The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-04-17
nm GALE JONAH.
tpNERAL TAYLOR AND THE
T"nTTI,E OF BUENA VISTA.

pATTLE OF BUENA VISTA.
Wa ave an interesting extract from Major
N .S,o,s account of the battle of Buenayista,
ID ,isbod in the N. Orleans Delta:
"A .oo the ODD, the enemy were deserted
,,oaching over the distant hills. At their
,ooropce, the volunteers raised n great
N %t and gave three tremendous
* Wv" ",, Their engineers and officers were
,,' ayinr over the field, and dragging their
Y" .oo. about to get them into positions; but
,'a Don,re ofthe ground did not favor the un-
5,,ginr and it was too late in the day before
%'Ss guns began to open.
(. T w amy 9 had with them thirty two can
Mostly oflarge calibre Their fire,
.,h kent up very briskly, and apparently
# m manned. did so little execution in our
" gu ,'.' ,Lot il was not considered necessary
1'",, Neir fire. Our cannon were there
%,ao silent tbe whole of the 22d. Eight or
ton kHied and wounded, were the extent Of
the casualties sustained by our army on the
f DIS. During the day an officer approached
,,,'ioes with flag of truce, and requested
@bc shown to General Taylor. The brave
"A IA man was sitting quietly on his old white
.5arser, with his leg overthe pummel ofthe
R slle, watching the movements of the enc
n M, when the Mexican officer was presented.
Fl nv yerv courteous and graceful manner the
4 fcer stated that 'he had been sent by his
rreIency General Santa Anna, TO his Ex-
rJOncy Gen. Taylor, to inquire. in the most
r,pectiul manner, what he Gen. Taylor]
was waiting for
4 From the silence OF General Taylor's bat
( pres, and the quiet manner in which he re-
5 rived Santa Annals terrific cannonadiug,
the Mexican supposed he was asking II very
prtinelt question, to which, however, old
SRough and Ready gave the very pertinent
X eolv that 'he was only waiting for Gen. San
f IA Anna to surrender The Mexican return
n ghayiy to his lines. This message PROV
n plwe rttSe to ascertain where Gen. Tuy-
|X m;Dsition was, for after the return of the
"A Vltan officer to his own ranks the whole
ylEcan battery seemed to open upon Gen.
IIrIor's position, aud the balls flew over and
out him like hail. Utterly Indifferent to
be perils ofhis situation, there sat the old
lief, on his conspicuous white horse, peer
% through his SPY glass at the long lines
Mexican troops that could be seen at Il
Teat distance on the march. The persua.
aOn ofhis aids could not induce him to u.
unGon his favorable point for observation
nor give up his old white horse. To the sug
qstion of his staff that old Whitley was rather
n charger for the command
En-, he replied shat the old fellow had missed
heiIn at Monterey, on account ola sore foot
and he was determined he should have hi.
llre this time.'"
Wecopy from this account ofMajor Coffee
paragraph containing matter of
adeeply interesting nature:
AT sunrise on the Odd February, the bat
ebegau in earnest: The MeXicans were
drawn out in immense numbers. The darl
columns ofthe niantryieXtended as far as the
eye could reach, aud the cavalry seemed to
cover the whole view with their interminablt
lines. AT intervals between the infantry aur
cavalry, their big guns, strongly protected by
alarge artillery tnrcc, kept up an inccssan
cannonade against our lines. Their force.
we're soon in motion. Our artillery wa:
thrown forward to meet them, protected by
Ne voAnteers. Gen. Wool led the main bod
yin person, and was seen every where, raj
lng and encouraging the volunteers. The
Eoarmies were soon engaged in hot con
1c, The broken nature of the ground divi
deithe forces, so that instead of one genera
Engagement, the regiments were compelle,
nagreat measure to fight OH their own hook
Oar officers were always in the advance
leading their troops-hence the great NOR
niy among them. In this general melee, on
fOur small regiments of 400 men, would b
{ a:aCked by whole Mexican brigade ofsev
Ha thousand. Thus the Kentucky infantr
vas attacked at the foot of hill, in dee
ayne, by an immense force of the cnemy
large number of the officers were kille
.ere-among them was Col. Mckee, VIII
fell badly wounded, and was immediatel
deSpatched by the enemy, who pierced hin
with their hayonets rs he lay on the ground
Lieut.. Col. Clay was shot through the thigh
and being unable to walk, was taken UP am
carried some distance by some of his mer
but owing to the steepness of the hill, tn
men finding it very difficult to carry hin
and the enemy in great numbers pressin
upon them, the gallant Lieut.. Colonel begge
u'em to leave him on the field: the last tina
", was seen of this noble young officer lie wa
lying on his back, fighting with his sword tn
enemy who were stabbing him with thei
nS c The veteran Capt, VIM. s. Willis
s,.o same regiment, at the head of his cou
pp:a"y' with three stalwart sons who fought {
~. ms sac, was badly wounded, but still col
. " The fight until he was overcome wit
me loss ofblood.
, In Inc meantime, the Indiana brigade, wh
were Drawn out and ordered TO charge II
u py' were seized with Il panic, aud di
Payns some hesitation, Assistant Adi't Gel
n'ncolh rushed to their front, and whilst II,
Trading them for their cowardice, was sho
several balls passing through his body.
i ,h to this brigade it should be state
J %,"' lhey subsequently rallied, and fully l.,
o aog'n Zee their reputation by the most gallal
a'u effective lightning.
sOo wo'. Hardin led the IIinoisans in very ham
litoG s.yle' and an the sturdy suckers foug
IKE ions. Their intrepid Colonel fell won
uea' and experienced the same fate of Col
aeIs Mckee and Clay, and was killed bv II
euemy-not however before no had Sillt
U,e OF the cowardly miscreants with a pist
lsE