The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-04-07
From the ~. q. Picoyuue, 2Gth ult
The Latest from Gcnernl Tavlor

Fron. the ". q. Picayuue, 2GM uu
Illc Latest from General Taylor.
The schooner Southerner, Capt Good
speed, arrived yesterday morning from the
Brazos, having left on the 10Th inst. Mai.
Coffee, of the Paymaster's Department, and
Mr. Ihos. j.. Crittenden, who acted as a
volunteer aid to General Taylor in the
late battles, came passenger on her. the
latter bearing dispatches from General
Taylor to the Government
We have glorious news from this arrival.
Santa Annals infantry has already disban-
ded: lie IS now supposed to be retreating
on San Luis Potosi.
General Taylor at last accounts not onlv
held Saltillo and Buena Vista, but was
himself quietly encamped at Aqua Nueva
just before occupied by Santa Anna.-
The Mexicans had been alarmed bv re.
port that Gen. Patterson was moving from
Tampico upon San Luis He needed
some pretext Of the kind to cover his retreat.
A letter has been received in the citv
from Gen. Taylor, dated the 1st inst,
from Aqua Nueva. He writes that his
men had been SO harrassed with the ia
tigues of the week previous and his horses
were so completely broken down, that he
had been unable to pursue the enemy,
whom ne supposesto to have retreated towards
Saltillo. We learn from Major Coffee that
Lieut.. Sturgis-who had been taken priso-
ner by the Mexicans on the Goth ult.
and was subsequent exchanged-reported
that Santa Anna had fallen back to lncar-
naclon, and even retreated further, under
ayf nj fOIyr <bo
OF the place toIhis wounded. 1t was several
days alter the battle when Lieut. S. was in
Incarnation. Gen. Taylor. when he heard
Of Santa Anna being there, despatched
Col. Belknap with five hundred men thither,
but "the bird had fown."
We have been allowed to see letters
from an authentic source, dated the ed inst,
from Monterey. They give the same dc.
plorable picture of the destruction and
decentralization of Santa Annals army
which have before reached us. Their .itu-
alton is such that they must fight, or starve,
or retreat They cannot be brought again
to the first; numbers are disbanded to avoid
starvation: and Santa Anna and the army
which remains to him are actually retreat
ing! The only doubt is as to the route he
will pursue. Some have conjectured that
he will go to Mexico by the route of Zaca-
tecas, on account of the greater facility of
feeding his men. But the general opinion
on the spot is that he falls back to San Luis.
for which city he has actually struck his
tents.
Letters from Monterey of the I'd, further
say, that is believed at SaltiIlo that Urea
and Canales have been ordered by Santa
Anna to withdraw to the other side of the
sierra, and if this be true, it indicates real
alarm on the part of Santa Anna for the
safety of San Luis.
1t is stated on the best authority, that
cabals and other symptoms of insubordina-
tion were beginning to show themselves in
his army, and our officers predict his spec
dy downfall, to be followed shortly by peace
they believing that no other man in
Mexico can rally around him the leaders
in the army, and other aspirants for power
One letter speaks of "Gen. Taylor's la.
test and most astonishing victory" as being
a surprise to the Mexicans, which will in
spire them with a degree of awe towards
this country, which will restrain them from
any further contest.
Before Santa Anna retreated from Aqua
Nueva, he sent in message to Gen. Fay.
lor in substance as follows: that he should
select a field better calculated to display
and marshal his troops. To this General
Taylor replied That he (Santa Anna):
was whipped that he (santa Anna)
knew that he was beaten, and therefore,
General T.. advised him to send in proposals
for a surrender, and they should be prompt.