The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-04-20

w Z III III liz NEW OhLEA-NS AhCtA ~
Of the 30th ultimo the subjoined highly
interesting account of the Battle of Bue-
ma Vista, from the pen Of an accomplish
ed gentleman who shared its honors and
It's perIls. 1t is full of interest, as pre-
senting the most graphic description OF
the scenes Of that e~nsanguined field which
we have vet SEEN Nat. Intel.
Correspondence Of the Ne,c Orleans Tropic.
CAMP Al BUENA VISTA, FEBR. "a, lS47.
On the morning of the 22d intelligence
reached General Taylor at his camp, on
the hill overlooking Salullo from the
south, that Santa Anna, whose presence
in our vicinity had been reported for sew
eraI DAYS, was advancing upon our main
body, stationed near the Rancho San Juan
de Buena Vista, about seven miles from
Salillo. The General Immediately NOV
ed forward with Mays squadron Of Ora
goons, Sherman's and Bragg's batteries
of Artillery, and the Mississippi regiment
of Rifemen, under Col. Davis, aud ar
rived at the position which he had select
ed for awaiting the attack of the enemy
about III o'clock. The time and the
place, the hour and the man, seemed 10
promise a glorious celebration of the day.
Il was the 22d of February, the aRniver-
sary of that day on which the God Of
Battles gave to freedom Its noblest cham
pion, to patriotism It's purest model, to
America a preserver, and to the world
The nearest realization of human perfec-
ton; fer p~anegyric sinks before the name
Of WASHINGTON.
The morning was bright and beautiful.
Not a cloud foated athwart the armament
or dimmed the azure of the sky, and the
food OF golden radiance which gilded the
mountain tops and poured over the val
leys, wrought light and shade into a thou
sand fantastic forms. A soft breeze sweep
down from the mountains, rolling into
graceful fluctuations the banner OF the
Republic, which was proudly streaming
from the flagstaff of the fort and from
the towers and battlements Of Saltillo.-
The omens were all in our favor.
In the choice of his position Gen. lay
lor exhibited the same comprehensive sa-
gacity and mastery coUP Dell which
characterized his dispositions al Resaca
de la Palma, and which crowned trium-
phantly all his operations amid the bla-
zing lines of Monterey. The mountains
rise on either side of an irregular and
broken valley, about three miles in width,
dotted over with hills and ridges, and
SCARED with broad and winding %ravines.
The man road lies along the course of an
arroyo, the bed of which is now so deep
as to form an almost impossible barrier,
while the other side is sounded by preci-
pitous elevations, stretching p%erpendicu-
larry towards the mountains, and separa-
ted by broad gullies, until they mingle In
10 one at the base of the principal range.
On the right of the narrowest point of
the roadway a battalion of the first Hi
nois regiment. under Lieut.. Col. Weather
ford, was stationed in small trench, ex-
tending to the natural %ravine, while, on
the opposite height, the main body Of the
regiment under Col. Hardin was posted,
with a single piece Of artillery from Capt.
Washington's battery. The post of no.
nor on the extreme right was assigned to
Briggs artillery, his left supported by
the second regiment of Kentucky foot
under Col. Mckee, the left flank of which
rested upon the arroyo. Washington's
battery occupied a position Immediately
in front Of the narrow point of the road
way, in rear Of which and somewhat TO
the left, on another height. the second IL
linsis regiment, under Col. Bissell, was
posted. Next on the left, the Indiana
brigade, under Gen, Lane, was deployed,
while on the extreme left the Kentucky
cavalry, undor Col. Marshall, occupied q
position directly under the frowning sum
mits of the mountains. The two squad
rons of the first and second Dragons, and
the Arkansas cavalry under Col. Yell
were posted in rear. ready for any ser
wee which the e~xigencies of the day
might require.