Tri-weekly journal. (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1847-188?, 1847-10-19

cut IL OH. we were tnen passing through q
small village which, by curious coincidence,
was called Buena Vista. On our left were
large fields Of half-grown barley, through which
was seen advancing in splendid order the enc
mys column. 1t was the most splendid sight
had ever seen. The yellow cloaks, red caps
and jackets of the lancers, and the bright blue
and white uniforms of the infantry, were most
beautifully contrasted with the green of the
barly field. Our line of battle was soon form
ed, and we deployed through the grain to turn
their lefta and cut them off from the mountains.
A few shots, however, from the battery, soon
showed them that they were observed, and
cOuntermarching in haste, they left their dead
on the field. Thus ended our fight of Buena
VISTA That night we stayed at Chalco. The
next day we made long and toilsome march
over horrible road, through which, with the
utmost difficulty, we dragged our wagons by
the assistance of both men and mules. The
next was nearly the same, except that the road
was if possible, worse than before, as the Mex
leans had blocked it up with large stones, roll
led down from the neighboring hills. This
night we encamped at a most beautiful olive
grove, of immense size and accommodating at
once both divisions. In the town, as well as
in Chalco, there are still standing the churches
of the Indians where the fre-worshippers as
sembled before Cortez had introduced new
religion. They are large and sombre edifces,
differing but little from the churches of this
country and being near to the city, and said to
have been formerly resorted to by the ancient
kings.
The next day we arrived in sight of the rest
of the army, and heard the guns with which
Worth was preaching the walls of San Anton
10. That night the news of the death of Capt.
Thornton of the second Dragons reached us.
/ He was hra va Off1car aDd n thOrouob ra,,+lo
man, but was always unfortunate in his mill
tary career.
On the morning of the 18th, we left the lit
tie village where we heard this sad news and
took the road to San Juan, about seven miles
to the west and only about ten miles from the
city. When we arrived here, we heard the
sound of Gen. Worths guns, who was said to
have attacked San Augustine, village three
miles nearer the capital, where Santa Anna
was said to be with 10000 men. When we
arrived at San Juan, the men were told to sling
their blankets across their shoulders, put their
knapsacks into their wagons, and to put two
days bread and beef into their haversacks -
When this order came, all knew that the time
had come. The officers arranged their effects,
put on their old coats, and filled their haver-
sacks and TASKS. Soon we were all ready for
anything but a thrashing. We here heard the
!
follows: Santa Anna with 10000 men was at
San Augustine; Valencia with 10000 was at
1 hill called Contreras, which commanded an
other road parallel to the San Augustine road,
/ butwhich led into it between the city and San
ia Anna. Now, by cutting road across, if we
could whip Valencia, we could follow the
road up and thus get in between Santa Anna
and Mexico, and whip him too Gen. Worth,
supported by Gen. Quitman was to keep San
ia Anna in check, while Twiggs, backed by
Pillow, was to try and astonish Valencia, which
you will see, he did very effectually. Pillow
with some of the ten regiments was to cut the
road. We left San Juan about l o'clock, not
particularly desiring fight so late in the day,
but still not stunning it in case we could have
a respectable chance. About p. NJ, as we
crawled to the top of the hill, whittier We had
been ourselves pulling Magruder's battery and
the Mountain howltzers, we suddenly espied
! Valencia fortified on hill about 200 yards off,
and strongly reinforced by a column that had
just come out Of the city. We laid down close
to avoid drawing their fire, while the battery
moved past at full gallop. Just then Gen.
Smiths manly voice rung out "FOr1Card the
| RgGS-tO support the battery" On they
went, till we got about 800 yards from the
work when the enemy opened upon them with
+ his long guns, which We're afterward found to
/ be sixteen and eighteen inch howitzers The
ground was the worst possible for artillery, COW
cred with rocks, large and SMALL prickly pear
and cactus, intersected by bitches filled with
water and lined with maguey plant, itself i'm
perviable to cavalry, and with patches of corn
which concealed the enemys skirmishers,
while 1t impeded our own passage. The ar
tillery advanced but slowly under most ire
mendous fire, which greatly injured it before
1t could be got in range, and the thickness of
the underground caused the skirmishers thrown
forward to lose their relative position, as well
as the column. About the battery got in po-
sition undera most murderous fire of grape,
canister and round shot.
Here the superiority of the enemys pieces
rendered our fire nugatory. We could get but
/ three pieces in battery, while they had tlventy-
seUsa, all of them three times the calibre of
ours. For two hours our troops stood the
storm of iron and lead they hailed upon them
unmoved. At every discharge they laid fiat
down to avoid the storm and then sprung up to
serve the guns. At the end of that time two
of the guns were dismounted and we badly
hurt: thirteen of the horses were killed anddis-
abled, and fifteen Of the cannoneers killed and
wounded. The regiment was then recalled
The lancers were repealed in thee successive
charges. The 81 Infantry and lst Artillery had
also engaged and successfully repealed the en-
|, emy's skirmishers without loss of either Off
GERS or men. The greatest loss had been at the
batteries. Officers looked gloomy at the first
i Il. L.. l.. 81