The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-23
BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA
EVENT RECALLED BY GEN. WAL
LACE IN HIS READING LAST NIGHT.
He Is the Guest of the Indiana His-
tOricaI SOciety-The Mexican
Veterans.

A large audience assembled at the Me-
ridian-street Church last night to hear
Cen Lew Wallace read the first chapter of
his autobiography The audience was COM
posed of members of the Indiana Historical
Society and their friends, and veterans of
the Mexican war. General Wallace's read
ing took on something of the air of a
lecture It dealt with the battle of Buena
Vista and the virtual charge Of coWardlce
made against the Second Indiana Regiment
by General Taylor. General Wallace refuted
this charge. The reading began with de-
scription of the Second Indiana Regiment
marching to the review by General Taylor.
The soldiers had a feeling that before they
came face to face with the general they
would know him. When they neared his
headquarters they saw the dingy flag above
his tent In front were campstools and a
deal table that even a self-respecting cook
would scorn. There was nothing to suggest
the state Of general. The regiment did
not salute--it did not realize that the man
clad in dirty, unbuttoned blouse, a limp
shirt that was not white, without necktie
and with an expression on his face as dull
as that of anIIndian cigar store sign was
General Taylor 3
General Wallace asked afterward why
General Taylor did not appear after he had
ordered the review. General Wallace did
not salute because he saw no one to salute.
s'Yes there was" was the reply the man
leaning against the Flagstaff was General
Taylor"
Il thought he was a teamster." said Wal
lace.
The offense was almost objectionable and
General Wallace in his reading made it ap-
parent that he believed it to be the cause
of General Taylor's charge of cowardice
against the Indiana Regiment.
General Taylor in his report of the battle
of Buena Vista said the Second Indiana
Regiment fell back and could not be rallied,
but ''the gallant Colonel Bowles," with a
handful OF men, fought with the First
Mississippi Regiment during the remainder
of the DAY. After the battle Col. JefIerson
Davis presented Colonel BoWleS with the
rifle he had borrowed from a Mississlpplan
General Wallace denounced General lay
lor's report in the strongest epithets. HE
placed against it the decisions OF courts Of
Inquiry held after the battle, which were
that the Second Indiana fell back because
Colonel Bowles had ordered it to do so. Be
fore he gave the command the regiment,
composed of $50 men, had fair prospect OF
beating back 1000 MeXicans, General Wal
lace said The courts found Colonel Bowles
to be unqualified to be a commander of
troops Instead of acting as towards, Gen.
ment had performed an act of almost un-
paralleled bravery in facing in battle two
divisions of Mexican soldiers. General Iay-
lor was begged, for the honor of the dead
and living Indiana soldiers for the honor
of the State, to make his report conform
to the decisions of the courts OF inquiry, but
he refused.
Fifteen years later, General Wallace con-
tinued, when the civil war broke out Col.
Bowles became a major general in command
Of a division Of the KNIGHTS Of the Golden
Circle Was that his repaying Jefferson
Davis for saving him from everlasting i'm
fanny by presenting him that rife with
words of praise after the battle of Buena
Vista? General Wallace eulogized the In
diana soldiers, placed the blame for the
shame on Colonel Bowles and denounced
Taylor for his injustice. "a man may be a
good soldier and President of the United
States" General Wallace said. ''and still not
be a great man." The reading was ap-
plauded and congratulations were offered to
the general at a reception held after the
reading. One young woman said to him:
That's the first story Of a battle that ever
interested me-"