Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-04-29

under MAJOR Trail, ~ Illinois volunteers,
0sintsinsd their ground hsndsomsly sgsinsl
ssspesies force. holdsse shs1sslves sude'
sevss. end usins their wssppus With deadly
eject. Ahout 8 O'Clock ssssag demoussrs.
sisn wss made agsinst ~ eentss OF our po.
slsian, heavy co,Mso moving sIong, the
Rad. This loses ives sooa dispsrsed By .
(~w rapid end weil-dirsstet shots from Cspt.
Wssh,nesons battery.
In the mepnsime the enemy was concen
ssssing large farce NJ infantry end cavalry
under cover Of ihe ridges. With the oblivions
insenshyW 0f forcing our leh, which wss post
cd on On extensive plateau. The I'd Indiana
end 81 Illinois regiments formed this part of
our line, the former covering three pieces Of
heht ssssIlery, under the orders OF Captain
O'Bsicn-- Brigadier General Lane being in
the imme date commsnd. In order TO bring
HE men within effective range, General
Lsne ordered the artillery and Cd Indiana
regimen, forward. The artillery advanced
within mu.ket range Of heavy body Of Mexi.
can iaiau,ry. and was served against il with
greet effect, but without being able to check
i:s sdvsmes. The infantry ordered To iis
sucpor, had fallen bach in disorder, being
~xposed. 90 we'll ~ the battery, nsl only to q
d scsere Are Of small arms fro&a the fsoni, but
also 20 q murdsrous crosse Rse of Crepe and
canister from Msx,csw battery on the left.
Capisin U'Brien founai IL impossible TO Ie.
tain hls positioR without support, but was
only nbe tn Withdraw two Of his pieces. all
lh, horscs and cannoueevs Of the third piece
b..,nv killed. ~ disabled, The I'd Indiana
frg,sneni. which had fallen back a. stated,
c.uId p~s be Vailed, and took no further psri
in tho seiion, excspts handful Of men, who,
under ns gallant colonel, Bowles, joined the
M'ssisstppi regiment, and did good service.
ond those fugitives who, st later period In
the day. assisted in defending the train end
dep.d ~ Bucnu Visits. This portion Of our
hne having given wsy. and The enemy aP
pessing ia overw whelining force sgainsl our
Iefi flank, the light troops, which had ren
drred such good service on the mountain
we're compelled 10 Withdraw, winch they did,
for The most part, in good order Many,
however, were no, rallied until they resched
ihc depot q, Bnena Visits, To the defence Of
~hwh they sfterwsrd contributed.
ColcnsI B,ssci's regiment, t2d Illinois,
whirh had becn joined by section Of Capt
Sherman's battery. had become completely
ou'Asnked, and was compelled to tall back.
being entirely unsupported. The enemy
~ss nov pouring masses Of infantry and cav
airy along the base Of the mountain ON our
ieit, end was gaining our rear in great force.
A. thi-tnom~nt ! arrived upon the field. The
M,ssis,ippi regimen, had been directed to
,h. left before reaching the position. and i'm
msdiately came into action against the Mcxi
can infantry which had turned our flank. -
The o. Keniocky regiment and a section OF
sr,IIrry under Capt. Bragg had previously
bssn ordered from The right TO reinforce our
tsh, aud arrived at Q most opporiune momen,
Thsf regiment, and q portion Of the lst llli-
oo,s, under Colonel Hardin. galIantly drove
The enemy, and recovered q portion OF the
ground We had lost. The batteries OF Cap
inlus sherman and Bragg were ~ position
ON the plateau, aud did much execution, not
only IN front, but particularly upon the mas
sr. which had gained our rear.
81 Discovering that the enemy was heavily
pr.s .s.ing upon tho Mississippi regiment, the
third Indiana regiment under Col. Lane, was
despatched to strengthen that part of our line
which formed q CROCHET perpendicular to the
first line Of battle. Al the ssme time Lieut..
kilburn, with piece Of Capt. Bragg's bat.
terry, was directed to support the infantry
tbrtc ,ngaged the action was for a long
time warmly sustained at That point-ihe en-.
-rny making several Efforts both with infan-
'--a .--.i-y .e.,nss nur line. and being
slways repuIsed wrh heavy loss. ] had
ps.cd oil the regular cavalry end Capt,
Pixies squadron Of Arkansas horse under the
orders oi Brevet Lit. Col. May, with direc
lions 10 hold in check The enrmy's column,
yili advancing To the rear along the base Of
th- mountain, which was done in conjunc, c,ion
vi hthe Kentucky and Arkansas cavalry un-
der Coils. Marshall and Yell.
ln The uesni,me our lefi, which was still
strongly threstened by q superior force, was
farther strengthened by The de,achmen: ol
Cspt Drsgg's, and portion Of Capt. She e
mans batteries to that quarter The con-
rrn'ra,ion of artillery FIRE upon the masses OF
IN" enemy along the base Of the mountain,
md the determined resistance offered by the
two rrgimcn,s opposed to them. had created
confusion IN their ranks. and some Of the
corps attempted 10 effect retreat upon their
nam I,pe Of battle. The squadron Of the
1T drngoons. under Lient. Rurker, was now
ordered up the deep ravine which these re-
treating corps were endeavoring to cross. in
order 10 charge and dispense them The
'qradron proceeded to the point Indicated
but could not accomplish the object, being
exposed to heavy fire from battery estab-
lI-h' To cover the retreat Of those corps.
hilc the sqna0'on was detScnto on t1is
service large body Of The enemy was OBJ
served to concentrate on our extreme lett,
apparently with Q view Of making descent
nPon the hacienda Of Bucnn Vista, whore our
irs,n ana baggage were deposited. Lieut..
Col. May was ordered to the support oi that
point, with two pieces Of Capt Sherman's
battery under Lieut.. Reynolds 10 tho
meantime tho scattered forces nenr the baci-
.rdr comporcd IN part Of MHj"rs Trail and
Gor,nan's commands had been To sotne extent
mgapiz,d under the advice ~ Major Mun-
r"c. chief ~ artillery with the assistance OF
Major Morrison, volunteer siaf and we're post
ed to defend The position. Before our cavalry
had rrscbed the hacienda, that of the enemy
had made lie attack. having been handsome
y met by The KeuImky and Arkansas cav
s!ry. under Cole. Mar-hsll ard Yrll.
The Mrxicsn column Immediately divided.
ono portion sweeping by the d. pot, where 1t
reccIvrd q destructive fire from the force
winch had collected there, and then gaining
the m""nin'n opposite, under fire from
Lieut.. R"yuold-'s section, the remaining por
iI"u rrgslnlng 'hs bose Of the mountain on
an, Loft Ia chm m, nueua WAN Col