Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-07-15

! itLttIs llUili iOliud dllNs CiA itdiiiScbs ia
he possesses d decision OF character uuequalle,
b, any other man OF The age, has been exhib
iled on many occasions, one evidence OF which
is in his cha ractedstic REPAY to Santa Ann;
when he demanded his surrender on the est
o, the battle Of Bnena Vista, Santa Anna lay
before him with = ,O00 men. and sent hiu
tie following letter:
Camp at Encantada, February %, 1917.
God and Liberty
You are surrounded BY 20 600 men, ant
cannot. Ia any human probability, avoid sui
ierlng a rout, aud being cut to pieces viii
lyUut troops; but as you deserve consideration
aud particular esteem, wish TO save yol
irom a catastrophe, and Tor that purpose give
you this notice. in order that you may sur
render al discretion, under the assurance tina
you will be treated with the consideration be
longing to the Mexican character, to hict
eud you will BE- granted an hours time Il
make up your mind, to commence from the
moment when my hlg oil truce arrives ii
youi camp.
Wish tbs view, assure you Of my parlc
uar consideration.
ANTONIO LoPEz DE SANTA ANNA.
IL General L. taylor,
Commanding the Forces OF the u. S.
To this summons General Taylor immedi-
a,ely replied in these terms-an admirable ex
ample Of decision without presumption.
Hcad-Qusrters. Amy OF Occupation.
Nesr Burna Vista. February y, lo47.
Sir: In reply 10 your nute OF tins date,
-ummoang iuc 10 surrender my forces at dis
CretIou, b. leave 10 say thst | decline ac-
eeding 20 your request.
Nith high respect, / am, sir, your obedient
servant. Il. TAYLOR,
| Major General L. $. Army, commanding
S,n0r Gen d AutJnio Lopez de SANTA Anna,
! CommandeI-ln-cbIel, la Eucatada.
Duuag that battle he was called on by
Capt Bragg who wasin imminent peril from an
attack by large force Of Mexicaus, Il have
no re iuiuEeeEeuts to send you Capt, but new
er miad, Maj. Bliss aud will reinforce you.
[ IL rode a. TO lhe battery. The act OF conf
dence ana decision vas not lost. The eye of
the General was upon lhem--rvery shot told
upon The enemy aud the battery was saved.
they reireated before il.
Ii was at thss time that h. made the univer.
sally remembered remalk, IA little more
grdpe, Capt BlaSg. Nor i 1t 10 General lay
lor's decision alone that he owes his distinc.
tion. Ills pursIy republican simplicity is
pro,erbisl lie JARED as the eommonest
soldier Jared, he slept Is they slept, he was
one OF them, and loo that they honored. and
loved aud ob,yld him. Anecdotes Of that
trait are almost ennumerabie. We eau on
y mention few.
TAYLOR'S REPU BLiCAN HABITS.
The committee from New Orleans, which
presented GeDsral Taylor sword on behalf
Of their fellow CIuIeus, gave the following dc
count OF the interview: We presented our
selves at the opening OF one OF the tents, be-
lore winch was standing dragoon's horse,
much used by hard service. JpOu camp
stool at cur left sat General -, in busy
conversation with a edry-looklng OLD gen
tiemdn, sitting on box, cushioned with an
Arkansas blanket, dressed Ia Attakapas pam
falcons and linen roundabout, ana remarka-
BILE for bright flashing eye, a high orehead,
farmer look, aud rough and ready appear
ance. 1t is hardly Necessary Tor us to say
that this parsonage was General Taylor, the
commanding hero oi two OF The most remark
able battles Oh record, and the man who, by
bis hrmness and decision OF character, has
shed lustre upon the American arms.
There was no pomp about his tent; cou-
pre- OF rough blue chests served Tor his la
upon which WAS strewn, IN mastery coniu-
sion, variety OF official documents: quiet
looking, ciuzen-dressed parsonage made his
appearance upon hearing the significant call oil
Ben, bearing, ON tin salyer, ID couple OF
black bottles and shining lumbers, arranged
around an edrlhen pitcher Of Rio Grande wa
Ter. These refreshments were deposited up
on stool, aud we ped ourselves By ia
vitdtion. We bore to tn general compl- |
menury gilt from some of his fellow citizens |
OF New Orleans, which he declined receiving
Tor the present; giving at the same time short
but hard sense lecture ON the impro prlety Of
naming children aud places after men before
they were dead or OF his receiving present |
Tor his SERVICES before the campaign, SO lar /
as lie was concerned, was finished
with the highest possible admiration OF
the republican simplicity OF the manners and |
character oil Genelal Taylor, we babe him |
good'day, with higher appreciation Of our
native ldnd, Tor possessing such man as
citizen, aud OF IFS institutions Tor moulding !
such d character
4tIioiiS tut N0lQttNt4, ia llle 4 ADfl Id CAM
palgn was gentleman son"-a luil private I
who heartily sick of rainy weather, mud, aud
no shelter, iirst went TO his captain with his (
but meeting with no PARTICULAR
athy, resolved 10 have talk with Gen I
eral Taylor bimsei Arrived OF the com
mahders quarters, the General was pointed
out to him but he was rather incredulous.-
That old fellow General iayorl Nonsensem
SAttstird HDt,gNar fbtf D., u
Case, ne matched up and Ia her pl,ronizingy
opened his business.
General Taylor, believe"
"Nes, SIT"
"Well, General I'm deyilish glad to see
you-am, indeed The General returned
the c;vility.
General, you'll excuse me, but Since I've
been here I've been dong all / could for you
have, indeed; but the iac is. the accom-
modauons are very bad--they are, indeed:
mud, slr. bieegad TO lie down in it, actually;
aud the iaet Is, General, I'm gcniieman's
sou, aud no; used To il!"
The GeneraI, no doubt strongly impressed
with the lact oil having ge,tieman'o sou in /
ms army expressed hls regret that such ana
ioyaHces should eyrr exist. uader any circum-
stancts, IN civilized army
"Netl-but, GENERAL. what am 10 dor
why. really, don't know, unless YOU
take ny place
We'll, now, that's ciyit-'i. indeed. oil
course ldon'l mean ia turn gou ont. buta few
hours sleep-a cot, ora luuk. or any thing
would be SO refreshing Your place-whert
is it, Geueraif
"oh, just drop down-any where about
place about camp will answer
The look which the yen Iemam son gave
lhe General was rather peculiar.
~ eli, no wondrr lhey call YOU Rough |
en' Ready said Ae; aHl, amid the slnlles
M nm uuL ..Ruu b - R..L.n Li.n..u ~