The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-08-30
Tie Rsslaof Busns Tista.
fCaGsiulea.l

camping n Aqua Nneva. in the interval
Of y hirh. on the l7lh Of November. SAL
lilo was lsken without resistance. With
only. Eve llonssnd men u his command.
il was supposed he ought an0i 10 make
any deisehmeni-. except lnr rennnnnissan.
ces ard defence" beyond MnnI,rey. Such
was The wish of lhr Government. of whirh
he was advised by General Scon on The
25ih Of January. lrnm BrasOs Santiago.
when he was asked 10 eiarnale SalIillo.
He. however. understood his pnsillnn.
and ils difficulties. better Than 10 retro
grade. lie. therefore. replied 10 General
Scots suggestions from Aqua Nueva. on
The 9Th Of February. as fallnws:
- consider the occupation Of that city. or "a.
Their position IN is 'front.' rs essential 10 the due
defence Of the line which am now reduced TO
bold. | have. therefore, established a camp at
this point eighteen miles in advance of Saliillo,
and shall concentrate here all tie troops in front,
except q snail garrison left in that city. Its nv
purpose TO hold this position, unlrss ON posi-
fireiy ordered 10 iall back BY the Government at
Washington, 10 which my views and the passion
of affairs here are fully communicated. "-EreeH-
tire Doc. Sc. Isl Session 29h Cong. P. 352.
Thus matters stood until the morning
Of the 2Isl. when. The army being still
encamped at Aqua Nneya, The enemy
more than twenty thousand strong, under
General Santa Anna was reported 10
be advancing. and General Taylor imme.
diaiely fell back on Bnena Vista, which
from lis great natural advantages. lie had
previously selected as his battle-ground,
The clouds of dust that rolled in the dis
lance towards Aqua Nuevs. on the
morning Of Tie 22nJ, signalled his
marching columns. The army was quick
ly in The field, aud as soon as the ap-
proach 0f Santa Anna was known TO him,
General TAYLOR moved forward 10 The
point where he intended TO wait The attack.
In choosing this, the same comprehensive
Judgment aud unerring tactics were ex.
hibi,ed, which characterized his DISPOSE.
lions at Resaca de la Palma, and forced
success against such odds q, Monterey.
Soon after the line Of battle was formed,
and all made, ready for his attack, the
enemy came up in dense array. Instead,
however. Of forcing tile engagement al
once, messenger was sen, 10 demand an
unconditional surfender-an invitation
General Taylor politely declined 10 ac-
cepi.f
The enemy still lolbore the attack, as
he awaited the arrival of his rear column
TO concentrate his forces. The action
commenced al half past four O'Clock in The
afternoon. between a body of volunteers
posted on the extreme left of the Ameri-
can line, and some fifteen hundred nf the
enemy's light troops. The diminishing
continued until dark with trifing advantage
10 either side, when our men retired. the
Mexicans remaining in possession of the
heights where they had been deployed 10
turn our left. The Americans bivouacked
,ha, night without fires, and lay on their
] arms. on wha, was 10 be the next day a
ahaslly field of carnage. The fist gun
on the Odd was fired at day-hreak, and
then the firing was kept up, almost with.
out cessation, until darkness came. and
stopped the eiiusion of blood. Of the
i battle itself, no adequate description car
he given: il was such succession d
brilliant advances and disastrous retreats
where regiment after regiment engaget
4 and drave back five times its number. un
ill the enemy, reinforced by fresh troops
rallied, and by the power of overwhelmn
BY the gracious permission Of our Executive
J Gen. santa Anna returned from exile at Havana
, and landed with his suite at Vera Cruz, Angus
10th, 1876. This event, there is every reason t
believe, was brought about by Alexander Slide
Mackenzie, the President giving color and coun
tenance to his secret overtures. BE that as it may
the authenticity of the annexed precious littl
document, generally known as Santa Anna
, pass" without which he could not have passe
+ our blockade, is not to be questioned:
Il "TpRIyATE AMI CONFIDENTIAL.
Navy Department, May 10, 1916.
CoNMopoRE: If Santa Anna endeaVors
enter the Mexican ports, you will allow him
3 pass freely Respectfully yours,
{, GEORGE BANCROFT.
/, /" Commodore Dawn Conner,
r Commanding Home S, uadron."
e Executive Document, No. 25, LIST Sessio
n .-~e 30M Congress, page 5.
The reply to the summons to surrender is
:, handsome specimen of the" Rough and Read,
u model Of correspondence. Here il is:
q Headquarters Army of Occupation,
e Near Buena Vista, Feb. 90, ls47.
e "SIn: In reply to your note of this date, sur
?, moning me to surrender my forces at discretio
/. beg leave to say that decline acceding to 20
II request.
nj with high respect, am, sir, your obedie
|" servant. $50 q. TAYLOR,
t., Major General U. 8. A. Commander
ri " Senior Gen. A. d. BcPEz DE-SssrA ASSA,
Comrnander-in~chief La Encantanda."