Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-08-05

BUENA VISTA.

v 10 "a
In the last and greatest act of his military
life, fortune seemed resolved to prove, IN
the most unanswerable manner, how much
of Gen. Taylor's fame was due TO himself;
to his wonderful resolution of character,
and his power of infusing his own courage
into the hearts of the men under his com
mand, even when undisciplined volunteers
who had never seen foe.
The fine army-the veterans of Monte
rec, were gone--drawn away to open new
path of glory on the route between Vera
Cruz and Mexico, which Taylor himself
had indicated as the only suitable one on
which to attack Mexico with effect; and
when, shorn of his strength but not his val
or, and strong in judgment, he had gone TO
watch the designs of the enemy at the far
thest outpost of Aqua Nueva, rather than
shut himself within the citadeed safety of
Montery, he had, as the world has long
known, but 4,07S men--of whom only about
one-tenth were egulars-artillery and horse
not a single company of infantry-to
meet 81 $40 men, composing the Mexican
army. These, well armed and equipped,
Santa Anna had provided at San Luis Po-
tosi, ready for sudden sweep upon, and
what he deemed ass assured victory over,
an illustrious victim, provided to his hand
(wonderful coincidence of folly for we do
not, of course impute it to designed guilt
by the same unfortunate administration
which had so foolisbly sent himself 10 Mex
leo to reanimate and re-organIze his de!eat-
ed couutrymen.
There, then, lay, with his feeble force,
the deserted hero, in that solitary post among
the Mexican mountains, entirely beyond the
reach of relief or of any hope out of his
own camper heart; many weary mile
in advance of Monterey-nany league
from the line of the Rio Grande; but calm
and constant, as if at the head of the proud
est army, on the frontiers of his own coun-
try; expecting the attack, which he had al
ready provided for, even to the field OF bat
tie, on which he was resolved to bring Sa1-
ia Anna to n stand, and to beat him. We
say, to '.beat him;" for Incredible though
it may seem, all the circumstances prove
that General Taylor; knowing-for he was
perfectly aware of-Santa Annals immense
" superior forces-fye to one-never once
had the slightest doubt that he should re-
pulse and vanquish him. The selection of
a field of conflict at the narrow pass of Blu
ena Vista-a kind of Tbermoplye for the
Americans where small army might best
oppose large one, and the continued refu-
sal to fall back behind the Sierra Madre,
showed this plainly enough; which never,
however was declared in boastful words or
promises although it once broke out in has
ty expression, significant of all the Gener-
ais thoughts, when an officer one day-as
the anecdote has it ventured rather freely,
to asIsSwhat he thought would be the result
of q ral Santa Annals making sudden
IL. c.. 4 I'll
Taylor quickly replied that the result would
be-he making " a sudden march back a
gain" And so il happened
1t was on the 21st of February, 1547, that
Taylor apprized by his scouts Of the APP
preaching host, fell back, in good order, to
his intended battle field; where the Inagnan-
nous Benenerito (or well-deserving) of
Mckee, on the next day, informed him that
he was surrounded by 10000 men," and
proposed to allow him the humane privilege
of surrendering at discretion. Here Gener-
al TAYLOR was guilty of the rudeness Of af-
fecting to consider Santa Annals summons
as request, las not deemng that a Next
can General would dare make any demands
on hm,) and the further inclivlty of '' de-
clining to accede TO IT," The captain of
four thousand men to reply in that way to
the commander of twenty tbOusandl But
it was on the 22d of February-the birth
day of ashington--ihe second national
holyday of American freedom. On such a
day, young Crittenden, in the midst OF the
Mexican host, might proudly declare-'Gen.
Taylor never surrendersp
Who does not remember the first accounts
that reached the United States Of the re-
suits of Santa Annals attack-Mexican ac-
counts, fabulous, bewildering, but fearfuly
exciti5g-which represented Taylor as re-
treating before the immense hosts Of Santa
ANA, fighting hi way back to Monterey,
Their, to turn l.Ae lion at bay, upon bis
pursuer, charging into the midst Of his le-
gions, and covering the earth with the slain.
Well-he was surrounded, but he never
fed; the lion was at bay, hut it was at the
fayoriie lair Of Buena Vista; and IL was
there that the multitude Of Mexicans fell,
lying side by side with heaps Of American
volunteers.
The day gone-ihe night closing around
the mountain peaks and deep gorges, and
that puny army not yet driven from its lines
lie. a second day dawDed, and the conflict