Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-15

drawn-tO return across streets where we
~ere liable to be fired on BY artillery, and
| across open grounds, where cavalry might
be expected to attack US. But, he added,
he supposed the orders came from the gen.
eral-in- cnief, and we were bound to obey
| them. So we made dispositions to retire
quietly, but in passing the first square we
found that our movement had been antici
pated and that a battery of artillery was
posted to command the street. The ar
| rangement made by me for crossing it was
| that I should go first; if only one gun was
| fred at me then another man should follow,
and SO on, another and another, until vol
icy should be fired, and then all of them
should rush rapidly across before the guns
could be reloaded 10 this msnner the men
got across with little loss. We then made
our way to the suburb, where we found
that an officer of infantry, with two com
panies and section of artillery, had been
posted to wait for us, and in case of emer-
gency to aid our retreat.
Early next morning General Ampudia.
commanding the Mexican force, sent in a
flag and asked for &C Inference with view
to capitulation. General Taylor acceded to
the a.proposition and appointed General
Worth. Governor Henderson, and myself
commissioners to arrange the terms of CAPT
tularion. General Taylor received the city
of Monterey, with supplies, much needed
BY his army, and shelter for the wounded.
The enemy gained only the privilege of re-
tiriug peacefully, privilege which, if it
had not been accorded, they had the power
to take by any one of the three roads open
to them. The point beyond which they
should withdraw was fixed by the terms of
capitulation, and the time during which
hostilities were to be suspended was de-
termined on by the length Of time necessary
to refer to and receive answers from the two
Governments. a few days before the ex.
pira;ion of the time so fixed the Govern
ment of the United States disapproved of
the capitulaticn aud ordered the truce to
be Immediately terminated. By this deci-
sion We lost whatever credit had been given
to us for generous terms in the capitula-
ton, hostilties were to be resumed with
out any preparation having been made to
enable General Taylor, even with the small
force he had, to advance further into the
enemy's country. General Taylor's letter
to Mr.. Marcy, Secretary of War,was very
good response to an unjust criticism; and
in the Washington Union of that time
also pub ished very full explanation of
the acts of the commissioners, and of the
military questions involved in the matter Of
capitulatun in preference to continuing the
siege ard attack.
General Taylor, assuming that it was in
tended for him to advance into the interior
of Mexico, then commenced to prepare
himself for such campaign. To this end
he made acquisitions for the peedful trans
portation as well as munitions including,
among other supplies, large India ra bbe-
bags in which to carry provisions for days,
aud which, being emptied before we reach
ed the desert of sixty miles, would, by be-
ing filed with water, enable his troops and
horses to cross those desert plains. These
aud other details had been entered into un-
der the expectation that the censurs of the
treaty of Monterey meant march into the
interior of Mexico. Ano her thing required
was new battery of field pieces to take the
place of the old Ringgold battery, which by
long service had become honey combed.
When all these arrangements were nearly
completed il was dec ded to send General
Scott, with discretionary powers, which en-
abled him to take nearly all the tried troops
General Taylor had, incudiog even the en-
gineer then employed in the construction of
fort, and the battery of new guns to re-
place the old ones, which were deemed no
longer safe, but which, under the in
trepid 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
| to General Scott at Vera Cruz, except the
small force he considered himself entitled
to as an escort on his route back to
Monterey through an unfriendly people
That escort consisted of battery of light
artillery, a squadron of dragons, and the
regiment of Mississippi rlfamen. With
these he proceeded through Monterey and
Saltillo to Aqua Nueva, 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 az
ton which had been taken il. stripping
Gene' al Taylor of his forces, and was also
informed that be had at Saltillo only q
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 Rio
Grande, Santa Anna advanced upon Aqua
| Nueva.
| General Taylor retired to the Angostura
Pass, in front of the hacienda of Buena
Vista, and there made his disposition to
receive the anticipated attack. As sage as
as we'll as the small force at his command
made it possible After two days of
bloody fighting General Santa Anna re
tired before this little force, the greater
part CT which had never before been under
fire.
The encounter with the enemy was very
bloody. The Mississippians lost many of
their best men, for each of whom, however,
they slew several of the enemy. For,
trained marksmen, they pever 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,
but the cavalry then moved to get in the
rear of the MississippiaDs, and this involved
the necessity of falling back to where the
plain was narrow, SO as TO have a ravine on
each flank.
In this position the second demonstration
of the enemy's cavalry was received. They
were rspulsed, a I'D it was quiet in front of
the Mi.sissippians until an aide came and
called from the other side of the ravine,
which be could not pass. that General
Taylor wanted support to come as soon as
possible for the protection of the artillery
on the right flank. The order was prompt
ly obeyed at double quick, although the
uISIdNCe luuSG have U6ou utdTiy d Iuis-
They found the enemy moving in three
lines up N the batteries of Captain Braxton
Bragg and the section of artillery CON-
manded by George Fl. Thomas. The Mis-.
sissippians came up in line, their right
flank opposite the first line of the advan-
cling enemy, and at a very short range
opened fire. All being sharp shooters,
those toward the left of the line obliqned
to 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 we're firing
grape. The effect was decisive; the in
fantry and artillery OF the enemy imme
diately retired.
At the close of the day Santa Anna bu-
gied the retreat, as was supposed, to go
into quarters, but when the next sun rose
there was no enemy in our front.
The news of this victory was received in
the United States with degree of enthu-
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