii was remembered that those very hands had dffsea itisir iaHees into the hearts nf nut cnunirymen.
 They scattered, oae part fled back 10 the Mexican Infantry; the others got across 2 deep gully, aud lhro' the gap of mountain on the right. and were seen no more that day. A Piece of ordnance gave them few farewell balls as they weut
 During this time the other volunteers were n he midst of the fight on the right flank. When we returned 10 the field after the roui oi the lancers. the aspect of things brighsen- ed in our favor. The Mexicans charged up 'n sixty yards of six ponnder and the Nils stssipPi Regiment in another moment fire burst forth from our men, and the enemy fell Ike wheat before gust of wind
 The Illinois volunteers were in the midst ot glory" Never did hear such roar o' guns. 4 lady may sweep her fingers Along Ihe piano's keys for the muskess, and slfIke the bass strings every second for the