The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-09
and Jalapa, where a curtain, az il werc was shut
down upon him and his braye band and cnt Lbem

down upon him and his brave band. and cut then
off from our view. Every breeze every wbisner
every report which the power Of lightning could
watt to us, was sought with avid,y Great was the
anxiety from the uncertainty that rested on the fate
] of our friends But the curtain was lifted Tie
black cloud rolled away, and the battle field Law re-
yealed to us Then what adolirat ION and astonish.
ment did we fcel There we bshcld nine thousand
troops driving before them thirty thousand Of the
best appointed army ever raised in Mexic, They
pursued over ravines and artificial trenches, ou
by the labors of . hundted thousand poems, BY one
small but gallant army, rushing 90 line upon line.
hill upon hill, overwhelming fedoubts, Storing Tor
tGcations capturing the capital OF the enemy, aud
planting the flag OF our country upon the principal
palace Here we our trioud trumphantiy lead
ing on his command Bu, this il not All we sec of
him. We behold The eamp after the hour Of battle
has passed away. We behold IL wrapped in he ST.
lence OF night We see the Kill "a aud the w)undol,
and we look for our friend We ind him passing
unattended through tho long line Of tents, in which
TO be seen tho paid cheek and exhausted frame
OF the dying soldier To minister to them is the
business of bis lonely rounds He visits the TENS;
he hears their last words, and receives their last
mortal requests, and expunds upon them his last
shilling TO procure for them necessarios which they
could not, ~ such place otherw 50 obtain. II not
such worthy Of the State that gave him hirthl
(Cheers) Turning u General Pierce, he continued:
| can say no more, sir our services understood
here; ard now. in the name Of this meeting, aud IN
my own behalf likewise, bid you hearty welcome
home TO your adopted town And 10 The name Of
all the people III every town in this State, eongrat
ulatc you upon your safe return TO The capital Of
your native state.
Goncral Pierce now advanced TO tho front Of the
platform 70 reply. He was q, ideatly Iaborng with
deep emotions. the nature Of which could wel be
gathered FROM the tone and topics OF his remarks.
Although one 0t the most orgibio aud lucut -pcak-
cs III the country he ~ this occasion avoided every
thing il the shape Of speaking for effect lie
talked rlgbt OUT matters winch intensely inter-
ested his audience
lie said, whatever had been his portion Of the
danger encountered or exposure endured. or the
long sad days and scepless nights d. those he had
left behind, none OF which would have occurcd to
him but for the remarks q the president. he had
been more than compensated ~ tho reception he
had met. setting aside the CONSEQUENCES Of duty
performed. He iclt Embarrassment in addressing
the meeting hat be could hardly account t,r lie
felt profoundly grateful to that Being, VITO not only
Watches the nations Of tho narth, but tho
welfare Of tie humbest individual. lie did not
take 10 himself the honor ii attracting such
mereus and excited assembly stood before and
around HIM. The gathcrng account OF tho
great number Of their gallant sons. brothers, and
friends, that had formed part If his command.
They had come to hear rot only OF tlOse who live,
but * those who, having displayed thai devotion 70
their country, now reposc on foreign soil. set
speech 10 audience actuated by the feelings
which he perceived, would be altogether ont Of
place. u would be sor OF desecration to attempt
any display on such occasions Upon the main
topic which they must be ANXIOUS to near about, he
could not frnme SGT speech lhcy wauted 10 near
Of the Ninth regiment the glorious New Englan
regiment, which assembled in such bot haste,
aud IN such hot haste met The enemy. There was
not generous just man in the state who had not
need in favor OF their motives. Laying aside
AL the ties OF nome, and the tr promises Of youth
and its cnjoyments and Suffering The partngs which
press the likelihood from ont young hearts, thcy
slonded to their couniry's call, with high moral
purpose that could not be exceeded During the
three weeks at Vera Cruz, caused by II want Of
mules and wagons for transpertatiun-a delay ag-
grayatod by wide. spread sckncss--hc never heard a
.nl,! iarrj
cheerful set Of lads they could not have been il they
Ind been at home ~ their own happy iiresdcs Their
subsequent exploits had been read IN the Official
reports. He would not detail them. On The march,
in the fight. every where, one predominant feeling
animated them, The question WAS not, VINO should
be ordered forward; but watch corps should be a.
