The weekly ledger., 1857-05-09
A MEXICAN WAR INCIDENT.
BY RICHARD EVERETT.


victorious. But it proved dear-bought vic
tory The battlefield was red with Anglo
Saxon blood, for never did the Aztec army
make more desperate defense. Those who
participated in that glorious battle will never
forget its eventful circumstances; how at the
faint dawn of morn, when the stars looked
sweetly upon the earth, our army moved ST.
lently into its position, corps after corps, ar
tillery, infantry and cavalry; the muttered
word of command; the rumbling of wheels
and the mufiled tramp, tramp, tramp of the
devoted storming party, which pioneered the
main force. 1t was not five O'Clock in the
morning when the battle commenced. With
a thunder which shook the earth, the heavy
guns of Huger's battery belched forth the
first signal of attack Then the stormers,
carrying their ladders and fascnes, started
forward, cheering as they ran, and were soon
lost amid the thick smoke which rolled from
the Mexican cannon. Now and then broad
fash Of fire showed our gallant fellows fight
ing hand to hand with the enemy's cannon
iers. On pressed the center Of our line, and
like rushing tornado, swept the enemy from
their guns, but bravely they rallied, and in
turn our troops were driven back Here the
carnage was dreadful. Of the fourteen Off
GERS of the storming party, eleven were killed
or wounded in less than fifteen minutes
Meantime upon each wing the fight pro-
gressed with great fury, and the bitches in
front of Molino del Rey and Casa de Mata
were rapidly filling up with the dead and
wounded In front of these defeuses the car
mage was terrific. The gallant Mcintosh was
shot while cheering on his men. Lieut.. Scott
fell in the front rank, and the noble Waite
sank under mortal wound. Among the
Mexicans there was heavy loss Of gallant
officers Old General Leou, grey-haired but
, full of fire; Belderez Huerta and Meoleos,
all accomplished officers, fought their last fight
, upon the ramparts of Casa de Mata.
But direfnl was the conflict; no power
could stay the Saxon's red right arm. Over
broken ground, gaping bitches and bloody
rampant, in the face Of fire and steel the Am
ercan troops pressed forward, trampling the
dead bodies of friend and foe beneath their
feet, until covered with the stains of battle
they stood triumphantly upon the Mexican
Notifications. Oh! it was a glorious mo-
} ment when, as the smoke rolled away, the
stars and stripes were seen waving from the
Mexican flagstaff, proud emblemS Of Ameri-
can valor.
; But we did not Intend to describe the bat
tie Of Molino del Rey at length. Slowly the
scattered remnants Of the American forces
retired from the hard-earned field, and upon
the Ninth Regiment devolyed that most
painful of all duties, buryng the dead aud
picking up the wounded! About sunset the
labor commenced. Some six hundred men,
divided into small parties, pursued the melan,
choly duty. Day faded but the moon, soon
rising, shed pale sepulehral light over the
scene, which no man could contemplate with
out thrill of horror. Over large expanse
of ground the bodies Of the dead and woun-
ded men were thickly strewr. In some pla
ces hundred corpses might be counted with
in the space of few square yards, while the
, sandy soil was wet with human gore. Large
pits were dug and friend and foe found n sol
, dier's grave together Death had abolished
all distinction American and Mexican, who
few hours before were striking for each
. others lives, now lay peacefully side by side,
their animosity subdued Ambulances and
wagons rolled away to the temporary hospt-
ais filed with wounded men, whose groans OF
anguish were awful to hear
| 1t was while the work of burial progressed
that lieutenant, in charge of small party,
came to a ravine not far moved from the
main line of attack. Many wounded men
crowded to the banks of this stream to slake
that terrible thirst which severe wound al
ways induces. As the party were collecting
such injured soldiers as would bear removing,
the wall of an infant suddenly attracted the
lieutenant's attention. He listened again and
the sound came family upon his ear, so plain
however, that there was no mistaking its
source. Search was instantly made along the
margin of the brook, and in few moments q
sight was disclosed at which the most har
dened heart grew faint Two dead bode.
f lay on the sand a few feet from the water.
edge. One, a young Mexican artilleryman
whose head was badly crushed, apparentl,
, by large shot; the other young and verl
beautiful Mexican girl, from whose neck ;
, rivulet of dark blood was yet oozing, for
musket ball had penetrated to the jugua
vein. The young man lay upon his back
apparently just as he fell, while the position
of the woman indicated that she received the
fatal ball while kneeling at his side
But this is not ALL Naked and all dab
bled over with the gore Of its parents an in
fant, evidently about three months old, was
lying upon the breast of its mother, wailing
, and grasping with his little hands her long
black hair, which was damp with cold night
dew. Oh, it was a picture which made the
heart swell with emotions Of pity too deep
for utterance-that helpless, innocent infant
stained with its mothers bloodl Often have
, we thought of the dreadful scene, for it we:
scene never to be forgotten. That gloomy