A*" *' /'■ ./' * .\ <> +*■ ■$ -A • $** o*' ~6 O ^ **' s *tl«l A 1 % c/^ O V A* v % W ** v % % 4 s ^ 9- // ,^ x ^^ FINE EDITION— 75 Cents. WITH OFFICIAL REPORTS. OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. HORT ACCOUNT OF THE IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRING FROM THE TIME OF THE REMOVAL OF THE "ARMY OF OCCUPATION" FROM CORPUS CHRISTI, TO THE SURRENDER OF MATAMOROS; WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BATTLES OF PALO ALTO RESACA DE LA PALMA, THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORT BROWN, AND THE CEREMONIES OF THE SURRENDER OF MATAMOROS: WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CITY, &c. &c. BY T. B. THORPE, Author of "Tom Owen, the Bee Hunter," " Mysteries of the Backwoods," &c. Illustrated by Twenty-six Engravings. PHILADELPHIA: CAREY AND HART. And for sale by all Booksellers in the United States. 1846. Prospectus of CAREY AND HART'S LIBRARY FOR THE PEOPLE On Clear Type and Fine White Paper. The Subscribers propose to publish, under this general title, a se of the best productions of the day, from the British press, in the sev j departments of Standard Literature. Popular Histories, Memoirs of Eminent Persons, Voyages J Travels, where such are found to possess peculiar interest and val will form the staple of this "Library," although other works will embraced in the range of selection. Fiction will be excluded from the series; which, while it is intena. for all readers, will more particularly aim to form, and at the same ti'm. supply, the tastes of those who have heretofore had but limited oppor\ tunities of access to books of the description therein presented. Each work will appear in its integrity: the publishers will scrupu- \] lously refrain from the slightest omission or alteration of the text. The resources and facilities of the publishers enable them, with con- fidence, to promise a collection of the highest order of merit, and, as an evidence of the variety and extent of their undertaking, a list is subjoined of works which, among others, it is intended to incorporate in the "Library for the People." 1. History of the Bastile. 2. Achievements of the Knights of Malta. 3. History of the Conquest of Peru by the Spaniards. 4. Aikin's Memoirs of Addison. 5. Lives of the British Drama- tists. 6. Green's Life of Mahomet. 7. Reid's Philosophy of Death. 8. Historical Memoirs of the House of Bourbons. 9. Curiosities of Physical Geo- graphy. History of Remarkable Con- 10 s piracies connected with European History. 1 1 . Carrick's Life of Sir William Wallace. 12. Corner's China. 13. Holling's Life of Gustavu Adolphus. 14. Davenport's Life of Ali Pa- cha. 15. Corner's British India. 16. Palgrave's History of the Anglo-Saxons. 17. History of Gustavus Vasa. 18. Life of Hernan Cortez. 19. Hays' Morocco and the Moors. 20. Tytler's Life of Henry the Eighth. 2 1 . Morehead's Dialogues on Na- tural and Revealed Reli- gion. 22. Aytoun's Life of Richard the Lion- Hearted. 23. Proctor's History of Italy. The series will appear in uniform size, printed on fine white paper, in clear type, and the price will range, according to the number of pages, from twenty-five to fifty cents per volume. CAREY & HART, Chestnut and Fourth Streets, Philadelphia. K- OUR ARMY THE RIO GRANDE INTERIOR <>F FORT BROWN. 'he Graves of Major Browr and Lieut. Ste.rens at the foot of the Flag staff. PHILADELPHIA: C A REV AND HA R T. 1S46. OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE IMPORTANT EVENTS TRANSPIRING FROM THE TIME OF THE REMOVAL OF THE " ARMY OF OCCUPATION" FROM CORPUS CHRISTI, TO THE SURRENDER OF MATAMOROS; WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BATTLES OE PALO ALTO RESACA DE LA PALMA, THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORT BROWN, AND THE CEREMONIES OF THE SURRENDER OF MATAMOROS: WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CITY, ETC. ETC. ILLUSTRATED BYTWENTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS. BY T. B. THORPE, IUTHOR OF "TOM OWEN, THE BEE HUNTER;" " MYSTERIES OF THE BACK WO PHILADELPHIA: CAREY AND HART. 1846. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1846, by Cakex and Habt, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. STEREOTYPED BY JOS. C. D. CHRISTMAJf. T. K. it P. G. COLLINS, PRINTERS. PREFACE The events treated of in this work, are of too recent occurrence, and of an interest too absorbing, to require a preface. The author was among those who were deeply excited by the stirring incidents connected with our little army on the Rio Grande, in the months of ^April and May, 1846, and he was on the battle fields, and among the heroes, almost immediately after the occurrences that have rendered them immortal in the histoiy of the country. The idea of writing #he following little volume, was suggested by the accumulation of materials, collected for the transient purpose of varying the columns of a daily paper, and urged on by the honorable wish to record some of the noble deeds of our soldiers, that might otherwise be forgotten. The author is indebted to several officers of high standing in the army for facilities of obtaining information, among whom he would mention, in the most respectful terms, Major Gen. Gaines and Gen. Worth. The illustrations of the work are from nature, save the one repre- senting the death of Major Ringgold; that is an attempt to embody the scene from descriptions of eye witnesses. At the time the author visited Major Ringgold's grave, at Point Isabel, there was nothing, ex- kept the freshness of the sod, to distinguish it particularly from the three or four about it. Some time afterwards, his brother officers protected it by a significant railing, which the author is happy to n learn, will be sent to Baltimore with the hero's remains. Louisiana, August, 1846. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Army leaves Corpus Christi — Face of the country — Deceptive appearances ' v —Fresh water — Arrival at the Colorado— Crossing disputed — Prairie — Camp intruders— Point Isabel — Deputation dismissed — Fanques del Ra- minero 11 \ CHAPTER II. The army arrives opposite Matamoros — Our flag raised on the Rio Grand e — Gen. Worth passes over to Matamoros — Interesting interview — Shooting *• deserters — Run-away slaves — Social intercourse between the two armies ' suspended — Ampudia's proclamation - - - - - 17 CHAPTER III. Fort Brown commenced — Col. Cross disappears — Gen. Ampudia arrives in Matamoras — A parley — Gen. Ampudia's Letter — Gen. Taylor's answer — Lieut. Porter — Blockade of the Rio Grande — Reasons for so doing — Hostile appearances — Gen. Arista's advice to the soldiers of the United States — Discovery of the murdered body of Col. Cross 26 CHAPTER IV. The Mexicans commence crossing the Rio Grande — Col. Cross's funeral- Prospect of hostilities thicken — Arrival of Gen. Arista in Matamoros — His letter to Gen. Taylor — Captain Thornton's command captured — Parti culars of his surprise — Death of Lieut. Mason — Communication with Point Isabel cut off 3fe CHAPTER V. Brazos Santiago — Incident in its history — Entrance in the bay — Point Isabel — j Don Roderiguez — His conduct — Retreat from Point Isabel — Col. Twiggs takes possession of it — Made a depot of military stores — Major Munroe takes command — Stirring incidents — Capt. Walker leaves for Fort Brown 45 CHAPTER VI. Gen. Taylor, with the army, march out of Fort Brown — The Fort — Mexican account thereof — Mexican valor— Sorrow at not meeting Gen. Taylor — CONTENTS. Bombardment commenced — Incident — Death of Sergeant Weigart — Mexi- can account of the first day's bombardment — Triumph of their arms — Bravery of the people of Matamoros — Additional particulars — Bulletin of Northern Division — Glory of the Mexican arms — Their future prospects with posterity -----------49 CHAPTER VII. Bombardment — Point Isabel — Capt. May attempts a communication with Fort Brown — Incidents connected therewith — Major Brown's orders to his men — Appearance of the enemy — Bombardment resumed — Mexican re- connoisance — Anecdote 59 CHAPTER VIII. Gen. Taylor's orders to Major Brown — Signal eighteen-pounders — Bomb- proof shelters — Manner of escaping from the bursting shells — Anecdote of a dodger — Mexican on the look out— Major Brown mortally wounded — White flag — Correspondence between Gen. Arista and Capt. Hawkins — Infantry attack — Bombardment at night — Mexicans fired into — New bat- teries opened — Interference with music — Mexican forlorn hope — Excite- ment in Fort Brown — Distant cannonading — Anticipations - - 65 CHAPTER IX. The army leaves Point Isabel — Encamps for the night — Plains of the Palo Alto — Preliminaries of battle — Lieut. Blake's reconnoisance — Battle of the 8th commences — Churchill's batteries — Ringgold's batteries — Duncan's bat- teries — Mexican charge — Repulse — Ridgely's batteries— Ringgold's — Dun- can's — The prairie on fire — Action suspended 73 CHAPTER X. Action resumed — New line of battle — A brave soldier — Capt. Page wound- ed — Ringgold's battery — Ringgold's fall — Mexican charge — Repulse — Duncan's battery, its movements — Close of the battle — The wounded — Council — Result — Gen. Taylor's despatch — Gen. Arista's despatch - 79 CHAPTER XL Morning of the 9th — The train parked — A dead cavalry officer— Evidences of the battle of the 8th — Interesting incident — Advance guard under Capt. McCall — Fatal accident to Lieut. Blake — Burial of the dead — Evidences of a murder — Enemy discovered — Resaca de la Palma — Lieut. Dobbins— Ridgely ordered forward — The battle begins — It becomes general - 89 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. Gen. Taylor's order to Capt. May — Ridgely's coolness — May's charge — Its effects — Fall of Lieut. Inge — The capture of Gen. Vega — The Fifth charges — Capt. Hooe wounded — Lieut. Col. Payne wounded — The Eighth — Lieut. Col. Belknap's charge — Lieut. Lincoln — Fall of Lieut. Chadbourne — Lieut. Jordan wounded — The Third — The Fourth — Capt. Buchanan — Lieutenants Woods and Hays — Capt. Barbour — Gallantry and death of Corporal Chis- holm — Lieut. Col. Mcintosh wounded — Charge of Duncan's battery — Incident — Arista's camp — Charge of Mexican cavalry — Death of Lieut. Cochrane 96 CHAPTER XIII. The fort — The flag — Death of Major Brown — Intense excitement — Specula- tions on the battle — Evidences of defeat — Retreat — Pursuit — Mexicans- Col. Curasco— Gen. Ampudia — Death of Father Leary — Consternation in Matamoros — Terrible effects of the defeat — Gen. Taylor's despatch from Resaca de la Palma 105 CHAPTER XIV. Burial of the dead on Resaca de la Palma — Lieut. Inge — Lieut. Chadbourne — Lieut. Cochrane — Affecting Incident — Exchange of prisoners — Mexican ser- geant — Gen. Vega — Prisoners of war — Wounded — Gen. Taylor starts for Point Isabel — Com. Conner — "Jack ashore" — Meeting — Major Ringgold — His death — Official despatch 112 CHAPTER XV. Gen. Taylor starts for camp — Returns — Lieut. Col. Wilson's command — Taking of Barita — Appearance of it — Proclamation — Preparations for tak- ing Matamoros — Armistice proposed — Ceremonies thereof— Death of Lieut. Stevens — Raising of the flag — Disposition of the army — Head quarters of Gen. Taylor — Governor of Matamoros — Prefect — A plain talk — Lieut. Col. Garland pursues Arista — Is fired upon — Anecdote — The Rio Grande after the battles — The battle fields 120 CHAPTER XVI. Early history of Matamoros — It becomes important to the government — Its situation — Appearance from Fort Brown — Red tower — The ferry Anaciiita — Its attendants — Ferrymen — Ranchero — Cattle driving — Sudden order — Suburbs of Matamoros — Mexican hedge — Sand-bag fort battery — Changes — Commander-in-chief 129 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVII. The bridge — Change in the country — Private residence of a wealthy citizen — Newspaper in Mexico — Interior of the city — Plaza — Cathedral — Its front — Chapel— Its worshippers — Halls of justice — Head quarters of our troops — Mexican prison — A prisoner free — Court room — Military stores — The rich widow — Her mules 139 CHAPTER XVIII. Chapel de la Capilla — Its use by Gen. Arista — Its ornaments — Its worship- pers — Incident — The grated house— Suburbs of the town — The ruined bar- racks — The red tower — Scene suggested — Mexican hospitals — Treatment of the sick— Their appearance — The artillery — Musket wound — Market square — Its commodities — Queer dogs — Mexican exquisite - - 147 CHAPTER XIX. Abandoned public stores in Matamoros — The copper shells — Mexican im- posts — Large gun-carriages — Saddles — Evidences of hasty retreat — Revo- lutions in Mexico — Their effects on the business of Matamoros — Its pros- pects under a settled government — Number of men engaged in the battles — Arista's statements — French consul's statement — Alcade Gomez — Pro- bable number of troops — Conduct of our soldiers — The moral effects of the battles 155 CHAPTER XX. