The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-07-07
THRILLING INCIDENT At BUENA VISTA
Essss NJ Croxcr IrPPArn.

Do yon behold the dark rayine, dee,
sunken between these precipitous banks
Here no sunlight comes, for these walls O
rock wrap the past in eternal twilight
Withered trees grow between the masses o
granite, and scattered stones make the bee
Of the rayins uncertain and difficult. for tn,
tread.
Hark! That cry, that rush like q noun
tain torrent bursting its barriers, and Quicl
as the lightning flashes from darkness, th,
dismal ravine is bsthed in red battle light
From its northern extremity a confuset
band Of Mexicans, an army in itself, com,
yelling along the pass, treading one another
down as they Fly, their banners, spears horse.
and men, tossed together in inextricabls
confusion.
BY thousands they rush into the shadow,
of the pass, their dark faces reddened BY
| the sheeted blaze Of musketry. The cavern:
of the ravine send back the roar of the
panic, and the grey rocks are washed by
their blood.
But helittle band who pursues this army
Who are they? You may see in their firm.
heroic ranks, the volunteer costume of Hi
nois and Kentucky. At their head, urging
| his men with shouts, rides the gallant Mkee,
by his side young Henry Clay, that broad
forehead which reminds you Of his father,
bathed in the glare as his sword quiyers on
| high ere it falls to kill. There, too, wild
| figure red with his own blood and the blood
| Of Mexican foes, his uniform rent in tatters,
his arms barred TO the shoulders, striking
terrible blows with his good sword-Hardin
of lllinois-came gallant,y forward.
/ The small but iron band, hurl the Mexi-
cans from the heights into the ravine, and
follow up the chase far down into the e:er.
nal twilight Of that mountain pass.
Look As their musketry streams its
steady blaze you would think that one cease
less sheet Of Lightning bathed these rocks
in flames
Over the Mexicans, man and horse hurled
back in mad disorder, the Americans dash
on their way, never needing the overwhelm-
| ing numbers of their foes, never needing
the palpitatng forms beneath their feet,
| with bayouet, and rife, and sword they
press steadily on, their well known banner
streaming even more overhead.
The howl Of the dying war horse-hark
Does it not chill your blood to hear it ? The
bubb!ing cry of the wounded man, with the
horses hoof upon his mouth, trampling his
L
en- your soul to hear it?
A hundred yards or more, into the pass
the Americans have penetrated. when sud.
denly nyoung Mexican rushing back upon
their ranks seizes the fallen flag of Anahauc,
and dashes to his death.
To see him, young and beardless, a very
boy, rush with his country's flag, with his
barred breast, upon that line of sharp steel
it was sight to stir towards into manhood,
and it sho. into the Mexican hearts like an
electric flame.
Even in their panic stricken disorder, they
turned by hundreds; they grasped their
arms, and rolled in one long wave of lance
| and bayonet upon the foe. Woe to the
brave men of Illinois and Kentucky now
Locked in that deadly pass, a wall Of irfu-
| rated MexIcans between them and that
wall of rocks-abcve their heads, through
every aperture among the cliffs, the blaze
| of muskets pouring shower of bullets in
their faces wherever they turned, the long
and deadly lance pointed at their throats-
1t was moment to think once Of home and
die.
Those who survived that fearful moment,
tell with shuddering triumph of the deeds
of the three heroes-M'kee, Hardin and
Clay.
Mkee, you see him yonder, with his
shattered sword dropping blood, be endeav-
ors to ward of the aim of those deadly
lances and fights on his knees when be can
stand no longer, and then the combatants
close over him and you see him no more.
Hardin arose from heap Of slaughtered
face, his face streaming from its hdeous
lance wounds, and waved a Mexican flag in
triumph, as his life blood rushes IN q tor.
rent over his muscular form. That instant
the full light of battle was upon bis ,nangled
face. Then finging the captured flag to a
brother soldier, he shouted-"G il to her
as a memorial Of Buena Vista. Ms wife,"
Il was his last words. Upon his barred
breast the fury of ten iances rushed, aud
tho horses hoofs trampled him into the
heap Of dead.
But most sad and Jet m os. glorious of all.
was to see the death of the second Henry
Clay You should have seen him, with his
back again yender rock, his sword grasped
firmly, as the consciousness that be bore a
name taas must not die ing lorio usly, seemed
10 Gil his every vein, and dart deadly Ere
from bis eyes.
At that moment be looked like the old
man.
For his brow, high aud retreating. with
the blood clotteC. hair waving back from its
outline, was swollen in every vein as though
his soul shone from it, ere she fed forever.
Lips set. hrows knit, hand frm-a circle Of
bis men fighting round him-hs dashed into
the Me1icans until his sword was wet, his
arm, weary with blood.
Aslast, with his thigh splintercd by a tall,
be gathered bis proud form to its fall height
and fell. His face asay with intense agony,
be babe bis comrades to leave him there to
die. Tha, ravine should bs the bed Of his
glory.
Bot gathering around him, guard Of
breasts and steei-while two Of their num-
Der bore him ;enaerly along-these men of
kentucky fought round their fallen hero,
and rs, resreatipg step bystsp, they launch.
ed their swords and hayonsts into the faces
of the foe. shey said With every blow
Henry Clay -
|. was wonderful to see how that name
nsrysi their arms, and called . smile 70 the
face Of the dyihs hero. How !. would have
made the heart ct the old man Of Ashland
shrob, 10 have heard bis name yelled - a
battle cry down the shadows Of that lonely
pass.
Alaas the rarine, and up this marrow path!
The hero bseeds ~ they bear him OF, and
tracks the vay with HE blood. Faster ard
thicker The Msxiesas swarm--shss see The
eiyels around the fallen nau. even lis pale
face. uplifseS ~ . smile crasses iss fadIns
.iaeamenss, and Ike Fa@S Of wolvss scsas-
ing the foriorn traveller at dead Of NJ sShs.
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