Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-08-19


commencement Of the battle the plateau heavy sTce
Of the enemys casAIy and infantry discovered adj
battery pass When within about hundred
yards the battery opened its fire upon them with destructive
fleet aud their column broke in confusion. For moment
cloud Of dus; hid them from view; but immediately afier
wards they emerged from II again 10 oIdeI and resumed the
advance.
The artillery now played upon them with great rapidly
and accuracy, and alter waveTing for moment The whole
column broke to their right Up the bed Of the rayine and
Joined the which had engaged the ID Indiana
iment the left. Shortly afierwad heavy fire Of
artillery om battery in 'front.' and battery Of
is and - Founders the base of the mountain
left, opened upon my regiment killing several horses
rear, but doing execution in ranks This fire
msnt ned long continued occupy that posi-
iion The ordered lie down avoid is effects
which otherwise have been destructive round
shot passed repeatedly along the entire length Of
About 81 o'clock, a. the regiment ordered TO The
left Of position, in The Mississippi hemen and the
% Indiana regiment for the purpose of defeating capture
large body OF the enemyS cavalry and infantry that
had become involved Of the mountain
10 this junction formed whole faIce consists
ing Of the eight battalion companies Of my regiment about
500 strong the % Indiana regiment and Mississippi rife
men, 900 strong and pieces Of artillery
command Of Captain Sherman attack
So arrived within muskeiry range, the enemy
opened severe he upon Us, which Immediately
TUNED aud kept up until order to hing arrived
from Gen. Tas loT, in Consequence, afewad. UNDER
STOOD Of white flag having been in by the enemy
The enemy. however. Continuing their FIRE, resumed
also, and maintained it until had fired twenty rounds
Of ammunition. Pereeivng at this lime that the enemy
front aud fIght-A heavy charge
cavalry and their battery, which had enfadiHg fire upon
US commencing 10 Go execution in our ranks mached my
regiment by the right flank. under heavy he Of muskety
aud artillery what conceived to be advantageous
position about four bundled yads right Ny resi-
here placed position receive the cavalry,
with its left resting upon the break Of steep Tavine which
by protecting that flank rendered the formation OF square
unnecessary. Matching into this position by the right faux
had necessarily thrown rank 10 the enemy
and prepared TO receive them, faced by the rank
This disposition placed my lett companies upon the extreme
right Of the line Upon the left Of lne thus formed
posted The ID Indiana Tegmen aud upon their left the
Mississippi Iifemen and artillery.
As the enemys cavalry, backed by large masses
Of infantry, in view, il perceived that they de-
signed charging successive quadons, aud that the
head Of their column directed obnGuely upon the right
OF our line Immediately dIrecied Captains Gibson and
ConOve throw their companies sufficiently back from the
line to present their front directly To the charge-whch
immediately done; thus giving companies direct
while The rest Of the line had Oblique 6e upon the APP
preaching column. The enemy down upon
easy gallup and in admirable Ode aud permitted to
approach within about thirty PAGES OF the front OF the two
companies thrown back before gun hsed. Our
fire then delivered aud the enemys column immediate
y broke and fled in the utmost confusion aud closely
pursued by our whole tjee The enemys loss M men and
horse in this charge very Their infantry had,
in the meantime, succeeded in crossing the large
which separated them fIom force thus
cured their safety Our oTeecons before stated.
Of the Mississippi % Indiana, and my regiment FORM
Ing The extreme left OF entire line continued steadily
10 advance from point point upon the retiring sh wing
of the enemy reanng the ground which had been lot dur
the early part Of the day, aud exposed 10 sustained aid
weli-dheced fl fom the enemy's heavy guns.
Between and three O'Clock in the afternoon aiten
ton attracted by heavy musk, t,y fire the
Of OUT position; aud few moments afterwards an officer
appeared the distance beekoning to that part OF the
field Our force Immediately put in motion at brisk
run and after moving half mile, and crossing two
deep and bTOid ravnes suddenly came in view OF a
large ce Of the hty pursuing three OF four hun
died OF our troops, who were reTeang toward the rear
Of Washngons battery, in the road We Immediately
opened fire upon enemy's flank and a brisk
engagement in which we suffered considerably succeeded
hacr Tho ufaIn htUp lQaru
that the troops thus fortunately relieved
portion of the Illinois volunteers who had been engaged IN
the uno charge in which Colonies Mckee and Hardin
aud Lieutenant Colonel Clay e that when The retreat
commenced they became separated from the TEST Of the
troops engaged in and while the % Kentucky regiment
Gated down ravne in front Of Washington's battery
of directed its Had the large
force Of the enemy which pushing them lat least
twenty-five bundled rong) been permitted TO follow its
success upon the of the battery at the
that holly engaged in driving back the
of the enemy who were pursuing the I'd Kentucky
regiment in its 'front.' it Is difficult TO perceive how 1t could
have escaped capture. Shortly after this engagement
regiment separated from the other two with whom il
had been acting the three previous engagements and
moving TO the right joined portion OF Colonel Hardin
regiment then lying head of ravne leading directly
IL Washington's battery. The enemy force
front indicated that attempt would
shortly be made drive from position. Their efforts
however confined 10 several attempts I" carry of
disabled caissOn belonging 10 our artillery which had been
abandoned consequence Of the loss OF horses These
attempts successfully repued with considerable loss tC
the enemy Darkness found this position and we
there remained during the night, with our line of senne'
within hundred and fifty yards Of the enemy line, IN
the most advanced position on the field
detailed list Of the killed and wounded having been
heretofore furnished it unnecessary to repeat here.
Ii may however be proper to say, that considerable
number of belonging TO other corps killed and
wounded in the ranks of regiment during the day and
large number of and officers of the regiment
Slightly wounded Dy spent and gancng balls whose names
wee not reported the official list Of killed aud wounded
Ia conclusion take pleasure in saying that throughout
the day. the men aud officers under my command behaved
unfaering seaiiness that their ranks
brokeu under the most CALLING fires and that they
exhibited upon most trying occasions, that patient and
steady discipline and cool disregard of DANGER that has been
thought to be characteristic of veterans only.
cannot permit this opportunity 10 pass without eslyng
nv warmest appreciation of the which the
cal department of my regiment, under the of Ds
Arthur and Dunn, conducted during the day. The
wounded who carried to The promptly and
efficiently cared for and both surgeons prompt fly
any part of the field during the hottest Of the e when
ever their services required.
The Iihe companies detached from my regiment the
22d did not again rel lin during 22d 23d
detail of actIus must refer you TO the report Of
Mai r Gorman under whose command they served.
All Of which Is respectfully submitted
Col. COmdg 81 Indiana Regiment
! CAMP BUENA VIsrA May I9, 1917.
We undersigned Captains aud LieutenanIs Of the Sd
regiment of ud volunteers that at the time
Mississippi and ID and 80 Indiana regiments ordered
support Of the Illinois and Kentucky unteers, who
were reteating before the charge enemy which
Colonies Hirdin aud Mckee aud Lieut. Col Clay killed
on plateau, the Sd Indiana regiment the FIST reg
arrived the ground, and the enemy
discharges of musketry before any other regiment arrived
that The Sd Indiana regiment the left Of the line
nearest the enemy, about bundled yards distant;
here 81 Indiana regiment lost than during the
TEST of the day. and fell the last who killed
Buena Vista captain Taggart, of company +, of thu
Sd regiment of Indiana volunteers. The Sd regiment
the only regiment that lost man in that engagement