The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1847-05-06
lNU NIB Err 81.

M ~ W itelSt Il tif %
IN s'ha'i lotce, as Vel as adapted 10 thu
l"'.h 'i i6'ce which COMPOSED our
army re therefore Tell back aud oc
curied 4 on The evening" Of he 2lst, apd a
once made The necessary preparation, for
giving battle.
The next day the enemy made his an.
pcarance early IN the day, and, alter recon.
no.eflng our position for some tn c, al =
O'Clock, 7. VI. received, by staff oficer
VITA tag, a communication from Gen.
santa Anna requiring me to surrender at
discretion, stating that in the event OF ny
doing SO we should be well treated tina, he
had surr ounded me with more than 90 600
men; that resistance was on, Of the cues.
uon-and II | attempted IT, my command
would be pat 10 roui aud must be destroy.
ed. In reply, | stated could not comply
with his demand, and he was a, liberty to
commence operations whenever he was IN.
elned 10 doso. Soon after lhjs, the action
Vas commenced with his .ketml.hers on
our le't, which was promptly met by ours,
and Continued without iu'rrnission on tho
SIDE o. the mountain unili dark.
Ia lie morning at sunrise he renewed
The contest "I'h overu helm NJ iofce-wllh
artillery, ln'anry und dfdgoons-" hich
tasted WIKI very slight lnlermlssions until
datk. portion OF the time the contest
was much the se,erest have ever witness.
ed, particularly towards the latter part OF
the day, when he Santa Auna) brought Up
his reserve, aud m spite Of every effort On
our part, after the creates, exerions h We
ever Witnessed on both sides, dr1,e Us hy
an immense superiority Of numbers for
some distance, He had al least five to
one al that point against W. Fortuna ely,
at the most critical moment, two pieces OF
artillery which had ordered up 10 support
that part OIL our line met our exhausted men
teireaUne, when they were brought into
battery and opened on the enemy, then
within htty yards 10 hot pursuit, with can.
t>ter aud grape, which brought him 10 a
halt and soon compelled him TO fall back. In
tins tremendous contest we lost three pieces
OF artillery, nearly all the men and horses
having been killed or crippled, which pot
Il out OF our power 10 bring them off nor
did deem il advisable to atemp. 10 regain
them,
The enemy had made his principal ef-
forts against Our tanks. He vas hand some.
y repulsed IN every attempt on our right,
bat succeeded early IN the day in gaining
our left IN vuscquence Of the giving way
ai one Of the volunteer regiments which
could not be rallied with but few excep.
tons, the greater portion retiring about
mIIe 10 large rancho or farm house, where
our wagons ard a portion Of our stores
were Ieh' These were soon attacked by
the enemys cavalry, who were repulsed
w!th some loss.
For several hours the fate Of the day
was extremely doubtful, so much so that
was urged BY some Of the mos, exl erenced
officers to falI back and take up new posi-
ton. This knew it would not do to attempt
with volunteers and at once declined it.
The scene now had become one Of the
deepest interest. Between the several deep
ra>ines there were portions Of level land
from one 10 four hundred yards IN extent,
which became alternately points of attack
and defence, after our left was turned, by
both sides, These extended along and near
the base Of The mountain for about two
miles, aad the struggle for them may be ve-
~ appropriately compared TO a game Of
chess. Night put stop TO the contest,
and, strange to say both armies occupied
the same positions they did IN the morning
before the battle commenced. Our artIlle.
ry did more than wonders. We lay on our
arms all night, as we had done the two
previous ones, without fires, there being no
wood to be had, and the mercury below tho
freezing point, ready and expecting TO re-
new the contest the next morning but we
found at daylight the enemy had reirea,ed
during The night, leaving his killed and ma.
ny Of his wounded for Us TO bury and take
care of-carrylng off every thing else, and
taking up position at this place. We did
not lhuk II advisable TO pursue, not know.
ing whether he would renew the attack,
continue his retreat, or wished to draw US
from our strong position; but contented our.
selves with watching his movements close
Is. Finding, on the 26th, he had renewed
his retreat early IN the morning OF the
27th the army was put in motion for this
place, where we arrived about o'clock,
Z. M.-'helr rear guard, consisting of cav
airy, leaving as our advance got in sight.
at once determined on harrasslng his
rear; bu, on examining the state OF the
men and horses, found that five days and
nights marching, incessant watching end
sixteen hours bard fighting, had so eShaus.
ted the first and broken down the latter, il
was next to impossible to accomplish any
thing wiihou, rest. We renamed quie.
here until the I'd inst, when pushed a
command on the San Luis road TO a large
plantation called lncarnaclon, where we
found between two and three hundred woUn-
ded in the most wrelched condition, besides
those they carried with them and left here
on the field. Here we took about ten pris.
onets, the main part of their army having
proceeded on IN the direction Of San Luis
10 very disorganized condition,
On the 22d, the enemy threw in our rear.
through the passes Ct the moun;ans, 1000
cavalry, and early in the mofning OF the