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. The Generals in Camp — Hard to whip — A chivalrous soldier — Case of army cruelty — Mexican lieut. col., a la Gen. Vega — A perfidious Mexican — A sufferer by the bombardment — Amusing scene in Matamoros — Mutilating the dead — Mexican exaggeration — Unexpected attack — A gratified Mexi- can — The Smith family in Mexico — Rio Grande deer, largest on record — Mexican soldiers — The trophies of the war — A boxing Irishman — Young Mcintosh — A fighting clergyman west of the Rio Grande — Commerce on the Rio Grande — A brave Mexican — Sergeant Vandenhoof — A bold act— Capt. Bliss's horse — A death avenged — A Mexican's eye to business — A Jersey boy — Dogs in the battle — Gen. Taylor's frankness — Winning a saddle — The force of a ball — Mexican rations — Craniological curiosity — A squadron of disappointed lovers — Mexican cruelty — Beautiful remark — Chivalrous act 160 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXL Translations from Mexican papers found in Matamoros — An editor speculates on the propriety of anniversaries — He glories in the great days of the Mexi- can nation — Some doubt comes on his mind about the unsullied character of his national flag — Glorious prospects, if certain things come to pass — Ampudia's resignation to Arista — Canales threatens to exterminate the Anglo-American nation — Ampudia's proclamation against illicit trade — Arista's report of the Mexican killed and wounded on the 8th and 9th — Parrode to the troops of the department of Tamaulipas - - - 177 CHAPTER XXII. Major General Z. Taylor — His military History 184 OBITUARY. Major Jacob Brown — Major Samuel Ringgold — Capt. John Page — Lieut. J. E. Blake — Lieut. Theodore Lincoln Chad bourne — Lieut. Z. M. P. Inge — Lieut. R. E. Cochrane } - 189 BATTLES ON THE RIO GRANDE. OFFICIAL REPORTS. Reports of General Taylor — Col. Twiggs — Lieut. Col. Garland — Major Allen — Capt. Robert C. Buchanan — Capt. L. N. Morris — Major T. Staniford — Lieut. Ridgely — Capt. May — Lieut. Col. Belknap to Gen. Taylor — Capt. Duncan — Capt. McCall to Gen. Taylor — Capt. Smith — Capt. Hawkins — Capt. Mansfield — Inventory of captured property - - - -197 Despatches of Gen. Taylor previous to Actual Hostilities - 241 List of Commissioned Officers - - 294 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. CHAPTER I. Army leaves Corpus Christi — Face of the country — Deceptive appearances — Fresh water — Arrival at the Colorado — Crossing disputed — Prairie — Camp intruders — Point Isabel — Deputation dismissed — Fanques del Ra- After a long and uninteresting sojourn at Corpus Christi, the "Army of Occupation" received orders to march, and take up its position on the Rio Grande. A change even for "worse" would have been a relief to both officers and men ; but a change so evidently for the "better" was hailed with the greatest pleasure by all. On the 11th day of March, 1846, the army broke up its encampment, and com- menced winding its way over the desert country that lies between the river Nueces and the Rio Grande del Norte. That apparent suspension of vegetation, and every other blessing that makes a de- Note. — In the spring of 1844, pending the negotiation for the annexation of Texas, two regiments of infantry, and one of dragoons, constituting a corps of observation, were concentrated near the Sabine, by order of President Tyler. The command of this corps was intrusted to Gen. Taylor, who was instructed, in general terms, to protect Texas from Mexican invasion, during " the nego- tiation." In the midsummer of 1845 the " army of observation" was aug- mented by an artillery company, from Charleston, S. C, and the army was then denominated the "Army of Occupation," consisting of two regiments of infantry, one of dragoons, and a single company of artillery, the whole force amounting to fifteen hundred men. On the 26th of June, 1845, an artillery company, equipped as infantry, sailed from Charleston, S. C, to New Or- leans, under orders from the secretary of war. Gen. Taylor sailed from New Orleans, on the 23d of July, with three ships and two steamboats, for Aransas bay. On the 3d of August the whole "Army of Occupation" had landed at St. Joseph's island, in Corpus Christi bay, near the mouth of the Nueces. About the middle of August a document was found among some wrecked 11 12 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. sirable habitation for man, has been alluded to by certain statesmen, as particularly suited for a division line between two great nations. The country over which the army passed was mostly rolling prairie ; the barrenness of which was only relieved by the wiry grass which affords grazing for cattle. The quality of the soil, together with the total want of woodland, and wholesome water, will ever keep it from becoming permanently occupied by man. As they proceeded toward the Rio Grande, the face of the country gradually lessened in interest, and after a wearisome march of seven days the army found them- selves in a barren, Sahara-like desert. The suffering now became intense ; not only were the necessary fatigues of a march to be en- countered, but to this was added the deprivation of water, life's greatest blessing, while the appearance of every thing around was calculated to depress the mind, and cause it to suffer equally with the body. Suddenly the scene changed. Islands of stunted green forests be- came scattered over the landscape, crystal lakes glistened in the sun, and reflected, as mirrors, the clear, blue sky above. But, alas, the green clumps that at a distance had promised so delightful a shelter from the scorching sun, were composed of the jagged thorn tree, and unpenetrable cactus ; and the fairy lakes, so beautiful to the eye, as if to tantalise, were filled with salt, thirst-creating water. The ground seemed heated ashes, in which the foot would sink at every step. Human nature sunk, exhausted, while the cattle dropped in their tracks. The Spanish bayonet alone seemed luxuriant, and goods on the shores of Aransas bay, which proved to be a war proclamation of the Mexican government. Deceived by its belligerent tone, Gen. Taylor announced to his army that war had been declared. At this time a small portion of the army was west of the Nueces, the remainder being on St. Jo- seph's island. On the 16th of August some smugglers reported that Gen. Arista was on his march to meet Gen. Taylor with three thousand choice troops. Vague rumors reached New Orleans that an overwhelming Mexi- can force was rapidly marching towards the Nueces, when the citizens of that city despatched two companies of artillery to his assistance, and the secretary of war ordered out an additional force of forty-five companies. On the 15th of October Gen. Taylor writes to the secretary of war that his whole force is three thousand eight hundred and sixty men. On the 13th of January, 1846, Secretary Marcy, for the president, ordered Gen. Taylor to move his force towards the Rio Grande. These orders Gen. Taylor received February 4th, and immediately commenced the necessary preparations to accomplish such an object. ARRIVAL AT THE COLORADO. 13 by its needle-pointed leaves appeared to mock those who would gather its snowy blossoms. It seemed the representative of all nature around it, where the general beauty, like its own, led those to ruin who would embrace it. Again there was a stretch of barren desert, and beyond this was a fountain of wealth, far more coveted than gold — fresh water was be- fore them. Men, who were apparently exhausted beyond recovery, made one desperate effort to reach the life-giving spring. Years of suffering had been crowded into a few hours' march, for a tropical sun and a parched mouth make the soul tremble, from the suffering of the body it inhabits. Under the excitement the faint and exhausted infantry pressed onward with renewed life, while some miles ahead the artillery were seen, at a halt, enjoying the luxury of water. As the soldiers reached it discipline was forgotten, their arms thrown down, they rushed bodily in, thrusting even their heads beneath the waves, in their desire to quench the thirst that was consuming their vitals. Gen. Taylor, with " the advance," reached the Colorado on the 20th. This lovely stream of clear, salt water, winds its way through bluff banks twenty or thirty feet in height. Its borders are lined for a very great distance inland with thickets of thorn bushes, inter- spersed with a dwarfish tree, called the mosquete. This " chaparral" is almost impenetrable, the smaller shrubs are of the toughest kinds of woods, and as if its thorns and strength were not sufficient to repel invasion, enormous prickly pears spring up in every place where room can be found for its roots. When Gen. Taylor appeared on the bank of this river he found, as had been rumored, a party of Mexicans there, who disputed his pas- sage with — their tongues. They told him that if an attempt was made to cross the river, they would fire upon his troops, such being their orders. The army was immediately formed into line of battle, and it was thought hostilities would now commence, if such were the orders of the Mexican commander, as the place was a favorable one in which to dispute Gen. Taylor's progress. The Mexicans now sounded bugles for a great distance, both up and down the river, evidently wishing to create the impression that there was a large force in the vicinity. Our troops, although they expected to cross the river 14 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. under a shower of musketry, were eager to advance. Some delay- occurred in making a road down the bank. Gen. Taylor informed the Mexicans, that as soon as this was completed he would cross, and that he should fire upon any one of them that appeared in arms after he commenced so doing. The artillery was drawn up to cover the ford, and their port fires lighted. There now arrived an officer from Matamoros, an aid to the commander-in-chief of that city, Gen. Mejia, who delivered to Gen. Taylor a letter, the contents of which were, that, if the American army crossed the Colorado, the Mexicans would consider it a declaration of war, and hostilities would at once ensue. The road down the river bank being by this time completed, the order of " forward" was given. Capt. C. F. Smith, with four compa- nies of artillery, constituted the "forlorn hope." These now gal- lantly dashed into the ford, Gen. Worth leading the way. No enemy appeared in sight, and the best opportunity that the Mexicans ever had of opposing the American army was lost to them. On the 22d the army moved in four columns across the prairie towards Matamoros. The immense number of huge rattlesnakes now met with was almost incredible; they seemed literally to fill the country between the Colorado and the lakes, reaching within a few miles of Point Isabel. They glided through the long grass, striking terror to all, and crawled by hundreds into the " camp" of the soldiers, coiling themselves under the blankets ; a location they seemed to prefer to any other among the " army equipments." So numerous were these serpents, that the soldiers humorously took the precaution to shake their knapsacks in the morning, to know if they were occu- pied. Occasionally would the ear be saluted with a noise resembling the pouring of shot into a tin cup, and that knapsack was treated ac- cordingly. Gen. Taylor having heard that the Mexicans held Point Isabel, the harbor on the Texian coast nearest the mouth of the Rio Grande, and the contemplated depot for his " military stores," determined to change his route, and march for that place. The country was now hourly growing richer in its agricultural appearance. Deer were seen through the distant openings, and a great variety of duck, and other water-fowl, skimmed over the ponds. On the 24th the army reached the " Matamoros road," that runs i POINT ISABEL— MATAMOROS. 15 between that city and Point Isabel. Gen. Taylor, learning that the point was not occupied by Mexican troops, ordered a " halt," and then proceeded with the dragoons, and the " train," to that place. The army moved forward some six miles, under the command of Gen. Worth, when it encamped, to await the return of the commander- in-chief. Gen. Taylor was met near Point Isabel by a deputation of citizens, at the head of which was the Prefect of the State of Tamaulipas, to protest against his occupation of the country. The general, who had now become quite accustomed to Mexican " Pronunciamientos," would most likely have dismissed the deputation without a reply, but upon the instant, discovering the smoke of what he judged to be the firing of the houses at Point Isabel, he told the prefect that he would give him an answer when opposite Matamoros on the 28th. Gen. Taylor then ordered forward the dragoons, under Col. Twiggs, to stop, if pos- sible, the conflagration, and arrest the authors of it. Steamboats with " supplies for the army" arrived at Point Isabel almost at the same instant with Gen. Taylor, so admirably had he arranged the business of the campaign. The army now rapidly advanced toward Matamoros, the country, as they approached, seeming more rich in vegetation, while the masses of " chaparral" were more frequent as they neared the Rio Grande. Several places as they passed along were noticed as favorable posi- tions for an opposing army to occupy, and Gen. Taylor pointed out one where he said he would have a battle with the Mexicans, if they were disposed to meet him in the open field. A few weeks after this casual remark was made, the spot thus designated by Gen. Taylor, became known to the world as the battle ground of Resaca de la Palma. It was with the most pleasurable feelings that both officers and men saw, in the distance, the deep blue haze that marked the serpentine course of the Rio Grande, and the prospect of once more resting " in camp," with the luxury of a fresh water river rolling by, while all around them was spring-like vegetation ; this, with the novelty of the scene, all conspired to fill our army with delight. Large droves of splendid horned cattle were now frequently seen, and occasionally a small cotton field, hedged in by thorn bushes, strengthened by trunks 16 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. of trees set in the ground, gave welcome evidence of a settled country. Scattered Mexican huts next appeared. The army was approaching the hacienda Fanques del Raminero, and with it all the signs of idle, tropical life. Gardens of pomegranate and orange trees filled the air with fragrance ; and perhaps the familiar sound of chickens, that sug- gested fresh eggs and broils, was equally musical to the tired soldier, while the voices of the singing birds, from every hedge, poured forth sweet music, as if to greet the " Army of Occupation." A large num- ber of irregular Mexican soldiers retreated before the march of our army ; a few of these stragglers distinguished themselves by capturing two of our dragoons who were " far in the advance ;" also the horse of a bugler boy, who managed to escape his pursuers, and bring the news of the capture of his comrades. The tidings of this outrage created a great deal of excitement. ARRIVAL OPPOSITE MATAMOROS. 