The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-11-23
HIS CONNECTION WITH GENERAL
TAYLOR AND JEFFERSON DAVIS.
"A LITTLE ORE GRAPE CAPT. BRAGG"

An item in one of our exchanges states that
Capt. Joseph Henriquez, of Havre de Grace,
is the only veteran of the Mexican War now
living in Hartford county. This is mistake.
Mr.. Thomas Carcaud, of the Hickory, is also
a survivor of that war. The story of his life
is interesting.
MIR. Carcaud was born in Calvert county,
Md, in 1927 At the age Of 20 he removed to
Mississippi, where he became acquainted with
Jefferson Davis, then a Mississippi planter.
The Mexican war had broken out and Col.
Davis was in command of the Mississippi
Rifles. regiment of State volunteers. Davis
had II fine young thorough bred horse which he
wanted to take to Mexico The plantation
hands in vain essayed to ride and break the
mettlesome charger. MIR. Carcaud, a stall
wart, active young man on an adjoining
plantation, was sent for by Mr.. Davis to man
age the colt. He succeeded in breaking the
unruly animal and at Mr.. Davis request en-
listed in his regiment, was appointed courier
on the Colonel's staff and accompanied him
to Mexico. At Buena Vista Gen. Taylor, the
commander of the American forces, was op-
posed by all overwhelming force of Mexicans
under Gen. Santa Anna. Rcinforcements were
urgently needed and Mr.. Carcaud was detailed
to carry dispatch from General Taylor to
Capt. Bragg, at Monterey, to bring up his
troops. The mission was perilous but Mr..
Carcaud succeeded in evading the Mexicans
and arrived at Bragg's camp without hurt.
When he returned to Buena Vista with Cap
tain Bragg he found the lines of battle formed
aud both sides eager to begin. General Tay.
lor sat calmly on his famous war-horse ''Old
n
the artillery of the latter drew up i'll line and
unlimbered, Mr.. Carcaud reported, in soldier
fashion, to old lack The Mexicans were
massed eight platoons deep. Taylor ordered
Bragg to fire. The first discharge tore wide
lane through the entmy's ranks. Taylor OBJ
served this with grim smile and Mr.. Carcaud
heard the old veteran when he uttered the
we'll known phrase, "a little more grape,
Captain Bragg" The result was the entire
rout of the Mexicans.
Col. Davis was wounded in the battle. lie
had married Miss Polk Taylor, the daughter
of General Taylor, who had been named in
in honor Of Gen. Polk. The marriage was
estrangement occurred. Davs's gallantry in
the battle attracted the attention of General
Taylor, who called to see him as he lay
wounded in his tent. After complimenting
Davis upon his bravery lie added: ''Jeff,
Polk knew you better than | did,
ldlhluS Ol nome dhdlTS IcLudIhSu
that he needed an overseer on his Louisiana
plantation. At the request OF Col Davis Mr..
Carcaud left the next morning for Louisiana,
where he took charge of Taylor's plantation. |
Mr.. Carcaud in resigned his charge and
left for California in search of gold, going
overland with party. His baggage, among
which were all of his papers, was shipped by
a sailing vessel 1.-The Two Friends" around |
Cape Horn. The vessel was lost at sea, and
all Of Mr.. Carcaud's documents relating to
his connection with the army, disappeared in |
the wreck. |
In 1853 Mr.. Carcaud returned to Mississippi |
and became the overseer of Col. James s. |
Johnston's plantation. Col. Johnston was a |
brother of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Mr. |
Carcaud, when the late war broke out, enlist
ed in the Confederate army, and at the siege |
of Vicksburg had charge of a gang of 100 ne |
groes, with whose aid he mounted the heavy |
gun on the heights which prevented the Fed |
erals from making the cutoff at Mlliken's |
Bend, in the Mississippi river. |
After the war Mr.. Carcaud returned to Cal |
vert county, from whence he removed to the |
of Norfolk, where he engaged |
in market-gardening. firing of this employ |
ment he removed to Martinsburg, West Vir- |
GINA from whence he came 10 the neighbor- |
hood Of the Hickory, where he has since been |
engaged in farming.
Mr. Carcaud has made number of efforts |
to secure 4 pension, but without avail.