Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-04-19
BATTLE OF BUENA vIsTA--sANTA
ANNA,S REPORT
Details OF the Actions which oceurr.. .,, m.
the ssd and Esd OF February In.i, ON Ihe
tfeid OF Angostura.
LnERAriNe Army OF rms RxYrn,,,
Campairn Snrrnt...,. n.,...

Field OF AnEostura.
LiskRariNs ARMY rHE RKFUBLIc,
| SamPalgn seeretarys Office. (
Most Excellent Sir; In my despatch from the battle
field OF Angcstura dated the 1885, promised 10 Give Won
details OF the aeton Of the 22d the battle of the 23d
80 as could effect the movement, which or en,r
lack OF water and Of all supplies made iudispensabe In
those engagements the and tho Nation have resored
.ne use o. helf arms 10y overcoming
DO 10 AL cave those who witnessed hem These arose
not only from the difficulties Of this contest and of our own
nahon out also from tho gor Of the season. and the e1
ss ~ 1 suuy along an almost desert route OF over
my VSsu0' at was destitute OF good water, aud of all
| save the most limited supplies
lac supreme Government informed by communi-
maSe ooiore my leaving San Luis that the army
under my eommand would not Commence its opernons mi
the cnd OF winter, as know BY experience the severe c-
.o o. "o tegion which was also OF habitatons.
provisions, shelter aud Of fuel therefore resolved
TO so on organising, drilling aming and clothing the ar
my ahd IN word TO put Into n military share the forces
ND ro - oeen SssemSed My intentions. however,
eVuu to ee niaiuely realized. The want of pccuniary
resources embarrassed oil my dispositions The soldiers
hough wen disposed TO combat with enemy had been
oaaY supphed Tor month"; and would soon have been in
want even OF food but that cxertons OF the comman
des o corps prevented that desuuon from driving them
rom the't ranks while those moriSorious suf-
o''ng all KINDS OF prvatons certain writer's from ipno.
anec, want of reflection. party spirit, or, perhaps from
mistaken pauousm, were zeaousy engaged IN thwartng
the plans which might Otherwise have proved successful
ns y ulu oy unlasi charges against the army aud par
ucuar individuals whom they abused Tor NOT ,rrhinr IN
inc eoniic' accusing them OF OF decision and assert
hs Psuon O. the army al San LUIS thrca-
vnng 10 COR liberties thsn enemy In the clubs of tbt
caPiti they 7hcrgd with aSsdu,y TO make the rrv the in
sru'ncnt Of revolt Be frustrated their intrigaes by Time
stops There was one w-cr had the audacity TO in
innate tha, was IN collision with the enemy Yes l. To
whom they may attribute but whose whole pr vious
course has shown the inset elevated patriotism Traitors
are they who Geek only aucc me. but by their eac
ton O. the army yisor tor the service of the
county IL seems ~ It fatality the dcsncs of
1nls naton, aud intsr-igs unlni-y Of the public will
for It's defence; and from this Ia blindness the moment
when every heart and every aspiration should be directed
object. is the very lnctG,c when division and dis
. 4. .fU nrffN H.
every c'cgms,lrcH 10 change my plans. DeseTtiol had
already commenced % shameful extent. and was fully
persuaded that It the scarcity should continue the army
would DC tis1oToasy FILTERED therefore resolved
that, Il annila'ed, should be with glory Having no
supplies, l. 70 obtain em, compounded my private for
tune ard the credit myself aRd my friends All This
procured the the sun OF oneihundcd aud eighty thousand
collars "a Wn.ca was asle furnish the need m 10 the
army Tor twelve days. knew well tue country we had
10 cross and the necessity there would be p
visions ano sympah'zed anticipation with the soldier
for what VIC would endure from the tiyor Of the season
nut render good service to the eounty, and nom
%, had 10 overlook all this
The army moved lr,n san Luis bv bricades go a. TO
renaes ava Liable the sc-uyesOureCs afforded by the cour.
uywe TO The force consisted OF S432 in
ialtry divided into - baualicns 1895 cava.ry m 40
squauroGs and hvs Up undcEs, ye S-pouHders ana
rain Of artillery ct three 2Ipoundcrs thoc l6-uoupdcrs
1-nch h0wzer, all served BY 4l3 allerymcn-he total
oc!n- 1873 Ucn o ihis force there remained behind,
the garrison OF the rs SaH Lgis and others which
allotted 90 towns On the TouIg; ulo squadrons 10
escort our small ard ul reserve ammunitiol; BRIGADE
Of infantry, 90 svo balon under Cen Don Cr &C., Yea
que, which remained corps Of reserve in M.iehuaa
and Of observation gpo7 Tu!-; - alo brigade o. .
