Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-09-29

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fired upon squadrdnaofdrag ragoons, (lSiliing1
Capt. Thornton, and Mounding 2the. guide,
Jonathan. Fitzwater,l advanced to. protect
the engineers in d recohnoisance Of the
fofsificatienspf San :Antonio. Capt. Thorn
ton f'fddd very sanWeH -fofsom time,
and went ont ia command ofhis- squadron
against the advice .of his physician and bis
senior officers; but his energy and gallantry.
would not allow him to remain inactive,
when there wns the. least possibiiit
nia6ii Il tii6 Ip6. As soon as tie dragoonss
were @ithdrawn, Col Duncan's, battery and
the ,sappers and miners moved down the
road, and took o position that would enable
them 70 operate in any direction, in case
ofenaergency. Col. Smith'slight battalion
was thrown out on the left. front, to watch
the movements, Of the enemy; and to hold
him in check in case. of his advancing his
flank. Immediately after, Col. Garland's
brigade made a diversion the right, and
took position in line, resting his right at
the hacienda of San Juan de Dios, about
400 yards to the right of the road. AS
soon as this movement was completed, the
I'd brigade, under Col. Clarke, moved down
the road, until the head of the column rested
on the left wing of COL Garland. One
section. of the mountain howitzers was
brought forward, and thus they remained
until sundown, when the brigade Of cavalry
withdrew, leaving the infantry and artillery
on the ground. About two clock a heavy
rain came on, which completely drenched
the troops, and they were also exposed
during the night to, slow, drizzling rain,
without tents or blankets. Gen. Worth,
with part Of the 1st brigade occupied the
hacienda of San Juan de Dios during the
night, and the enemy amused themselves
by firing. a few random shot at it about SUM-
down from SanAntonio, but without any 9TH
er effect than to riddle the house completely
with. balls, and to besprinkle the officers
with the mortar and dust of the old hacienda.
During the day, Major Graham was. sent
out from San Augustin General SCOTS
headquarters) towards Contreros, to protect
the engineers in reconnaissance Of the route
in that direction; where during the forenoon,
he engaged force of the enemy's cavalry
and infantry, which he drove back with a
loss of 8 killed, 2 wounded, and 5 prisoners;
Major Graham's command sustained no
| loss.
On the 10Th the enemy fred from the
works at San Antonio on the hacienda OF
San Juan de Dios, supposing part OF ou
forces were still there. About 10 O'Clock
4 the sappers and miners, under Lieut.. Smith,
! and the section of mountain howitzers
& under Lieut.. Calender, returned to Sar
/ Augustin, and joined Gen. Pillows division
which was then taking up its march in the
direction of Contreros. Gen. Pillow con
tinued his march, opening the road as hi
4 went, until he reached point, from whence
we had the enemy and his fortifcations ii
full view. Between l and 2 O'Clock, th'
division of Gen Twiggs came up with tn
advance, and moved forward-Gen. Smith
: brigade advancing to the left, and Col
Riley's to the right, Gen. Pillow placed a
the disposal of Gen. Twiggs Capt. Nc
, Gruder's battery and Lieut.. Calender
, howitzers both of which belonged to th
r proper division of Gen. Pillow. --....-.s..
$ With great difficulty the two batterie
Z moved forward, having to travel half mil
. over broken and confused mass Of lava
: apparently impossible even for footmen
fj The enemy. opened his heavy batteries from
, Contreros, and the advancing troops of Gen
! Smiths brigade holly engaged the enemy
: infantry, which he had thrown out acros
s deep ravine aud creek in front Of hi
. Notifications, using his artillery for tim
9 against the rear brigades of our army
y they came up; but he was not able to stan
l. the severity Of the conflict, and was con
n PEELED to retire with heavy loss. He the
n concentrated his fire upon the howitzel
d and Capt, eMcGruder's battery. Thes
! two batteries sustained, for more than a
d hour, the fire of twenty-five pieces
e artillery, mostly of large calibre, when the
% were ordered by Gen. Smith to retire fro
Id so unequal conflict, Their loss was vel
y severe, and, among others, we have !
. lament the death Of Lieut., Johnson; Lieu
r Calender was also severely wounded.
rel Gen. Pillow had ordered Gen. Pierce
i brigade to the support of Gen. Smith, al
s. Gen Cadwalader's to the support of &c
re- Riley. At this state Of the battle, while
70 was raging with extreme severity, Il
n enemy appeared on the left side of the, fo
lr at Contreros, and in rear of the village
at Ensaldo, where Col. Riley had arrive
"a, with o force Of $4,000 men, (which ,
Or afterwards learned was under the comma
It: Of Santa Anna hin,self) apparently thre
k ening the safety Of Col. Riley and &c
Of Cadwalader. Gen. Pillow ordered the Is
a Infantry, under Col. Morgan, to the 81
ly port of Gen. Cadwalader. Gen.. Sc
il came upon the ground about this tin
IF, bringing with him Gen Shields's brigade
- volunteers, (South Carolina and New 7 or
ry whom he advanced to the. support of
81 forces under Gen. Cadwalader.
on Gen. Twiggs finding his command
oil separated, and that it was utterly impossib
ae, from the nature Of the ground, for him
md reach the point he intended to occupy,
nae. night approached, fell back with a port
by of his staff to the place where Gen. Sc
to was passing the night, exposed to sew,
rs, rain,a without shelter, Or any thing nj
nn, than his usual uniform, to protect him lr
les, the inclemency of the weather.
his. M'Gruder's and the howitzer bait,
thei being disabled, and it being evident t
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