Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-03-30

MILITARY SPIRIT AND uhNlOo ofs
~ THE SOUTH.

L.
.,,;n,rron Nnr5b Carolina, before the State
TI,'o,+;nnol Convention" thus illustrates
the military spirit and genius Oh INC N''"'''
err people: ,...;,,,, ,.ora rom
manded By Washington, o'uiHert. ue"J, a..
The officers. who Distinguished 'NoIi' Io, -
in an eSpccial manner n the war oi tol1'
we're Southcrn-bora ana o"u'hIt - : GU
Jacksop. Coffee Harrison, ocote a"o "a'neS'
rrbp commanding Generals IN Inc MeAican
war Scott and Taylor, were DOH OF 'lfglA-
- The Chiefo ordnance under Gen. Scott,
and the next most important oIncer was
Hnaer. Of South Carolina. The Ch'ei OF
Engineers was Lee, Of virginia, the on man
the Army acknowledges 20 be mt to be the
successor of Gen. Scott. The Chief leaders
in diminishing were Lane, oi North Carroll
ma. and Hays, of Tennessee. The lighS
batteries of Artillery which did Such won
derful execution at Palo, Alto, Rcsaca dc la
Palma, Monterey, Bueua Vista. and in the
Valley of Mexico, were generally under the
command of Southern men, Rluggold, Ridge
lev, Bragg, Washington, Stcptoe and ha-
sruder. The heavy ordnance was under
the control of Huger, of 5. c., aud Laidley,
Of Virginia. The battery Of Mountain How
tiers, was directed by Reno. OF Virginia.
The dashing charge of cavalry at RcSaca de
Ia Palma, which has IL worldwide reput;t-
non, was made by May, of Washington CT
~. / far more brilliant affair was wltness-
ed by ten thousand American soldiers drawn
up III battle array on tue beach 1t era
Cruz, and by English French aud Spanish
vessels of war III the harbor. y little
steamer, armed with two heavy pieces Of
ordnance and manned By some twenty sail
ors. pushed up under the very walls OF Vera
Cruz, with It's 100 pieces OF artillery, aad
within easy range Of the formidable Castle
of San juan D'Ulloa. and from that position
bonbarded the city for half an hour. Pro-
iectiles Of enormous wei ght and size fell thick
as hailStones around the little vessel, any
one OF which must have sunk her. The in
terest OF the spectators was painful III the
extreme, but the very insignhcance OF the
steamer proved an efficient protection; she
was too small a mark 10 be hit, and a. She
came back bearing her gallant crs", all
dressed ia their red Jackets, thu very earth
ahouk with the cheers ot the ten thousand
exu!ting voices on the beach The officer in
command was Tattnall, OF Georgia, the
same who, Mt the risk Of his commission and
his life, interposel last year and rescued the
defeated British at the Peihn Forts In China,
During the seige Of Fort Brown the pulley
Of the flag got deranged, 50 that it could
not he raised An officer climbed the staff
and in the midst Of a terrible tempest Of shOt
and shell calmly and deliberately arranged
the haiynrds, righted the pulley. and hcsted
the flag. The exploit OF Jasper ut Fort
MOutre was as nothing in comparison
with this daring deed Thai officer was
Hanson, Of Washington city, & descendant vi
john Hanson, Of Maryland, President %!
the FIRST Congress, and Col. John Hanson
Harrison, one OF the most distinguished OF
WushnytJu's aids Years before the siege
Of Fort Brown, General " Orth had prunoun-
ced him the bravest mau in the army, He
was gentle and modest ;ts IL girl, kind aud
and courteous to ell Il devoted and enthusiasts
lie Christian a gentleman in the highest ac-
ce,taLiUn Of the word. just after the battle ui
Contreras, Il rude litter, with y dead officer
Oh it, was borne by. Sergeant, what officer
is THAR Capt. Hanson, Of the It'll Infantry
sir?' The soldier had fallen on the field oi
honor Two gallant brothers., Capt. Wright
man H. Hanson. 9TH Inf, the most entcrpri-
sing Young officer OF the Florida War, and
Passed Midshipman Juo. Hanson, both also
fell in the service OF their country. Santa
Anna made the fatal mistake. At Cerro COP
do, Of leaving Telegraph Hill uniorlitied.-
Gen. Scott discovered it, and sent up q
young officer with some 20 men, To seize it.
An immense force of MexicanS came to dis
lodge him. lie thew his men behind
rocks and trees, and sent for succor. The
Rifle Regiment came up and found them
selves huty pressed, and would have been
driven back but for the timely arrival Of the
ID Infantry. During all this tins that gal
liant Lieutenant held his position, and
had he lost it, the battle of Cerro Gordo
never would have been won. That intrepid
Young man was Gardner, Of Washington
city. The storning column against the
main work on Cerro Gordo Hill was led by
that tried veteran Harvey, of Georgia.
Major Hill adds that the South has moi
merely evinced military spirit on the field,
but in authorship. The books in use on in,
iantry tactics were prepared by Scott, OF IT,
giuia, and uardee, OF GeorglA. The Manuel
Of Artillery Tactics in use is by Major Ander
son of Kentucky The only works in thi>
country on the Science Of Artillery, writer
in the English language, are by klngsburJ
and Gibbnn. OF North Carolina, and the on
books on Military Engineering, by Mahan, u
Virginia. The published experiments OF Nor
decai, Of South Carolina, convey ali our IN
formation of the strength Of gunpowder a:1d
Of cannon and the proper tests, or their trail
Uses OF TIE Sun FLowEH.--The editor Of
the \. 0. Bulletin urges his readers to plant
the suntlower in their gardens, for the pur-
pose Of preventing tevers:
Liout. MauryS conclusions and expert
lnentS have been tested by many planters,
and we have frequently seen certificates from
the latter TO the surprising effects OF this Snn
pie aud beautiful method OF wurding of 'e
brilc complaints in the spring and summer
from localities subject to them. We suggest
therefore, to all persons living in tie cut
skirts OF The city, and those having garden:
residing within it, the prorriety OF planting
abUndnntiy seeds of the suntlower. IT has IL
snowy kind of beauty, and is desirable in
that respect, contrasting we'll, by its brilliant
yellow crown with roses and other flowers
add to this its power to absorb the noxiou:
vapors which arise from the EARTH and which
are supposed TO produce fevers, and its com
bincd advantages are entirely sufficient i
cause it to be planted extensively in every
garden.