The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-05-01
ARMY INTELLIGENCE
Official Dispatches.
GENERAL TAYLORS DETAILED RE.
PORT OF THE BATTLE OF BUENA
agt rt. VISTA.

headquarters, Army Of Occupati0;
Aqua Nueva, March 9Th i847.
SIR: have the honor to submit
detailed report of the operations of III
forces under my command which resu
ted in the engagement Of Buena Visit,
the repulse Of tho Mexican army an
the reoccupation of this position.
T. The Information which reached m
| of the advance and concentration of
heavy Mexican force in my front, ha
assumed such probable form, as t.
induce a special examination far be
yond the reach Of our pickets to ascer
tain its correctness. A small party o
Texan spies, under Major McCulloch
was despatched to the Hacienda Of En-
incarnation, 80 miles from this, on tn,
rout to San Luis Potosi, had reported
cavalry force of unknown strength a
thatplace. On the Goth Of February .
strong reconnaissance under Lieut.
Col. May was despatched to the Ha
cienda Of Hecllonda, while Major Nc
Culloch made another examination O
Encarnation. The result of these ex
peditions left no doubt that the enemy
was in large force at Encarnation un.
der the orders Of General Santa Anna,
and that he meditated forward move.
ment and attack upon our position.
As the Camp Of Aqua Nueva could
be turned on either flank, and as the
enemy's force was greatly superior to
our own, particularly IN the arm of cav
alry,I determined, after much consid-
Grafton, TO take up a position about
eleven miles in rear and there await
the attack. The army broke up its
camp and marched at noon on the 2lst,
encamping at the new position little
in front Of the Hacienda OF Buena Wis
ia. With small force proceeded to
saltillo to make some necessary ar
rangmenu for the defence Of the town,
leaving Brig. Gen. Wool in the imme-
diate command Of the troops.
Before those arrangements were
completed on the morning of the 22d,
| was advised that the enemy was in
sight, advancing. Upon reaching the
ground it was found that his cavalry
advance was in our front, having
marched from Encarnation. as W have
since learned, at Il o'clock on the day
previous, and driving in amounted force
left at Aqua Nueva to cover the remo-
val OF public stores. Our troops were
in position occupying a line Of remark
able strength. The road at this point
becomes narrow defile, the valley on
its right being rendered quite imprac-
!icable for artillery by system Of i'm.
oassible gullies, while on the left sue
session Of rugged ridges and precipi-
Ious ravines extends far back towards |
he mountain which bounds the valley.
The features ofthe ground were such as
learly to paralyze the artillery and cav
Try of,thei enemy, while his infantry
;ould not derive all the advantages Of
IS numerical superiority. In this posi-
ion we prepared to receive him. Capt.
Vashlngton's battery (4th artillery was
'osted to command the road, while the
st and Cd Illinois regiments under
Hardin and BisselI, each eight
TO the latter Of which was
ttached Capt. Connor's company Of
'exas volunteers,) and the cd Ken
ucky under Col. Mckee, occupied the
rest Of the ridges on the left and in
he rear. The Arkansas and Ken
ucky regiments Of cavalry, command
d by Coils. Yell and H. Marshall, oe-
upied, the extreme left near the base
f the mountain, while the lndianna
rigade, under Brigadier General Lane,
Of the Cd and I'D regiments
nder Coils. Bowels and Lane. the
mississippi rihemen under Col. Davis,
le squadrons of the lst and ed under
apt. Steen and Lieut.. Col May, and
,e light batteries ofCapts. Sherman
nd Bragg. Sd artillery, were held in
sssrvs. At o'clock lreceived from (;
General Santa Anna a SIMMONS to
at discretion, which with all
oppy Of my reply, ! have already Is
The enemy still forbore
IS attack, evidently waiting for the (
rival Of his rear columns which could ,
. distinctly seen by our look-outs as |
icy approached the field. "A demon.
ration made on his left caused me to {
stach the Cd Kentucky regiment and t
section Of artillery to our right, in I
hich position they bivouacked for the
ght. In the mean time the Mexican III
yht troops had engaged ours on the $
Itrems left, composed Of parts Of the ID
entucky and Arkansas cavalry dis v
and a rifle battalion from the III
diana brigade under Major Gorman q
v.,h nta <,<,v,. -, a .. A.. a hxy C<I nfov lr