New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-09-10
THE LAST sKIRMIsH At NATIONAL BRIDGE.
Account OF the Expedition Of Captain, Wells
Halle mud Fairchid.
from the N. O. PlcaYune. 3Ist

From the N O. Picsyune, 3lst
The following statement Of facts relating " this
hazardous enterprise may be interesting 10 the
friends OF those engaged In it, If not to the public
Ia general
faior Laiy, Who ~as on his way 10 Gen Scott, with
some risbiy wagons and force amounting 70 about
90 sirer leaving Vera Cruz, sent back atr
some pieces 81 afnlery. which we're sent hun. soon
.lter sending back he was s,tscked by considerable
force Of puerrss about eight miles this side - the Ma
roual Bridge. sad sent express 10 Col Wilson tor
ammunition ana achievements
Al the nOinent the only available troops near Vera
Cruz were company Of raw recruits under Capt NJ.
Wells 81 the I2h Infantry and Capt Fsirchd'. voiun
tef rangers These were ordered o. prrpare ifnncdi
s,-y 10 depart with ammunition SC 10 Join Msj0r Lsi
H. On the following Gay che l2th OF Anguish Csp;-
Halle ~ the lfh Infantry, reached Vera Cruz on the
Fanny liter passage of twelve days from Now o.
l-sns with ~ These men had been exposed 40
The brong the deck OF the vessel thofses hav.
ng occupied the space forward and were msny OF them
srk and worn out The vessel had not lost her mead
a.y la the harbOr before this company ordered ~
pepsre for immediate departure with the above named
tro0ys aud landed In the city. where arms we're
lssasd to the men and preparations mace for sinsreh -
The we're Ia consequence OF some extraordinary
omission OF the proper department, obliged TO fest
ieenty four hours the end Of which they joined the
a,iacfrnen intended for the relief Of Major Lsy The
command devolved upon Capt Wells. an experienced
and excellent officer. Capt WIS company numbered
about 20 men, Capt llaiies 90, snd Cspt fairehilds
about 7O-the later well mounted. Under the protec
uon OF this command WAS train Of wagons drawn by
Wild broken.dOwn but uubrOken mules
Csvt Wells received orders from Col Wilson 70 JON
Major IaI on me JaGpa road without dl1y IL WAS be-
leyed that the reinforcement would come up win the
train tour miles this side of the National Bridge In
deed Il was u help IT the Bridge that Il was par
tcusrly senbu; the order was imperative 70 JON MAJ
Isly on the Jalaps road.
TSus ureusr.d or rather unprepared. with 200
recruits sud train OF miserable, vicious dimnuiive
mules the train set out the l3th aud encsped mat
night Santa Re about seven miles from the shrung
point This day was very hot and was spent mostly In
waiting tor the tesnsters 10 whip curse snd reharne's
the mules which were constantly re~ring kicking and
breaking from the path.
On the morning of the l4,h. at O'Clock, tho train
again ssrted ard when about midway across the prairie
body of Mexican cavalry discovered 10 be hover
ing sbout H. They numbered some hiiy, and were pur
ued fired upon and driven of by the mounted men.
No farther interruption from tho enemy occurred
darDS the day. The mules continued Ia efnbarrsss tue
novemento the troops the command being Obliged to
hst every i've ten minutes until o'clock at night.
when they reached place called Pucnts del Rio There
Guide with tho tainno one VINO knew any ming
Of the road IA the train stopped IRE dis
covered high bill near by, doubt signal 10 aP
prise tbs enemy Ia advance o the approach Oi the com
msn6.
Early the next morning Capt Wells dispatched Lioui
Henderson. of the Louisiana Rangers, Win Ten men
Who accompanied by three united 1oor sShs ana
D. Cooper OF the army. TO Major Lailys camp direct
g them proceed cautiously and eppTte the Major OF
hsspprosch. but to 40 farther than sX mies This
aiscnmoni has not sIce been heard OF, AMI was I'M
coubediy cut of.
The NEXT morning the train was moved forward az
the could break la he mules required
bbe broken every morning. their unruy teams, and
ne march continued without farther interruption
tUm the enemy until IL O'Clock, when tbe command
nscted bridge called PssO Ia Bsa the rear however
being constantly annoyed by the appearance OF lew
hncers who cogeed them. While men and animals
were refreshing thcmseves a, this place, ire wss
osued them by party Of guerrillss. ON hl that
sonmsnds the bridge large party OF the enemy had
ten discovered before hsh hill beyond the bridge.
