Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-10-15


mand WAS attack ed six times on the march
but the enemy's force in each instance
was easily dispersed, with triling loss on
cur side. The National Bridge afforded
the enemy great natural advantages. to
which they had added breastworks on y
high bluff which commanded the BRIDGE
perfeetly' and across the main BRIDGE.
they had also thrown 4 barrjcade 7
soon discovered that there was no way in
which his position could be turned. and
that my artillery was Ineffective from the
most commanding point where il oonld
be placed | determined. of course. TO
cross under the plunging fire of the enc
my's escopetas. My order to advance was
admirably executed. At the moment tt
Col. Bonham's battalion rushed forward
WIFE a shout, the enemy pouring down a
aeaVy ire, by which seversl of nv men
were severely wounded. Col. Bonham,s
horse was shot near me, and a ball passed
through the rim of my hat in very disa-
greeable proximity to nv face. Our men
leaPed the banicade, followed by Captain
Duperu's company of cavalry, and in less
Than ten minutes the enemy were in
flight IN every direction, and the Ameri-
can flag waved upon the high bluff which
they had occupied
The Mexican force, as they said after.
ward, consisted of 800 men. Had they
possessed courage and skill in the use of
arms our loss must have been very great.
You can hardly conceive the strength and
natural defences of the road over which
We passed. Rumors came to me almost
every night that we would be attacked by
large forces the next day, but they made
no where anything Ike a brave and stern
resistance. The official reprots of the
great battle Of Mexico will probably reach
you as soon as this letter, and shall there
fore not attempt to give the minute de-
tails. 1t was fierce and bloody beyond
anything that has occurred in this war.
The battle differed in many respects from
that of Buena Vista. There Gen. Tav-
Tor received the enemy in strong posi-
ton selected by himself. Our force or
the goth consisted Of less than nine thou
sand men the Mexican force, within sup
porting distance, and engaged, undoubted-
~, exceeded thirty thousand. We at
tackled him in position, upon ground OF
his own selection. admirably fortified
You will distinguish, so far as numbers
are concerned, between the battle of the
morning and that OF The afternoon, altho'
spoken of in the official reports as one CT
gagement under the designation of " the
battle of Mexico" We took. during the
day, thirty-five pieces of artillery = an
immense quantity of ammuntIon-cight
hundred mules and horses, all more than
wo thousand prisoners among them
eight generals and any number Of colo
nels.
The Mexican loss in killed and wound
ed must have been immense. Our troops
buried 500 Mexicans upon the field of bat
tie, commenced in the morning at Con
treras, and the loss in the afternoon was
much greater. Our loss has been heavy.
With this small army we could not afford
to purchase many such victories at such
price; one of the regiments of my brig
ade (the l3th) lost in killed and wounded
one-third of It's entire force. In killed and
wounded we number not less than 1000.
and among them, l lament to say, an un-
usual proportion Of valuable officers. The
New England regiment suffered severely
and behaved throughout in the most gal
liant manner. Ny horse at full speed on
the evening of the 18th, when leading nv
brigade through perfect shower Of round
shot and shell, fell under me upon a ledge
of rocks, by which | sustained a severe
injury by the shock and bruises but espe-
cialIy by severe sprain IN my left knee,
which came under him. A. first | was
not conscious of any serious injury, but
soon became exceedingly faint, when Or.
Richie, surgeon of the 18th. "a portion Of
nv command who was following the ad-
vancing columns closely, administered to
me as we'll as he could under the circum.
stances. IL few moments was able to
walk with difficulty, and pressed forward
to Capt. McGuder's battery, where found
the horse Of poor gallant Lieutenant John
son, who had Just received a mortal wound
of which he died that evening. / was
permitted to take him my own having
been totally disabled was helped iato the