Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-07-29


batteries became useless---they could not
be pointed at any group or force of Mcxi4
cans, which Americans were not charging
through and through, and driving be5orS
them. sa Is $50 sac rs -lans
At last, however, numbers, pride, every
thing on the Mexican side, yielded before
the unconquerahle resolution Of Teylor and
his little army. The spirit that dictated
the remarkable espatch--remarkahle a.
the utterance of a resolution at once s0caliYt
and so ggansic--ss should the enemy meet
me- in whatever force, will fight him,ss-s.
meant the last clause TO be understood a
the PROMISE. not of a fight merely, but of 4
victorious one. Taylor had set out to res
lievesFort Brown, and meant to do il. not an
American in his army but had set out in the
lsane spirit. meaning to do tho same thingv
In whatever way effected, the General had
infused his own determination and confi4
dence into the hearts of all his soldiers; and
hence il was that seventeen hundred MEM
this day, rushed at once right into close
quarters with seven thousand, driving themt
pell nell, from their redoubts, their guns;
their rayine, their thickets, nay, their camp
itself; until the Mexican defeat was an utter
rout, and Arista and his troops, chased by =
handful of American horse, rather for OBJ
servaton than injury, TO the Rio Grande.
seized upon the friendly opportunity Of
night to place its waters ms barrier bc-
tween them and their new terrible conque-
rors. Taylor remained again upon field Of
Notwithstanding however, the loss Of
thiry-nine killed and eighty-three wound
ed, officers and men-of whom Iieutenants
inge Cochrane and Chadbourne were the
highest in rank of those slain; while Lieu
tenant Colonel Mcintosh and Captain Hooe,
of the 9Th Infantry, were, both by rank and
the severity of their injuries, most distin-
guished among the wounded. Rte
The loss of the Mexicans was never ac-
curately known, but was always believed to
have been eight or ten times that of the A.
mericans; who gathered nearly two hum
dred of their dead. But the injury to Mex
leo could not he counted by her killed aud
wounded, picked up on this fatal field
Here fell her pride, the dream Of her mar
ltial merit, every thought of her ability to
contend in arms with the republic Of the
North. The eagle Of the prickly- pear and
serpent after two severe Bullets, had flown
away, screaming, from the bird of the ar
rows and the olive-branch. The rampant
of the Rio Grande was annhilated, and tho
republic Of the silver mountains stood open
aud defenceless, incapable of being ahy
thing higher than the victim Of our ven-
geance, or any thing lower than the object
Of cur maguanimous pity. The victory Of
Reseca de la Palma was, In effect, the con-
quest Of Mataaoros--of the Rio Grande---
OF all The country to fhe foot of the noun
tains--to Monterey; and all these mighty
results, which Immediately followed that
great feat Of arms, were magnificent tf0phz
les won for and PRESENTED to thg replibliG
by general who had sought to prevent war
who was always nnxo,is to lessen its Ca
lamiies aud bring II to an end-and who,
even then, IN the moment of his great tri-
unph, while doing full justice TO the hero
ism of his officers and men, who had fought
so well and brayely. vet INDUCED in no exs
ultation unworthy Of bis calm, humane, un-
selfish, his truly lofty character. Did these
victories which, intoxicated so many Amer
leans, and begoi all those novel notions abd,it
the conquest of " all Mexico" inevitable
destiny" Sc, produce any change whafev-
er 10 General Taylor's views or wishesi--
Did he ever show any increase of war-ap-
petiiol Did he not, in fact, remain till the
last, the same calm, moderate, mercIful spir-
II, who had no burning passion to 20 on in
definitely killing Mexicans and conqucring
Mexican territory, but was anxious TINT
peace should be restored, and thought that
the United States could afford to treat her
LAS he himself always treated her-mag-
nanimously, with gentle and pitifuI for
bearance in all things Had bis moderate
spirit prevailed in the councils Of the Adj
nnistration, we should probably have had
an earlier peace; and, we can well believe
il would not have been less honorable. h