The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-11-21
Battle Of Ruena vista.



F,,,,a czaiborpes "E.ife qndsC'oryespg,adenes Of {
Gen ,John A. Ssdtn.dn,1 jass Pat(tstedev
Brrper d. Brothers, Neiv York.
~ stb n was announced in general.
orio,.. tbat General TAYLOR would return 70
-. q captinue on the froater, and the
rsst of he command wouIi proceed to Iam-
n;co under orders from Major Generoi Seott
General Taylor decided 10 take the ist
Mississ;ppi regiment with bun much 70 inf
r.,,rst of General Qutman, but fortunately
sr The glory of that celebrated corps soon
a0erwaId thew took brilliant and DECISIVE
mart in the great battle of Buena VISA ana
their heroic leader won .mPerishah'e anne.
The hattie of BuExA yIsI. oesongs TO the
General history OF the war, but as Mississp
55;an NAV he hardened for referring 70 the .
briIliapt and decisive part tailor IN u by tne
Mississippi Rifles under the cor7iHand OF oh
Jefferson Davis. 81.
Tse hattie had been raging some time Win
Auc,uatinp fortunes. and -as setting agalhs.
| ,s when Gen. TAYLOR, will Col. DAVIS ana
! others arrived on the field. Several regiments
| T,vbicb were subsequently rallied ana iousN
/ Sravely, were in full retfeat OBrt1 a''er
/ HAVING his men apl horses completely cut up,
! had been compelled TO draw OIL i'.s guns anu
Bragg with almost supereuman energy, wa, we
sustaining the brunt OF 'be hgtL lazy
officers OF distinction had allen. Oh ga,IS
ode forward to examine the posiilon ol se
enemy. and concluding that the pest way y, ~
arrest our fugtives would be 10 ihahc 49,. -
demonstration, he resolved at once % , 49,
the enemy, there posted IN force I'M tlisp' ~
in front, supported by cavalry, auS ,s.,
visions in reserve in his rear. IL VISA resoiu-
finn hold almost to rashness, but the e'ner;
ceuey was pressing. With a handful Of
Indiana Volunteers, who still stood by the.r
brave old colonel (l;owles), and h's own Tesi-
ment. he advanced at double-quick dme, hrihg
AZ he advanced. His own brave 'ello~s ieil
fast under the rolling musketry OF the e"eniy'
but their rapid and fatal voIleys carried ulsilay
and death into the adverse ranks a ueep
) .avine scparatel the c@mbatants beap"s
into il. the Mississippians soon appeared on
the other side. and with shout that was
heard over the battle field they poured IN a
weGl-drected fire, and rushed upon tho enemy
Their deadly aim and wild enthuaasm were
= irresistible The MeXicans fled IN copSlsioh
! to their reserves, and Davis seIze6 the com
handing position they had occupied ne
next fcH,upon party OF cav3ry, and coillpei'ed
Il to fly, with the loss OF their leader aia otAer
officers Immediately afterward brigade of
~ IL
At a eal,op, in beartfui array, with sounding
buales and fluttering pennoSs. IL was an
: appalling spectacle, bug not mai mnehed
from his position. The .'me bstYeen our
devoted band aod eternity seemed briei IN
: deed. But conscious that tue eye OF the
army was upon them, thaf the honor OIL
Mississippi was at stake, and knowing thatsa u
they cave way, Or were r;dden Gown our
un1rotected batteries il the rear, upon which
the fortunes Of the day depended, would ot
j. captured. zach man resolved TO die IN his piacs
sooner than retreat Not the Spartan martyr
at Thermopyla-no the sacred battalion o
Z aninondas-hot the teTth ieG5on OF ~ IL
Caesar-f,.. tae Old Guard OF Napoleon evei
eyinced more fortitude than these young VOL
Enteers in A crisis when death seemed new
table. They stood like statues, as rigid an'
motionless as the marble icselE Impresse'
with this extraordinary hrmness, when thel
had anticipated panic esld flight, the lancer
advanced more deliberately, as though the
saw for the first time 1.-The dark shadow oil th
fate that was impending over them Co
Davis had thrown his men into the toFmot
re entering angle Qamiiiarlv known as his Ia
nous V moyemelt), both aanks resting o
rayines. the laLcers comin4 down on the IN
teryeninc ridge. This exposed them to con
verrirg fire. and the Ipon1eTt they came with
in Tihe range each man sinlded out his objec
and the whole head OF the column fell.
more deadly fire was never delivered, and tn
brilliant array reeoed AID reiterated, para
lyzed and dismsyed.