lowed 10 go forward FIST The only dispute was
upon claims to be first led against the enemy. At
night they were cheerful ia ther tents aud longing
for the morning, which should bring with it the Or
der to move forward 70 battle New Hampshire
had no occasion for any other feeling than that Of
pride III regard to her sons who belonged " tho
command, They bad proved themselves brave, DO
voted, soli-saeriicins spirits. And Concord, too,
ras well represented among them. There was Hon
~ Caldwell ore Of tie hrayeot ind most determined
soldiers in the army. There sergeant Stowc,
WHO was hos, plump through the heart ut Gnuru-
husco a. BIS last breath flowed he whispered to
me--''po the boys say behaved welll ii have,
write home 10 my people : Then there sergeant
Pike who had his leg shot of in advancing along
on u causcway swept by three batteries. Two am
lutations, which did not answer she purpose, were
performed. and third WAS deemed hopeless. Die
he must, il was thought II know better than they
do, le srid. lil Try anuhcr; and when thny cut it
again hope they viii cut il 80 that it viii stay cut"
h,,d anputation was performed. aud be lived
through il Ito and the others named we're printers
In tie new levies he printers exceed BY twenty per
cent. those 81 any Other vocation; and on account of
thcirinte'ligcnce and high spirit they have proved
the most efficient soldiers in the field.
General Pierce also named Brown and SWEET, of
Concord as particularly distinguished; and Captain
Gladly and l'euts. Potter and Dana, of the old line.
Nor did lie forget sergeant West. of Manch aster,
who fell at the head 81 his column; and always
there when there was any fighting to be done Bat
in mentioning the men Of New lamp. hire, or of
New England. he would claim for them superb
oiity over others The pr sent army was made up
Of artillery, cavalry, The old army, and the new
lcy'cs, representing every State Of the Union and
it was not in the power OF man to say which had
done the best service To many it had been mat
ter of great surprise that the levcs had fought
rs they had done. Bat il is in the race lie would
take from the audience before him a regiment who
would do the same. in executing mannyrcs and in
forming combinations in front of enemy, by
wheeling, countermarching, &c., old soldiers arc
undoubtedly better; but when it came to close fight
ing, as in storming charging, IL was the that
did the work. and not the mlngyring; and in such
work, the men who bad never before been under
fire or handled bayolot stood well side by side
with the long trained soldier. Another Of the
success Of our troops and old, was the conduct
Of the officers. who, from the highest to the lowest,
led and choered on their columns. Hence the dis
proportion IN the loss Of officers and men. Hence
the loss Of that most brave and accomplished of
officers of the ten regments-Colonel Ransom
lie kept pressing up-pressing up-tlll he was shot
dead at the head Of Lis column. The
true Of Colonel Martin Scott, the first shot in the
army-a son Of New Hampshire. He raised hi mself
above thc protection Of u wall. A brother officer
begged him not to expose himself unnecessarily.
He rcplied--'Martin Scott has never yet stopped
The next moment n shot passed through his heart
lie fell upon his back. deliberately placed his cap
upon his breast and died. Colonel Graham, after
receiving six severe wounds, continued at the head
Of his men, ard upon receiving II seventh through
lie heart, slowly dropped fIom his horse, and rs he
fell upon the ground. said-' Forward, my mem
my word is aiwsys-forwardp And saying he
died.
Having referred to ficuts Foster aud Daniels, and
TO several officer Of tho old army, General Pierce
proceeded to say lie had TO rctract opinions he had
formerly entertained and expressed in relation to
the military academy ut West Point lie was