The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-08-01
From the PittSbuTg p
BUENA EISTA--BITS OF HISTORY

: Ihe newspapers from all sections OF ,Ls
E nation, come 10 US filled with euIoejes q,
the late President, pronounced at varjor,
!, mortuary commemorations Most of thee,
addresses, though they abound il 2os.
testimonials 10 the worth of the 6e,arsI
hero, contain little or nothing tina: Is nsr
A few, however, are of a different cl.--
and embody facts respecting Gen. TayIs,
hitherto not generally known. Anon,
this last description of addresses IS or.
pronounced at Salem, Mass, on the Isl
inst, by the Hon. G. w. Upham. F.
contains an account OF the celebrated f..
OF truce, which, during the battle of Bue-g
Vista, was sent from Santa Anna 10 Ger
Taylor; and as this account was deriysi
from the lips of the late President, j, j,
veracious in every respect and viii here
after pass into history. The passage IS =.
follows:
''As this incident of the battle may ms
sibly, if the secret history of the wan,
ever fully revealed, be found to shed Ggb
upon II, | will here record the facts relate
to me by Gen. Taylor himself Durips
the height of the conflict flag was sss1
approaching. The emergencies of the dlr
had so stripped him of his staff, that, hst.
ing no one TO send, he went himself.
meet it. As the young officer who bor.
1t could not speak English, nor he S9a-.
lsh, the conference took place in FreacB
The communication was this: .sGeney
Santa Anna desires to know what Geners
Taylor acantS?" Feeling somewhat in.
dIgEant that a message so apparently in
zh
moment, and regarding ii as perhaps
device merely to gain time or some o,ha
.lllegItlmate advantage, or, at the best, as
species of tri1ing, he gave an answer d..
tated by the feeling of the moment "Wn
General Taylor aUaIltS is General Sana
Annals Army"
Here the conference closed, and the
Mexican officer withdrew. Upon mo
ment's reflection, he regretted that he had
given an answer, so undiplomatic, AMI
having so much of repartee. He called
to mind the fact that his government had
advised him that they had favored the rs.
turn of Santa Anna 10 Mexico, from BE- 4
lief that he was disposed to promote and
might have influence enough with bis
country 10 effect termination of the war
and 1t occurred to him really designed o,
open the way for negotiation, and, per- |
haps, Pacification-an object ever near
to his heart. He rode over the fields
search of Gen. Wool, made known tie
circumstances TO him, and suggested, !
not too great a personal exposure, the eI
Pediency of his carrying a flag TO 6'
Mexican lines to ask an explanation q
the message.
To send an officer of his rank, characiH
and position, would remove the mdigniT
If 1t should be so regarded, of his blunt
and summary answer. Gen. Wool read
ly and gaIlantly undertook the service |
and rode forth to execute it, but the fire Oi |
the Mexican batteries could not again b
stopped, and no further parley took place
The next morning, when Col. Bliss was
sent with a flag 10 the Mexican He'd
Quarters, he was requested to asceraa
what had been intended by the messag
of the previous day, but he found ts
state of things such as to render II vain
enter upon the subject. The import
the message remains unriddled to this day
Santa Anna can undoubtedly solve ne
enigma" II
Mr.. Upham, in the course of his a.
dress, gives numerous anecdotes, eXh,
ting the late Presidents courage ana gs- l
erosity. Among other instances Of o.
display of these qualities on the par
the deceased hero, he gives the follow:
SIN the conversation from which d. \
rived these interesting items of intOrn'
uon, General Taylor described 10 me
rf~
of the battle. His officers came to BIC
one after the other, expressing dec1a
opinion that his army was too much ''
ken to be brought up to the struggle
otner day. He declared to the m his bs-s
that, dreadfully as his forces had suhsr-
the enemy had suffered worse; that rer'
or any other alternative was entirely O.
of the question; that he had made hls j.
Irangements TO present, still, torma'
front to the foe, and all that remalnea
them was to make up their minds 70 Gu
! quer or die together, II the assault W
| their position should be renewed VIII
returning light. But" said he, "gei-
men. il will not be renewed. | surTey
the whole field as the sun went down,
| believe we have beaten the enemy.
"When the third day dawned iIs
discovered that Santa Anna had fled 10
the ground. Gen. Taylor instantly
dered a train of wagons, provided
medical and other means OF relief, anu
companied by surgeons from his OWE,
my, TO follow on the track of the n'
cans and administer TO the wants ol
wounded and disabled whom they