Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-30
JEff DAVIS AT euENA VISTA.
Annihiiation OF the Mexican Lancers---
The Fire from tho Lines of tho sV.n


The Fire from the Lines of the "v."
On the morning Of the Esd of February,
1S47, as on the day before the hallowed
and even memorable 22d, Col. Davis led
eight companies of his regiment to the
field, two of them being left each day to
guard the camp at Saltillo. Arriving at
the battle ground he led the men up
ravine to the left from the road, and soon
they were met by Col. Bowles' Indiana
regiment, which had been overpowered
ana driven back. Gen. Joe Lane sat
bleeding on his horse, endeavoring to
rally them. "Fall in," he cried, with the
gallant Mississippiens. Don't you see
they are not afraid" Davis walked his
horse along at the head of his regiment,
calm, solemn, and stern. Along the regi-
mental line his men shouted to the Indi-
anlans Fall in, boys, we'll drive them
back" and yelled defiance. Some of them
fell in and brought up the rear
Then out OF the ravine, over the fiat
ground, and across another rayipe
the saffron-faced devils were seen
numerous and ugly enough to explain
the panic just passed. This sudden
return of the men, REINFORCED as it NAV
have seemed to the enemy, staggered
them for moment, the rifles were emp
tied with fatal effect, and they in turn
were driven back, scattered and fled.
While the Mississippi and fragments of
Indiana regiments were at rest in line.
Mexican hiders would rise out of ravine
III their front, one by one to the extent of
ten or dozen, and run for home base.
The first one or two who emerged from
their hiding place may have reached base,
because it was a surprise, and they had
legged it too far when shot at to be hit
writ h a,%to ott.{r ~
eight or ten who tried the run after that
never reached there they were shot
as they rose and began the run, which led
one of the men to remark: "This re-
minds me of duck shooting at home"
When the Missis5ippians were forming
the line, after ward called "Jeff Davis
VA captain waxing wrath" at his men
Tor not coming into line quicker-Davis'
clarion tones were heard from behind
them, saying, Captains of companies
Will be cool in their commands" There
was not much time for talk. The lancers
were advancing, faster they came, and in
force large enough to annihilate without
arms every man i'll the line; no bayonets
on the rifles, salvation depended on the
1lrst fire at the right moment. There was
breathless suspense and anxiety as they
galloped gallantly down, then trotted,
then head of column inside the top or
opening of the "V" crackl went Indiana's
muskets, from the short line of the "v"
crack followed Mississippi's rifles with
out interval from the long line of
dense smoke obstructed view, but when
it cleared away lancers were seen on the
ground horseless, horses riderless, horses
and riders in retreat, dividing into two
parties, one going back to the mountain
whence they came; the other, encountered
by Col. Mays dragons near a rancho
where our wounded were being cared for,
fed faster, first toward Saltillo, then to
the left, in an oppositite direction to that
taken by the other party, then up the
mountain on that side, higher and higher,
until the horses looked little larger than
goats, and thu riders smaller than mon
keys; then over the mo eitain top and out
of sight, and this was their leave of Gen.
Santa Anna, for it showed them to be de-
serting. Fogy No. 2" in Courier
Journal