The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-03-13
Extract from Representative Wei
ford's speech in Congress.
February %. 1886.

h"i - " - CIV w.
of my friends upon this floor to Il little
bit of history, and it h,ppened to be Z
little history 10 which was personal
" Interested, for | tOok part in it.
When | was Il young man in II foreign
country W. Were fighting in Mexico at
n place called Bu-nna Vista cor FAIR
View, which is The meaning Of it in the
English Ianguase.) We could see
away up the valley, We had got that
far into the Mexican country in our ad
vance upon the Mexican capital. We
had about tour Thousand effective men
ani We're surrounded by the army OF
one ri the most celebrated generals of
the Mexican Government, Gene al San
ia Anna, who thought it wonId be easy
work with his twenty odd tn ,u>and
men, inclosing US i'll every direction,
invaders. | remember in that fight
that n Of our regiments, %overpower
GU ~ " ~ . SH"i nv
gallant regiment, commanded by 90
mel Bowles, of Indiana. left the field.
and | remember at that critical time
that we We're forming {: line t" resist
the attack of the Mexican laDcers, We
were in a critical condition indeed. l
saw some soldiers away up III the val
ley who Were coming toward our {
and others coming toward us in every
direction. Suddenly w found that We
were surrounded. Shortly afterward
l heard the clear ring Of a rife, then a
voliey, then aDnther. TUNED to my
regimental colonel. who died that day.
Colonel Clay, son Of the great Clay,
and asked, "Who is :hatf' His reply
was ..It is jefferson Davis with the
Mi-s'ss ippi Rifles )" and l remember
how MiDyone and his lancers retreated
before the powerful vollsy> Of the Mis-
sissippi Rifles. commanded by Col
mel Davis, aud l remember when they
left the field a little afterward we were
fearfully engaged in a great contest TO
libelate the great General Harding, of
Illinois, who had gone too far in a
charged following tie %re,reating Me1i
cans and had been surrounded.
Our Colonel Mckee, fell dead and
was carried of the field; our lieuten
ant-colouel Henry Clay, was killed
but victory wac ours. I remember If
ter the battle We brought tho dead bod
les aud laid them down before General
Taylol's marqu ee and ,here wept over
tout dead. for Kentucky was almost Ii
orally massaored III that fight. While
mour. ing over our dead, with hearts
full and beating but still feeling PRIDE
in the result, tor glorious victory was
ours, l remember hearing General Tny
lor say to his adj u,ant-xeneral, Major
Bliss, to 60 and call Jefferson Davis to
come to him. He came at once while
We were standing there and General
Taylor met him. That was the first
time l had ever seen Mr.. Davis. Gener
81 Taylor said to him my daughter
10 q better judge Of men than l ar.
Henceforth your gallant conduct in saw
Ing our army makes you entitled to DO
my son. and l forgive you"
understood shsre had been a diff
Guilty about = marriage. But Davis was
then considered a patriot. Davis was
then considered a here, and everybody
acknowledged and history acknowl
edges the fact that that ga. liant man at
that particular critical moment, saved
our army, saved Us from surrender,
And what effect it had upon the war
all men csnversant with history know.
At that time Davis, that great man,
stood with the Mississippi Rifles and
the tide of victory against a 50
overwhelming force. with his
heart beating for the success of tho
American cause. . lover Of the Union
. lover of tho flag. Are we to say to I
him that because you did wrong in af
ter years, because you attempted to rev {
our Government and divide {
our country and make two sections Of a
il, We will put on the record that we (
owe you q spite. that you can never be U
j..