The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-03

mott entirely Of men who were aecustrmsd to the
use Of the rife from their boyhood In their native
isrssts-men who eould shoe. . squirrel through
the eye on the highest tree, or kin him by shark
ing" him withou: injuripg his shin-that is, by sti
king the tree or branch SC slose to him with the
bullet, that the bark, IN flying Of brings him down
% eff ctually rs If he were shot through the heart
In every battle they were victorious and against all
odds-such odds SIS s. sometimes seemed madness
itself to encounter Who, that is fred with
spark Of the military spirit, can read the de-
scription given Of the battle of Busna Vista
without emotion! More particularly, who can read
Of the deeds Of the glorious Mississippi Rifles, with
out quicksned pulse, and lofty feeling Of nation
al pride? The historian Of the battle tells rs that
the greater portion OF Ampudis's light division was
moving down o plain, fanksd by cavalry, and sup
ported by reserves Of the heavy infantry. They
seemed like an avalanche. Davis and his gallant
Spartan band counted not the odds. Amidst the
Kissing showers of lead they advanced to meet the
foe, paused tin they had brought him within the
range Of their own rDerring weapons. Then their
little line blazed forth sheet Of fire. Tie effect
was awful. The bead Of the enemy's column went
down before il as ripe grain before the reaper Still
the enemy came on, over his dead, and still forward
pressed the rifemen-the latter q handful, the for
mer host. Bloody was the carnage. At length
they paused-.he Mississippi men on the brink Of
the ravine the Mexican light infantry on the plain
beyond, the cavalry being driven to cover their
left. 1t was net enough for the Mlssissippans to
hold such masses at bay. Their blood was up
they dashed with one loud yell into the ravnc, clam
bered up the opposite bank, and stood before the
Aexicans On their own side. Again the carnage
was terrible. The column Of Ampudia, bloody and
torn at last lost It's steadiness-t fed in the most
terrible confusion.
Another incident Of this battle will show the read
still more clearly the effect Of the unerring fire Of
American infantry and rifemen. After the Next
cans had failed in their attack Buena Vista, they
made determined effort to force their way to the
road at point nearer the plateau. They brought
down from the mountains opposite, and to the left
Of the hacienda, fresh brigade Of cavalry, covered
by infantry in all its passages of ravinss With this
they advanced to engage the Mississippi rfamen the
fragment of the Second Indiana volunteers and the
Third regiment Of the same, who were still acting
together, and had near them one howitzer, under
Captain Sherman. These troops formed so as to
present an obtuRe angle to the enemy Down the
slope he came, in close columns of squadrons,
and at an easy hand gallop, all his psnnons
fying-some 1900 Of them-the men in full
uniform, the hsrses beautifully caparisoned. The
march was magnificent, reminding one Of the cav
airy Of the olden days. They were the chivalry of
Mexico. Opposite to them were handful Of our
men on foot, without pomp, or glitter, feathers.
They stood calmly with their pieces q. carry Not
a word was spoken. The rumbling sound of the
earth, as the cavalry brigade swept onward like .
living thunderbot, appeared to be the only audible
Of the approaching carnage They
calcu ated upon the utter destruction of the little
band. But finding, to their astonishment, as they
drew near, that not piece was discharged nor
a man moving, they instinctively diminished their
gait. They could not understand the Americans.
Instead Of dashing on, they finally came to dead
halt, in the very network Of the two lines Of FIRE.
The instant they did so, the pieces came down on
both faces Of the angle As if swayed by the Same
hand For moment their muzzles moved slowly
about, as each man felt for his aim; then they set
tied steady and firm rs bars Of STEEL Now, like
the blast of trumpet, the dreadful word was
Firer' Two sheets Of fame converged
on that beautiful brigade. It was appalling Tho
whole head Of the column was Frustrated, and rider
less horses, multitude, and crimson with blood,
scattered from it in every direction. Before the
Mexcans could recover the effects Of this blow,
Sherman cut them up with grape and canister. Then
came the rapid and deadly firing by file Of our rifle
men and infantry. No troops in the world could
have faced it, without the most awful sacriice Of
life and under it the whole brigade gave way, and
fed to the mountains, leaving the ground literally
covered with its dead Such is the effect Of target
and rife practice.
There is NO need of a standing army in the United
States. Every citizen is soldier, and woo to the
en- envy that is ever rash enough to land upon pur
shores.