The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-01-27

(,hMM:Nir,rlD)
GEN. MCGOWAN BEFORE THE PALMETTO
ASSOCIATION

| ell in the Eigciield Airertiscr. REVIEWING In,
| first Anniversary Address delivered before the
Palmetto Association, i'll May, 1857. The criti.
clsm Is evidently 10y one who was n member Of
| the Palmetto Regiment, and from its moderate
| and consdcrate tone, deserves our attention.
We think it not unfortunate that the incidents of
| the Mexican Campaign should now and then be
| brought under friendly discussion and thus kcr,
~ remembrance. The Annr"ersary Address re-
terr"d t", which WAS evidently prepared with
tho most scrupulous regard for truth, contains a
brief account Of Santa Aunas attempt upon
Qni'man's Brigade of Volunteers, between III
i''uaI and Amoz"que, which this writer thinks
"a little iuncurate"
The Address states that The Vountc ers were
on the point Of encount tcring n surprise on chat
occasion. which was only prevented by the acci.
dental discovery Of a drummer boy belonging
I" Worths Division, whc!, was living in advance
| of Qultnhn, ut Am"zoque; whilst the writer
referred t" thinks that Gen. Quitman was in 10
| danger of surprise, but had been informed by
express. the hi ght before, that the attack WAS
contemplated. and had made his dispositions nc
cordingiv. 1t is not conceived that the matter
Is at all important No surprise uctuully to,k
place. nnd no bnd consequences resulted. Bu,
we think the movement Of Santa Anna was ON.
tirely unexpected After the route of C,rro
Gordo It was not supposed that the enemy would
ne able to make ii stand this side of the Capital
or at most the pass of RIO F;io in the Noun.
tain rim of the Valley Of Mexico; and it re.
| fleets no discredit upon any one if tho state.
tnents of the Address nrc, rs we believe then, ,o
bc' entirely true. 1t certainly was no fault of
the distinguished Generals Qutlnan and Worth.
| II neither OF them knew what was passing III tho
mud OF the wiley Mexican chief especially as
they behaved 80 handsomely when tho alarm
was gwen. The most gratifying point of the
Whole affair, was the gallant and spiritcd prepar.
alton made in such sudden emergency. This
incident Of the hatfied surprise is Mentioned in
.''e Au"r'ss' e''dentiy not for any purpose of
| n'sParagement, but only because it was All inter
est'ng incident, and had scarcely been alluded
To by any of the histories Of the Campaign. These
arc the reasons expressly assigned
But as the matter isqucsone,l, il may he bcs,
TO state the evidence, which, to our minds :l
least, affords the proof conclusive that neither
| Worth nor luitnan knew Of the contemplated
attack, and that Qntman's Brigade was in fact
on the point of being surprised in dangerous
dciiic by an overwhelming force of Lnnccrs, I'm.
der the command of Santa Anna himself We
'h'nk tho condition in which Quitrnan's little
command WAS found consisting as it did Of
but two Reg gimonts of Volunteers, numbering
| less than twelve hundred effective men-roises
the strongest presumption that he had no cxpcc.
| taimn of the threatened attack. When the
| Lancers were accidentally discovered in sirht
OF the road, these regiments we're in ,aarrh;uy
not fighting order. Tho advance guard was
small, and some distance ahead of tho Indy. of
the command. Tho wagons-incl,ltlnr larr.
provision train-wcrc stretched out over the
broken road for at least mile. The rear
guard consisted OF but single company, and
having been delayed at camp in dspo,ng of a
sick man, was son,e distance in the rear. We
happened to he with The rcnr guard when tho
sound Of the first cannon was heard, md we 70.
member distinciiy-so unexpected was the at.
tack-thnt we thought the firing was in honor
OF some now victory. the intelligence Of which
had just arrived by express. 1t was our opinion
then. and it is opinion still, that tho condi
ton OF the command was such that thcy could
not have w'thstood dashng charge Of three
thousand 1.ancers. Mounted troops move rap.
idly, and they might have rwcpt from front to
renr-lancng the in detail or in SQUADS.
before 1t was possible to close up in battle ar.
ray To have been cru,hed under such cir
cumstanccs would neithor have been dishonora
BILE to the volunteers nor very crcditable to the
pomp of the Mcxicans
Gen. Quitmnn himself Gays that he was only
Informed Of the Threatened attack by messcn-
ger from Worth, a(ter the firing Ind com.
mcncet, and the train coming up nt full gal.
lop. See his Address before the Palmetto As
! soc intinn.
But III addition to This, the statements Of the
Address are confirmed in every particular by the
only history Of the war which alludcs, so far as
we know, to this incident. In RipIey's "War
with Mexico" second volume, page IOs, will
be found an interesting account Of the Affair
at Amoz"quc," corresponding precisely with the
statements of the Address
EXTRACT FROM RIrLEY's "WAR WITH MIX.
Ico."-" W orth pushed his march THROUGH In.
pass, where mn abortive attempt had been made
TO impose obstacles. and on the 18th arrived nj
AmOzOIuc, n town twelve miles dis,nn, i,or,
will of the inhabitants, and in no expectation oi
encountering an enemy, from that place he sent
communication to the Ayuntnmento of puebln,
} requesting an interview in order to arrange his
entrance aud occupation of the city. Toawait
An answer and the arrival of Quitman's cum
mand, he remained at Amozoque on the I4,h
His soldiers were occupied in cleaning their arms
and accoutermcnts preparatory To tho entrance.
which it was intended should he made in cnnd
style. when. about nine o'clock in the morning, a
drummer boy, who had strayed in advance OF
the plckets, ran in with tho information that the
enemy was approaching in force.
, "lt was hardly believed but The staff officers
mounted and galloped TO the front, discovering
the advance Of a corps Of from $500 TO 5000 cay
airy 1t was keeping to the norti, of the main
road from Pucbia. aud, from the nature of the
country, il was difficult to ascertain whether an
, army followed in itsrear or moi
Tho long roll at once called the troops to
arms. and the different regiments paraded in an
Incredibly short space Of time. Taken by sur