The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-04-21

with their respective commtnls dire citing captanpus
10 ;oi me with the other Major l. dmonson was d.
ected to remain In Santa re. =, ,. N,,...,,u,
,oursd volunteers also ordered to join me with
his company, upon the arrival Of Captain Burgwin
eayine Lieutenant Colonel wilcox in command OF
this post on the 23d of January marched from this
place at the head of companies d, Capt Me iln X,
Eantain williams L. Captain Slack NJ Captain HALEY,
and n Captain Barber of the I'd regiment Missouri
mounted volunteers Capt Angneys battalion of nfan
try and company of Santa Fe vol unteers commanded
by Captain ST. Vrain I also took with me four noun
tain howitzers which | placed under the command of
Lieutenant A, b. Dyer, Of the ordnance. My whole
force composed three hundred and tythree rank and
file and with the exception of Capt st. Vrains com
psny, all dismounted. On the march Capt. VIII
devoved upon Lieutenant d. f. White On the 2ith OF
January, at hafpast PM. our advance Captain So
vrain company discovered the enemy in considerable
force near the town Of Canada their position ut that time
being In the valley bordering the Rio del Norte frepar
tions Immediately made by me to attack them
than the ammunition and provision wagons couu S
In order to prevent the escape OF the enemy OF ~
trats them in any attempt they might make 70 occupy
commanding positions As | entered the valley dis-
covered them beyond the creek on which the rUwn
situated and in full possession of the heights comhl
ing the road to Canada and Of three strong houses %
bases Of the hills bly, line of battle was &
formed-the artillery consisting offcur i M
al, hoityers bejr thrown forward on the left hank
and beyond the creek the dsnounted men pSa5
position where they would be in soiie ocgrse' @
nv the high bluff bank the stream rt II tnn nre o' he
enemy until the wagon train coui be hrousn, up. ne
artillery opened on the hcuscs occupied ~ the enemy
and On the more distant heg which alone the guns
could be brought TO bear we enemy, discovering the
wagons to be more thar nile in the rear sent large
marty TO cut them and it became necessary to detach
Captain st vrains company for their protection This
servioe was rendered the most satisfactory So
soon as the wagon train had been brought up ordered
Captain Angney to charge with his battalion Of infantry
and dslodge enemy from the house opposite the right
flank and from which a warm fire being poured on
This done in the most gallant manner. A
charge then ordered to be made upon all the points
occupied by the enemy in any force Captain Angney,
with his command. supported by Lieutenant Whites
company, charged up one hill while Captain st Vrans
when In retreat The artillery, supported by Captains
hsMnen, Barber and Slack with their respective COM
(enclosed by strong CORRAL densely wooded with fruit
trees from which brisk fire kept up by the enemy
and Of the heights beyond them Capt Haeys com
pany ordered to support Captain Angney In few
minutes troops had dsodged the enemy at all points
and they flying in every direction The nature of
the ground rendered pursuit hopeless and it being
near night ordered the troops take up quarters in
the town The number Of the enemy was about fifteen
hundred. Lieutenant Irvine was wounded In the
charge loss killed and six wounded or the
killed, teamster, who volunteered in Captain
Angneys company The loss Of the enemy was thirty
six killed; wounded not ascertained. The next morn
ing the enemy showed themselves in some force think
e.vns a' raard in the in
suit them but they so shy ana rereated SO ra
pidy that finding it impossible to get near them re-
While at Canada a number of the horses belonging to
Captain slacks company were brought In by Lieutenant
On the 27th up the Rio del Norte as far as
Luceros where early on the 2sth, was joined by Cap
tain Burgwin commanding company q, LIST dragons,
and company A I'd regiment Missouri mounted volun-
teers commanded by Lieutenant Boone. Captain Bur
gwins command dismounted, and great credit is
due to him and his officers and men for the rapdity
with which march so long and arduous was performed
At the time Lieutenant Wilson, LIST Dragons who
had volunteered his services came up with
er, which had been sent for from Canada.
My whole force now comprised 479 rank and file. On
the 10th marched to La Joya where learned that
party Of sixty eighty of the enemy had posted them
selves steep slopes of the mountains which rise on
each side Of the gorge which leads to Embudo
Finding the road by Embudo impracticabe for artillery
wagons detached Captain Burgwin In that direc-
ton with his company Of Dragons and the compa-
MES commanded by Captain st. vrain and Lieut.
