Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-01-21
IRONTON, MO-. THURSDAY. JANUARY H. 1886.

ed around Monterey for ten days be
fore he made his attack on the city
This is positively not so. We came il
sight of Monterey on September 10Th
and on the 21st the ball opened, ant
on the Oath Gen. Ampudas, the Mexi
can Commander, laid down his arms
I state facts, history to the contrary
notwithstanding.
On the memorable 2lst of Septem
Der 1S46, the old first was formed fol
the fray, and that morning many 8
poor fellow answered to roll-call fol
the last time, until he responds to the
Great Roll Call on Judgment Day
In giving a description of the battle,
can only treat of that part played by
Gen. Quitman's Brigade. This Brigade
was composed of the 1st Tennessee, un.
der Campbell; the Mississippi Rifle
Regiment, under Col. Jefferson Davis,
and the Baltimore battalion. under
Lieut.-Col. Watson. About a mile
from our camp, and in full view of the
outposts of the city, there was scope
of barren land, not stock of timber
on the whole piece, and the surface
broken by numerous pits where rock
had been quarried. Each regiment
| was marched to this place. separately,
and there formed in line of battle in
the following order: the 1st Tennessee
on the right; the Mississippi Regiment
on thu left, aud the Baltimore Battal-
ion in the center; the rest of Maj.-Gen.
Buffers Division was still further to
our right, while the Gen. Twiggs' reg
| ulars were on our left. We formed in
line. little after sun-up, and up to this
time there had not been gun gun fir-
ed on either side, although our line
post. A few minutes later Capt. RAM
sey's Battery of howitzers came
through our line in sweeping galop,
heading right for the Mexican works.
One might have supposed from his
gait that he intended to run right into
the city, but he went about one hun
dred yards in advance of Quitman's .
| line and came to to a halt. Then it
was that the music commenced, as l
think every cannon in Monterey open
ed out on him at once. but Capt. RAM
sey was not long in getting his guns in
position, and answering the challenge.
For about 20 minutes we stood still as
the Mexican shots and shells were tear
ing up the ground around US, then the
line was ordered to move forward un-
til we came up to Ramsey's guns.
where we halted for few moments;
presently old Gen. Quitnan came rid
ing along, followed by his staff, and
shouted as he passed, "Boys, you must
take that battery which is shelling
usu' Col. Campbell then gave or
ders to charge, and at the word We
started to the fort,a at least mile away.
What became Of Ramsey aud his bat
terry don't know, as we had all we
could do to look out for ourselves. We
had not got more than half way before
the Mexicans turned loose on us with
grape and canister: it seemed that
the whole air was full of grape shot;
they also threw solid shot and shells,
but Quitman and his line pressed OH,
needing nothing. On! on! we went
until we reached ditch some ten feet
wide and about feet deep, filled with
water to depth of from IL to Is inch
es; this ditch was just about forty
Yards from the battery that was she'll
i ,g us so, and now the infantry had
commenced firing at us from the roofs
of houses which were fiat. We tum5led
into the ditch and scrambled up the
other side, not stopping moment, for
no one could live a minute standing
still in such a shower of shot and
musketry as was pouring on us at that
time. Up to the present we hadn't fired
shot. When We reached the fort som e
of the men were so excited they could
not jump or climb the wall, which was
made of cement Or stone and some four
or five feet high, but the most of us
got over some way, for it was a great
deal safer inside than out. There was
quite dispute among some of the boys
as to who was the first man in the fort,
some claiming that Col. jeff. Davis
was first and others equally certain
that the honor belonged to our Col.
Campbell. As we came in the Mexi-
cans ran out of the fort, and then 1t
was we brought our muskets into use;
bat the men were SO mixed up that
few of us could fire on the enemy for
Tear of hitting our own comrades, and
the Mexicans ran too fast for US to use
our bayonets; we captured three pieces
of artillery. In a little while Gen.
Ouitman came into the fort and said,
"Boys, you have done well, but you
must do betterg' Shortly af er this
they commenced pouring perfect hail
storm of musket balls on us from the
fiat roof of large stone house called
the tannery, $50 or 200 yards distant;
and as they were above and overlook
ed the captured fort. Quitman gave or
ders to storm this house, first forming
the army in columns IN the following
order: The Tennessee in front, the
Baltimore Battalion second, and the
Mississippi in the rear; were placed in
this order because he supposed we
would have to take the building at the