Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-25
JEFF DAVIS AT euehA VISTA.
AEuihiIation of the Mexican Lancers-
The Fire from the Lines of the "V."

AEuihilgtion Of the Mexican Lancers-
The Fire from the Lines of the w.
On the morning OF the % of February,
ls47, 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 10
guard the camp at SaltillO. Arriving at
the battle ground he led the men up
ravine 10 the left from the rod 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 regt-
mental line his men shouted to the indi-
anians: 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 ravtne
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 fled.
While TIE Mississippi and fragments of
| Indiana regiments were at rest in line,
Mexican hiders would rise out of a rayi ne
| in 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
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 to remark: This re-
minds me of duck shooting at home"
| When the MIssissippians 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 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 in the line; no bay yonets
on the rifles, salvation depended on the
| nrSt flre at the right moment. Inere WIS
Il breathless suspense and anxiety as they
gallopcd gallantly down, then trotted,
then head of column inside the top or
opening of the "" crack. went Indiana's S
muskets, from the short line of the ~"
crack. fOllow Mississippi's rifles with
out interval from the long line OF a
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 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 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. 2" in Courier
| Journal