Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-01-02
From Mayne Reds New Magazine " onw ward
a DASHING DRAGOON.
THE MURAr OF THE AMERICAN ARMY.

heroes OF america not so often spoken
as it should be but which, when spo
ken, Hever fails to strike upon the ear
with an interest almost romantic. In
it the soldier rerognizrs the ring of the
true me tai and its motion calls up the
image OF as fine dragoon officer as
ever drew sabre or set foot in u stirrup.
This officer is Philip hearney.
Was How sad an old comrade feels
in penning the past ,ense Would [
could say, is
Alas 1t cannot be. His likelihood,
Of Which he was SO darin9ly regardless,
has fortified the sod OF Chantilly ; his
ashes rest in the tomb of his auce stors;
and his heroic soal has passed to a
more peaceful world. Bat for that ia
tai shot that made him Il corpse in the
saddle, his name woald have now i, ell
louder upon the lips of his countrymen.
Alas, that from among us Phil,
Kearney is missing Bat his memory
is with us and BOW for chapter that
will not only recall him to the thoughts
of his old comrades, but his country
men, in all the dash, the daring, the
unparalleled pictnresqneness of his char
acter.
1t was the battlefield, known in histo
ry as Churulusco, so called from IL
stream OF the name, with village upon
its banks-a cluster of huts and church
es, with a grand convent rising mass
lively in their midst. IT is on the
famed National Road leading south to-
ward Acapulo from the city of Mexico,
and about five miles from the suburb
of the latter city-the garita of San
An o 10 de Abad.
The crossing of the stream was de-
Tended by battery on the tete de
pom by fanking words along the
banks on both sides; and by strong
body of troops that occupied the con
vent of Churubnsco, for the time
transformed into II fortress.
1t cost the American army deadly
struggle to take these works; all the
deadlier that they Were defended by
two hundred brave Irishmen, who, as
it is too often the case, were fighting
on the wrong side. They were desert
ers, and fought in despair with the
prospect of II halter ii taken.
The tete de pont, although desper
ately, was at length carried the soon
er that brigade OF gallant volunteers,
sert round by the LETT flank, pressed
the enemy at the hacienda of Los Por-
tales But for this it is u question
whether Chclnbusco would have. been
carried so soon.
This brigade, on its own side, had
enough work to do. Ii consisted of the
New York and South Carolina regi
ments.
The coming of the cold steel was
warming to the Mexican troops. A
squadron OF .eir cavalry, threatened
charge on our lett, wheeled their horses
qnick about, and went off at hand
gallop for the city /; while the foot de-
tenders of Los Portales and the cause
way of the Acapulo road flung down
their discharged escopettes and scatter
ed off through sN mp and chapparal.
Still led by the New York officer, the
remnants of the half-slaughtered bri-
gade plunged breast deep into the Shiny
zunca, clambered up the causeway, and
continued the pursuit along the level
road.
Exhausted by tho long continued
struggle, saturated with water from
sole to waist. laden with mud, they
made but slow progress.
But at that moment there appeared,
coming along the csuseway, troop
going quicker, that promised to take
the pursuit off their hands. 1t was a
troop Of horsemen, with horses all Of
light gray color. L.
Emerging from the smoke clond of
Ohurubusco, they looked like band
of angles with Gabriel at their head =
Il was Kearny with his squadron of
cavalry. &
Before the fstigued foot had time to
congratulate themselves on the relief,
the dragons came sweeping past
They were going at full gallop in half
sections of twos, the men with sloped
sabres, tho horses with snorting nos
- f.J =. AtJ-.s.....9 ,,