The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-05-28
OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY,M %, 1917.

wounding and disabling one of the
enemies guns. We had two men
slightly wounded and several horses
and mules killed. The enemy then
, slowly retreated behind their works
in some confusion, and we resumed
our march in our former order, still
diverging more to the right to avoid
their battery on our left, (their
right, and their strongest redoubtS,
which were on the left near where
r the road passes. After marching as
far as we safely could, without com
5 ing within range of their heavy bat
terry on our right, Capt. Weightman,
OF the artillery, was ordered to
charge with the two l2-pound how
ltzcrs, TO be supported by the cav
airy, under Capts. Reid, Parsons,
and Hudson. The howitzcrs charg-
, ed at speed, and were gallantly sus-
tanned by Capt. Reid but, by some
misunderstanding, my order was not
given to the other two companies.
Captain Hudson, anticipating my
order, charged in time to give am
pie support to the howitzers. Cap
tain Parsons, at the same moment,
came TO me and asked permission for
his company to charge the redoubts
Immediately to the left of Capt.
Welghtman, which he did very gal.
lantly. The remainder of the two
battalions of the lst regiment were
dismountcd during the cavalry
charge, and following rapidly on foot,
and Major Clarke advancing as fast
as practicable with the remainder of
battery, we charged their redoubts
from right TO left, with a brisk and
deadly fire of rihemcn, while Major
Clarke opened rapid and we'll d.
rected fire on a column of cavalry
attempting to pass TO our left so as
to attack the wagons and our rear.
The fire was so well directed as to
force them to fall back ; and our ii
ilemen, with the cavalry and howit-
GERS, Gle lrcd after an obstinate re-
sistahce. Our forces advanced -
the very brink of their redohbts and
attacked them with their sab.cs.
When the redoubts were cleared,
and the batteries in. the centre and
our left were Silenced, the main bat
terry on our right still continued to
Co.
as it hod done during thp hent, &c 49,
engagement but aS the whole fate
of the battle depended upon carry
ing the redoubts and centre battery,
this one on the right remained IN
attacked, and the enemy had rallied
there five hundred strong.
Maj. Clarke was directed to com
mcnce a heavy fire upon it, while
Lieuts. Col. Mitchell and Jackson.
commanding the LIST battalion, were
ordered to remount and charge the
battery on the left, willie Maj, Gil
pin was directed TO pass the Cd bat
talon on foot up the rough ascent Of
The mountain on the opposite side.
The fire of our battery was so cffec-
tive as TO completely silence theirs,
and the rapid advance Of our column
put them to flight over the mountains
in great confusion.
Cant. Thompson, of the lst dra-
goons, acted as my aid and adviser
on the field during the whole en-
gagement, and was of the most cs-
sential service to me. Also, Lieut..
Wooster, Of the u. s. army, who
acted very coolly and gallantly.
Major Campbell, of Springfield, Mis-
souri,. also acted as a volunteer aid
during part of the time. but left me
and Joined Capt. Reid in his gallant
charge. Thus ended the battle of
Sacramento. The force of the enc
) my was 1000 cavalry from Durango
and chihuahua with the Vera Cruz
dragons, and 1900 infantry from
Chihuahua, 300 artllcrists, and AGO
rancheros badly armed with lassos,
lances, and machetoes, or corn
L., q