The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-07-28

~P AO-ON
The Saddle Back" Mountain, the
Bishops Palace, and other places are
redolent with memories of the fight.
ing days Of half a century ago. 1t
was here that Gen. Worth, instead Of
charging up the streets, with the
frightful losses S lstained by u other
columns, hit upon the plan Marshal
Lannes had adopted at the siege of
Saragossa in 1910, and cut his way
through house after house to the cen
Plaza, and thus compelled a surrender.
Through a desire, to visit the battle
field of Buena Vista, | turned back
southwark and ran down to Saltillo,
seventy FIVE miles through a most pic
turesQue succession of mountain cliffs.
Though the railroad runs near to the
famous battlefield, there is no station
there, and it was necessary to stop at
Saltillo and go six miles Out by private
conveyance. The Mexican war began,
as is we'll known, in a contest for the lit
tie strip Of land between the Nueces
and the Rio Gcard9, Mexico claiming
the former river as a boundary, and
the United States the latter. Texas
declared her independence in 1885, and
after several battles made it good by
the victory Of San Jacinto, in 1886,
when Santa Anna, the President OF
Mexico, and commanding it's armies,
was captured. For ten years Texas
was an independent nation, till she
joined this country by treaty. The
boundary question then became our
quarrel. After winning the battles Of
Palo Alto and r SAGA de Ia Palma, on
this side of the Rio Grande, Gen. Tay-
Tor boldly advanced into Mexico and
captured Monterey with the Mexican
army defending it. He then proceeded
to Saltillo, some two hundred and fifty
miles south of the Rio Grande, when
he was deprived Of all his army, ex-
cept less than five thousand volunteers,
that they might be sent as re enforce
ments to Gen. Scott, who was to land
at Vera Cruz to march on the capital.
Suddenly Gen. Taylor was notified that
Santa Anna with some twenty two
thousand men was advancing upon
him. That general had conceived the
soldier like idea of falling upon Tay-
lor's reduced army and after crushing
it to hurry back and meet Scott.
Though he failed to crush Taylor, he
IN fsc5 got hack aud fought Scott with
the same troops at Cerro Gordo, be-
low Jalapa, and among the cannon
taken by US at Contreras were two
which had been captured from Taylor
at Buena Vista. o. hearing of the
enemy's advance, Gen. Taylor, instead
of waiting to be besieged in SaltiIlo,
moved for ward to q mountain pass
AngO8turG, or the narrOWs," which
is the Mexican name for the battle,
while we give it the name Of BuenR
Vista, from a hacienda, or cluster of
farm buildings, in the rear of our lines,
which is still standing. Thus during
our lats war nearly every battlefield
had a different name given it by the
OppOsising sides, and Waterloo, which
is known by that name to the English,
is known as Mont st. Jean TO the
French, and La Belle Alliance to the
Germans. The accounts Of battles, as
well as their names, depend much upon
the standpoint from which they are
viewed. Had there been any doubt of
Gen. Taylor's splendid ability as a sol
der, his choice of a battlefield stands
to this day a proof that he understood
his profession. A deep 'barranca" or
gulley running through the middle of
the narrow plain makes it impossible
to pass from one side to the other. Ca
the left (tacing south), running well
out into the plain, is a long, very steep
ridge, barring the passage except for a
short distance between the end Of the
ridge and the ~"'barranca." This ridge
was crowned with artillery, and breast
works we're thrown up. Here, if any
where, his four thousand seven hun
dred volunteers could hold in check
Santa Auna's twenty-five thousand.
The conflict took place on Feb. % and
%, 1847. The only hope possible for
the Mexicans was to break through
our lines on the extreme left at the
foot of the mountain, anb to take US in
the rear by a force passing through a
gap soma miles further on near Sal
tillo. Both attempts were made, and
twice the battle seemed lost. Col.
Bowles' Second Indiana, which was
broken by the enemy's masses, in their