17 CHAPTER II. The army arrives opposite Matamoros — Our flag raised on the Rio Grande — Gen. Worth passes over to Matamoros — Interesting interview — Shooting deserters — Run-away slaves — Social intercourse between the two armies suspended — Ampudia's proclamation. The " Army of Occupation" arrived upon the east bank of the Rio Grande, and opposite Matamoros, between 11 and 12 o'clock on the morning of the 28th day of March, 1846. Nothing could exceed the joy of the soldiers on beholding this river which formed, at that time, the latest south-western boundary of the United States. The rich verdure of the banks, the cultivated gardens scattered around, and the clustering fig and pomegranate trees, seemed like fairy land, when contrasted with the desert over which they had passed. The approach of the army had, of course, been announced in the city of Matamoros, and its population had turned out by thousands, lining the west bank of the river with dense masses of curious faces to witness the proceedings. The Mexican national flag was flying from the head quarters of Gen. Mejia, at that time commander of the forces in the city. A temporary flagstaff, prepared by the Eighth Regiment, under the superintendence of Lieut. Col. Belknap, was raised, bearing aloft our national ensign, with no other demonstration of joy than was pealed forth by our bands, one playing the Star Spangled Banner, while the other gave forth the inspiring notes of Yankee Doodle. The instant our flag was run up, it was saluted from Matamoros by the consulate flags of the English and French nations. The army looked in vain for the American flag ; it was murmured from mouth to mouth, " Where is our flag !" " What has become of our consul !" Directly after our colors had been raised on the east of the Rio Grande, Gen. Worth and his staff were directed to cross the river with a communication from Gen. Taylor to the commander-in-chief of the Mexican forces, and the civil authorities. Gen. Worth and suite de- scended to the water's edge, bearing a white flag, which was soon an- swered by a boat from the Mexican side, bearing two officers, (repre- 2 18 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. sented as cavalry officers,) an interpreter, and one other person. A message was then sent to inform the commanding officer of the Mexi- can forces, that a general officer of the United States Army had been sent by his commanding general with despatches to the commanding general at Matamoros, and to the civil authorities ; and that an inter- view was requested.* After some conversation explanatory of the above, the Mexican party recrossed the river to report to the commanding general at Ma- tamoros and return with his reply. An open note for the American consul at Matamoros, with an endorsement on the back in pencil, was delivered to the Mexican officer. He replied, that he should hand it to the commanding general. u Certainly — of course," was Gen. Worth's remark in reply. On the return of the same party, Gen. Mejia sent word, that if the commanding general of the American forces wished a conference with the commanding general of the Mexican forces, it would readily be acceded to: but as a junior to the commanding general, on the part of the American troops, had requested a conference, Gen. Mejia could not entertain such a proposition ; but that an officer of corresponding rank and position in the Mexican forces would be ready to receive any communication sent by Gen. Taylor. It was perceived that the relation of the parties was misapprehended, they supposing that a conference was requested. This was corrected immediately, and it was reiterated that Gen. Worth was merely the bearer of despatches, with authority to relate verbally certain matters of interest to the commanding general at Matamoros. The proposition of Gen. Mejia was then acceded to, with the re- mark, that this was a mere question of form, which should not be permitted to interfere with any arrangements necessary to the con- tinuance of the friendly relations now existing between the two go- vernments. The Mexican party recrossed to the right bank, and after a short absence returned, stating that Gen. Romulo Vega would receive Gen. Worth on the right bank of the river — their own selection — for the reception of any communication which Gen. Worth might have to make from the commanding general. * We are indebted to Gen. Worth for a MS. copy of this interview. MISSION OF GEN. WORTH. 19 Gen. Worth then crossed the river, accompanied by Lieut. Smith, aid-de-camp ; Lieutenants Magruder, Deas, and Blake, attached to his staff; together with Lieut. Knowlton, as interpreter. On arriving at the right bank of the river, Gen. Worth was received by Gen. Vega with becoming courtesy and respect, and introduced to the " authori- ties of Matamoros," represented in the person of the Licenciado Ca- sares. On the Mexican part were present, Gen. Vega, the Licenciado Casares, two officers — represented as cavalry officers — an interpreter, with a person named Juan N. Garza, Official de Defensores. After the usual courtesies on meeting, it was stated by Gen. Worth, that he was the bearer of despatches from the commanding general of the American forces to Gen. Mejia and to the civil authorities of Matamoros. A written and unsealed document was produced, and Gen. Vega desiring to know its contents, it was carefully read and translated into French by Lieut. Knowlton, and afterwards retrans- lated into Spanish by the Mexican interpreter. Gen. Vega then stated, that he had been directed to receive such communications as Gen. Worth might present from his commanding general ; going on to say, that the march of the U. S. troops into a part of the Mexican ter- ritory, Tamaulipas, was considered as an act of war. Gen. Worth. — I am well aware that some of the Mexican people consider it an aggressive act ; but [interrupted by the Mexican inter- preter, and after a slight discussion of the international question on the part of Gen. Vega] Gen. Worth repeated the above remark, add- ing, that it was not so considered by his government ; that the army had been ordered there by his government, and there it would remain ; whether rightfully or otherwise, that was a question to be settled be- tween the two governments. Gen. Vega, still disposed to argue the merits of the case, was told by Gen. Worth, that " he came to state facts, not to argue them." Gen. Worth then stated that he had been sent with despatches from his commanding general to Gen. Mejia; that Gen, Mejia had refused to receive it from him personally, adding, with emphasis and some degree of warmth, " I now state, that I withdraw this despatch, having read it merely as an act of courtesy to Gen. Vega ; that, in addition to the written despatch to Gen. Mejia, I am authorised to express ver- bally the sentiments with which the commanding general proposed to 20 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. carry out the instructions of his government, in which he hoped to preserve the peaceable relations between the two governments, leaving all questions between the two countries to be settled between the two governments ; and if hereafter Gen. Mejia wished to communicate with Gen. Taylor, he must propose the means — assuring Gen. Vega that, should Gen. Mejia present himself, or send his communications by a subaltern officer, in either case he would be received with proper cour- tesy and respect." The question of right of territory was again opened by Gen. Vega, who asked how the United States government would view the matter should the Mexican troops march into or occupy a portion of the ter- ritory of the United States. Gen. Worth replied, that Gen. Vega might probably be familiar with the old proverb, " Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof;" and that " it would be time enough to consider such matters when the act was perpetrated." This proverb did not appear to have been translated by the Mexican interpreter, but was received by Gen. Vega with a smile and slight shrug. Gen. Worth. — Is the American consul in arrest or in prison ? Gen. Vega. — No. Gen. Worth. — Is he now in the exercise of his proper functions ? Gen. Vega, after apparently consulting with the Licenciado Casares for a moment, replied that he was. Gen. Worth. — Then, as an American officer, in the name of my government and my commanding general, I demand an interview with the consul of my country. No reply. Gen. Worth. — Has Mexico declared war against the United States ? Gen. Vega. — No. Gen. Worth. — Are the two countries still at peace ? Gen. Vega. — Yes. Gen. Worth. — Then, I again demand an interview with the consul of my government, in Matamoros — in presence, of course, of these gentlemen, or any other that the commanding general in Matamoros may be pleased to designate. Gen. Vega reiterated that he was in the proper exercise of his functions ; that he was not in arrest, nor were any Americans in Mata- MISSION OF GEN. WORTH. 21 moros in arrest ; that he would submit the demand to Gen. Mejia, adding that he thought there would be great difficulty. This demand was repeatedly made, in the most emphatic manner, and a reply re- quested, Gen. Vega stating that the consul continued in the exercise of his functions, and that the demand would be submitted to Gen. Mejia. Here the interview was suspended, while the Licenciado left the party, to submit, as we understood, the demand for an interview with the consul to Gen. Mejia. While engaged in friendly intercourse, Gen. Worth stated to Gen. Vega, in an informal manner, as an evi- dence of the good faith, intentions, and dispositions of his commanding general, that he was well aware of the importance of Brazos Santiago to the commerce and business community of Matamoros ; that he would respect their laws and customs, and freely grant entrance and exit to all Mexican and other vessels trading with Matamoros on the same terms as before its occupation by the United States, leaving all questions arising therefrom to be settled hereafter by the two govern- ments. At the expiration of about a quarter of an hour the Licenciado re- turned, and reported that Gen. Mejia would not accede to the request for an interview on the part of Gen. W T orth, saying nothing, however, relative to the question of the consul. Gen. Vega was then again informed that the despatches intended to be delivered to Gen. Mejia by Gen. Worth in person would be returned by him (Gen. W.) to his commanding general, considering any other disposition of them as disrespectful to him, repeating that they had been read to Gen. Vega in courtesy to him, and that Gen. Mejia must take his own means of communicating with Gen. Taylor; that whether Gen. Mejia sent a superior or subaltern officer to Gen. Taylor, at all times accessible, he would be received with becoming courtesy and hospitality, presenting, at the same time, a written and sealed document for the civil authorities of Matamoros, which was received by Gen. Vega, and immediately transferred to the Licenciado Casares. Gen. Vega. — Is it the intention of Gen. Taylor to remain on the left bank of the Rio Grande ? Gen. Worth. — Most assuredly; and there to remain until directed otherwise by his government. OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Gen. Vega remarked that " we " felt indignant at seeing the Ameri- can flag placed on the Rio Grande, a portion of the Mexican territory. Gen. Worth replied, " that was a matter of taste ; notwithstanding that, there it would remain." The army had been ordered to occupy its present position by its government ; it came in a peaceful rather than belligerent attitude, with a determination to respect the rights and customs of those on the right bank of the Rio Grande, while it offers protection to all on the left bank within their own territory. No reply having been received from Gen. Vega relative to the demand for an interview with the American consul, the question was again introduced by Gen. Worth, and the demand for the last time reiterated. Gen. Vega promptly refused to accede to the demand, replying, without waiting for the interpretation, " No, no." Gen. Worth. — I have now to state that the refusal of my demand to see the American consul is regarded as a belligerent act ; and in conclusion I have to add, that the commanding general of the Ameri- can forces on the left bank of the river will regard the passage of any armed party of Mexicans, in hostile array, across the Rio Grande, as an act of war, and pursue it accordingly* The interview here terminated, and Gen. Worth and staff returned to the left bank of the river.| After the above interview, the army under Gen. Taylor quietly encamped under the broad folds of its own flag, which was never removed, (as has been stated by some,) after it was planted upon the east side of the Rio Grande. The engineering corps immediately set to work to take a topographical survey of the country, preparatory to the erection of defences, and other military works. * Gen. Worth, when in Washington, furnished the editor of the Union with the following, which was intended as a note to the memoranda of the conversation between Generals Worth and Vega: — "After repeatedly re- marking that he (Gen. Vega) considered us in a state of war, Gen. Worth remarked that Gen. Mejia might, by a very simple operation, determine when and where the war should begin, but it would be for the United States to say when and where it should end. ; ' | The above contains the substance of the interview between Generals Worth and Vega, and, as far as possible, the exact words and expressions used on the occasion. Lieutenants Knowlton and Magmder of the First Artillery, Lieut. Deas, of the Fourth Artillery, Lieut. Blake, of the Topographical En- gineers, and Lieut. Smith, of the Eighth Infanty, were present at the interview. MEXICAN TRADERS. 23 On the evening of the second day of our occupation of the east bank of the Rio Grande, there was an alarm given that the Mexicans were crossing by thousands, and that a night attack might be expected. This seemed probable. Our army had, as yet, no entrenchments, and if the Mexicans really intended to attack, now was the favorable time. The watchword was given out, and the men ordered to sleep on their arms. Capt. May, with his squadron of dragoons, was or- dered to march in double quick time to Point Isabel, to reinforce that garrison, and prepare it for a probable attack. The Mexicans had lost their best opportunities to assail our forces. They failed to defend the passage of the Colorado, and to assault the army on the night of its arrival at the Rio Grande, the morning of the 30th dawned, and hostilities had not yet commenced. Nothing material occurred for several succeeding days. Many of the inhabitants of the surround- ing country, and particularly those of the city of Matamoros, visited our encampment, offering for sale fresh meats and vegetables. Among these traders, it was said (upon what appeared to be good authority) there were Mexican officers in disguise, which was no doubt the case, as subsequent events proved.