Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-05-01
lacidsnts ~ she Battle 81 Baena Vista.
The Mstsmoras Flag gives the following in.


cdent Of the battlefield Of Bueua Vista. The
heroes of itsre the veteran Mis-. issippions, un.
der COL. J. Davis The heroic act 10 unequal.
led in the annals Of warfare, and although no
&C, could add TO the reputation Of this gallant
regiment, it serves to show the stuff they are
made Of. .Drs. Bennett, of Covington, Ky,
and Carson, Of Port Gibson, Miss. stood rpon.
sors-'sll Of which they saw, and oar, Of " bich
they were:'
The lst Mississippi regiment, under com.
msnd Of Col Jefferson Davis. costed itself over
with immortal glory. Originally. it numbered
$50 some odd, but suddenly transferred from
the comforts and genial atmosphere of home, 10
the almost vertical sun of Brszos Island, last
August, disease made frigh,ful ravages among
it's men! What it lost in this way, in conjunc.
,ion with the killed at Monterey. and those dis
charged in consequence OF wounds, reduced il
TO considerably less than iou. hundred strong.
With this diminished force, (weskened still
more by the extraction Of the Tombigbee and
Carroll County companies. which guarded Gen
Taylur's tent,) this skeleton regimen, sustained,
and repelled, with immense slaug q charge
Of three times their own number Of Santa An.
ns's beat lsncers They first bore down upon
one Of the Indiana regiments--we forget which
one-and dispersed il. The Mssiseippisns
endeavored TO rally them. but before they could
do 80, were in turn themselves charged. Col
Davis, contrary TO oil custom, instead Of forming
in hollow .quare, stretched out his men in
the form OF a crotcbet. The lsncers came up
at a rapid gallop, but so perfectly asionished
was, not only the chief officer, but his men, at
so strange . mode Of receiving charge Of CO.
vslry, that they Involuntary halted. For a
few seconds they gazed upon the uuruffled
countenances Of the rifemen opposed TO them,
but feeling there was no time to lose, the order
'Adiionter forward was ponpously given
The crotchet was filled in an instant and just
as they wheeled their horses, with lsnces set on
both prongs, the intrepid Mississippi Colonel,
standing inside tie fork, called out, Boys. .tre
and al them scith your knipes.' Simul,sne.
ously with the sharp crack of the rifles, dsa.
fening shout went up, snd bowieikn;ves and
REVIEWERS flashed in the direction Of the lsncers
Strange as il may seem, many Of the lancers
were sciually drsgged from their hsrses and
stabbed TO death, 10 this unusual manner this
splended body Of boree.men were beaten back.
Csp,sin Eus,is. oflst Dragons. says the achieve.
ment is unparalleled. Whether il ia owing
to the native daring Of the men, or the infusion
into their bosoms Of their Colonei's spirit, we
leave every body to draw their own conclusions.
1t is due to The 81 Indiana regiment to say. tina.
they were afterwards brought up to suppor,
the Mississippi regiment and fought valian,ly
i The New Orleans P,csyune says
II is stated, upon what may he considered
good authority, that General Taylor. in giving
an account of the battle at Buena Vista to Lieu;
Col Randolph, Of the Virginia regiment, aid
that If there had beef, only regulars in the bat
tie he would probably have lost the day, az the
Mississippi regiment Of volunteers was whip.
pee three times without knowing it that when
borne down by overwhelming numbers they
fought on just a. If nothing uncommon had hap
pened to them, and hy dint OF endurance snt q
wonderful alacrity in ripping up the next man
to them, they retrieved the fortunes o. the
Reld.' '.
As related to us the general tells this story
with infinite gusto. As reported by oil. the
Mississippisns under Col. Davis on that day o.
terror fought with u vslor and intelligence IN
paralleled in modern warfare, Each man seem
cd to consider the fate Of the day as depending
on his individual prowess, and st,od up to the
rack with doggsd determination conformablt
to this predominant idea. They learned ,h',
business at Monterey--but at Buena Vista they
betiered their instruction.
The New Orleans Picayune, speaking o
the death of Lieut.. Col CLAs on the field u
Buens Vita, remarks
The son was worthy Of his sire. He was q
man Of lofty impulses, OF q noble nature. a pure
generosity snd manly accomplishments. Hi,
last words were of bis Sther. When he wal
shot down . second time he drew brace o,
pistols from his belt, handed them to Capt Cut
ter and requested him to deliver them To his
father. with this messoget Say to him tina,
he gave them to me, and that have done all
can with them, and now return them To him. v
Here the enemy came thick around him, and
these were the last words he was heard 10
utter. He has gone to swell the list of immor,
tsli,y. The purchase Of glory 10 the blood of the
brave.
Mr.. Winans, editor Of the Cohoes Advert.