Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-03

had become honey-combcd. When all
these arrangements were nearly completed
| il was decided to send General Scott. with
discretionary powers. which enabled him
To take nearly ali the tried troops General
Taylor had, including even the engineer
then employed In the construction OF a
fort aud The battery Of new guns to re-
place the old ones, which were deemed no
longer safe, but which, under the intrepid
Captain Bragg, afterward did good service
| in the battle OF Buena Vista.
General TAYLOR with the main body OF
his army went TO Victoria, and there made
arrangements TO send them all TO report
70 General Scott ut Vera Cruz, ex:
cept the small force he considered himself
! 10 Monterey through an unfriendly people.
| That escort consisted of o battery OF light
artillery. squadron of dragons. and the
regiment Of Mississippi rifemen. With
| these he proceeded through Monterey and
SaltilIo TO Aqua Eueva, where he was
! Joined by the division of General Wool.
| who had made the campaign of chihuahua
| General Santa Anna. commanding the
army OF Mexico. was informed OF the ac-
! ton which had been taken in stripping
| General Taylor of his forces, and was also
! informed that be had at Saltillo only a
| handful Of volunteers, which could easily
| be dispersed on the approach OF an army.
| Thus assured, and with the prospect OF re-
covering all the country down to the Klo
Grande, Santa Anna advanced upon Aqua
Nucva.
General Taylor retired 20 the Angosturs
Pass. in front OF the hacienda OF Bucna
| Vista. and there made his disposition TO re-
ceive the anticipated attack. AS sage o.
| he was brave, the dispositions were made
as we'll as the small force at his command
made it possible. After two days OF bloody
| fighting General Santa Anna retired before
/ this little force. the greater part OF which
| had never before been under fire.
The encounter with the enemy was very
| bloody. The Aiississippians lost many Of
! their best men. for each Of whom, however,
| they slew several OF the enemy. For.
/ trained marksmen, they never touched the
| trigger without having an object through
both sights, and they seldom fired without
drawing blood. The infantry against whom
the advance was made was driven back.
bnt the cavalry then moved to get in the
| rear OF the blississippians. and this involved
! tho necessity of falling back 10 where the
plain was narrow, 50 as to have ravine Oh
| each flank.
In this position the second demonstra-
1 ton of the enemv's cavalry was received.
They were repulsed. and it was quiet IN
front of the Mississippians until an aide
came and called from the other side OF the
ravine. which he could not pass, that
General Taylor wanted support TO come o.
soon as possible for the protection OF the
artillery on the right flank. The order
was promptly obeyed at double-quiek,
although the distance must have been
nearly a mile. They found the enemy
moving in three lines upon the bat
teries Of Captain Braxton Bragg and the
section Of artillery commanded byGcOrge
! II. Thomas. The Mississippans came up IN
| line. their right flank opposite the first line
! of the advancing enemy. and a. very
! short range opened fire. All being sharp
| shooters. those toward the left of the line
| oblidued 20 the right, and at close quarters
and against three long lines very few shots
could have missed. AT the same time the
guns of Bragg and Thomas were frine
Grape. The effect was decisive; the infantry
and artillery of the enemy Immediately re-
tired.
At the close Of the day Santa Anna bu-
gled the retreat, as was supposed, TO 60
| into quarters. but when the next sun ross
| there was no enemy IN our front.
| The news of this victory was received IN
| the United States with q degree Of enthu-
| siasm proportionate TO the small mean
! with which il was achieved, and gencrosl'v
was excited by the feeling that General
| TAYLOR had been treated with injustice.
| Thenceforward the march OF "Old Rough
and Ready" to the White House was fore
/ gone conclusion.
! In this battle. while advancing to meet
| the enemy, then pressing some OF our DIS
comfted volunteers on the left Of the Geld
! of battle, lreceived painful wound, which
was rendered more severe IN consequence
of remaining in the saddle all day, although
wounded early in the morning. A ball haC
passed through the foot, leaving in the
| wound broken bones and foreign matter,
which the delay had made it impossible
| then to extract. In consequence | had to
return home on crutches.
| In the mean time q senator of Missis-.
| sppi had died, and the Governor had az
| pointed me his successor. Before my r.
| turn home President Polk had also AZ
| pointed me brigadler-general OF yolun-
! teers, an appointment which declined on
| the ground that volunteers are militia and
! that the Constitution reserved TO the State
| the appointment Of oil militia officer.
| This was in 1Sl7. In January, ls4o, tbs
! Mississippi Leg stature unanimously elect
| ed me United States senator for the res
of the unexpired term, and III 1850
was reelected for the full term a.
nv own successor. In the United State
| Senate / was chairman OF the Mill
| tary Committee. and | also took 81
active part in the debates on the compro-
! mise measures Of 1850, frequently OF
| posing Senator Douglas, of Illinois, IN hls
/ theory of squatteT sovereignty and advo-
| eating as q means of pacihcation the e.
! tension of the Missouri compromise line 10
| the Pacific. When the question was pre-
| sented to Mississippi IA to whether the
| State should aCqueSce in the compromise
! legislation of 1850, or whether it should
! ioin the other Southern States in a con
| vention to decide as TO the best course 10
pursue in view Of the threatened usurpa-
| lions Of the Federal Government, ady0-
Gated convention Of the southern States,
with view to such cooperation as might
| effectually check the exercise Of construc-
| tive powers, the parent OF despotism, b.
the Federal Government.
The canvass for Governor commenced
that year. The candidate of the Demo
| cratic party was BY his opponents repre-
scented to hold extDeme opiniOns-ip other
words. 10 be a disunionist. For, although
he was man or high character and had
served the country well in peace and war,
this suppOsition was so arttully cultivated
that. though the Democratic party was es-
timated to be about S,OO0in majority, when
the election occurred in September the
Democratic candidates for q convention
were defeated 10y majority of over 1000
aud the Democratic candidate for Govern
or withdrew.
The election for Governor was TO occur
in November, and | was called on 10 take
the place vacated by the candidate who
had withdrawn from the canvass. 1t was
a forlorn hope, especially as my health had
boon impaired by labors in the summer
canvass, and there was not time before the
approaching election 10 make such can
vass as would be needed TO reform the
ranks of the Democracy. However, as a
duty to the party, l accepted the position
and made as active a campaign as time per
united. with the result that the majority
against the party was reduced TO less than
1000, From this time remained engaged
IN quiet farrn-labors until the nomination
of Franklin Pierce, when went ont 10 al
yocate his election, having formed very
HIGH opinion Of him as statesman ana
patriot from observations OF lin IA 1881
and 1898, when he was in the United states
Senate. ,.
On his election as President | became
member of his Cabinet, filing the once OF
Secretary of War during his entire term;
During these four years l proposed the
introduction of cameis for service on tiie
western plains, q suggestion which was
adopted. | also introduced 40 improve
system OF infantry tactics, ehecteo the
Substitution of iron for wood IN eun-csr-
races. secured rifed muskets ana rineS
and the use of Mimic balls. and advocated