Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-18

poisoned neck without being thro,,ted by .
Of hands that have been held high
before God, declaring with his aid this
union must and shall be preserved.
II is my duty here to-day to recite sketch.
ca Of battles. Then 10 my task. Away.
far away, upon the banks Of u deep aud
crooked river, deckcd here and there with
rich foliage and beautiful flowers, encircling
level and grassy plains, where the parrot
cackled in the brush, aud the long winged
heron took his flight. Zachariah Taylor,
with 300 veterans, marched to the relief
of TT. Brown, q little American fort oppo-
site the city Of Matamoras, Mexico. Its
commander was killed and q handful Of his
men were holding out expecting hourly
relief from our approaching army. The
news of the situation was brought to Gen.
Taylor, who, us was customary in those days,
held a council of war. The result Of the
council was that it was deemed inexpediant
to march against the Mexican army Of 25,-
900 men with SO small n force as the Amer
leans had available at that time. Taylor
heard the opinions of his officers in silence.
After their delivery he rose from his seat,
saying, "Hum, hum, gentlemen, this council
is adjourned. Have your commands ready
to march to Fl. Brown in one hour. Moth
ing more, gentlemen ut present"
The march commenced, as ordered, and
here opened the war record of your humble
fellow soldier and historian of to-day. Away,
thousands of miles from HIS farm house
home, away across deep waters in a sunny
land Of Il lovers, sickness and death, his us
sociations bad, his companions rough men
men without home, without character, with
out the knowledge or the belief in God or
country, disciplined, drilled, Il machine for
To be skillfull in firing was not to them any
great accomplishment, but the charge and
the use Of the bayonet was their glory.
After one days march and more, we cav
the gay and glittering equipments Of the
right to left. from the river bank away over
the hills. Bristling lances. bright colors,
yellow, red and green, on the hill side aud
down the dale met the eye as fat rs one
could see, resembling a crest Of flowers vel.
coming to death the little band approaching.
Nothing daunted, with q steady step they
advanced. The glorious old flag with its
stars and stripes, its modest wave in the
MALTA of war in front. One curl of blue
suiOAC uIOSC AOLA kltC CSukIC vi uC SuVuJ Q
line. The dust rose in our front aud the
boom Of the first gun, awakened IA to the
true sense and reality Of war. We really
Our light batteries, with lightning speed,
ed by the bark Of our dogs of liberty caused
us to raise one wild hurrah which made the
%chappareI dance to the music. Our bold
}roCc, no uo1lr,,oi IN ~, r:DI,t o,I l.rt Tbo
battle had commenced. The round topped
blue and white infantry advanced within
three hundred yards Of the Mexican llne
ilion from our commanders, then an awful
silence that gave men a good opportunity TO
watch and pray.
LOAD" rang the command along the line.
The rattle of iron rammers awakened us
again, only to hear commence firing invo ces
OF thunder. One everlasting rattle of musket-
ry silenced all orders andhartillery. An hour
after, the order TO cease firing came, first
with a motion from our capain which
was reluctantly obeyed. Then
yell went up more fierce, more blood
thirsty than that for buck and ball. Then
came the charge, sometimes TO the left,
sometimes to the right, through their line,
turning on the flank. Then a rally, only
to charge again. With empty guns, the
enemy were routed aud fell back pell nell
from the', position after eight hours ofhard
fighting.
Black with perspira,ion and powder we
re. ted from the fray-after a day Of the
creates, achievement known to military re.
nown. But it was only a rest for the same
If IIo ,nrr1 -, =
better position. Complimentary orders
were issued to his troops, stating that the
honor OF Mexico had been sustained and all
kind Of Mexican blatherdash. But it
was Of no avail, the same scenes were en-.
acted that occurred the dav before, only
that his army got out Of the much faster
than on the previous occasion. 1t was a
complete out and another brilliant
for that Spartan band.
The same spirit and the same success accom-
panied our army through the whole cam.
paign in Mexico. With Taylor up the Rio
Grande, over the walls of Monterey and
through the forests of Saltilea. With Scot,
from the capture of Vera Cruz, over the
snow capped hills, through the halls Of the
to the rich valleys of the Paci.
fic coast, compelling a mean and treacherous
enemy to make u peace lasting, and they
we'll for the small advice We gave
them in the use of American remedies, viz /:
and lead in all bad cases,-a sure
cure. Thus were the victories of our army
in our third war crowned with success and
achievements, tribute paid by our
enriching us with wealth and ex-
our domain from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ocean.
After = rest Of quietude, peace, and plen-
ty, time opened another picture-s bloody
enameled with letters of FIRE, Re
bellion.
ooh bloodiest picture in the book Of time,
Where Samantha fell unwept without a crime"
But our Sarmartia did not fall. One mil
lion men, patriotic and bold, rallied to the
standard of her states united, and marched
to shoulder, trampling down for
ever the fanatic theory of the fools that or.
iginated it. One sketch of this wide field OF
contest, reaching from the A~llegheneys to
the gulf, is sufficient, and permits only 90
much time to relate.
Down in Dixie land, on the river York,
two armies lay watching each other night
and day. Both commanders were patterns OF
American genius and chivalry.