Cap, Wells sfter seeing that all was In readiness 70
move On ordered Capt Halle with part OF his comps
~ b move around nndDr covcr ascend III" hfsi MI ana
te'r II OF The enemy THIS was promptly accomplished,
H. Mrxrans retrng before the party could reach the
srest of he hill On reaching the superior hight how
The party under Capt II surprised Tho advance 81
sedy q HeNcans who wero pr pairing To nie oo"htne
s>p hi the troops snd drove them from thtir poti
30 Had not Capt w taken the precsuuon 20 have
Ia bil hts cleared Of the enemy the detachment must
have suhoct severely and perhaps seFoos damage done
bthe u.in.
About four or FIVE miles beyond this hight the com
raBd came 10 a valley at the bottom of which ~ss
sfjgo 0bo last This sito OF Puenio NecionsJ and Just
ite sivance troops (fsirchili's and hsiles conpa
mo- had ADVANCED half way up the hill beyond sud the
Wagons hso begun 10 pass the bridge heavy nte was
cened from the high the right OF the road hotn on
es cavalry and infantry. and upon the irsn ms "S'
about dusk Toe IRE which came from thick chspsr.
a. was promptly returned by our troops, who thcn
covered themselves from the concealed enemy ana
eooy disposed themselves for nights rest ne mad
ben the previous utenron OF the Commanding oihetr
ne enemy, after firing some two hundred Cartridges
Gas q their tfaitless operations
Aitr an hour or two of quiet Lieut. Wyche com.
nsn up through chspsrrsl 10 a hight opposite. when
he my opened their IRE and fired vOlisy 90 inform
hcm that our people were here No disturbance
curing the night No one hurt but horss shot
hrough the isws An hour before day the next morning
L-ut wychc sent To take possession Of the hill
net contained the enemy the night before which M &C
otnph.hed without opposition. itte before sunrise
NE enemy appeared 10 numbers on N" roai AL the
srosn 81 the hight and commenced firing down upon
ae esmp sithc same time shouting snd using language
~ very complimentary to the "Americanos
fmraa RI.a.. sk.t~ kaA NnI
Rem. Capt Halle ordered with his company 10
scend the hill tina lett through the chspsrrsl snd en-
sessof toouiasnk the enemy he proceeced with great
eseNon through tho dense and thOruy thickuts. ana
paced his msu without being discovered by the enemy
Nns the road shout twenty yards from il and about
~i apart me len or upper aAnk reaching within twenty
i've ysrds OF the hilltop where the head of tho enemys
column could he seen standing Lieut. Wycha Ia. taken
isnisr position the other side of the ros. lo,xsr
do~n Taus prepared they awaited the advance Of the
enemy who threatened 10 charge down upon the c.mp
Capt Halle crept Sone Go the top the hill ana
tocss that the sin body Of the enemy preparing
% o. he returned and ordered his men march
nfwad
JOS, As Halss party we're about TO sre, OF the
Nsesns In advance shook bis nss =; the men In camp
snd efsd out carTai0 AaoricaNos Hardy had The
words died upon his lips before No'iey oi masAeOy
esfsd forth from the chaparrs and nifty stawsrt
tl9ss rushed out and up the bill win hutfS
GA sent terror int0 the hearts Of the schorcs e"f'
Nno lad bu, moment before been oesups drums sHo
Ass Pnyes and cursiug the Amcrlcanos lhe surprise
~es perfect aud the enemy scattered Ia every direction
sieout even returning the FIRE portion OF Captain
.~eesds company were engaged dnrinS The moinios
sNos The hshs ia the OF such scattering Mex
80 - m'sh. hang about IN tina, direction
=" oing clear. advance guard, composed OF thfy
80 elected equally from the two iDtsnuy companies
ra pissed uncer the command OF Lieut. cheney Of
hsles company. and ordered 10 march my PAGES
the esvslry and clear the nights OF the enemy
~ hsnt Tie 10 ambush. The command was now Win
49, miles Of the National Bridge. No intelligence
| ,sIen received from Msj Lslys command and no
and "A L. Marty
.OPt Wells ordered sosno OF the baggage 10 be de-
m' aud another (ths second wagon BE- lei,,he
| ~ eng useless and only iEierruptng the march.
e. ~" seen OF the enemy and tho li.tle party pro-
gos, qalsty along until they came In sight Of toe
,s 20 'ae les that commands the Bridge well tie
y 60. 'f nsA mile each aide everything
~ Dot Mexican 10 be seen IN tina vicinity. Capt.
y st0sered Lieut. Cheney 20 advance with bic guard
lo.oNed By r.or,.aa "a ...n.nt.a ..l....... -