Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-09-23
JEFF DAVIS AT eUENA VISTA,
Annihilation Of the Mexican Laneers-
h Fire from the Lines of the 'Y."

AnnlhllALlOn OF the meAlc3h Lancors~
The Fire from the Lines of the ''Y."
On the morning Of the 23l of February,
1S47, as on the day before the hallowed
AID eyeu memorable I'D, Col. Davis led
eight companies of his regiment to the
field, two of them being left zach day to
guard the camp at Saltillo. Arriving at
the battle ground he led the men up a
ravine to the left from the road, and soon
they were met by Col. Bowles' Indiana
regiment, which had been overpowered
and driven back. Gen Joe Lane sat
bleeding on his horse, ~endeavoring to
rally them. Fall in" he cried, with the
gallant MissisSippians. 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-
aniaus: Fall in, boys, wen drive them
back" and yelled defiance. Some Of them
fell in and brought up the rear.
Then out Of the raylne, over the fiat
ground, and across another ravine
the ~saffron-faced devils were seen
numerous and ugly enough to explain
the panic just passed. This sudden
return Of the men, REINFORCED rs it may
have seemed to the enemy, staggered
them for a moment, the rifles were emp
tied with fatal effect, and they in turn
were driven back, scattered and fed.
While the Mississippi and fragments Of
Indiana regiments were at rest in line,
Mexican hiders would rise out of a ravine
in their front, one by n TO the extent Of
ten or a 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
with certainty; but the majority Of the
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 10 remark: This re-
minds me Of duck shooting at home"
When the Mlssissippians were forming
the line, after ward called "Jeff Davis
va captain waxing wrath" at his men
for not coming into line quicker-DaviS'
clarion tones were heard from behind
them, saying, Captains Of companies
will be cool in their commando" There
wa not much time for talk. The lancers
were advancing, faster they came, and in
force large enough to annihilate without
arms every man in the line; no bayonets
on the rifles, salvation depended or the
first fire at the right moment. There was
a breathless suspense and anxiety as they
gallOped calamity down, then trotted,
then head OF column inside the top or
opening of the AZ" crack! went Indiana's
muskets, from the short line Of the Az"
crack! followed MisSissippi's rifles with.
ont interval from the long line Of a
dense smoke DISTRACTED view, but when
Il cleared away laneers 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 q rancho
where our wounded were being cared for,
fed faster, first toward Saltillo. then 10
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 the riders smaller than mon
keys; then over the mountain top and out
Of sight, and this was their leave of Gen.
Santa Anna, for it showed them to be de
serting.--Old Fogy No. 9" in Courier
Journal.