* The residents of the city and its troops were continually showing themselves upon the bank of the river, many of the former appearing in open carriages. The narrowness of the Rio Grande gave to these displays quite a social character, and, in a measure, made our troops acquainted with the inhabitants of Matamoros. Conversation was frequently carried on across the river, and most amusing protestations of friendship were thus sometimes made. On the afternoon of the 4th, considerable excitement was created by the firing of musketry " down the river." The first impression was, that the enemy had opened on our camp ; the roll was beaten, the regiments were quickly formed, and the brigade nearest the river rushed tc their arms with a yell of delight. It was a false alarm, as far as the Mexicans were concerned. The firing proceeded from a picket guard, and was directed at a man who attempted to desert, by * Among the plunder found on the battle field of the 9th, was a drum, on the head of which was a remarkably accurate drawing of Gen. Taylor's encampment in the rear of "Fort Brown," the first one established on the Rio Grande. Every tent was marked down, and those of the officers dis- tinguished by a sign from those of the privates. 24 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. swimming over to the Mexican side of the river. The poor wretch was mortally wounded, and sunk beneath the turbid waters of the Rio Grande. The Mexicans, who crowded the opposite side of the river, and witnessed this prompt execution of a deserter, fled, fearing least their own time had come. Several soldiers were drowned in the attempt to cross the river, and one of the deserters reached the Mexi- can side of the river ; but as he was climbing the steep bank, a sen- tinel fired across and killed him. A large number of the Mexican citizens, who w r ere running to the soldier's assistance, witnessed this extraordinary shot of over two hundred yards, and it had a great effect upon their future conduct on the river bank. The Mexicans covered the dead soldier where he fell, with a sheet, and soon after gave him the rights of sepulture. About the time of these desertions, several officers lost their servants. They had been enticed away by the in- habitants of Matamoros, and, for effect, treated with marked conside- ration. They sat at table with Mexican families, and were otherwise elevated to a high social position. These servants, in every instance, returned by stealth to their masters, save one or two who had been taken into " the interior." All friendly intercourse was now cut off with the citizens of the town. Not a single sentiment of kindly feeling was exhibited by the Mexicans, and all of Gen. Taylor's overtures of peace were treated with insolent contempt. All Mexican residents and stragglers who visited our camp, were ordered by the commander-in-chief of the Mexican forces to immediately cross over, and remain on the west bank of the river. The entrenchments, began upon our appearance, were now pushed rapidly forward, more particularly the one directly opposite the American camp. Still, the " signs" were not considered warlike ; but the following proclamation that Gen. Ampudia, who was now advancing toward Matamoros, managed secretly, by the aid of spies, to distribute among our troops, did much to develope to Gen. Taylor the real designs of the enemy : — Tlie Commander-in- Chief of the Mexican army, to the English and Irish under the orders of the American General Taylor : Know Ye : That the government of the United States is com- mitting repeated acts of barbarous aggression against the magnani- AMPUDIA'S PROCLAMATION. 25 mous Mexican nation ; that the government which exists under " the flag of the stars," is unworthy of the designation of Christian. Re- collect that you were born in Great Britain ; that the American govern- ment looks with coldness upon the powerful flag of St. George, and is provoking to a rupture the warlike people to whom it belongs, Pre- sident Polk boldly manifesting a desire to take possession of Oregon, as he has already done of Texas. Now, then, come with all confi- dence to the Mexican ranks ; and I guarantee to you, upon my honor, good treatment, and that all your expenses shall be defrayed until your arrival in the beautiful capital of Mexico. Gennans, French, Poles, and individuals of other nations ! Separate yourselves from the Yankees, and do not contribute to defend a rob- bery and usurpation which, be assured, the civilized nations of Europe look upon with the utmost indignation. Come, therefore, and array yourselves under the tri-colored flag, in the confidence that the God of armies protects it, and that it will protect you equally with the English. PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. Francisco R. Moreno, Jldjt. of the Commander-in-Chief. Head Quarters, upon the road to Matamoros, April 2, 1846. Farther than exhibiting to our army the covert designs of the enemy, the above proclamation, so ingeniously worded to attack the preju- dices of our naturalized citizens, produced no effect. It was, like its author, treated with contempt and scorn. OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. CHAPTER III. Fort Brown commenced — Col. Cross disappears — Gen. Ampudia arrives in Matamoros — A parley — Gen. Ampudia's letter — Gen. Taylor's answer — Lieut. Porter — Blockade of the Rio Grande — Reasons for so doing — Hostile appearances — Gen. Arista's advice to the soldiers of the United States — Discovery of the murdered body of Col. Cross, On the 5th of April, a small work, intended for the reception of the eighteen pounders daily expected from Point Isabel, was thrown up opposite our camp. This work was so planned that the guns, when in position, would command the town. In the mean time, the troops were actively engaged in the construction of the since celebrated field work, known as Fort Brown. This extraordinary military defence was constructed under the direction of Capt. Mansfield, of the U. S. Engineering Corps ; and a regiment was detailed each day, for that purpose. Fort Brown is of immense size, having six bastion fronts, and being capable of holding four or five regiments of soldiers. The reports from Matamoros were, that fresh troops were conti- nually arriving from Tampico, Monterey, and the interior. The Mexi- cans evidently labored to keep up this impression. Every evening could be heard the music of the " grand parade ;" and from morning until night, was a continual beating of drums, and the sounding of bugles, until it seemed, at times, as if there were whole regiments of musicians marching upon the bank opposite the fort. On the 10th, Col. Cross,* deputy quarter master general, mounted his horse, and proceeded to take his usual ride for air and exercise. Night passed away without his return, and his unaccountable absence began to excite alarm. The country was known to be full of " irre- gular cavalry," whose business it was to murder, plunder, and steal. As Col. Cross' absence continued, his probable fate spread a gloom over the whole army. Gen. Taylor wrote twice to the commanding * Col. Trueman Cross, assistant quarter master general of the Army of Occu- pation, was appointed to the army from Maryland, as ensign of Forty-second Infantry, the 27th of April, 1814 Army Register. AMPUDIA ARRIVES IN MATAMOROS. 27 Mexican general, making inquiries whether Col. Cross was detained as a prisoner in Matamoros, (a belief fondly indulged in by his friends.) Nothing was heard, however, that gave the least clue to the mystery that hung about his disappearance. On the 11th, the cathedral bells of Matamoros rang out a joyous peal, the music excelled all former efforts, the troops appeared in extra splendor, and a salute of cannon was fired. The long-expected Gen. Ampudia had arrived. This was grateful intelligence to our troops, as it had been understood, that when Gen. Ampudia arrived, our relations with Mexico would assume a definite form, and that peace, or war, would immediately be proclaimed. On the 12th, a parley was sounded on the Mexican side of the river, and two Mexican officers crossed, and were escorted to Gen. Taylor's tent. These officers bore the following communication from Gen. Ampudia to Gen. Taylor : Fourth Military Division,") General-in-Chief. y To explain to you the many grounds for the just grievances felt by the Mexican nation, caused by the United States government, would be a loss of time, and an insult to your good sense ; I therefore pass at once to such explanations as 1 consider of absolute necessity. Your government, in an incredible manner — you will even permit me to say an extravagant one, if die usage or general rules established and received among all civilized nations are regarded — has not only insulted, but has exasperated the Mexican nation, bearing its conquer- ing banner to the left bank of the Rio Bravo del Norte; and in this case, by explicit and definitive orders of my government, which neither can, will, nor should receive new outrages, I require you in all form, and at latest in the peremptory term of twenty-four hours, to break up your camp and retire to the other bank of the Nueces river, while our governments are regulating the pending question in relation to Texas. If you insist in remaining upon the soil of the department of Tamaulipas, it will clearly result that arms, and arms alone, must de- cide the question ; and in that case I advise you that we accept the war to which, with so much injustice on your part, you provoke us, and that, on our part, this war shall be conducted conformably to the 28 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. principles established by the most civilized nations ; that is to say, that the law of nations and of war shall be the guide of my opera- tions; trusting that on your part the same will be observed. With this view, I tender you the considerations due to your person and respectable office. God and Liberty ! Head Quarters at Matamoros, 2 o'clock P. Jf., April 12, 1846. PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. Sr. General-in-Chief of the U. S. Army, Don Z. Taylor. To this communication, Gen. Taylor promptly replied as follows : ' : Head Quarters Army of Occupation, " Camp near Matamoros, Texas, April 12, 1846. u Senor : I have had the honor to receive your note of this date, in which you summon me to withdraw the forces under my command from their present position, and beyond the river Nueces, until the pending question between our governments, relative to the limits of Texas, shall be settled. " I need hardly advise you that, charged as I am, in only a military capacity, with the performance of specific duties, I cannot enter into a discussion of the international question involved in the advance of the American army. You will, however, permit me to say that the government of the United States has constantly sought a settlement, by negotiation, of the question of boundary; that an envoy was despatched to Mexico for that purpose, and that up to the most recent dates said envoy had not been received by the actual Mexican govern- ment, if indeed he has not received his passports and left the republic. In the mean time, 1 have been ordered to occupy the country up to the left bank of the Rio Grande, until the boundary shall be defini- tively settled. In carrying out these instructions, I have carefully abstained from all acts of hostility, obeying, in this regard, not only the letter of my instructions, but the plain dictates of justice and humanity. u The instructions under which I am acting will not permit me to retrograde from the position I now occupy. In view of the relations between our respective governments, and the individual suffering which may result, I regret the alternative which you offer ; but, at the same LTEUT. PORTER. 29 time, wish it understood that I shall by no means avoid such alterna- tive, leaving the responsibility with those who rashly commence hos- tilities. In conclusion, you will permit me to give the assurance that on my part the laws and customs of war among civilized nations shall be carefully observed. " I have the honor to be, very respectively, your obedient servant. u Sr. Gen. D. Pedro de Ampudia." Orders were immediately issued, the execution of which prepared the army for an attack. The time, so momentous, was passing away, and the belief prevailed with many, that when the twenty-four hours had elapsed, hostilities would ensue. On the morning of the 13th, a brigade with Capt. Duncan's and Lieut. Bragg's companies of artillery, were ordered to occupy the " field work." The remainder of the army exposed to the enemy's fire was removed, and a camp established, supposed to be capable of holding out against the attack of a force four or five times as large as that which occupied it. The twenty-four hours elapsed, but nothing hostile transpired on the part of the Mexicans as a consequence. Rumors now reached us from across the river, that Gen. Ampudia wished to attack our camp, but was not sustained by his officers, and the citizens of the town. The construction of Fort Brown was now being efficiently carried on, and the arrival of Gen. Arista was next expected with great interest, from the fact that he was represented as an officer that had the entire confidence of his government and a man of integrity, who was well calculated to bring the singular state of things existing between the two armies to a peaceful termination or a state of actual war. On the 17th, Lieut. T. H. Porter, and Lieut. Dobbins of the Fourth Infantry, started from camp, with ten men, for the avowed purpose of discovering, if possible, the murderers of Col. Cross. This step was induced by a rumor that the notorious Romano Falcon, commander of rancheros or irregular cavalry, was prowling in the vicinity. About 2 o'clock in the evening of the second day out, Lieut. Porter met a party of armed Mexicans, who numbered, as he supposed, one hun- dred and fifty at least, and who were engaged in jerking beef. Upon his approach one of the Mexicans snapped a musket at him, which 30 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Lieut. Porter answered by firing a " double barrel." The Mexican then ran, and Lieut. Porter took possession of the camp, containing ten horses and a number of blankets. He then immediately mounted his men and started for head quarters. It now commenced raining violently, pouring down as it only does in tropical climates. After progressing for a short time, and while passing through a clump of chaparral, Lieut. Porter was fired upon, when he instantly ordered his men to dismount. The enemy continued to pour in a galling fire, the arms of our soldiers being almost useless from the rain. One of Lieut. Porter's men was shot down, when that officer himself received a wound in the thigh, and fell, exclaiming, " Fight on, boys ! Take care of yourselves." The men then retreated into the chaparral, and became separated into three parties ; but all finally found their way into camp. One soldier who concealed himself until dark, said that he saw all the enemy's proceedings. He stated, that during the fight the Mexicans yelled like Indians, and that as soon as Lieut. Porter's men retreated into the chaparral the Mexicans rushed upon that of- ficer and the wounded soldier, plunging their knives into their breasts. Thus fell a meritorious soldier, and the gallant Lieut. Porter.