Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-01-26


Of the third artillery, acting assistant quar- |
was with me in the charge, and |
behaved most gallantf Vas he ever has done
upon oil former occasions. Lieuts. Doug
lass and Blake were also in the charge
the former as my aid-de-camp-and both
behaved gallantly 1t affords me much
pleasure to bear testimony TO the good con
duct of both officers and men. Never
could they behave better than on this occa.
sion.
Early on the morning of the Oath, we
moved towards Puebla. Captain Roberts
company Of Texas mounted riAemen, mum
bering between twenty five-and thirty men
composed the advanced guard. The re
mainder Of the mounted riAelnen were in
the rear of the artillery. The Louisiana
dragons, under Captain Lewis, constituted
the rear guard. While moving with diff
Guilty through long mountainous pass,
called the pass of Galaxra, some five miles
from Matamoras, the train becnme consid.
erably extended. Retarded by the obstruc-
tions of the way, the artillery and small
train Of four wagons, containing captured
property, drawn by the Mexican mules
and driven by Mexicans, had fallen far in
the rear, and were slowly progressing un-
der my immediate superintendent, when
it was reported that the enemy had appears
ed in front. Colonel Hays was 1tfffi5df.
ately ordered to repair to the head of the
column, and to engage the enemy with the
advanced guard. He found small party
Of observation running in under the pur-
suit of two hundred Mexican lancers. He
promptly repulsed them, and with Captain
Roberts and company. and Lieutenants
Ridgely, Whipple, Waters, Mcdonald,
Blake, and my private Secretary, Mr.
Phelps, numbering in all about thiriy-ive
men, gallantly charged, broke, and pur-
sued the enemy across the extended plain,
and up long precipitous ascent towards
the mountains, from which they had made
the attack. Midway Of the hill the enemy
halted and attempted to rally. They
wheeled to the front, but falling rapidly
before the continued charge. they again
broke, and fled over the summit OF the
mountain, closely followed by Col. Hays
and his small force. d.. ....s--.
Here the enemy was reinforced by n
reserve of five hundred lancers, under the
command of Gen. Rea. The mounted ri
hemen not being armed with subres, and
their revolvers, and rifles having all been
discharged, he ordered his small force to
their original position. This order was
coolly obeyed, and the mon retired in good
order, under the full charge of four or five
hundred lancers. Having returned to their
position, the enemy were Immediately re-
pulsed, and the post maintained until the
arrival of the artillery under Lieut.. Fields,
and Of the Dragons, under Capt. Lewis,
whom | had ordered to the front immedi
ately on perceiving the strength Of the enc
my. 1t is due to these excellent officers to
remark, that they moved forward to the en-
gagement with that promptitude and alac-
rity for which they have ever been distin-
guished The artillery was Immediately
unlimbered, when the enemy retired to the
mountains, and receiving q few rounds of
grape and canister, they disappeared. For
several hours they continued to hover about
our march, in scattered detachments, too
remote for the assault of our already jaded
horses And though the riflemen disnoun-
ted and attempted to reach them on foot,
and the artillery was several times unlim-
bered and brought to bear upon them, it was
impossible to bring them to anothe- engage.
ment. Our loss-in this affair was two kill
ed and two slightly wounded.
The loss of Lieut.. Ridgely my acting
assistant adjutani general, who was mortal
ly wounded while gallantly charging with
his comrades by the side Of Col. Hays, deep.
ly saddens the feeling of satisfaction with
which | report the brilliant conduct OF this
small party at the pass of Galaxara. Pri.
vate VIM. Walpas, of the rangers, also fell
bravely fighting among the foremost in the
charge. Lieut.. Waters, and one other,
were slightly wounded. The loss of the
enemy in this affair is not accurately ascer-
tained, but could not have been less than
fifty killed and wounded. Of the killed,
were two captains, one lieutenant, and also
three non commissioned officers of artillery.
During the engagement, the Mexican dri-
vers, after cutting the mules from the
teams, made their escape. This rendered
it necessary to destroy all the captured prop
erty except the large pieces of artllery,and
the sabres, most of which were distributed
to the mounted men, and the remainder de-
stroyed. rr- .sr-f ,.sE.s- fl
Never did any officer act with more gal.
lantry than did Col. Hays in this affair of
the 24th. Whenhe found it necessary to
retire for the purpose of reloading-hls
men having no sabres-he halted in their
rear, and as the enemy advanced, deliber-
ately shot two of them dead, and covered
his retreat until the arrival of reinforce
ments. Lieut.. Ridgely fell victim to
gallantry which was never surpassed
Lieut.. Whipple, my present aid de camp
and acting assistant ad djutant general, was
distinguished for his GOODNESS and bravery.
He was among the first in the charge, and
excepting Col. Hays, was the last man to
quit the field. Capt. Robert, charged
bravely at the head of his company, his
horse was shot under him, and he exhibited
great presence of mind in making his es-
cape. Lieut. Waters and 1t. Mcdonald
distinguished themselves in this action
advancing with the first and retiring only
with the last. Lieut. Blake and Mr.. Phelps
wers also at the head of the charge, and
divided with their comrades the palm tor
bravery and good conduct. Assistant Sur,
geons Brewer and Newton, OF the medical
staff, merit my thanks for their rpromptitude
and efficiency in attending to their profess