under Sea- Don. Jclc Urea The latter was intended 10
pass E-a and move through Tamlupas tho ncighbJr-
hood OF Monterrey % c- tle eucmys attention 70 ha
quarter The point Of concentration Tor the b.gades ought
necessarily 20 be this place, 50 that in the region
through which they hsd move many troops might NOT be
a. once thrown Together therefore fixed on the hacien-
di 81 Encauaeiou Tor That point being as calculated
nc last stage but ono CT my march t1clc acd review
Of tue army, w1ich had already los, thousand men BY
s.chncts uud gcslon. Ino former was caused by the
seaauneSs end bad quality Of food and sui more OF water
which was brlchh well scarce ale, by suow-stlr-s
and The exposure u tie troops who lad ALWAYS 10 be in
bvouac and without fuel Thee snow-sorls Obliged me
10 suspend INC march two days ul the weather became
more seed Tor tho cld had ccady caused the death of
several men aud horses, and etbound by every to
diminish the losses mourning. These hardships
Will account Tor the aumber Of assertions which occurred
up TO our oriIvll at EncAmaci-n, and which afterwards
even increased. l. must also be remembered that almost
the whole army hadbreu recently formed, snd rs is well
known, Of men taken By yio nee from ;hci- bones
We h1d LlVcas that the enemy fortified in the
hacienda Of Aqua Nu,ya, with 6OOO men and 30 niece.
resolved TO defend the ss known b. the names Of the passes
o. CarneIo and Nueya. The Americans did not know The
precise point o. whch our mach directed f1- though
they exchanged some shots with our adva-ce in Elcirna
cion ant o1c frequent small kgmhes with in In. above
P1s '4'y spp 60 cur troops 10 be parties OF
the htst brigade OF cavalry, under Don Jose v Minon
whom had advanced lar as tue hacienda of Potosi-
Inese were the Impressions when Imade my dispositions
HNss my Intention to poce my forces between the enc
my ana Si, SO as 10 Obl-- h.n 10 fight under the dis
advantage Of having his communication cut of or If he
would not leave his works. enable me 10 bcsisge him in
Aqua Nleya. This plan might be carried out in three dir
erent ways. One bymorchi1g % leagues by the OIL
TectToad-anoihe by moving the right By Ia Hodionda
soas 10 occupy b-ena FlsE-aud the hiTd b. moving u
the ot ny Ia rInia Go santa Elena, occupy the
4e!,nga oil IN banqirra, and thereafter the road
ul.o The two last movements were AZ this time r,prae-
c'oe Tor ihey would either OF them require three OF four
dogs march, while without provisions forage or
"'eF' Me'eofc received TO operate by the direct road
force me positions, aud after passing the last dete make
o,'n oy .ne 10 and occupy the Toncho of Encanldi.
with the view OF ob-nng water none of which vas 10 be
ma 'o moro ihin IL cagues. All favored by the
encmy7 gnorlrce Of our march; but misfortune still fol-
lowed Us. ceseror from the regiment Of Coraceros
native OF Si.i', named Frlnci-c, Vadcs passed over
OF the movement The ezecabo treason OF this infamous
/ wretch frustrated the best comb natons
on the 2ls', 90 no0n ordered march 10 commence
the four light ba''aiou7 under Gen Don Pedro Ampuii1
forming he va0ruard ! he'd not hesIia,ed 70 allow tina,
r7'lI and other officers VINO bod been c1ur;-martial,d
Tor TO affair d'n'cWy 90 plTt-plt1 these operations
not only because q not cons der them cu be but 9-
on account Of ll zeal they manifested This brigade WA
followed BY ono a. artillery, % sixteen Founders with tho
ment o engineers and Their train and tos. by the park
of the reg mart o. husars. Then came the first division
commanded hv Gen. D Manuel L1.nbl-itri viii, f-rr
iy'yepounaers md ths park The second DIVISION under
Cen Don. Frame scp fac..e, followed mex win eight
pHu1terz and tgir p1fk offer those the whole OF the ca
v'y, under Gen Don Julian Jiy,ra; and then the re-
mdfr ot The general park aud baggage the rear being
| Aldadc.
IN ibis order Of march tho troops were ordered 10 make
The IRE fourteen LEAGUES between Elceneda and main
c1.ro DE- lf Guerra which D. i1 'front.' of tic hai dcGl,
called Pcs Of Phones; and pass tho ngat on mat
pn 10 the sams order Of column. Tho troop. having cat
en th-rfafa1g, order g.sn o- carrying 1- as none
could ne mot l 'ha day to ,vi ing acr h-y nc ovc-
come hc enemy Acua Nuera three leagues beyond he
aore7ld pass. with my staff and the regiment Of cny-
n'rrs occupied the front. little behind the light troops.
On arivrr NJ the piain De N Guerra / continued the
march order 10 pasg the deo Of Phones which was
comp shcd and ordered the light brigade u take posi-
ton n tho Pass Of Camera, where u he'd skifmsh with
an adyarc, Of the enemy. UGdor these dispositions wo
passed the night
Ai~swn on the 22d the army continued its march with
the idea az carrying by force Of the parl of lua Nu-
", which supposd would BE- defended by the enemy: but
found my suf2rso thati' wlf abandoned then con
cndod That the American forces had ~ rcd 10 their ori-
cations IN the hacienda To- concentrate hr defence under
cover o the entertainments, which htd head they had
o-o thrown mp. Under hs idon continued tho march, In
ord iy t1 right 10 of the Enca1ada which
1a have before nruup1ci, on the S1Iuo ro-d being
H..f,u It.-t ..fy q Acne q r.