* On the 19th day of April Gen. Taylor received information that two vessels from New Orleans were off the mouth of the Rio Grande, with provisions and other supplies for the Mexican army at Matarno- ros, whereupon he immediately established a blockade, by ordering the U. S. brig Lawrence, with the revenue cutter St. Anna, to cut off all communication by water with that place. As soon as news of this reached Matamoros, Gen. Ampudia wrote to Gen. Taylor relative to the subject. The correspondence is singularly interesting, particu- larly Gen. Taylor's letter, portions of which are peculiarly fine : the whole is dignifiedly forbearing. Gen. Ampudia writes as follows : Division of the North,") Second Gcncral-in-Chief.y From various sources worthy of confidence, 1 have learned that some vessels bound for the mouth of the river, have not been able to effect an entrance into that port, in consequence of your orders that * Lieut. Theodoric H. Porter was appointed to the army October 5th, 1838, from the state of Pennsylvania. LETTER OF GEN. AMPUDIA TO GEN. TAYLOR. 31 they should be conducted to Brazos Santiago. The cargo of one of them is composed in great part, and of the other entirely, of provi- sions, which the contractors charged with providing for the army un- der my orders had procured to fulfil the obligations of their contracts. You have taken possession of these provisions by force, and against the will of the proprietors, one of whom is vice consul of her Catho- lic Majesty, and the other of her Britannic Majesty ; and whose rights, in place of being religiously respected as was proffered, and as was to be hoped from the observance of the principles which govern among civilized nations, have, on the contrary, been violated in the most ex- traordinary manner, opposed to the guarantee and respect due to pri- vate property. Nothing can have authorized you in such a course. The commerce of nations is not suspended or interrupted except in consequence of a solemn declaration of blockade, communicated and established in the form prescribed by international law. Nevertheless, you have in- fringed these rules ; and, by an act which can never be viewed favor- ably to the United States government, have hindered the entrance to a Mexican port, of vessels bound to it, under the confidence that com- merce would not be interrupted. My duties do not allow me to con- sent to this new species of hostility, and they constrain me to require of you, not only that the vessels taken by force to Brazos Santiago shall be at liberty to return to the mouth of the river, but the restora- tion of all the provisions which, besides belonging to private contrac- tors, were destined for the troops on this frontier. I consider it use- less to inculcate the justice of this demand, and the results which may follow an unlooked-for refusal. I have also understood that two Mexicans, carried down in a boat by the current of the river near one of the advanced posts of your camp, were detained, after being fired upon, and that they are still kept and treated as prisoners. The individuals in question do not be- long to the army, and this circumstance exempts them from the laws of war. I therefore hope that you will place them absolutely at liberty, as I cannot be persuaded that you pretend to extend to persons not military the consequences of an invasion, which, without employing this means of rigor against unarmed citizens, is marked in itself with the seal of universal reprobation. 32 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. I avail myself of this opportunity to assure you of my distinguished consideration. God and liberty! — Matamoros, April 22, 1846. PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. Sr. Gen. Don Z. Taylor. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, Texas, April 22, 1846. Sir : — I have had the honor to receive your communication of this date, in which you complain of certain measures adopted by my order to close the mouth of the Rio Bravo against vessels bound to Mata- moros, and in which you also advert to the case of two Mexicans supposed to be detained as prisoners in this camp. After all that has passed since the American army first approached the Rio Bravo, I am certainly surprised that you should complain of a measure which is no other than a natural result of the state of war so much insisted upon by the Mexican authorities as actually existing at this time. You will excuse me for recalling a few circumstances to show that this state of war has not been sought by the American army, but has been forced upon it, and that the exercise of the rights incident to such a state cannot be made a subject of complaint. On breaking up my camp at Corpus Christi, and moving forward with the army under my orders to occupy the left bank of the Rio Bravo, it was my earnest desire to execute my instructions in a pacific manner ; to observe the utmost regard for the personal rights of all citizens residing on the left bank of the river, and to take care that the religion and customs of the people should suffer no violation. With this view, and to quiet the minds of the inhabitants, I issued orders to the army, enjoining a strict observance of the rights and interests of all Mexicans residing on the river, and caused said orders to be trans- lated into Spanish, and circulated in the several towns on the Bravo. These orders announced the spirit in which we proposed to occupy the country, and I am proud to say that up to this moment the same spirit has controlled the operations of the army. On reaching the Arroyo Colorado I was informed by a Mexican officer that the order in question had been received in Matamoros ; but was told at the same time that if I attempted to cross the river it would be regarded as a LETTER FROM GEN. TAYLOR TO GEN. AMPUDIA. 33 declaration of war. Again, on my march to Frontone I was met by a deputation of the civil authorities of Matamoros, protesting against my occupation of a portion of the department of Tamaulipas, and declaring that if the army was not at once withdrawn, war would result. While this communication was in my hands, it was discovered that the vil- lage of Frontone had been set on fire and abandoned. I viewed this as a direct act of war, and informed the deputation that their commu- nication would be answered by me when opposite Matamoras, which was done in respectful terms. On reaching the river I despatched an officer, high in rank, to convey to the commanding general in Mata- moros the expression of my desire for amicable relations, and my wil- lingness to leave open to the use of the citizens of Matamoros the port of Brazos Santiago until the question of boundary should be defini- tively settled. This officer received for reply, from the officer selected to confer with him, that my advance to the Rio Bravo was considered as a veritable act of war, and he was absolutely refused an interview with the American consul, in itself an act incompatible with a state of peace. Notwithstanding these repeated assurances on the part of the Mexi- can authorities, and notwithstanding the most obviously hostile pre- parations on the right bank of the river, accompanied by a rigid non-intercourse, I carefully abstained from any act of hostility — de- termined that the onus of producing an actual state of hostilities should not rest with me. Our relations remained in this state until I had the honor to receive your note of the 12th instant, in which you de- nounce war as the alternative of my remaining in this position. As I could not, under my instructions, recede from my position, I ac- cepted the alternative you offered, and made all my dispositions to meet it suitably. But, still willing to adopt milder measures before proceeding to others, I contented myself in the first instance with ordering a blockade of the mouth of the Rio Bravo by the naval forces under my orders — a proceeding perfectly consonant with the state of war so often declared to exist, and which you acknowledge in your note of the 16th instant, relative to the late Col. Cross. If this measure seem oppressive, I wish it borne in mind that it has been forced upon me by the course you have seen fit to adopt. I have re- ported this blockade to my government, and shall not remove it until 3 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. I receive instructions to that effect, unless indeed you desire an armis- tice pending the final settlement of the question between the govern- ments, or until war shall be formally declared by either, in which case I shall cheerfully open the river. In regard to the consequences you mention as resulting from a refusal to remove the blockade, I beg you to understand that I am prepared for them, be they what they may. In regard to the particular vessels referred to in your communica- tion, I have the honor to advise you that, in pursuance of my orders, two American schooners, bound for Matamoros, were warned off on the 17th instant, when near the mouth of the river, and put to sea, returning probably to New Orleans. They were not seized, or their cargoes disturbed in any way, nor have they been in the harbor of Brazos Santiago to my knowledge. A Mexican schooner, understood to be the " Juanita," was in or off that harbor when my instructions to block the river were issued, but was driven to sea in a gale, since which time 1 have had no report concerning her. Since the receipt of your communication, I have learned that two persons, sent to the mouth of the river to procure information respecting this vessel, pro- ceeded thence to Brazos Santiago, when they were taken up and detained by the officer in command, until my orders could be received. I shall order their immediate release. A letter from one of them to the Spanish vice-consul is respectfully transmitted herewith. In relation to the Mexicans said to have drifted down the river in a boat, and to be prisoners at this time in my camp, I have the plea- sure to inform you that no such persons have been taken prisoners, or are now detained by my authority. The boat in question was carried clown empty by the current of the river, and drifted ashore near one of our pickets, and was secured by the guard. Some time afterwards an attempt was made to recover the boat under cover ot the darkness ; the individuals concerned were hailed by the guard, and, failing to answer, were fired upon as a matter of course. What became of them is not known, as no trace of them could be discovered on the following morning. The officer of the Mexican guard directly opposite was informed the next day that the boat would be returned on proper application to me, and I have now only to repeat that assurance. In conclusion, I take leave to state that I consider the tone of your ARISTA'S ADDRESS TO OUR ARMY. 35 communication highly exceptionable, where you stigmatise the move- ment of the army under my orders as "marked with the seal of universal reprobation." You must be aware that such language is not respectful in itself, either to me or to my government ; and while I observe in my own correspondence the courtesy due to your high position, and to the magnitude of the interests with which we are respectively charged, I shall expect the same in return. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. »/?., Commanding. Sr. Gen. D. Pedro de Ampudia, Commanding in Matamoros. The important events now thickening about the " Army of Occupa- tion," gave evidence that the Mexicans were awaiting their own time to make a demonstration. Gen. Taylor in the meanwhile was placed in a peculiar position. His orders from his own government, being pe- remptory, that he should act only on the defensive ; he was therefore compelled to remain quiet, while the enemy, knowing his exact strength and resources, could make such preparations, and bring such force as they thought proper, and at any time deemed most favorable by them for commencing the war. On the 21st Gen. Arista insidiously issued an address to the sol- diers of our army, which was even more cunningly worded than that of Gen. Ampudia's ; it was as follows. The original draft was found on the " 9th May" among Arista's baggage. General Arista?s advice to the soldiers of the United States Army. Head Quarters at Matamoros, Jlpril 20, 1846. Soldiers ! — You have enlisted in time of peace to serve in that army for a specific term ; but your obligation never implied that you were bound to violate the laws of God, and the most sacred rights of friends ! The United States government, contrary to the wishes of a majority of all honest and honorable Americans, has ordered you to take forcible possession of the territory of a friendly neighbor, who has never given her consent to such occupation. In other words, while the treaty of peace and commerce between Mexico and the 36 OUR ARMY ON THE, RIO GRANDE. United States is in full force, the United States, presuming on her strength and prosperity, and on our supposed imbecility and cowardice, attempts to make you the blind instruments of her unholy and mad ambition, and force you to appear as the hateful robbers of our dear homes, and the unprovoked violators of our dearest feelings as men and patriots. Such villany and outrage, I know, is perfectly repug- nant to the noble sentiments of any gentleman, and it is base and foul to rush you on to certain death, in order to aggrandise a few lawless individuals, in defiance of the laws of God and man ! It is to no purpose if they tell you, that the law for the annexation of Texas justifies your occupation of the Rio Bravo del Norte ; for by this act they rob us of a great part of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and New Mexico ; and it is barbarous to send a handful of men on such an errand against a powerful and warlike nation. Besides, the most of you are Europeans, and we are the declared friends of a majority of the nations of Europe. The North Ameri- cans are ambitious, overbearing, and insolent as a nation, and they will only make use of you as vile tools to carry out their abominable plans of pillage and rapine. I warn you in the name of justice, honor, and your own interests and self-respect, to abandon their desperate and unholy cause, and become peaceful Mexican citizens. I guarantee you, in such case, a half section of land, or three hundred and twenty acres, to settle upon, gratis. Be wise, then, and just, and honorable, and take no part in murdering us who have no unkind feelings for you. Lands shall be given to officers, sergeants, and corporals, according to rank, privates receiving three hundred and twenty acres, as stated. If in time of action you wish to espouse our cause, throw away your arms and run to us, and we will embrace you as true friends and Christians. It is not decent nor prudent to say more. But should any of you render important service to Mexico, you shall be accordingly considered and preferred. M. ARISTA, Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Army. On the same day a Mexican came into camp, and reported that he knew where lay the body of an American officer. A command was MURDER OF COL. CROSS. 