New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-03-09

3on, OF the LDefatng Army, which varies
somewhat from the account we published from
the Brownsville Flag. We give the report en-
tire, together with the note Of Col: Wheat:
LrsrRATfSe ARMY, NEAR CAMaKeo,1
February %. 1852.
Chief have the honor to submit the following report in
writing OF the operations before this place yesterday and
last night which, in substance, made verbally on the
field Of battle. l9
On the Goth inst the forces assembled at Lopezs Ran
cho seven miles below Camargo consisted of the following
number to wit: Major Roundtree's battalion, under
Lieut. Mann and Captains Adams and wilkinson ninety
four men officers and pryates and the second battalion
commanded by Major McLane consisted of three compa
MES under Captains McGraw, Thomas, and White, num-
beng one hundred and six In addition to these.
was squadron Of Mexican horse and infantry under Col
barcla consisting Of thirty and fourteen Cariso
spies The entire force when assembled amounted
hundred and forty-four with one 12-pounder gun
under command Of Col Wheat. With the exception OF
the squadron of Mexcans and the spies the whole force
placed under my immediate orders We met at the
outset with great difficulty in prosring teams to trans
port the cannon and to draw the ammunition We finally
secured, however, broken down team Of mules to hu
the and several yoke of to convey th
ammunition muskets. ETC. We commenced our march
towardst the city Of Camargo and moved slowly
borousy after throwing out spies and vdettes to apps
us OF the presence Of the enemy. Nothing Of moment
occurred during this march until arrived within about
two miles of Camarg2 when halted and formed in
der OF battle Roundrees battalion the right resting
upon the San Juan river and fences and McLanes bata
sion the left with the artillery in covered BY
detail of Capt Adamsis company.
We here informed that reinforcement Of nearly
hundred men would join us, very soon, from the left
hour for their arrival They did not come and as our
had had nothing to eat drink during the day W.
determined to advance and take possession of place
near Camargo designated the Brck-yard,' for th
purpose of giving them opportunity to prepare then
dinner We accordingly proceeded in the order above.
mentioned towards Camargo until we had reached within
mile of the Main Plaza Of the town. when made an
other temporary halt in the middle of small open plain
We were here suddenly attacked by the enemy in force
in our front who opened upon four pieces Of
and about three hundred muskets and rifles The enemy
was concealed in the chaparra in front and the frs
intimaton that we had of their presence by theI
furious and well concentrated fire. Their
not more than four hundred yards from line and
large portion of their musketeers and remen less thar
two hundred yards We instantly advanced our right
wing along the river towards the enemys cannon and
moved artillery up to the bank the San Juan and
the left wing also into the position first occupied by the
right We returned the enemy's fire instantly from
entire line and Col Wheat answered their artillery by
vigorous and effective discharges grape canister and
round shot. The firing now became for few minute
tremendous on both sides during which time attempt
was made by portion Of the enemys cavalry charg
our left wing. One rounds of musketry however
checked it, when the entire left wing began wayer
fell into disorder and it became withdraw
the from their position and form them in rear of our
cannon, under cover of the bank Of the San Juan.
panic however had seized them which could not be
strained and after reaching place Of safety they broke
and hamefuly fed from the field. The example of two
or three men, who had held commissions in the army and
who among the first to rum like cowards no doubt
contributed to produce this disaster
Before the battle had continued half hour at least
seventy Of the I'd Battalion had fed skulked There
were hardly twenty men remaining with Major McLane
and the three captains who had commanded It, To the
honor Of these officers they stood their ground and per-
formed gallant service with Rouudtrees battalion during
the final struggle, AT the commencement Of the fight
Roundtrees Battalion ordered advance along the
San Juan, and take the enemys artillery in flank This
service was most calamity performed andaer than
one hours severe fighting they reached point where
they could begin to make impression upon them with
their rifles and muskets The effect instantly visible
apr,ts,
distance from the bank of the river and to sustain them
selves ordered charge of their entire cavalry upon ou
artillery IN the center Their cavalry as it passed thu
rear OF Roundtrees battalion, roughly handled bu
they advanced to the charge with much steadpess unit
they had attained point less than hundred Yards from
our gun when Col. Wheat opened well directed fire q
canister upon the head of their column which swept
from the ground if whirlwind had passed over it
The remainder of the column consisting of about thre
hundred men, wheeled and fled the time charg
! was made by Roundtree's Battalion led by Saio
Mchlicken Adjutant-Genera which senced tlieir gun
ana drove artillery infantry and cavalry, in confused
pel nell mass through the city of Camargo The enem,
abandoned large quantity of ammunition. guns etc
and the field of battle with every mark of terror and
defeat to characterize their conduct Unfortunately for
us had not horse could scarcely rally after the
field was won forty men to the advantages of our
hard earned victory
Shortly after the commencement of the batte an scci
dent occurred at our gun which disabled two of our
experienced artlert and this accident is to be attr
buted some OF the most serious difficulties had
counter once or twice during the hottest of the battle
Col Wheat was left at the gun entirely alone and
times ne was left with to aid him at the gun but
Sergeant Miller and Private Bart and two or three times
was myself compelled to assist them in moving and man
aging the gun under perfect shower of grape shot and
muskety The conduct of Col Wheat throughout the en-
tire conflict was above all praise Major Roundtree and
all the officers and men of his battalion acted with de-
gree OF gaantry and rmuess worthy of the most
i1enced veterans Major McLane the captains and som,
twenty men OF his battalion also bore themselves becam,
fearless soldiers. Capt Mason the Ordnance Depar
men Major Howell and Col Basse of the Quarermaster.
