Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1852-02-12
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ldessrisss the tsll Of nucns Vista, long amer ~
SQUADS u The battle had aiea away; when he roar
oteapnon the groaRs oEthe perishing, tie shou,suf
Ihe triumphant bad All ceased, sad the Hultufe and
The lackall had retired from their horrible fepast
lSaeh picture give Us quite as vivid an idea of
the .errors Of such eonaic, as would The actual
scene -
first rode near the battlefield Of Buena
II Vista, with some half dozen officers. one Of
whom was hieut Benham, Typographical
Engineer, who shared the perils Of the fight.
lie first led US BY the long ditch, where r6
pose the remains Of the Americans who fell
IN the hsttle. A hundred yards further We
esme 70 the marrow Tess between the base Of
nigh hlH and-the deep c9aons or rulleva
4 which the Mexicans can Augossaras. f,he
narrows) where was stationed the battery a.
4 Col Washington, with a small ditch on tho
/ right, in whiehlay two companies Of marks.
men and on the high hill to the left, behind
SEINE loose rocks hastily piled up, werc posted
some Illinois troops A deep ditch was dug
aeress the narroEs, which are not more than
! thirty feet vide, IN front of tbs battery.
! Next We passed up the valley, eleven hun.
cred yards distant, to the spot where the
\ discharges Of " ashirgten's battery stopped
1.-THE onset Of the host OF Mexican cavalry THAI
attempted charge on his position A few
hundred yards farther, behind the hills, il
where thes1l exiean legions concentrated be-
( torethe commencement of the action. From
the last nance, point We assembled to the plas
toaus, where the main action took place,
which, at glance appears to-be vast plain,
but which, in reality, is broken by many ra.
vines, stretching down from the mountains.
Here and there, on the field, we passed an
arm, leg, or skull of some Mexican, or .
pile Of their dead, who having fallen IN bat
tie, were hastily aud slightly buried, and
afterwards uncovered and mangled and scat
tered, by beasts of prey Passing further
on, we looked upon the spot, beside little
bush, where Lincoln was laid to bleed To-
DEATH ard down in a rayine, we arrived az
the place where fell the amiable Clay, fight
ing 10 the last, There, toe, fell Harding;
and near by lies the Mexican land his horsel
whom Harding slew in his last moments. 4
h Hero is tie spot where Bragg made his
memorable Standard here also lie his dead
horses and out there in front is q huge pile
tof dead MeSiaans, whom his grape shot out
down, and whose shrieks and groans arose
above the noise of the conflict Buttons and
caps, and shoes, and fragments Of various
other clothing and grape shot, and bullets,
fand cartridges, and Hihts, and fragments of
bombs, We met at every step Over tho
whole field, eight miles in diameter, numer-
Gus evidences existed that there had been q
fearful struggle. At the head of a rayine We
reached the spot to which Benham was sent
BY Gen. Taylor, to reconnoitre the enemy,
after one of their repul$es Benhari obsery-
ed acrowd Of Mexican laneers about half 3
mile distant apparently in much confusion
sonic seemed anxious to como and fight ..
gain, end some anxious to 60 the other way. i
In few seconds however, q cannon ball
struck the ground en- his right, and within
ten feet Of Benham-half minute longer,
and another ball struck about the same dis
Bebham said he speedily yamosed dUwaspass
raYiue, to make his report to Gen: Taylor.
Then came the tug Of war'-and long
aud faarfully the battle ragged. BY scores
the Mexican chigalry sunk down beneath the
sweeping shoWsfs Of grape and rifle bullets.
Vel did. they fight, for Mexicos beloved and
greatest Chief, was a spectator of their strug-
gle #And many a brave American, too, was:
destised TO heaTe his last sigh, afar from the
home Of his childhood The battle Of Buens'
Vista produced q gap in many happy cir
Gle both in Mexico and America vacant
places were. made. which never can be filled.
again on earth Noprisoners were taken i'm
battlcs ard the liexicans, beaten, cowed and
starving. retreatcd at night in wild confusion,
leaving their dead and wounded to the ten
der mercies of their victorious enemies,
esy- Tire Louisville Journal, in noticing the 10.
cent eulogies Of TIE Democratic Press toward Mr..
Clay, remarks;
4 The eulogies now bestowed on Mr. Clay
blythe Democratic presses can never repair
the fearful wrongs which have been done.
him, yet they may serve, and no doubt win
serve, as an instructive lesson to the coun-
try The man who has been the object Of
tel times as much Democratic denunciatien
1 asf any other individual in the republic is
new acknowledged BY them and proclaimed
| By them to be one Of the purest and great.
est patriots that the world has produced
+ Let this fact be remembered and deeply
I pondered as often as the Democratic organs
! asszfl with their eaiumnies the distinguished
! patriots now at lie head of the Government.
4 Surely the time will come when the praise
/ Of honest intsftion, of firm and patriotic
i purpose. and Of enlightened craftsmanship.
will be accorded to President FILLMORE, by
I ever the most yipdietfye and relentless Of
those who, to promote their own partisan
views, are now loading him with the vilest
/ oB1oquies-
COMMERCE. or ALEXANDRIA, VA.