37 immediately despatched to accompany him, who found, in a lonely place, the skeleton of a murdered man. This was identified as the mortal remains of Col. Cross, more particularly by portions of his uniform, found near by. No certain information could be obtained as to the manner of his death, or who were his murderers. The story told by a Mexican seemed to be most credited, because it was proba- ble, and characteristic of his foes. This Mexican stated that Col. Cross was captured by Romano Falcon's band of lawless, yet autho- rised soldiers of the Mexican army — that after being taken he was robbed of his clothing, and the valuables about him, — a consultation was then held as to his disposition. The majority of Romano Fal- con's band, villains and robbers though they were, decided upon taking him as a prisoner to Matamoros ; but Falcon, enraged at this proposition, so different from what he had anticipated, dastardly killed him by a blow from his pistol. On the 23d a board of officers sat, to examine into the cause of the death of the lamented Col. Cross. The board reported, that after a careful investigation of all the evidence before them, they were satis- fied that he came to his death by violent hands, — that he was sur- rounded by a party of Mexicans and murdered. Gen. Taylor then issued orders for the interment of Col. Cross with full military honors. 38 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. CHAPTER IV. The Mexicans commence crossing the Rio Grande — Col. Cross's funeral — Prospect of hostilities thicken — Arrival of Gen. Arista in Matamoros — His letter to Gen. Taylor — Captain Thornton's command captured — Parti- culars of his surprise — Death of Lieut. Mason — Communication with Point Isabel cut off. On the 24th news arrived in camp, that the Mexicans had com- menced crossing the river; that one thousand were crossing below, and two thousand above. Capt. Ker's squadron of dragoons was instantly ordered below to reconnoitre, and shortly afterwards Capt. Thornton, with his command, were sent up the river for the same purpose. Lieut. Steel, with ten men, was also sent out, but he soon returned, without having seen any thing of the enemy. This day was made sad by the funeral ceremonies attending the burial of Col. Cross. The flags of the encampment were all at half mast, as indeed they had been since his remains were discovered. A brigade of the Seventh Regiment, and a squadron of dragoons, com- posed the funeral escort. The son of the deceased acted as chief mourner. As the solemn train moved along the banks of the river, many eyes unused to the melting mood were then dimmed, and many a dark expression of vengeance was uttered against the perfidious Mexicans, who, like assassins, and not like soldiers, destroy their foes. The quick rolling volleys of musketry announced to the enemy that Col. Cross reposed in his final resting place. The prospect of hostilities continually thickened, and the reports of the crossing of Mexicans were hourly substantiated. It was un- derstood that an attack was to be made upon Point Isabel, with the intention of cutting off Gen. Taylor's supplies, and at the same time, from several points, attack Fort Brown. A party of Mexicans were to-day fired upon by our advanced pickets, when they precipitately retreated. Lieut. Lamed, who had been sent out to find the remains of Lieut. Porter, returned to camp without success, stating that he had met Lieut. Dobbins, who had ARTRTA'R LETTER TO GEN. TAYLOR. 39 avowed his determination not to return to camp until he found Lieut. Porter's body. Captain Ker having been down the river as far as Barita, which is within a short distance of the mouth of the Rio Grande, returned, and reported that he could gain no information of the crossing of troops. Just at this time a parley was sounded on the Mexican side of the river, and a messenger was sent from Matamoros with the fol- lowing letter to Gen. Taylor : Mexican Army. The course of events since the annexation of Texas to the United States was declared, has been so clearly hostile to Mexico, and so foreign to the dignity and principles which the Americans have pro- claimed to the world, that we come to the conclusion that their policy has changed, and their moderation is turned into a desire of aggran- dizement, enriching themselves by humiliating their neighbors. The respect and consideration that friendly nations show to each other have been trampled upon, by which reason the justice and ex- cessive moderation of Mexico shine forth still more. Pressed and forced into war, we enter in a struggle, that cannot be avoided without failing in what is most sacred in man. Political discussions do not appertain to military men, but to diplo- matic agents ; to us belongs the part to act, without it occasioning any surprise that the troops under my command should not wait for any thing else to give battle. We Mexicans have been calumniated as barbarous, in the most caustic and unjust terms ; the occasion has arrived to show what we are, and I do not believe that in the troops under my command there will be any cause to confirm such suppositions, as they will cause to shine the feelings of humanity and generosity that distinguish them. For the first time, 1 have the honor to offer your excellency my great consideration. God and liberty! MARIANO ARISTA. Head Quarters, Matamoros, April 24, 1846. Directed outside. — Mariano Arista, General-in-Chief of the Division of the North, to the General-in-Chief of the forces of the United States encamped opposite Matamoros. 40 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Such was Gen. Arista's official communication announcing his ar- rival in Matamoros, but evidently having the fear of Gen. Taylor's reproof to Gen. Ampuclia before his eyes, for not writing respectful letters, he enclosed the following private note. Sr. Gen. D. Z. Taylor : Sir : — I have just arrived in Matamoros to take command of the troops that the government of my country have confided to my care. Your urbanity, as well as the customs known among gentlemen, make me salute you with all friendliness, by means of this private commu- nication, assuring you, that since fate has marked us to be immediate opponents in the struggles in which our countries are just entering, that at least all the laws of courtesy which reign between generals carrying on a war between civilised nations will be observed, and that you will always find in my acts justice, love of humanity, and all the other qualities which make, in the present times, war less barbarous, and unlike those of the middle ages. I have the pleasure of offering myself with such motives, your affectionate servant, MARIANO ARISTA. Matamoros, April 24, 1846. Lieut. Dobbins returned without accomplishing any thing. Capt. Thornton's squadron had not yet returned, but was anxiously looked for. A report now reached the camp that Capt. Thornton's command had been captured. This created the greatest excitement, and about 12 o'clock in the day two wounded dragoons, of Thornton's com- mand, were sent into Gen. Taylor by Gen. Torrejon, a Mexican officer, with a letter simply stating that, having no flying hospital, he could not attend to their wounds. The soldiers gave a very imperfect account of the action, and re- ported ten men killed, Capt. Hardee a prisoner, Lieut. Kane supposed to be killed, and the fates of Thornton and Mason undefined. New precautions were taken to avoid surprise, and meet attacks then hourly expected. On the 26th, at night, Capt. Catlett, with a Mexican guide, started GEN. TAYLOR'S DESPATCHES. 41 down the river on his way to Point Isabel, with despatches from Gen. Taylor to the governors of Louisiana and Texas * On the 27th all was still doubt regarding the fate of Thornton, and the result of his fight, when a wounded man was sent in from the Mexicans. This man was sent from Matamoros, and bore a letter from * Despatch to the Governor of Louisiana. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, April 26, 1846. Sir: — I have the honor to apprise you that hostilities have actually com- menced between my forces and those of the Mexicans, and that I have need of the services of a considerable number of volunteers. Four regiments have been called from Texas, but as there will be considerable delay in assembling them here, and as my further operations will require still stronger force, I have the honor, under the authority of the War Department, to call upon the state of Louisiana for four regiments of infantry, to be ordered into service with the utmost despatch, and for the longest period authorised by law. I shall communicate immediately to Gen. Gaines, and request him to give you every facility in the organization and equipment of these troops, and for- warding them to Point Isabel. I subjoin the organization of a regiment of volunteers, and respectfully desire that it may be observed, and that the number of prescribed officers be not exceeded. The battalions may be mustered into service at New Orleans, or at Point Isabel, as most convenient. I beg that they may be sent forward as rapidly as they can be raised. I would suggest that a brigadier general be commissioned to command the force called from Louisiana, and from my experience of his excellent qualities as an officer, I would be particularly gratified if Gen. Persifor F. Smith could be selected for such appointment. I cannot doubt that the gallant state of Louisiana will respond with alac- rity to this call upon the patriotism of her sons, and I feel every assurance chat no eflbrt will be wanting on the part of the state authorities, to organise the force, and have it in readiness to embark at the earliest practicable moment. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., Commanding. Hon. Isaac Johnson, Gov. of Louisiana, New Orleans, La. Organization of a regiment of volunteers : 1 Colonel; 1 Adjutant, ) 1 Lieut. Colonel ; 1 Quarter-Master, j" 1 Major; with rank of Lieut.; 1 Surgeon ; 5 Assistant Surgeons. And 10 companies, each to have — 1 Captain ; 4 Sergeants ; 1 First Lieutenant ; 4 Corporals ; 1 Second Lieutenant ; 2 Musicians ; And at least 50 privates. 42 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Capt. Hardee, detailing an account of the action, and stating that Lieut. Kane and himself were in Matamoros, prisoners of war. Thirty- six of their men were with them, and all were well treated. Capt. Hardee stated that Gen. Ampudia had remarked that the Mexicans had borne the reputation of treating their prisoners barbarously ; but in that respect he intended to redeem the Mexican character. PARTICULARS OF THORNTON'S SURPRISE. According to orders from Gen. Taylor, Capt. Thornton with his command proceeded up the river, and after advancing probably twenty- six miles, and within a presumed short distance from the enemy's camp, Capt. Thornton's Mexican guide refused to go farther, and stated, as his reason, that the country was filled with Mexican troops. This opinion was confirmed by a Mexican met on the road, who stated that the enemy was encamped, two thousand strong, undei Gen. Anastasio Torrejon, within a short distance. Capt. Thornton, having but little confidence in his guide, kept on up the river, when he came to a farm house and plantation, fronted by a bog, and sur- rounded by a thick chaparral fence, except that portion which bor- dered upon the river. Capt. Thornton entered the plantation through a pair of bars, and advanced towards the house, for the purpose of making inquiries : his squadron followed in single file. As soon as his whole command had entered the enclosure, and while engaged at the house in conversation with one of its inmates, the cry of alarm was raised, and Capt. Thornton found himself surrounded by a com- plete army. The fence was lined with infantry, and the entrance of the field taken possession of, while a body of cavalry advanced upon him. These last mentioned he gallantly charged, and drove back ; but he did not succeed in reaching the opening in the fence. In this rencontre Lieut. Kane was unhorsed. Capt. Thornton then endeavoured to clear the chaparral, and turn- ing, charged it with his squadron, when the infantry with which it was lined, opened a destructive fire. Capt. Thornton's horse receiving a severe wound at the instant of making one of the most extraordinary leaps on record, bore his rider gallantly over the chaparral, and both disappeared. The squadron, unable to follow its leader, was rallied under a galling fire, by Capt. Hardee, thus placed in command, and CAPT. THORNTON. 