Department Major Norton Commssary and Private Dow
thp Last oofi,
as my aids behaved in the most heroic manner No duty
was too ardous or too dangerous for their performance
They never finched under the hottest fire. feel myself
relieved from the trouble of detailing the particulars
this contest The whole took place under the immediate
eye of the commanderinchie who at the crisis when
the fate of the day seemed to hang upon hair rushed
into the storm of bullets and by his courage and
of mind contributed greatly eanmate the spirits of h
eu and to snatch victory from nearly twenty times
number.
We have to deplore the loss of ten of onr men killed
| and twenty-three wounded, including myself We had
as have already stated all told, only hundred ant
fourty-four men. OF these the Mexican squadron wa
acting videttes and not in the action at all Tn
Cariso spies were in the of the fight bu
speedily ran away skuked. About seventy of the 2
battalion and fsur of the first away early in the action
| thirty-two were killed wounded and consderabl
number secreted in the chaparral under the rive
bank The number of men actually engaged in the igh
and by whom the victory gained very little exceede
fifty The number of the enemy from the most authenti
information could obtain, and upon which fully re
was about seven hundred men, three hundred of thei
being cavalry and lancers and the remainder being
| iantry, rifemen, and arterymen. with four pieces
cannon The average of the enemy's cannon shots Wa
six to our one 1t is believed that about three hunre
and fifty cannon shots fired the field by both side
The battle lasted from two in the afternoon till hapa
four, when the enemy broke and fed after spking two
| his guns. He did not halt an instant in the CITY
Camargo but rushed through the and in such tr
pdation that am assured that twenty five or thir
| of his cavalry were drowned in the San Juan as the
plunged in to escape The enemys loss in killed an
wounded was considerably hundred and among tt
number were eight or ten officers of rank in the army
| During the engagement the enemy placed company
under the bank of the San Juan to
us In the rear by whose fire considerably CALLED
but the gallant charge made by Roundtrees batalie
headed by that officer and Major McMicken very 500
rid us of these troublesome neighbors After the
had retreated fired several shot into the
OF Camargo which took effect the church and negl
boring houses producing very considerable consternao
among our enemies. This doubt fastened their sue
den abandonment of the town. and probably led to til
fact which did not learn till to-day. that the
mander passed through the town. he delivered whit
flag to the principal Alcade with directions to hoist it o
the church at daylight this morning in token Of surrer
der The enemy's whole force made precpitate retrea
towards Mier, and portion Of it is believed to be With
ten miles Of this place, except squadron of about ID
cavalry who have been sent out pick up strggrs
to dig up our gallant comrades from their graves an
hang their dead bodies like felons This work they ar
performing 1t is fit exploit for such poltroons
: achieve
At shout six o'clock in the evening after the battle ha
closed about twenty persons came over from the LEI
bank of the Rio Grande and by their aid we dragged
gun the field of battle occupied by the enemy
three four hundred yards nearer the city OF Camarg
when halted for short time until we should receiy
the report of spies and viettes The night
tremely dark and ignorant of the exact poso
occupied at that moment by the enemy and while v
were waiting to learn it, another unaccountable pan
seized portion of Just the order was abo