Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-15

afford to give the State two cents every time
he does 80. The introduction of the Moffet
bell-punch in South Carolina would, undoubt
edly, be either wise, just and profitable
measure of craftsmanship, or powerful in
centive to temperance. Probably it would be
both; and no good citizen can object to the
one or the other-Ne,us and Courier.
GEN. BRAGG AT BUENA VISTA. .
Brevet Brigadier. General H. G. Gibson
in a recent letter to the New York World
says: :........,
In your issue of to-day you publish state
ment made by Mr.. Stanton in regard tc
that brilliant incident of the battle of Buena
Vista in which the late Braxton Bragg &c
prominently figured. 1t is represented to be
authentic but the writer, who heard the story
of this deed of noble daring from Bragg''
own lips years ago, begs leave to correct the
statement as it appears in your columns.
Bragg, after having been engaged on anoth'
er part of the field, moved, with portion ot
his battery-Lights Company G., Third Artil
lery, which had rendered splendid service al
Palo Alto and Resaca de Ia Palma under
Ringgold and at Monterey under Randolph
Ridgely-towards the plateau which became
the theatre of the decisive conflict of the day
In passing through one of the numerous raw
ines intersecting the main plateau be was met
or overtaken and passed by the dragons un'
der Colonel May. On reaching the plateau
he found himself confronted by the whole
force Of Santa Anna's army, flushed with sue
cess and in proud array, advancing rapidly
upon his unp protected battery. He appealed
to General Taylor, who had just arrived on
the plateau, for support, but the old hero re-
piled: II have none to give you, save Major
Bliss and myself" Bragg, irritated at the
perilous condition of bis battery and of the
day, answered hotly and hastily, "Where the
hell are the dragoons?" Though weakened
by the absence Of several Of his guns, losses
of men and with many raw recruits, Bragg
at once unlimbered his pieces and prepared
to meet the apparently Irresistible onset OF
the enemy, estimated from ten to twenty
thousand strong. "Alone and unsupported
says graceful writer of that day, "stood that
battery and the brave old chief" in one of
the most momentous crises that ever occurred
on any field BY valor won. The infantry had
been swept from the field, and, to quote the
official report of General Taylor, "the mo-
ment was critical. Captain Bragg who had
Just arrived from the left, was ordered at once
into the battery without any infantry to sup
port him, and, at the imminent risk of losing
bis guns, this officer came rapidly into action,
the Mexican line being but q few yards from
the muzze of bis pieces. The FIRST discharge
caused the enemy to hesitate, the second and
third drove him back in disorder and saved
the day"
In our annals of war there is no nobler re-
cord of fearless, selfsacri6cing intrepidity and
successful valor no grander action than this
episode of Buena Vista's fight; no more bril-.
liant scene than that enacted by "that bate
ry and that brave old chief"
Whose rough and ready blow struck terror
To the heart of braggart Mexico.
History has, perhaps, paid it feeble tri-
butte of praise or notice, but poetry and art,
which would in other lands have made its
glory famous through all coming time, have
left it "unhonored and unsung," though as
grandly impressive, thrilling and inspiring a
subject as "The Charge of the Light Brigade"
or "The Death of Marco Bozzaris."
The TREES OF JUDEA.-Judea, renowned
in ancient times for the number and variety
of trees growing within its borders, has now
become one of the poorest of countries in this
respect. A recent English writer gives the
results of his personal observations as fol-
lows:
The only trees one meets are the olives,
which, however, are by no means plentiful in
Judea, and mostly old and stupted- looking.
In Samaria we saw several considerable plan.
tatons of them, but yet hat country is also
sadly deficient of trees. Where now is the
oak-tree on which Absalom hung by his
bushy locks ? There is, believe, only one
remaining sufficiently large for this; and yet
we read that the "Wood of Ephraim" where
he was defeated, destroyed more men than
did the sword. And where is the sycamore
tree upon which Zaccheus climbed? doubt
if there be one such within many miles; and
vet we know that Jericho was once richly
clothed with trees and verdure, and called
the "City of Palms." Indeed, that Palestine
generally was once extremely fertile from
the meaning of many of the Scripture prop
er names. ..
There is along almost every little water.
course number of what are called trees, but
they are generally willows, or mere copse or
brushwood. A tree of any description, OF
size sufficient to make an ordinary beam for
building purposes, is quite rarity; such are
only to be found miles apart. The vine, SO
much alluded to in the Bible, is somewhat
rarely to be seen but that it was extensively
grown is evident by the traces of terraces
upon the steepest hills, still abundantly visi.
ble Then as to the flowers, "the rose Of
Sharon" and the "lily of the valley" cannot
be found There are many wild flowers GER
tainly, but generally they grow out of "dry
ground" and have, with very good blossoms,
almost no green foliage. "Thorns and bri-
ers" ere abundant, but with little foliage al
so, and seem useful only for burning. The
Hg trees are even few and far between, and
the orange, apricot and almond still more so,
The fields are not inclosed, except in some
rare cases, where a wise husbandman has
gathered the loose stones into piles around
bis border. Hedges are rare, but when seen
they are generally formed of large cact, COW
cred with dust, having in the twilight some
what weird look.
The TRUE STORY OF MAzEPPA.-In the
Church of St. Mary, Galatz, Roumania, is to
be seen the tomb of Mazeppa, the famous het-
man of the Cossacks, immortalized by Byron.
His adventures, sang by the bard, were in
reality much more commonplace than as we
have learned to know them. Mazeppa was
q Young Cossack of the Ukraine, who, having
been ennobled by the Russians, declined to
paw his taxes For this the local Governor,
Count Talboski, ordered him to be stripped
naked by his servants and tied to the back Of
his own horse, with his head to the animals