43 endeavored to retreat to the Mexican side of the river by going over the boggy front, and swimming the stream. In this he failed, for the banks of the river were impassable, and finding himself and command entirely surrounded by the enemy, and all retreat impossible, he ad- vanced towards a Mexican officer, and stated the willingness of him- self and the twenty-five men around him to surrender, on condition that their treatment should be such as is usual to prisoners of war, and in accordance with the customs of civilised nations. If such terms would not be granted, he expressed the readiness of himself and men to sell their lives as dearly as possible. This message being borne to the general commanding, and an answer giving the promise being returned, the command surrendered, crossed the river, and en- tered Matamoros as prisoners of war. The capture of Capt. Thorn- ton's command filled the Mexican army with extacies, and though the force opposed to Capt. Thornton was at least ten or fifteen to one, still it was considered a great and glorious victory. Gen. Arista, on receipt of the news, addressed the following letter of congratulation to Gen. Torrejon. This has been a day of rejoicing to all the Division of the North, it having this day been known of the triumph achieved by the brigade which your excellency so worthily commands. The rejoiced country will doubtless celebrate this preliminary of glorious deeds that her happy sons will in future present to her. Your excellency will com- municate to your brave soldiers that I have seen with the greatest pleasure their valiant behaviour, and that I await for the detailed des- patch to elevate it to the knowledge of the supreme government, so that the nation may learn the triumph of your arms. MARIANO ARISTA. To Gen. Don Anastasio Torrejon. Matamoros, April 26. On the 29th the comrades of Capt. Thornton heard, with a burst of joy, a statement from a Mexican officer, that Capt. Thornton still lived. It appears that after charging the chaparral fence, he cut his way through the enemy, and ran the gauntlet of a great number of shots, in the midst of which his horse fell, rolling down the bank, se- verely bruising him in many places. He recovered himself, and got 44 OUR ARMY ON THE* RIO GRANDE. within five miles of the American camp, when he was stopped by a picket guard of the enemy, and carried into Matamoras. Lieut. Kane having escaped from the enclosure in which the party were surprised, was made a prisoner, and protected from immediate murder by being placed behind a Mexican cavalry officer : but even while thus pro- tected, the Mexican soldiers contrived to pick his pockets, and take part of his uniform, besides the spurs from his boots. Lieut. G. T. Mason was killed in the rencontre. Rumor has it that he engaged personally with Romano Falcon, singling him out at the commencement of the action. It is said that in the close contest he crippled Romano Falcon by maiming his hand for life. Lieut. G. T. Mason is remembered by his brothers in arms as a gen- tleman universally beloved j as a chivalrous, high-toned officer, full of the spirit of the valiant soldier, proud of his profession, yet unassu- ming in his manners. He graduated at West Point in 1842, and was assigned to a command in the First Dragoons.* The prospect of Point Isabel (which contained all the military stores) being assailed now hourly increased, and all intercourse be- tween that place and Gen. Taylor's camp was cut off. Fort Brown was nearly completed, and Gen. Taylor commenced preparations ne- cessary to enable the greater part of his force to march to Point. Isa- bel. Gen. Taylor gave his orders with great promptitude ; and though he seemed to understand perfectly his singular position, and the im- portance of each movement, he showed by every action that he was entirely confident of success. * In the ambuscade that resulted in the surrender of Thornton's command there were killed, one officer, two sergeants, and eight men, while by the capture nearly one third of the mounted force on the Rio Grande was lost to the army. BRAZOS SANTIAGO. 45 CHAPTER V. Brazos Santiago — Incident in its history — Entrance in the bay — Point Isabel Don Roderiguez — His conduct — Retreat from Point Isabel — Col. Twiggs takes possession of it — Made a depot of military stores — Major Munroe takes command — Stirring incidents — Capt. Walker leaves for Fort Brown. If you would reach Point Isabel by the way of the sea, you must first pass through Brazos Santiago, which simply means, u St. James' inlet." The pass is as desolate a looking place as can well be con- ceived of. As far as the eye can reach, a barren sand-bar meets the eye, the sameness of which is only broken by the half-burned wreck of some unfortunate vessel blown ashore, in one of the frequent storms that ravage the Texian coast ; and, save on your left, there you see an embankment of perhaps a mile, that once stood up against the dashing sea, as a natural wall. You will at once be struck with the evidence, that at some stated time, the waves of the troubled ocean have swept over it, furrowing it with deep ridges and ravines ; such has been the case. But a few years since, and a small Mexican village, and a fort, con- taining some sixty soldiers, stood upon the u Brazos point." Two pieces of cannon perfectly defended the entrance of the inlet. On a terrible night, when the wind blew inland, driving ships before it to destruction, as if they had been paper toys, the sea itself, piled in huge masses against the bluff, until amidst the thunder and lightning and darkness, it swept over the frail barrier, engulphing village and fort, and their inmates, in the everlasting grave, and leaving, when the storm cleared away, not the slightest fragment to tell that more ever existed at the Brazos, than the present low desolate-looking sand-hills. The breakers are always rolling at the Brazos bar. There seems ever to be some troubled spirit in the waters and air, that throws about the voyager's craft, and makes the seaman cautious in his movements, The powerful labor of steam, in fair weather, sends in the vessel through the u pass," quite handsomely, if she be not drawing too much water. Once fairly in, you see Point Isabel some three miles 46 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. ofi> quite picturesquely situated at the head of the bay. Your vessel turns suddenly to the left, and comes to anchor under cover of the sand-hills, leaving passengers and freight, to find their way to " the point," as best they may, in " lighters," or other shallow craft. Point Isabel is a bluff some fifteen or twenty feet high, reaching out into the bay, and falling back inland ; consequently it commands the country about for a great distance, particularly as you look to- wards Matamoros. It was, up to the 25th of March, 1846, the site of a small Mexican village, composed of grass-thatched cottages, made of reeds, or spars of wrecked vessels. Its population consisted of a Mexican by the name of Don Roderiguez, who was " captain of the port," and consequently had charge of the " custom-house," together with fifty or sixty idle inhabitants. It was then defended by Gen. Garcia, who had with him, it was said, a force of two hundred and fifty men, composed of infantry and artillery. Don Roderiguez repre- sented his class. He was a man who took bribes from those who exported goods from the country; took bribes from those who im- ported goods into the country; took bribes for not exposing his vic- tims. And in this way he empoverished the people, defrauded the customs, and was getting rich, while managing to send just money enough to head quarters, to let " the government" know that he was busy fleecing the people it should protect. He it was who, after " the delegation" of his own citizens had gone out to meet Gen. Taylor, first discovered the American fleet coming towards the Brazos, from Aransas bay, which, it will be remembered, appeared almost simulta- neously with our army at the rear of the point. Enraged at the sight, and judging rightly that his " occupation was gone," he set fire to the custom-house, a miserable hovel, and with the soldiers under Gen. Garcia, and the inhabitants, fled out of the bay towards Matamoros, by the way of Boca Chica, just in time to escape from our dragoons, under Col. Twiggs, whom Gen. Taylor had ordered, upon seeing the conflagration, to hasten to the point, and at which place Col. Twiggs arrived in time to save a few of the houses, but not to arrest the in- cendiary custom-house officer. Immediately on the arrival of the detachments of the U. S. troops, Point Isabel became a place of great business. The few Mexican huts that were left standing after the fire, were at once occupied ; and then CAPT. WALKER. 47 commenced the erection of a variety of rude sheds and dwellings, for the accommodation of the " military stores" and the property of the sutlers who followed the army. The harbor was filled with vessels laden with the stores of the army, and of every possible size, that could enter it, while in the offing there constantly hovered a number of our vessels of war. For the defence of this place, Gen. Taylor appointed Major John Munroe, with two companies of artillery. Capt. J. Saunders, of the engineering corps, planned its defences, which were immediately com- menced after taken possession of by the " Army of Occupation." Nothing of startling interest occurred at this place until towards the end of April, when, through the dangers threatened Gen. Taylor at Fort Brown, apprehensions were felt for Point Isabel. Rumors were constantly in circulation, that large bodies of Mexicans were preparing to move to the point, with the intention of cutting off Gen. Taylor from his supplies. The Mexican force known to be about Fort Brown were continually making demonstrations towards Point Isabel, until all communication was cut off between that place and the army on the banks of the Rio Grande. During the nights of the 27th and 28th of April the force at Point Isabel expected to be attacked, and every disposition was made accordingly. The masters of vessels in port were called on for their crews, and about five hun- dred men were furnished with arms, among whom were some fifty or sixty seamen. Small parties of Texians had previously arrived, among whom was Capt. Walker, of the Rangers, who w T as destined to occupy a prominent place in the stirring events that followed. Major Munroe expressed himself able to hold out with his reinforcements against any number of Mexicans that chose to attack him. At this time several teams that had started for Fort Brown, were compelled to re- turn ; and Capt. Walker, with a number of men, who had, on the 28th, gone out to reconnoitre, were driven back to Point Isabel, suf- fering great loss. He stated, that midway between Point Isabel and the camp, an overwhelming Mexican force suddenly appeared, and many of his men, who were just enlisted, had scattered in confusion, and he was compelled to retreat. He was followed by the Mexicans until within a short distance of the point, where he arrived with only two of his command ; seven afterwards came in. Capt. Walker esti- 48 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. mated the force he met at fifteen hundred, and thought many of the enemy fell in his engagement with them. In spite of the severe repulse Capt. Walker had received, he offered his services to Major Munroe to carry a message to Gen. Taylor. His offer was accepted, and on the evening of the 29th he started, and after running the most imminent risks of being captured, he succeeded in reaching Gen. Taylor's camp in safety. As soon as Gen. Taylor received Major Munroe's message, he determined upon a movement that would protect Point Isabel, and open a communication with his supplies. DEPARTURE OF GEN. TAYLOR FROM FORT BROWN. 49 CHAPTER VI. Gen. Taylor, with the army, march out of Fort Brown — The Fort — Mexican account thereof — Mexican valor — Sorrow at not meeting Gen. Taylor — Bombardment commenced — Incident — Death of Sergeant Weigart — Mexi- can account of the first day's bombardment — Triumph of their arms — Bravery of the people of Matamoros — Additional particulars — Bulletin of Northern Division — Glory of the Mexican arms— Their future prospects with posterity. Accordingly, on the morning of the 1st of May, 1846, the main body of the " Army of Occupation" marched out of its entrenchments upon the banks of the Rio Grande, and moved towards Point Isabel. The Seventh Regiment of infantry, and two companies of artillery, commanded by Capt. Lowd and Lieut. Bragg, the whole under the command of Major J. Brown of the Seventh, were left in the fort to complete its works, and defend it if attacked. Fort Brown, and Grave of Col. Cross. As the army passed out, the banks of the river on the Matamoros side were crowded with spectators, to witness the departure of what they fondly thought were discomfited troops. The bells of the city rang, and the cadences of music showed that there was a gala time in its streets. A boletin de la Division del Norte was duly despatched by Gen. Arista to the city of Mexico, announcing the "retreat" of Gen 4 50 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. 1. Gen. Taylor's Head Quarters when he 12. Garden. first arrived on the Rio Grande. 13. Matamoros. 2. Old Guard House. 14. Plaza. 3. Fort Brown. 15. Fort Paredes. 4. Flag. 16. Mortar Battery. 5. Battery of two Bombs. 17. Sand-Bag Battery. 6. Ferry. 18. Mortar Battery. 7. Lower Ferry. 19. Batteries. 8. Road to Point Isabel. 20. Lower-Fort Mortar Battery. 9. Fanques del Raminero. 21. Mortar, or Country Battery. 10. Island. 22. Gen. Taylor's Head Quarters after 11. Pond. taking Matamoros. MEXICAN BULLETIN. 51 Taylor and his army. The soldiers left in the fort worked with new energy all that day, and the ensuing night, to strengthen its walls, and every precaution was used at the same time to repel hostilities. Major Brown assigned to each company a certain part of the work for it to defend, and gave to each man his place on the parapet where he must spring in case of alarm. The movements of Gen. Taylor were perfectly known to the Mexican army. Gen. Taylor's contemplated march for the relief of Point Isabel had evidently been promulgated in Matamoros, and the Mexican generals had conceived the idea of cutting him off, before lie had accomplished his object. Their preparations for such a purpose can be looked at through their own documents, as will be seen by the following extract from a semi-official bulletin.* " On the first of this month, (May,) at 1 1 o'clock in the morning, the general-in-chief left this place, (Matamoros,) to join the army who several hours before had left with the intention of crossing the river at a short distance from the camp of the enemy. In consequence of the orders given so that this dangerous operation might be performed with due security, and according to the rules of military art, when our troops arrived at the spot designated for the crossing of the river, the left bank was already occupied by Gen. D. Anastasio Torrejon, with all the force under his command. The enthusiasm of our sol- diers to conquer the obstacles which separated them from the enemy was so great, that they showed themselves impatient of the delay occasioned by the bad condition of some of the flat boats which had been very much injured in the transportation by land, and could not be used, as they would fill up with water as soon as they were launched. In spite of that obstacle, the work went on with such activity, and so great was the ardor of the most excellent general-in- chief, whose orders were obeyed with the greatest promptness and precision, that a few hours were sufficient to transport to the opposite bank of the Bravo a strong division, with all its artillery and train. " This rapid and well-combined movement ought to have proved to the invaders not only that the Mexicans possess instruction and aptness for war, but that those qualities are now brought forth by the purest * El Monitor Republicano. — Matamoros, May 4. 