The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-02
set about to test the truth Of the anecdotes
which were current at the time.

set about TO test the truth or the anecdotes
which were current at the time.
BUENA VISTA FOUGHT AND WON.
Gen. Scott had withdrawn nearly all the
regular troops, leaving Gen. Taylor only
one regiment half filed and Bragg's splendid
battery. Disregarding SCOTS advice to
stop at Monterey, Taylor pushed on and
fortified himself at Saltilo. Here he heard
of Santa Annals advance upon him. Seven
miles beyond Saltille he selected at BuenG
Vista bis battle ground. This is historical.
l allude to 1t to make my anecdotes Intelli-
gible.
"We had occupied this position" said
Mai Bliss, land were awaiting Santa
Annals attack. l was seated that evening
in one corner Of Gen. Taylor's tent, with n
tallow candle before me, writing dispatches
upon the head of an empty barrel. The
general sat at a little distance, wearing Il
wornout undress military coat and trousers,
his feet thrust into a pair of slippers, an
immense sombrero on his head, which
helped to keep off the mosquitoes, and
smoking short stump of pipe. Presently
a flag Of truce was announced from
the Mexican general. 1t was accompanied
by an officer of some distinc-
tion, who requested an audience with our
general. He was admitted to the tent. He
looked around with an air of surprise, as II
thinking he had been shown 30 the wrong
place for Gen. Taylor did not even give
him a glance, but kept on smoking. |
FASTENED to extend to the envoy the proper
courtesies, addressing him in his own
language. He was a splendid looking
young officer, faultlessly dressed in full
regimentais. Gen. Taylor turned and took
look at him
"'See what he wants, Bliss was his re-
mark.
THE Mexican handed me handsomely
prepared document, which | proceeded TO
read 1t was in Spanish: From the High
and Mighty Santa Anna to the Valiant and
Renowned Gen. Taylor 1t announced tc
the general that he was surrounded by a
tremendously superior force. which it was
useless for Gen. Taylor to oppose, but, il
view of his well-merited fame and valor, he
| Santa Anna, was ready to accept the i'm
mediate surrender of Gen. Taylor and his
army, who should. as prisoners of war, be
treated with all proper consideration. Fail
ing to surrender, he would not answer fol
the ardor of his troops after the attack wai
| commenced.
81 confess" said Bliss to me. "that did
| not permit the document to lose any of its
| force when transmitted it to Gen. Taylor
| who, all the time 1 was reading pulled away
| vigorously at his short pipe. When l hac
finished he took the pipe from his mouth
and said, Tell him to go to -
Il dismissed the officer, and inspired by
my chiefs brevity, replied to Santa Annt
| in Gen. Taylor's name that he had received
his summons to surrender and declined ac
| ceding to his request.
"AS is well known, this reply was circu
lated over the land and praised as mode
of dignified brevity. l must say | think l
conveyed pretty much the same idea tina
the general had so intensely emphasized"
Many of the incidents of the war wer,
| l-..A 49, i'll
| altogether confirmed the statements whicl
have passed into history. L can give on
| marked exception. 1t had been published
and repeated over and over again that Gen
| Taylor, observing the onward march of tn
Mexicans, and finding that Bragg's batter
did not have the effect of checking it, rod
up himself and said to him, "a little NOR
grape Capt. Bragg" and that the crap
was at once employed, to the discomfitur
of the enemy. In fact, "A little more grape
Capt. Bragg" became a watchword in tn
presidential election. | asked Maj. Bis
If the anecdote was genuine.
ANY military man, he replied. "woulC
know how ridiculous is such statement
The fact is Gen. Taylor's position was at {
considerable distance from where Bragg
battery stood. Toward the close of tn
days struggle the general directed me t.
order the advance of the battery to a Sigh
elevation nearer TO the enemy, who wa
approaching with unbroken columns.
rode forward at once and gave the order
Two of the horses belonging to tn
battery had been killed. The re
mainder got up a sickly trot down
slight decline and crawled up the moderat
eminence to the point designated. Thu
enemy were advancing as thick as bees
They filed in at once the slightly broker
ranks made by our cannon balls at Ions
range When the Mexicans got nea
enough to be served with grape" it re
quired no order to Capt Bragg to make US
of it. When this was done the havoc in thei
ranks was such as | had never before wit
messed in any battle-snow melting in tn
sun. The enemy broke and retired in dis
order.
This ended the fight for the day; in fact
the day was ended. We thought it possibl
that the Mexicans would renew the contes
the next morning, but the next morning
they were in full retreat.
"In thirty minutes after the result of th
days fight was positively known, Gen
Taylor was snoring in mis- tent. Some oil
soldiers in passing would look in. The ole
man is asleep they said. 1T is all right
And it was all right"
| Gen. Taylor, as we know, lived only
little more than year to hold the Office o
President. Mai. Bliss, not long after, die
of an attack of yellow fever.