Shortly ate. ward, tie Mexicans havi1
concentrated large force on the right for Il e
final attack, Col Davis was ordered in tina
direction. His regiment had been in action q
day, exhausted by thirst and fatigue, muc
reduced by the carnage Of the morning en-
gagemept, and many in the ranks suilern
from Wounds, yet the noble.felows moved !
doube-quick time. Bowles's little band I
Indiana Volunteers still acted with then
After marching seYera hundred yards the
perceived the Mexican infantry advancing,
three lines, upon Bragg's battery, whicl
though entirely u, supported, held its positio
with resolution worthy of his ame. IN
pressure upon him stimulated the MississiI
pians The1 increased their speed, and whe
the enemy were within one hundred yards
Of the battery and ,onfdsnt Of IFS capture, the
ia, took him in flank and reverse, and poured
Nv a raking and destructive tire. This broke hi
m right line, and tn rest soon gave way and is
ill back preeipitately. Here Col. Davis wa
na severely wounded.
The movement has been recently crit
ed cised as neither original nor meritoTious. IN
es reverse is true At Waterloo there was
en- movement somewhat similar, but differing i
e. essentials. By looking at detail map
Chat great battle, it win be seen that som
OF Hanoyerian cavalry were thrown ont heior
he the position occupied by body Of infantry
to at the intersection of two main roads, nea
81 Quatrebras. Some French husSars, as sOo
as the cavalry Of the allies had passed beyonr
IN the wood which covered their movement
$ charged, and drove them at full speed back Of
Is the supporting infantry The infantry lorIne,
is along the ditch Of the two roads, so MS to oc
= cupy two sides Of a square, the apex towarv
e. the enemy /; and when the pursuing hussar.
in were sufficiently uncovered, the two line
&c obliquing, concentrated SO deadly fire upcl
r the French they were compelled to retreat
v This case the only one eitel-is not onl,
! different but is, in fact, the very opposite 0
$, what occurred at Buena Vista They formed
:, salient, we a re-entering angle Theirs was
e the ordinary disposition Of troops who, mol
It having time to Storm square," refuse ons
e wing" to repel attack ours the novel pro
T cee,iing Of inviting cavalry inside Of Infantry
}. lines. II such movement was ever made
o before, can not find it in military history
from Plptarch to Napier The great Well
= incton, who knew something OF the art Of war.
and who kept his eye upon the map and traced
: operations off aylcr and Scott, pronounced
this movement new and masterly.
/, The other criticism, that there was no
4 peculiar merit in it, because it was apalpabIe
necessity forced upon Col Davis by the nature
/. OF the ground, is iallacous. Ii a soldier.
dEven by necessity, ssl1es upon the accidents
: of ground to defend his position, and thus
achieves victory instead Of suffering defeat. he
would be entitled to the highest military
praise and such Las been the award from
: Caesar 70 Turenne, and from jackson 70 Tay-
lor In our case, moreover, it was not an
absolute necessity. 1t was bold experiment
a desperate hazard volDatarily Encountered
(by an officer who knew his men and the
weapons they carried) 20 save from capture
our unprotected batteries then holding the
key OF theNbattle -felu
The reports of Ger. Taylor. Gen. 10
Lane, and other distinguished officers, bear
testimony to the great talent, coclneSs. and
courage evinced on the aeld by Col. Davis
ami the inlrcpidity Of his t,ocus.
Etc9 thc Scientific Ameyican, Sent. 8. 1879
SPALpINs's PEERARED GLuE-Wa b.r.
received several samples Of prepared l;onS
put up in small bottles, by Mr.. II. q SaaiJ J'