Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-04-29
OFFICIAL DISPATCHES.
General Taylor's detailed re-
port Of the Battle of Buena
Vista. ltFlatr
HEADQuARrEns, ARMY OF OccCrAr'or.
go i4If Aqua Nuevs, March 6. I5t7.

HEADQuARrERs, ARM OF OccuPArior,
II gr lr..fa Aqua Nuevs, March 6. 1917.
Sra {: ! have the honor to submit . detail.
led report Of the operations Of the forces
under my command which resulted ~ the
Engagement Of Buena Vista, the repuse Of
the Mexican army and the re occupation oG
II thia position. traa ga sr.s
H The information which reached me, OF the
advance and concentration Of q heavy Mexi-
can force in my front. had assumed such
probable form as to induce a special exam.
Ination far beyond the reach Of our pickets
TO ascertain its correction. A small party Of
Texan spies, under Major McCulloch. do
spatched to the hacieDda Of Encsrnscion, 30
miles from this, on the route To San Luis
Potosi, had reported cavalry force OF un,
known strength at that place. On the 20Ih
OF February a strong Reconnaissance under
Lieut.. Col. May was despatched to the hsci-
enda Of llecionda, while Major McCulloch
made another examination Of EncsrnscioD. -
The results Of these expeditions lei, no doubt
that the enemy was in large force ai Encarns-
con, under the orders Of General Santa Anna,
end that he medItated o forward movement
and attack upon our position.
H As the camp Of Aqua Nuevs could bo
turned on either flank, and as the enemy's
IIsc'sS Woo s'Oo'y oupS'fos w s'"t 0"ps ts"'-
tcuarIy in the arm Of cavalry, determined,
after much consideration. to take up posi-.
ton nbout eleven miles in rear, and there
await the attack. The army broke up iis
camp and marched at noon on the 2lst, en-
camping at the new position q little IN front
OF the hacienda Of Buena Vista. With
small force proceeded TO Saltillo to make
some necessary arrangements Tor the de.
| fence OF the town, leaving Brig Gen. Wool
in the immediate command Of the troops.
H Before those arrangements were COM
peied on the morning OF the 22d, was I'D.
vised that The enemy was in SIGHT, sdvsnc.
ling. Upon reaching the ground, IL wss
found that his cavalry advance was in our
front, having marched from Encsrnacion. %
we have since learned at ! o'clock on the
day previous, and driving in mounted force
left at Aqua Nueva TO cover the removal Of
public stores. Our troops were in position,
occupying line Of remarkable strength
The road at this poin, become narrow de6Ie,
the valley on its right being rendered quite
impraciicable for artillery by a system OF
ldeep and imnassahle 0nllirs -h,is ~. A.
left a succession OF rugged ridges snd pre-
cipiious ravines extends for back toward tho
II lmountain which bounds the valley. Tho
\ features Of the ground were such as nea arIy
to parslyzs the artillery and cavalry of the
enemy, while his infantry could not derive
all the advantage Of its numerical superiority.
II In this position we prepared 10 receive
him. Capt. Washingion's battery (4ih ar
! ItIllery) was posted to command the road
while the first and I'd Illinois regiments un-
der Colonels Hardin and Bissell, each eight
companies, Ito the latter Of which was at
tached Capt. Conner's company Of Texas
volunteers.) and the I'd Kcntuesy under
Col. Mckee, occupied the cresfs Of the ridg.
Ies on the left and in rear. The Arkansas
4 and Kentucky regiments of cavalry. cow
mandcd by Coils. Yell and Marshall, occupied
I the extreme left near the base of the noun
tain. while the Indiana brigade, under Briga-
der Gcn. Lane, (composed OF the ID and 81
regiments under Coils. Bowles aud Lane. the
Mississippi rlfemen under Col Duv,s, tho
squadrnns Of the lat and Cd Dragons und.s
Capt. Steen and Lieut.. Col. May. and ,T,o
light batteries Of Capis. Sherman aud Bragg,
81 artillery, were held in reserve.
n A II o'clock received from General San.
Ia Anna a summons 10 surrender at discrc-
lion, which with copy Of my reply, have
already transmitted Tho enemy still lor-
bore his attack. evidently waiting for The
arrival of his rear columns, which could be
distinctly seen bv our look outs ns they ap.
preached the field A demonstration made
on HE lril caused the To detach the I'd Ken.
tucky regiment aud section of artillery 10
our right, in which position thcy bivonacked
for the night. In the meantime The blcxi-
can ligh, troops had engaged ours on the
extreme left composed OF parts Of the Ken
lucky and Arkansas cavalry dismounied, aud
rifle battalion from the Indiana brigade uD.
der Mai. Gorhan,. the whole commanded by
Col. Morshall,) aud kept up a sharp hre,
climbing the mountain side, and apparently
endenvoring to gain our flank.
Il The pieces Of Capt. Washington's battery
had been detached 10 the left. aud were sup
ported by the I'd Indiana regiment. An or-
casionnl shell was thrown by the enemy into
this part Of our line, but without effect. The
skirInisbing of the light troops was kept up
with trllng loss on our part until dark wheo
| became convinced that no serioos attnek
would be made before the morning, and re.
turned with the Mississippi regiment and
squadron Of Cd Dragons TO SalnlIo. The
troops bivouncked without fires. and lay npoD
their arms. A body Of cavalry, some 1900
strong, had been visible all day in rear Of tho
town, having entered the valley through q
narrow pass East Of the city. This cavalry,
commanded by Gen. Minon, had evidently
been thrown in our rear 10 break up and har.
russ ouf P,ih"p' "e"N w
tempt against the town II practicable.
The city was occupied by four excellent
! companies Of Illinois volunteers. under mnjor
! Warren Of the 1st regiment. A beld work,
which commanded most Of the approaches,
was garrisoned by Capt. webster's company,
| Ist artillery. and armed With two "a pound
,ho owitzers, while the usin and heudqnsrtes
camp was guarded by two companies Mssse-
slppi riHemep under Capt. Rogers, sud .
field. piece commanded by Capt. Shower, Sd
Anillcry. Having made these dispositions
for the protection Of the rear. , proceeded on
the morning Of the 23d to Buena vis,s, or
dering forward oil the other available troops.
The sc,ion had commenced before my srrs
val on the field.
During the evening and night of The 22d
the enemy had thrown body oflieht troops
on the mountain side. with The purpose Of
out thanking our left snd II was here that the
action OF the 23d commenced st On early
hour Our rifcmen under Colonel Msrshsli,
Who had been reinforced BY three compsn'ss