The Arkansas banner., 1847-06-14

along the base ofths moantains srA,eA. ss...., '. letf Of our position; but while ,' lsis order, t was aeain commAnEea te ts,. ssas the plain, aud to mach to the poskt orr,,.s ,a'' person by Brgadier General Woat Hsv,ns la, eomflished thSs pufposw, yoa ordered me so 's, - the Eiiemen ldlsmuuniecl and sustaite. h squadron af cavalry. and ta take gfceea a,. 2,
 lropt and left." The renAining sqaa.lsoa u-a. ,. few moments directed Co sappnst tssa necvem.., TcrendeF the explanation of our Isavemeh,,.s-.
 satisfactory, t nay he well te state hrre ,k,, '.
 position of Baeaa NissA IS ia a vale hp,se~n ".
 ranges Of mountains whose general direction ,s ,,. the sossth to the vale. which courses in di,a.,
 parallel to the moaHtains. and is iHssFsscts.la <,
 numerous deep Favines worn by the torrent. ,A,
 70 Faiay seasons, rush acruss i1s face These r,.;
 Rave pFeeipitoas and absupt banks taFyine in h.,.
 From three to forty feet Their course sctos. \ rsaln 6 irregular; % that the ground on which !.
 were to take position consisted Sf series ef nl.
 issalng on the left from the siera Madre. and .,
 mlnauBg on the right in the deep dell shFooeA vhl the road passe from AguA Eaeva to Saltsllo Y
 length, they vary from three-quartess ct mile h
 mile; in breadth from filly to three hundred var.
 Ground which, at little distance, vo,is se.1n ,,
 tirely practicable for the operations of eav..re s
 appear exactly tAereyeTse on amo te close erssi,, 1 tfon. ''''As 1 Having the general directloa to move my ,.,,
 ment "to the front and lefl,'' proceeded tn <.
 base ot knoll, about one hundred feet tn AeIssg which forms the terminus Of spur from ,he S,.S,
 and commands the entire plain before mention.s
 Here halted the regiment -pfesuming, from n. appearance of the ground oa every side. th., would be ht point which to rest the lef of o,
 line, and, from iis commanding position. ,b,s :,
 would De seized by the enemy on the first opOs, unity. Fronting iowaris Agua Naesa. the grcss1 on the right of the knst presented broader rl.p than any other iH the immediate neighhorhood Ta rear oflhis kaaa [or sparl was boaadesi hy br..a deep rasin whose banks could be passed win e,s by cavalry, while from the other face issued n,s... eus EasiHes Of great depth which. Mish windisv courses, extended to the vale below, cfseripv ef
 most perfect protection to Fitemen against cayslr and the utmost facility of resistance by smal ,n large force Issuing ifom the same peak of l,, Sierra with the spur that terminated in the knoll h
 fore mentioned, was another spur, which bore sssr to the valley in front of thu knoll and at an ansa of about thirty degrees to the iine which conner,
 the knoll with the mountain. By crossing sea, valley, this ridge was accessible from the kaaI and, as the lines of these hills conyerged to tAs same point of the mountain, it was evident that ih. passage from one te the other became more easy tA higher the point occupied by any force The nar, of this second spur, commanding view of the "a tire plain beyend and of the entire army Of the en-
 my, was. to my mind, palpahly the correct oae s ks occupied by the light troops who were to des.s
 our left flank, in trnth. vas convinced (ana ss \ the time, repeatedly stated tn those around nt that the enemy would never 6ght the battle untilh
 succeeded in carrying this position. After halting at the base oi the knoll a few ne ments, ordered the battalion of dfSnouuted ffas men to take post on the front spur have descrih~ and there to resist every attempt to turn our left b
 when overpowered by superior numbers to retrrs across to the ridge connecting the knoll witA h, Sierra. and there to fight agan aud should they b
 unable to hold thaf line, to reioin the regiment !. retreating along the rear face of the knoll m, l squadrons of Captains Price and Milan were ab mounted, and held in eoncealment or the hill sid of the ravine which bounded the rear of the knos A battalion of the Arkansas cavalry was formed a
 the plain, at about 300 yards to the rear of y %
 stloa. while battalion of Indiana rfemen toss post. under the command of Major German, neE my squadFons. fn this position we awaited t. enemy, who had already commenced deploying bat talions to his right Jour lelt.) with the evident m tent of carrying the points occupied. His inieh tiou WIS ma4e manifest tFess the fact that isaa battery in the valley, be commenced throwfg shells at the riiemen who were near me, at ta same time that his infantry approached. Capsaih Shawhan and Beard and Lieut.. Field promptly ext eated my orders, and were already in possession the heights in front, when staff officer enmmmi cated to me the apprehension of I3rigadleF Censn Wool that this advanced corps might be cut Of h the regiments of the enemy which were marching up the ravins beyond. and his wish that my ms k should be recalled. Reluctantly I yielded to tA order, and sounded the recsils sshsreapon the ria battalion rejoined the regiment. Scarcely had ti4 Tifemen returned. when Gen. Wool himself rode e . and explained that his views had been misappfe . henaed by the officer who communicated them, z it was his design merely to apprize of the IaHge which threatened the advanced corps, yet to leaw At same lime he charged me with the command of h E troops on the left flank
 attempted immediately to rectify the errot, b ordering company from the Indiana battalion
 resume position oa the front heights while fhe hir dismoanted companies belonging to the kee,ucr K cavalry fwho were much exhausted by their pres
 oHs exercise) where ordered again to climb the ha | and to take post on the ridge connecting bc kss x 1 and mountain. The company of Indianians ssris { but they failed to perform the duty assigned to iAea | and. with deep regret. [ observed the Mexes troops were. in short time~in possession of b $ very heights my own men mad half honT prevO~ < ly so adyahtageoasly occupied. The hnng is < mediately commenced IL was about thirty mB < ates past 3, ?. tn., on the 22d of February. IsE 1 Mexican light troops.appeared on the ridge, e1 stantly taking additional ground to their right s
 that Captain Shawhan was ontsFts' ,o extend rapsE ly to his left. with the view of out 1anking then I AL tiir cd}iC QtaCs tHttt EUWVduits VI b'HA1
 battalion were ordered to take position on the kn
 with one of which the Kentucky battalion was ssE sequeRtIy reinforced. The Mexicsns occupied 1 higher ridge than that on which my force was pEE ted. They oyershot their mark continually, sE though the action continued aniil night sthty kEsE no oae, and wounded only seven. The loss ol " enemy is not known. but IS understood 10 LEE been large. The Mexican troops continued ssa k tend to the:r right until they had scaled the VI summit of the Sierra Madre. FcFeseeins that tar E would extend to this peist. l ordered caFiIs Milan and Pennington to dismount their tomPaats | pass the gorge in the mountain. and, by scaling
 mountain from the rear to command the right bnl
 of the enemvs Darkness prevented them ifom % | ceedng, fhoagh their object was 30 nearly alta'sa
 that they come within the fire of the enemy, " had reached the summit, and these would have Ss'.
 overcome hatfoF your order recalling all the tfe,
 to the plain for the night. When aight closed N enemy had succeeded in out fsnking us, tboags yet our position was not tnrHcd. and, Iron abEuptness Of the face of the mountain ii ws~ hs that his apparent success would yield no na''" advantage. Throughout the evening, Captains shawhaa ~.
 Beard. and Lieut. Field. acted win pronPiSes'A - bravery, and their companies with ecoines' IsN skill The same remark is appliesbIS to me 2.
 frf fkaF aSkfEf8ICe, fca