The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-02-10

eetl each mig To sliowSou Nv bereabouts;
but there wore some WHO ex xpressei,s their
Ibeleftba, twas amefe matter ofaccislent,
,nd Gcn.}.Faylor was or the latter 0pininii.s
While they were discussing the subject, an;
express came from Capt. May, stating
That his rear gunrd5 with. The pnck mules
had been tnken by he enemy, between
Monte Mnrales and Linares.
AIS, r. M, the band of The 2dsInfantry
played an unusual ninun.bersoffa airs, and 0lir
camp was literally tlironged will,M exicans,
men and women; around the old Gnnerni's
quarters, where The music was playing.
there was complete circle formed by
them. .e' lf5 tss
Jan. lst, ls47.--Our march was pretty
mucl, up and down.hill business, nn,l about
half fpnst 2, P. NJ. we had measured twen.
" miles, when we halted aud pitched our,
tents. =" We obtained an ab,lns
dance Of corn. fodder, and grass hero, and
The AIcude having scnt,o Villa GranLeto
know what wo desired, il was gathered. AMI.
cnrted 10 our camp by tie time we reached:
Il. Three or four days feeding withfodder
has stopped the discnse noticed as spread.
ing amongst our horses, and they are i'm.
prnving fast. tes
Between r and So'clock, P. NJ, Capt.
May got in with his dragons. II reports
the loss of ii men and their horses, ,ian.l Z
pack mules. AS FAR as | can gather The
particulars, and they come from Capt.
May, they are llesc:--BetwcenM NJ nnte Mo.
rales and Linares Capt. May ascertainetl
that there was a pass in u gorge Of the
mountains, aud determined IL uscertain
the nature Of it. His command consisted
Of two companies Of elragoons--some 20
or SO men. On approaching The FOO, Of
The nonntain, every precaulion was used
To guard against surprise. A lieutenant;
with l2 men acted as The rea. Gmnr.l anti
guard Of the pack mules OF the command.
who remained some few hundred yards III
the rear, aud in this way they progressed
slowly and carefully, until they found out
the pass, which was so nerrow that il was
sith much difficulty single horse could
go through it. But May was determined
to trnverse il, and make what discoveries
he could on the other side. Dismounling
himself nnd men, he led his horse and The
way, and after experiencing much difficult
| ~ in getting from rock IL ruck, the com.
mnnd ultimately succeeded in getting
through. On the righ. hand side Of This
pass there is pcrpcndicular cliff Of some
GOO feet. or SO high, as some of the men
say, "that man up there looked like q lit
tie boy" On the left hand. nf,cr 10 or 2
feet perpendicular. there was n gradual
slope to the top, on which an enemy could
run down, frcn piece, and then return.
II is represented us being the most danger
s'pass 10 daring enemy lhu, is known,
and where u few determined men could
| stop the advance Of thousands. After g"-
ing ns far on the other side us was thought,
necessary, they turned 10 come back, and
hn h,I Il ,;,t, ,k
| snme caution observed in eIecting the first
passage. But the renrgunrd were not SO
lucky in getting through This time, for il
appears alter The Lieutenant and Sergeant
got through, large budy Of men. who sta
toned themselves on the perpendicular
side, shuwered down sinncs from the top
so fast und So heavy, that their advance
was completely cut of; aud thai they were
either killed, taken prisoners, or made their
| escape to The other side
II seems that Capt. May was taken by
surprise, for he was continually urging vi
glance, ind left his bes: bugler in the rear
| 10 sound the alarm in case uf accident, us
! thong Ii he nnlci paled an attack. A rum.
bling sound in the pass caused him 10 halt
for lhe reargunrh, but they not coming up
when he thought il was time for them IL
reach him, he wheeled about and went in
The crection Of the pass again at full speed.
He shortly met the Lieutenant and Ser
geani. and Immediately demanded Of the
former, "Where's your mcn?" The an.
swcr Of the Lieutenant was, "close al hand,"
at The same lime turning his head around
us i( with The expectation Of seeing them
Just behind hin,--Dut there were none
there save The Sergeant, and the truth i'm.
nedi 'tely flashed upon the commander
that something was wrong with them. AS
quick US thought. and as the nnture of the
path would permit, they dashed off for The
pass. and when ,liey reached i, found that
lurge Number of stones had been thrown
down, and discovered traces Of blood along
the drflr. They followed up us fast as
possible, bnl il was Of no avail: they could
make no further discoveries, nor learn any.
Thing of the fate Of their companions, so
they sorrowfuIly rctrnccd their steps, and
arrived here as above noticed.
have given The above truly, as il was
related to me, without omission or addition,
and il is the received and acknuwlcdg ed
account Of the unfortunate affair. 1t may
seem strange, and wanting in detail; bu, as
il involves several ,lclicnle points, donoi