El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-21
CCopyright. 1913, by Frank C. Carpenter)


but little to feed the army. When the
Americans got to Monterey they found
it in the hands Of 10000 Mexican SOL
diers. The town had been tortured.
The walls were lined with cannon, and
the streets and houses were barricaded
and planted with artillery. There were
forts about the city, and the strongest
of these was the bishops palace on d
hill at the southwest
During my stay in Monterey I walked
about the town, visited the Grand plaza
and other places where the MeXlcans
had fortified. and went to the outskirts
and picked out the spots where the
forts were located The old palace or
church at the southwest of Monterey,
where the chief engagement took place,
still stands, and there IS wall of
Stones about it today. I found some of
the old American cannon still lying on
the slope of the hill, and L am told
that they have not been moved from
their places since the engagement In
takine the town Gen. Taylor captured
the other forts first, and then took
this one He now commanded all the
heights about the city and began to
shell it. while his men broke their way
through the walls of the houses until
they had almost reached the Grand
plaza At that time the Mexlcans, VINO
had lost many men, came out with a
flag OF truce and surrendered
Leaving Monterey, bought a ticket
to Saltillo, which lies 81 miles south OF
it in order to visit the place where the
battle of Buena Vista was fought SAL
tillo is the capital of the state Of Goa
hula It is situated on the slope of a
tableland about a mile above the sea-
and il is a health resort as well as
commercial and industrial center The
battlefield is situated not far from the
railroad, about seven miles farther
south, and there is a station called
Buena Vista right at the place
Santa Annals Defeat.
1t was there that Gen. Taylor met
Gen. Santa Anna and defeating him, al
though the latter had four times as
many troops. Gen Taylor's force had
been depleted by congress in order to
carry on the war more effectively with
Gen. Scott in the south. Taylor had
less than 5000 men, while Santa Ana
had over 10000. Indeed. the Mexican
force was so large that Santa Anna
thought it ridiculous for the Americans
to fight He demanded of Gen Taylor
that he surrender a reply was sent
back which afterward became a cam
paign cry and aided in the election of
Taylor as president It was:
Gen. Taylor never surrenders-
Shortly after that the MeXicans sent
in a party. under a white nag to in
quire what Gen. Taylor was waiting
for, and "Old Rough and Ready sent
back the following: Gen Taylor is
waiting for Gen. Santa Anna to sur
render"
Bragg Gives Them Grape.
All this occurred about February p,
following day the fighting began IN
earnest The Americans were at first
driven back, and at one time it seemed
as though the battle was lost Gen.
Taylor then gave his celebrated order
TO Bragg's artillery. It was. "Give them
a little more grape, Capt Bragg"
Bragg's artillery was situated on a
hill nearby. he sent showers of iron
hail into the Mexicans, and this threw
them into disorder and flight The bat
tie had lasted two days, and when the
night Of the second day came the rival
armies held about the same positions
that they had had that morning Our
men slept on the field, and when the
next morning came it was found that
the Mexicans had fled
In that engagement 20, 900 MeXicans
were beaten by less than 5000 Ameri-
cans Their losses were about 25OO
killed and wounded and 4GOO missing.
Our losses were only little over zoo,
but that. was almost one-siXth OF our
whole force. Gen Lew kal1ace says
that the Americans were beaten often
er during that engagement than there
were hours in the day, but that the, they
/ did not know they were beaten They
rallied and fought and rallied and
/ fought. and at last wrung victory from
1 the hands of defeat
The battlefield of Buena Vista is now
! desert like and barren The ground
about is covered with sage brush and
stones and the only green vegetation
/ is the tree under which Gen. Taylor's
2
At least, I suppose the hospital stood
/ there. for the tree still bears the name
of the Gen Taylor hospital tree.
/ TayIOr'S Service Ends.
The battle Of Buena Vista was the
4 last engagement Of any account in the
| north. It ended the service Of Gen
I Taylor in Mexico, and, as I have said
/ it made him the hero of the American
! people. Upon his return to the United
! States he was received with the great
/ est applause, and that Notwithstanding
] he liked to keep in the background
A story illustrating his simplicity Is
/ told of a senator named Butler, whose
/ brother, Pierce Butler, was killed II
I the battle of Buena Vista Senator
+ Butler had asked for a description Of
D the battle and Gen. Taylor replied
! well come and dine with me today
! it The senator waited in patience
/ throughout the dinner for the story Il
! begin, and at its close brought up tbs
! subject Of the battle, asking about his
! brother. Gen. Taylor said:
Eyes, senator, your brother Pierce
was a good soldier and he died aftel
Z q brave fight on the field Now yoJ
want to know how the battle wal
yes, general, if you will be so kind
/ Please tell me just how your troops
] were placed and all about those Of thi
enemy I would like to understan'
! how. with such a small force, yol
could defeat Santa Anna, who had foul
| times the number
'eThe difference was more than that,