The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-10-15

as rear guard. II was composed Of the
Rifles. lst Artillery. and the Sd Infantry,
with TaylOr's battery.--Asth the rear guard
marching slowly along, came up with the
train, word came 10 Gen. Twiggs that q
force ofabout FIVE thuasaud men were
trying TO cross the road between them aud
the train in order to cut it off. We were
then passing through a small village. by
a 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 en-
emy's column. 1t was the most SPLEEN
did sight ! had ever seen The yellow
cloaks, red caps aud jackets of the Ian
GERS. and the bright blue and white uni
forms Of the infuntry, were most beauli-
fully c0ntrasied with the green OF the
barley fields. Our line ofbattle was soon
formed, and we deployed through the
grain to turn their left aud cut them off
from the mountains. A few shots, how
ever, from the battery, soon showed Them
that they were observed, and counter,
marching in haste. they left their dead
on The field, Thus ended our fight of
Buoua Vista.-That night we stayed at
Chalco. The next day VIC made a long
and toilsome march over a horrible road,
through which, with the utmost difficulty,
we dragged our wagons by the assistance
Of both men aud mules. The next was
nearly the same, except that the road was
if possible, worse than before. as the
Mexicans had blocked it up with large
stones, rolled down from the ~neigboring
hills. This night we encOmped at a most
beautiful olive grove, Of immense size
and accommodating at once both diyis-
ions. In the town, us well as in Chalco,
there are still standing the churches Of
the Indians where the fire. worshippers
assembled before Coriez and introduced
a new religion. They are large and
sombre edifces, differing but little from
the churches Of this country and being
near to the city, aud said to have been
formerly resorted to by the ancient kings
The next day We arrived in sight oil
the rest oflhe army, and heard the guns
with which Worth was preaching the
walls Of San Antonio. That night the
news Of the death Of Capt. Thornton Of
the second Dragons reached lis. He
was a brave officer and a thorough gen
tlcman, but was always unfortunate in his
military career.
Ont the morning ofihe 10Th. we left :hc
little village where we heard this sal
news and took the road to San Juan, d
bout seven miles to the west and only a
bout ter miles from the city. When ",
arrived here, we heard the sound ofGen
Worth's guns. who was said to have at
tackled San Augustine, a village three
miles nearer the capital, whore Santa An
Ia Anna was said to be with 10000 men
When we arrived at San Juan, tho mer
were told to sling their blankets across
their shoulders, put their knapsacks int,
their wagons, aud to put two daysb reat
and beef into their naversacks. Wher
this order came, all knew that the tim,
had come. The officers arranged thei
effects put on their old coats, and fllet
their haycrsacks and TASKS. Soon ",
were all ready for anything but a thrash
ing. We here heard the position of III,
enemy, which was nearly as follows: San
Ia Anna with 10000 men was at San Au
g%ustine; Valencia with 10, 000 was at
hill called Conteras, which commanded
another road parallel to San Augustine
road, but which led into it between tn,
city and Santa Anna.-Now, by cutting
u road across, if we could whip Va'cen
cia, we could follow the road up aud thu
get between Santa Anna aud Mexico, an,
whip him too. Gen. Worth, support 81
Eby Gen. Quitman was to keep Santa An
ma in check, while Twiggs, backed b,
Pillow, was to astonish Valencia, which
you will see, he did very etfectually
Pillow with some Of the ten regimenli
was to cut tho road. We left San Jual
about | o'clock, not particularly desiring
a fight so late in the day, but still no
stunning it in case wo chould have a re.
spectacle chance. About 9 p. NJ, a.
we crawled to the top Of the hill, width.
or we had been ourselves pulling Ma
gruder's battery and the mountain how
~itzers. wo suddenly espied Valencia for,
titled on hill about 200 yards off, and
strongly reinfoice 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 n full gallop,
Just then Gen, Smiths manly voice
rungout "FWward Tie RifeS-to sup.
port The battery" On they went. Till we
got about 500 yards from the work when
the enemy opened upon them with his
long guns, which were afterward found
to be sixteen and eighteen inch howil.
zers.-The ground wus the worst posi-
BILE forartillery, covered with rocks, large
and small prickley pear and cactus, in.
~tersected by bitches filed with water and
lined with maguey plant, itself imperyia
bile to cavalry, and with patches of corr
which concealed the enemy's skirmishos
wh'iet imPeded our own passage. The
artillery advanced but slowly under +,
most tremendous fire, which greatly in
lured 1t before il could be got in range
{ and the thickness of the underground
caused the skirmishers thrown forward /,
| lose their relative position, as well as the
) colnmn,-About 4 the battery got in pc
: sitlon under n most murderous fire o
grape, canister aud round shot.