Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-04-14

From the New Orleans Delta.
DETAILS OF THE RArt LIE OF
UGEsv.a TAST.l.
Description Of Gen. Taylor's Position
lannonading on hs2 St. Gen. 7nyior'
Exyosed Siiuat,on-- HIS White H"se--
Bsitie Of the 22d February Death o
Co.'s. Mckee, tlay. Harden, and Yell
.Adjutant Lincoln and Captain Willis
Col. .Morshalls Charge The Gallan
JMississippia.s, &c. &c.
We had the pleasure VI an interview yes
ierday, with Mai. Coffee OF the army, who
hiousht over Gen Taylor's dispatches
TINS gallant officer "a son OF the Distinguish
ed General who fought SO bfaveIy on the
plains III ChaisMeue, and III Various o,,ei
battles, ny the side OF the illu>,r JUS Jack
SOM acied as the Aid OF Gen. Taylor In In,
bloody tight al Burna Vista We are great
y tnuebted 10 him for many particulars of
tins hard Tough. battle.
Gen. TAYLOR had fallen in love, at firsl
sight, with the position at which he finally
made his stand. al Bu.na Vista. HIS move
n,enl towards Aqua Nueya was merely a
ruse lo d. coy the enemy INTO the field winch
he had selected for has battle ground. As
soon as MrCulioch's men, vino were inval
uab.e as scouts, informed INN OF Santa An
mas approach 10 Aqua Nueva, GEN Tay
tor quietly brrk- up his camp aud tell Dac k
10 BIZ. tifsi love, Buena Vista. TINS position
was admirably chosen twas al the too.
Of a inounia,n, or rather OF Two noun,a,n
r. .rk L
row valley. On has right there was deep
ravine, winch protected the tank more #
tec,uaily than hall a iuzen regiments could
have dOue. rne left vi Gen Iayl"r's line
rested on the base Ut a mountain. Inc road
IN The centre was eu,Iencnei aud detrnd-d
by s,Iong battery lu lron,. the gruuna
was uneven. broken INTO hllls aud deep I'd
vines, we'll adapted 10 the mode oi lighting
smiled io our volunteers, aud by ITS peculiar
tiles supplying the disadvantages Vi great
InterlOrtty Ia uunlOers.
On the 2ist til. enemy were deserted, ap.
proachmg over the distant hills. Al lneir
appearance, the volunteers raised great
snuut aud gave three Tremendous cheers -
Their engineers were seen lying over the
held. anu dragging iher Cannon about 10 get
them into po,l,un; but The nature vi III.
ground Giu not favor the unoer liking. AMI
u was late IN the day before ,he Dg guns be-
gau ~ open.
The enemy had with them 80 cannon.
mostly vi large cal!hre. Tnem tire, though
kept up very briskIy, and apparently well
n.Ann~d. did 90 lit,le tx cu,Ion III our Ranks
turu their t1e. Our Cannon were III. reiUrr
H. ; Ia Il
killed aud wounded ", re the extent VI The
casual,,es sustained by uur army On The 2lst.
During the day an ulhcr, Approached our
lines with tag Of uuc., a"d rquested 10
be shown 10 Gen layior. Inc Dfovr oiu
man was situng quseiIy on his old white
Charger, win MS l.g over The pouli,ei VI
the saddle, Watching The movements VI the
eueiiy, when the NJ. x.can "ttlc.r was pre-
senteu. Ia d very courteous anu graceful
'uanCrr Tue officer stated ,lai lie had Deea
sen, by hrs Exe-llency G-n. Sau,a Anna. tu
us Exceilency Gen. la, lot, To Inquire, Ia
lae ~ 81 respectful uIanler. what he Gen.
Taylor was waning ior.' FROM the s,l-uc-
vi lien. Iay.Ut' batteries, aud the Qd,e.
nanuer Ia which he received Santa Anna 5
terrific cannon"d,ng, he Mexican supposed
he was asking very pef,inent questiun; ~
| which. however, OLD Rough aud Kealy
gave tue very pertinent reply, that he was
oulj waiting for Geu. Santa AmnA TO sur
Iende..' Inc Mexican returned hastily IL
nis lines. Tue message proves To be rnss
TO ascertain where Geu. raylor's position
-: tor aiter the return vi the Mexican Ut
hcer 10 his own ranks, the whole MeAran
battery seemed to open upon Gen. Tay,or's
posi- ION, and tie balls flew over and abuu,
hiui Ike hail. utterly indifferent IL the
penis vi his sItuA,ioc, there sat the old chiei.
on his conspicuous white horse, peenng
through his spy glass al the long hue Vi
Mexican troops thai could D. seen u, grea,
dislanc. Oh the march. The persuasion OF
his alds could not induce nlu, 10 abandon his
favorable point Tor ob. ervalon, nor u give
W his oiu white horse. 10 the suggestion
ot his staff, that Old Whitley was rather lou
conspicuous charger for the commander,
lie replied, that The old fellow had missed
the tuh al Monterey, ca accoun, Of sore
foot, and he was determined he should have
his share this time
Al sunrise, GU The 22d February. the bat
lie brgan III earnest. The Mexicans were
dlawn out IN I,haiense numbers. The dark
columns Of infantry extended as lar as The
eye could reach, aud the cavalry seemed 10
cover The whole view with their iniermna
bic lines. Al intervals be ,ween the iutan-
ny and cavalry. tneir oig guns, strongly
pro,eried BY large arulrry lorce, KEEP, up
Az inces,aut cannonade against our lines -
IneT forces were sOon IN InotIon Our ar
tIlIery was thrown forwafJ 10 meet them.
pIoiecteu by the volunteers. Gen. Wool
led the main u0hy IN person. and was seen
every where, encouraging aud tail. ing the
v, luni.eTs. The two armies weie soou EN-
gagged IN not confIci. The broken nature oil
The ground divided The fo,ces 50 TIA, mt al
Of one general engagement. the regiments
were Compelled, 10 a great measure, TO fIh,
ON .hem Own hook. Our officers were al
w.ys 10 advance. leading ,he,r lroops--
hence the srea, mortality among them l.,
TINS general melee, one Vi our small reg.
mems. VI 4UU men. would be attacked by a
whole Mexican brigade OF several thou
sands. Thus the Kentucky in!anury W a,
tackled al the foo, vi NIL, IN deep ravlne,
BY an immense force Of the enemy. A large
number Of the officers were killed here
aniung them was Col Mckee who fell bad
ly wounded, and was immediately despatch
ed by the enemy. who pierced him with
their bayonets rs he lay 0n the ground =
Lieut. Colonel CLAW was shot ,h,ouvh ,hr