Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-20
FaaM FiiR ale aaAeDe,
AN INDIANA REGIMENT ctr I'd
Pieces!
Eighty Survivors cut OF Three
Hundred Men.
From the Nashville Press, June 70.

From the Nashville Press, June L.
We have been furnished with the following in
teresting letter for publication:
OFFICE QuARrERHAsTER THIRTY. FOURTH TX
DIANA, BKAZos SANTIAGO, TEXAs, Nay H.
am PANIED to write you in our present clr0um-
| stances. IFS but o few days since our reRi
ment was cut to pieces, and under circumstance
that We're truly horrifying. This post is com
manded by the colonel Of colored regiment
and wishing 70 esia olish for himself some notori
ETY. before the war closed, he stIrted O coored
| regiment 70 Brownsville, on the Rio Grande, il
/ direct violation OF orders from headquarters.
They met the enemy and had to fall back, and
| on the night Of the 18th our regiment was order.
ed TO reinforce them.
| After marching till daylight we met the enemy
all cavalry. The colonel commanding ordered
US TO press them steadily. The cavalry fell bacl
slowly. Our colonel suspected that az we haC
neither artillery nor cavalry, that we were being
drawn into trap. Still the commanding Officer
| twenty miles, the Rebel infantry and artillery
opered upon us, while the cavalry, heretofore Ii
| signt was no where visible. The Rebels Wers
nve 10 our one. Their artillery poured into oul
ranks destructive fire. An order vas given e
retreat at double-quick-the worst time In the
world for such an order; but the men who wert
much cooler than their commander, fell bach
steadily, keeping up heavy fire.
Our skirmiShers having no orders TO fall back
were all either killed or captured. After we haC
retreatsd three miles the rebel .valry made il
appearance in our rear cutting us completely of
The men were not long massing and cutting theil
way through, but ths rebel artillery p a ed upor
Us terribly. This was repeated several timeS, oul
soldiers lighting desperately. The day was hot
and the IRE was hotter At last the reDe.s got q
cavalry re Increment and made final charge
upon US. We were now Close 10 the river, and
many rushed to the water for safety. Some were
shot in tie river The color guards were all shot
down but the sergeant. He tore the colors from
the stan, aud also the bInLer, tied the tag around
lis body and leaped into the river. sol
der took the banner and followed his example,
The latter escaped, but the sergeant was shot and
sank TO the bottom. The rebels got his body the
next day and took of the flag.
or three hundred men star led out in the morn
ing only eighty escaped, and most of these by
swimming to the Mexican shore. IL was the
most Abominable affair that ever knew OF. The
commandAnt of the post had asked permission
OF department headquarters to make O demon.
stration, but was fatty refused. He took the re.
sponsibility Of m Aking one, and is now under ar.
rest. Our prisoners came Ia to-day p9roled-
They say they were we'll treated. and that the
Rebel General told one Of our captains that II
the white regiment had come up alone they would
have surrendered to US, but that they would never
surrender to niggers. They said they believed
the war was played out, but thought this was q
good opportunity. to give us Q whipping. Many
of our men would not surrender, but were shot
down. The Rebel Adjutant said he was sorry to
Bee it, but couldn't help it,
Two Of the Rebel Ortcers cAms into camp with
our men. They were full of fun and said they
would all be friends soon, 40 they intended to
suIencer TO 20 homo. The French Helped them.
We took lew prisoners In the morning, and
most of them were Maximilian's French soldiers.
1t is to be hoped that he will &c: his fill Of fighting
United States troops. We can prove that our men
were fired on by thu French from the Mexican
shore, and that they sent ammunition over to the
Rebes. There was one company Of Texans
made up mostly of deserters from he Rebels
As fast As those were captured they were shot
down. Neither would the deserters surrender, for
they knew il would be death, and 30 died fighting.