The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-07-16
DONE By \ TEXAS RANGER
MCCULLoCH's REMARKAFLE FEAT BE
FORE BUsNA VISTA.
GALVESTON DAILY News.

never met more ult1ldeut, mod
est, bashful man than Gen. Ben Nc
CullOch, the Indian fighter and re
noWned commander of Texas ranger.
IN the Mexican war. a Confederat,
hero killed in the battle Of Pea Ridge
IN Arkansas. He had faced and fought
/ COmmanches upon a score of occa
sions, and had commanded and leo
! frontlersman in desperate hand to
hand conflicts, yet about the only thing
that he was afraid Of was-a woman
II battle as bold as lion, IN peace as
gentle as II e-illustrating the truth
of the poet:
The rayest are the tenderest,
The loving are the daring
1t was on the Goth day of February
1871, or forty nine years ago, Col Ben
McCullocL selected one company from
the regiment Of Texas Rangers ard
started south from Gen. Taylor's camp
near Saltillo. He proceeded hesurely
for twenty miles aud until the road
ascended considerable elevation that
overlooked the plain below and beyond
for thirty miles Far in the distance
he and several of his men detected a
vast body of troops III motion and
marching IN their direction 1t was 4
o'clock, a bright. beautiful afternC on,
and all the country already clothed ia
spring verdure, Nearer they came
until the vast advancing columns had
disappeared in the twilight soon fol
lowed by the reflected light of many
thousand camp fires upon the horizon
To a soldier there is no mistaking that
sight, and to the practiced eye good
estimate, but not an accurate one, ear
be made Of the strength of the army
beneath them
! Col. McCulloch despatched all hi:
men except four back to Ge.. TAYLOR
with instructions to urge their horses
with all their strength, telling bin thai
a Mexican army Of five or six times
his number was within one days
march
At 3 o'clock en- the morning of the
2lst the faithful troopers were II
front OF Their Generals tent. and in +;
moment more were inside giving hiu
their tremendously important inform
alton The great soldier listened t.
every word while yet undre5sed anc
seated uDon the side of his cot. Nher
the story had been told he quietly anC
IN calm tone said TO his chief Of staff
Beat the long roll"
In twenty minutes more his army
was IN motion, marching to little
hamlet seven miles from Saltillo, call
ed Buena Vista, with a sharp ravine
for Its centre, and high ridges upo!
either ride. lie was indebted to Gen
John l.. Wool Of New York for the Sc
lection of this ground, which was SC
! formed thai our tianks were naturally
protected. BY noon of that day, the
list our army was i'll position. will
every piece of artillery in place anC
every man at his post, calmly await
ing the attack.
But to go back 10 Col. McCulloch
Giving my horse to my men, hC
SAID to me, and instructing them tC
return to our army as soon as they
saw the MeXicans begin their marcl
in the morning, and by which they
! ~ hIcN tIldl utiNl bttu
| started down the road towards then
camp fires. Walking as noiselessly
as a cat, | slowly and cautiously ap
preached, hoping every moment tc
see their outside pickets, thus crept
along the lonely road for four miles
and at last heard the football of the
sentlnels as they with measured tread
paced to and fro, wheeling and re
turning as they met [ left the ROAD
! for the reason | could be seen farther
! down it, and went in toward the right
stepping as lightly forward as posi-
bic. | was glad | heard no sticks
breaking under my feet But | haC
on canteen which would occasionally
strike Il limb OF twing and make
enough noise TO attract attention, SO
took it off and hung it upon a tree
Il was then within fifteen PAGES OF
the line right opposite the point where
the sentries wonld meet. Getting
down on my knees [ waited until they
met, wheeled and reached the end o.
and passed their line at the meeting
point and dressed as one Of them, was
among Santa Annals men. My Obiec.
was to obtain the enemy's numbers hy
actual count and estimate. 1t wa.
now past midnight and the whole
army asleep, except sucu as were OF
duty. Supposing | was one of these
L passed from regiment to regiment
brigade to brigade, without challenge
or suspicion. The challenging watch
word and the answer were never giver
or required within the lines. By
counting the stacks of muskets 1 haC
no trouble in determining the numbe
of infantry, counted his cannon, guI
by gun, and the cavalry, horse b,
horse.
The illustrious Mexican Commando
in Chief was asleep in a magniticen
teht made of blue and red silk, but a
it was surrounded py a splendid hn'
of sentinels | did not dare go near II
His pure white Arabian horse. stakeC
twenty PAGES perhaps from the sen
tinels, tempted me. To mount anC
rush upon him out of the lines woul!
have been a romantic feat Bnt b,
had neither saddle or bride on
would certainly have created a grea
commotion, with chances for my cap
ture and the failure of Gen, Taylor t.
receive the precious information thel
in my possession. And so [ LETT tn
greatest Mexican general that eve
lived, and one Of the finest general
ever born In our continent. to ride bI
own fayorite steed during the blood
conflict of the next two days. By act
nal count his infantry WAS l6 coo cay