White. This detachment comprised $50 rank and file
BY my permission Adjutant X. Walker, I'd regiment
Missouri mounted volunteers accompanied Captain Bur-
gwin Lieutenant Wilson, LIST dragons, also volun-
eered his services as private in Captain ST Vrains
company. 49,
Captain Burgwin, pushing forward, discovered the
enemy, to the number Of between six and seven hun
dred posted the sides Of the mountains just where
gorge contracted scarcely to admit Of
the passage of three men marching abreast
The rapid slopes Of the mountains rendered the enc
mys position very strong and its strength increas
ed by the dense of cedar and large fragments OF
rock which everywhere offered them shelter The &C
tion commenced by Captain st. Vrain, who, dis
mounting his assembled the mountain on the left
doing much execution. Thanking parties were thrown
out either side commanded respectively by Lieuten
ant White I'd regiment Missouri mounted volunteers,
and by Lieuenants McIvaine and Taylor LIST dragons
These parties assembled the hills rapidly and the enemy
began retire in the direction Of Embudo bound
ing along the steep and rugged sides OF the mountains
with twenty-ave mounted men had been Immediately
despatched ththcr He now arrived and rendered ex-
cellent service by relieving Lieutenant White whose
much fatgued. Lieutenants Mclvaine and
Taylor also recalled; and Lieutenant ingalls, was
directed to lead thanking party the right slope while
Captain Slack performed the duty the left The
enemy having by this time rotreated beyond reach
Capt Burgwin marched through the dehle, and de-
bouching into the open valley in which Embudo is sit
uated recalled the thanking parties and entered that
town without opposition, several persons meeting him
with q white nag.
Our loss in this action killed, and
verey wounded both belonging to Captain St Vrain'
company The loss Of the enemy about twenty kill
ed and sixty wounded.
Thus ended the battle of the pass Of Embudo.
On the 30th Capt. Burgwin marched to Trampas,
where directed to await the arrival Of the main
body which, account OF the artillery and wagons was
forced to pursue a more southern route On the 3lst
reached Trampas and being joined by Capt Bu rgwin,
marched on to Chamisal with the whole com-c1nd. On
the LIST Of February we reached the s amt q tue Ilos
mountain which covered wh snow to tle depth Of
two feet and on the 81 lurtered at swell Village call
cd Rio Ghetto in the entrance Of tie rsey "i Taos.
The marches of the LIST and I'd through deep
Many Of the frost b,tten, and ali were very
much aded with the exeTons necessary to ira ol over
unbeaten roads being marched ia front OF the artillery
and wagons in order to bgea road through The snow
The consancy and patience with which the troops bore
these hardships deserve all commen9aton and cannot
be exceled by the most veteran soldiers. On the 3D.
marched through Don Fernando do Taos, and finding
that the enemy had fortified themselves iii the Pueblo dc
Taos proceeded to that place found 1t place OF great
strength being surrounded by adobe walls and strong
pckets Within the enclosure and near the northern
southern walls large buildings of irregu
lar pyramida form the height Of seven or eight sto-
ries Each OF these buildings capable OF sheiterng
ave or six hundred men Besides these there many
smaller buildings and the large church of the town was
situated the northwestern angle small passage be-
ing left between IL and the outer wall The exterior
wall and all the enclosed buildings were pierced Tor rnes
The admirably calculated for defence, every
point Of the exterior walls and pickes being anked by
some projecting building, will be from the en-
closed drawing
After having reconnoitrcd the town, selected the
western flank of the church the point Of attack; and
about o'clock p NJ, Lieut.. Dyer ordered to open
his battery at the distance Of about $50 yards hre
was kept up by the 6-pounder and the howtzers for
about two hours and half when, rs the ammunition
wagon had not yet and the troops were suffer
ing from cold and fatigue returned to Don Fernando
Early the morning Of the 4h again advanced upon
Pueblo Posting the dragons under Captain Burgwn
about $50 wards from the flank Of the church.
ordered the under Captains St Vrain and
Slack to position on the opposite side Of the town,
whence they could discover and intercept fugtves