Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-07-03

againct the left of our line. Cap
tain Duncan instantly perceived the
movemeE,., and, by the bold and bril-
liant maHocuvring Of his battery
completely repIlsed several successive
efforts. of tn enemy to advance in
force upon our left flank Support
ed in succession by the Eighth Infan-
try and Captain Ker's squadron of
DRAGONS he CALAMITY held the enc
my a. bay, and finally drove him,
with immense loss. from the field.
The action here and upon the whole
line continued until dark, when the
enemy retired into the chapparral in
zeal of his posi- ion. Our army
bivouacked on the ground 1T oc-
cupied. During the afternoon the
train had beer moved forward about
a half a mile and was parked in the
rear of our new position.
Our loss this day was nine killed
forty-four wounded, and two missing
Our own force is shown by the field
report to nave been III officers and
2111 men-aggregate 2.2SS.
1.-The Mexican force, according to
the statement OF their own officers,
was not less than 5000 regular
troops, with ten pieces of artillery.
and probably exceeded that number;
the irregular force not known. Their
loss was not less than 200 killed and
400 wounded; probably greater. This
estimate is very moderate, and found
cd upon the number actually counted
upon the reports of their officers.
LAS already reported in my first
brief dispatch, the conduct of our
own officers and men was everything
that could be desired. Exposed for
hours to the severest trial-cannon-
ade or artillery-our troops display
ed a GOODNESS and constancy which
gave me throughout the assurance
of victory"
Palo Alto, the scene of General
Taylor's first battle with the Mexi-
cans, is situated just north of the
present site of the Ohio & Texas
Sugar Company's mill, and is exactly
9 miles north OF Brownsville. There
is nc hing to mark this field, but
citizens of Brownsville, even during
the past twenty years, have found
bugles, minnie balls, bullets and 9th
or evidences Of the battle.
Point Isabel is the terminus of the
little Rio Grande Railroad which
runs eastward from Brownsville,
,tweniy-one miles to the Languna Ma
dre bay. Upon the old embankment
of Notifications erected by Taylor's
men, now stands the old Point light
house.
Point Isabel, the depot and place
of departure Of General Taylor the
day before "Palo Alto" where he con-
nected with The harbor and sea, af.
forded a quiet offing for the navy
and the supply transports. The high
est roint of landing had been crown
ed with a regular Fashioned redoubt
which was defended by a small gar
rison; so that the wounded were sent
'thither at once to a safe well-sup-
piled hospital, and also crippled wa
CONS and carriages to the temporary
shops for repairs. Meanwhile busy
commissaries and ordnance men were
from there, fastening forward food
and ammunition. preparatory to an.
other trial of arms.
Major-General Oliver Otis Howard
in his book General Taylor" in com
menting on the result OF this Pale
Alfo battle says:
This battle, the more we study
il, appears to have been mainly
battle of artillery. In this arm, con
g1dering the fine horses, the thorough
drill. and the quick manoeuvring
Taylor was superior to the Mexicans
True, the contemporaries. as with
the Mexican artillery. were drawn
by oxen, but in this one battery the
range of the guns was greater than
any that Arista could bring against
them. The prompt and successful use
OF he squares indicate a very thor.
ough drill on the part of the infan.
try and the artillery men that acted
as infantry.
During the year 1903, under tbs
immediate direction of Colonel John
lClem tthe Drummer boy of Shiloh
about 90 bodies were removed from
the old burial ground at Point lisa
ben and were brought to Browns