Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-09-20
CAPT. BRAGG-GEN. TAYLOR.

~
presided Among the other guests were MIR. Me
,au' ~, ana MI. Kennedy. Of Baltimore, the Hon
5 MI (Coi') Haskell, of Tennessee and Hon Mr.
Dohheii, OIL N u AT the dinner were several q
our most distinguished merchants bankers. &c.
VINO MAD assembled there to do honor to the brave
s,4 as 'le dinner was in sumo degree private, we
snail go no further than to report i'm substance and
from memory, the remarks of Colonel Bragp. MIR.
iione toasted him as Capt. Bragg, better known by
mat than any other "a little more crane
capt. Bragg, and alluded at length 10 his bril-.
'ant service OF the flying artillery at Buena Vista -
Ooi bragg modesily rising, and in some enlbar
rassinent said, 1t was well known, that he was on
iy soldier, and that therefore no fi,tino sneecb
could be expected from him in reply For what
ever merit gentlemen chose TO award him. or what
ever reputation, if any he had undeservedly, the
whole ct 1t was due 10 the gallant General under
whom he served and to the soldiers in the service
he commanded, nay more, for the brilliancv of that
service he was indebted TO the training of the l.,
mented Ringgold and Ridgely, from whose hands
no mad received the corps, in that full efficiency
mat enabled 1t to immorlalze itself on the perous
and bloody field of Buena Vista.
10 the General. lin Chief his acknowledgements
were especially due. He inspired the whole army
with valor aud confidence by his presence, not only
at bnena Vista, but from the opening of the war on
the Rio Grande. Ii is almost impossible for Won
gentlemen he said, to understand the character of
mat man as commander of an army There is
resolution, firmness, determination in his man
ner; ana III MS purposes, that GO great way in
leading men to victory. Ii was never better films
trated than on the field of Palo Alto He told Mai.
brown, when he left him with small force oppo
site Malamoras, 'N1aintain your position | ,piU
not say hope TO be back, I shall t,y to be back.
nnt WILL be back on the 10Th. Expec, me then.
ana maintain your position" Every BODY that
knew him, knew he would be back, if alive TO
come The army returned to Point Isabel, as Won
know On the 9Th, they fought at Pao Alto. and
when night came on, they bivouacked in the omen
neiu, ana amid the grass, with not tent over
them' the General himself wrapped in his blanket,
ana many, can assure you, in not a little doubt
ana groom. Our little army did not feel sure then
mat they could whip three times their number. and
them, the best troops in Mexico We had NOT tried
our me'tie, or measured weapons with them-
Many an eye did not close that night Rinpuoh
had been slain. a bloody cay was before Them.
and many, IT the army went on, were sure 10 bite
me dust. But nobody knew could find out what
General Taylor intended to do There he law
wrapped in his blanket, and sleeping, EXCEPT when
disturbed by officers asking for orders Some were
! anxious to ascertain his intentions His only an
swer was, ''Tell the men 10 sleep Keep quiet
Sleep IS the main thing necessary
"o or three officers were particularly anxious
10 KNOW whether he intended to 90 on or hold his
position. But the only satisfaction Thai. cnuId he
| got was 'sleep." He disclosed TO none of them
MS Intentions. There prevailing opinion
| that 1t was too perilous march to ro ON. But
zen. Taylor, toward morning, disturbed by some
person demanding orders, replied ''Allow the men
| to rest; II is time enough at sunrse'' Then. turn
Ing over IN his blanket he said TO an officer near
MY mind is made up; my mind is made ND. -
NOBODY knew hoto his mind was made up and vet
those who knew him knew, if his mind was made
up, 1t was no use to try TO change it,
! In the morning council Of war was summoned,
and there were eleven officers present, three ONLY
| Whom advised a1v nj
| upon any one A difference Of opinion, under such
circumstances, might have been expected But
hey who knew the power Of the light artillery
and had seen it play that day had confidence that
II could clear way for the army back TO Fort
| Brown. "Old lack" (for that is The name we
call him) replied, after he consultation had broken
up 'ce tcW adUaace an fifteen minutes; and forward
'hey marched to ReSaca de Ia Palma the resul; of
which you all know. Old lack kept his word TO
Major Brown. But, alas, the brave and lamen,ed
Major had received his death wound.
80 90 al Buena isfa, the personal character of Gen
Taylor had like influence on the army When
! the war Department deemed il necessary in order
TO form column in Mexico via Vera Cruz. to take
his regulars from him, he sure that Santa An
! ma would attack him. Il am the weak point - he
often said, land know he will attack me- But
ne determined to defend his position, and, in order
as The best way to defend it, 10 advance. Gen Tay-
Tor, kept well Informed of the approach Of the enc
my by Gen. Woos scouts, moved on to Saltillo.
Then on to Aqua Nucva. 1t was proposed, at one
time, 10 meet the enemy in advance OF Aqua Nue.
va but, aScertaning by his engineers that their DO
sltion could be turned he resolved TO fall back TO
buena Vista, as the enemy approached him. Blu
ena vista Is military position that any soldiers
eye would have selected for defence To no par.
cular person is the credit of lis selection due for
IL Is said that even woman picked it out as a
place TO repuiSe an enemy. Nariods officers have
had the credit Of the selection, but whatever par
ticular credit IS due is certainly due TO the comrnan-
der-lnc chief who fought the battle. The Mexicans
themselves had fought battle there. Santa Anna
Knew The ground 50 well that he ordered his Gen
eral (Nlnon) 10 take and keep possession Of it in or
der 10 attack our rear
zen. mInon got into our rear rs ordered but
when he reached Buena Vista he found us in pos
session oft. The 22d of February. 4 SEQ men
mostly Jaw troops, opposed 10 10000 of the enemy
f was certainly not a very encouraging day. We
ala not feel quite 50 happy, or well, this
! bOupuIul table to-day. We though, Ofhomc, and
= OF FAMILIES and friends; and our chance of death
was much better, we thought, thap of ever seeing
them again. For several days previous Gen. Tay
lor was constantly engaged in making his arrange
ments, and IN writing home. IL is said, also tina
Q he made his UjH But he never shrank from his
@ duty 81 may PERISH" his thought, "but
will perish in maintaining the honor Of my coun
@ Try have 10 run great risk in assuming h
. responsibility Of making this onward march bu
it Is the only course that wiz save my army. r.
stay in Monterey is TO be sacrificed by the over
u wheming force Of the enemy. To save all, mus
N here risk ALL"
i The battle was fought you know the result, bu
you ncper can kno,c The Influence that the prescnc
sr Of Gen. Taylor had upon The orn,y he alone,
seemed 10 me, could hare inspired In presence
evcTy soldier IN the army as The counters tCere N
Pr sP'red The confluence IN him ,cas compiete-
,e lie bad commanded volunteers before, and la
" been successful with them. lie had never suueI
- dered. lie had npvef heen Nvhinrnh and the ihf