52 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. patriotism. The Northern Division, fearless of fatigue and levelling all difficulties, ran to seek an enemy who, well sheltered under parapets, and defended with guns of a large calibre, could wait for the attack with indisputable advantage. With deep trenches, with a multitude of fortifications, the defence was easy against those who presented themselves with their naked breasts. " But Gen. Taylor dared not resist the valor and enthusiasm of the sons of Mexico. Well did he foresee the intrepidity with which our soldiers would rush against the usurpers of the national territory. Well did he know the many injuries which were to be avenged by those who had taken up arms, not to aggrandise themselves with the spoils of the property of others, but to maintain the independence of their country. Well did he know, we repeat it, that the Mexicans would be stopped neither by trenches, or fortresses, or large artillery. Thus it was that the chief of the American forces, frightened as soon as he perceived from the situation and proximity of his camp that our army were preparing to cross the river, left with precipitation for Point Isabel with almost all his troops, eight pieces of artillery, and a few wagons. Their march was observed from our position, and the most excellent Gen. D. Francisco Mejia immediately sent an express extraordinary to communicate the news to the most excellent general- in-chief. Here let me pay to our brave men the tribute which they deserve. The express verbally informed some of the troops which had not yet arrived at the ford, of the escape of the Americans ; in one instant, all the soldiers spontaneously crossed the river, almost racing one with another. " Such was the ardor with which they crossed the river to attack the enemy. " The terror and haste with which the latter fled to the fort, to shut themselves up in it and avoid a conflict, frustrated the active measures of the most excellent Senor General Arista, which were to order the cavalry to advance in the plain and to cut off the flight of the fugitives. But it was not possible to do so, notwithstanding their forced march during the night. Gen. Taylor left his camp at 2 o'clock in the after- noon, and, as fear has wings, he succeeded in shutting himself up in the fort. When our cavalry reached the point where they were to detain him, he had already passed, and was several leagues ahead. BOMBARDMENT COMMENCED. 53 Great was the sorrow of our brave men not to have been able to meet the enemy face to face ; their defeat was certain, and the main body of that invading army, who thought that they inspired the Mexicans with so much respect, Avould have disappeared in the first important battle. But there was some fighting to be done ; and the Americans do not know how to use other arms but those of duplicity and treachery. Why did they not remain with firmness under their colors ? Why did they abandon the ground which they pretend to usurp with such iniquity ? Thus has an honorable general kept his word. Had not Gen. Taylor said, in all his communications, that he was prepared to repel all hostilities ? Why, then, does he fly in so cowardly a manner to shut himself up at the point ? The commander-in-chief of the American army has covered himself with opprobrium and igno- miny in sacrificing a part of his forces, whom he left in the fortifica- tions, to save himself; for it is certain that he will not return to their assistance — not that he is ignorant of their peril, but he calculates that his would be greater if he had the temerity of attempting to resist the Mexican lances and bayonets in the open plain." The first and second day after Gen. Taylor left Fort Brown, it was entirely unmolested, but on the morning of the third, and the 3d day of the month, the Mexicans opened on the fort, from one of their batteries, containing seven guns. The fire was immediately returned on the fort, and on the town : the consulate - flags being respected. In twenty minutes after the fort opened, an eighteen pound ball struck a Mexican twelve-pounder directly in the muzzle, knocking it off its carriage, and wounding those who manned it. A few moments after this incident, the whole battery was silenced. When the fire first com- menced, Lieut. Britton rushed into his tent, seized his rifle, and stepped out, instantly a nine pound ball passed through the tent, ranged through it, breaking the back upright pole, and passing through two other tents, buried itself in the parapet. The enemy, after the silence of their battery, commenced firing shot and shells, from the u lower fort" and " mortar batteries," but without doing any damage. At this time, a curtain, connecting the flanks of the north and east bastions of the fort, the one in which the gate was placed, was unfinished. To com- plete this curtain, the soldiers worked night and day, without any re- gularly appointed time for sleeping, and under constant fire. As the 54 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. parapet rose, the men became more exposed, and the enemy took ad- vantage of it, directing their guns upon any point where laborers were seen. About five hours after the bombardment commenced, Sergeant Weigart of the Seventh was killed while at his post, by a cannon-ball, that struck him on the head. His companions conveyed the body to the hospital tent, which was on the south side of the fort, and deposited it on a cot, and but a moment afterwards, a bomb fell through the roof of the hospital tent, among a crowd of sick and wounded, and exploded, blowing off the dead man's head, tearing the tent to pieces, and yet not injuring in the slightest degree a living person. An inci- dent so strange, is hardly recorded in history. Such is the history of the first day of the bombardment. The Mexicans had their notions of it, and with promptness despatched them to " head quarters ;" they were as follows :* " But let us relate the glorious events of yesterday. As Aurora dawned, we began to fire from our ramparts on the fortifications of the enemy, and the thunder of Mexican cannon was saluted by the reveille from every point of our line, by the bell of the parochial church, and by the vivas of the inhabitants of Matamoros. In a mo- ment the streets were filled, and all were rejoiced to see at last the hour arrived, when we were to give a terrible lesson to the American camp, whose odious presence could no longer be tolerated. The enemy answered, but they were soon convinced that their artillery, although of a superior calibre, could not compete with ours. After a fire of five hours, our ramparts remained immovable, on account of the solidity of their construction, and the intelligence with which the rules of art had been observed. The same did not happen to the American fortifications, whose bastions were so completely demolished, that towards 1 1 o'clock in the morning their artillery ceased to play, and their fire was hushed. We continued to fire with activity during the day, without the enemy's daring to respond to us, because, the parapets under which they would shelter themselves being destroyed, they had not courage to load their guns, which remained uncovered. This result shows us of what in reality consists the exalted skill of the American artillerists. They have eighteen-pounders, and we have nothing larger than eight-pounders ; and yet the intelligence and prac- * From El Monitor Republicano, Matamoros, May 4. MEXICAN ACCOUNT. 55 tice of the Mexicans sufficed to conquer those who had superior arms. Unequalled glory and eternal honor to our brave artillerymen. "The enemy, in their impotent rage, and before they concealed their shame behind the most distant parapets, had the barbarous plea- sure of aiming their guns towards the city, to destroy its edifices, as it was not in their power to destroy the fortifications from which they received so much injury. This wicked revenge, which only springs from cowardly and miserable souls, did not meet with the success expected by those who so unworthily adorn themselves with the title of savants and philanthropists. Their stupidity was equal to their wickedness. Almost all the balls passed too high ; and those which touched the houses, although they were eighteen-pounders, did not cause any other mischief but that of piercing one or two walls. If those who conceived the infamous design of destroying Matamoros, had seen the contemptuous laughter with which the owners of those houses showed their indifference for the losses which they might sus- tain, they would have admired the patriotism and disinterestedness of the Mexicans, always ready to undergo the greatest sacrifices, when it is necessary to maintain their nationality and independence. The glorious 3d of May is another brilliant testimony of this truth ; through the thickest of the firing, one could remark the most ardent enthu- siasm on all faces, and hardly had a ball fallen, when even the chil- dren would look for it, without fearing that another aimed in the same manner should fall in the same place. That, we saw ourselves in the public square, where a multitude of citizens were assembled. " The triumph of our arms has been complete, and we have only to lament the loss of a sergeant and two artillerymen, who fell glo- riously in fighting for their country. The families of those victims ought to be taken care of by the supreme government, to whose pater- nal gratitude they have been recommended by the most excellent senor general-in-chief. We must also be consoled by the thought that the blood of these brave men has been revenged by their bereaved com- panions. As many of our balls passed through the enemy's embra- sures, the loss to the Americans must have been very great ; and al- though we do not know exactly the number of their dead, the most accurate information makes it amount to fifty-six. It is probable that such is the case. Since 1 1 o'clock in the morning, the abandonment of 56 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. their guns, merely because two of them were dismounted, and the others were uncovered ; the panic-terror with which, in all haste, they took refuge in their furthest entrenchments, taking away from the camp all that could suffer from the attack of our artillery; the de- struction which must have been occasioned by the bombs so well aimed, that some would burst at a yard's distance from the ground in their descent to the point where they were to fall ; every thing con- tributes to persuade that indeed the enemy "have suffered a terrible loss. If it were not the case — if they preserved some remnant of valor, why did they not dare to repair their fortifications in the night. It is true that, from time to time, a few guns were fired on them in the night, but their aim could not be certain, and cowardice alone could force them not to put themselves in an attitude to return the fire which was poured on them again at daylight. No American put out his head ; silence reigned in their camp ; and for this reason we have suspended our fire to-day — that there is no enemy to meet our batteries. " To conclude, we will give a brilliant paragraph relating to the contest, by the most excellent senor general-in-chief, as to the part which he took in the events of yesterday. He says thus : ' Mexico must glorify herself, and especially the valiant men of the Division of the North, that a force inferior in its elements, and perhaps in number also, and which required nearly two months to swell itself with the auxiliaries coming from the capital, should meet in an immense plain, defying the army of the United States, and the whole power of that republic, without their opponents, who could receive succor in the space of fifty hours, should dare to leave the fort to give us battle.' " "Bulletin of the Northern Division - , " Matamoros, May 4th. u From the news which we publish to-day, it will be seen that the Northern Division, so deservedly intrusted with the first operations against the North American army, has most nobly fulfilled its highly important mission. Not that we mean to be understood as consider- ing its task is yet fully completed, but we anticipate, before the end of the present week, to witness the total discomfiture of the enemy, who has had the temerity to answer the fire of our batteries : of those MEXICAN BULLETIN. 57 batteries that gave them yesterday such abundant proof of that valor, so characteristic of the Mexicans : a valor rendered famous in a hun- dred bloody contests ! It were endless to recount all the acts of patriotism performed by the troops of the garrison, and the valiant citizens who shared in the defence of the city — they courted danger with that intrepidity always inspired by a just cause. " So rapid is the fire of our guns, that the batteries of the enemy have been silenced* But what is most worthy of notice, as showing the great enthusiasm of this place, is the fact that many of the inha- bitants, of both sexes, in the hottest of the cannonade, remained firm in front of the enemy, filled with enthusiasm : indeed, fear is always unknown to those whose mission it is to avenge an outrage upon the sacred rights of their beloved country. " From our account of the war, the world will judge of the great superiority of our troops, in courage as well as skill, over the Ameri- cans. It is indeed wonderful to witness the dismay of the enemy : rare is the occurrence when an American ventures outside of the breastwork. — There can be no doubt of this, that the Mexicans will be considered by foreign nations as the very emblems of patriotism-! How evident that they inherit the blood of the noble sons of Pelayo ! Happy they who have met with so glorious a death in defending the territory bequeathed to them by their fathers ! * Finding that our six-pounders affected little on the enemy's guns, owing to the distance, and wishing to husband our men and means, I ordered the firing to cease. — Major Brown's official despatch to Gen. Taylor. t Upon receiving the news of the Mexican operations on the Rio Grande, the London Times of 15th June, has the following: — " War between Mexico and the United States. — The despatches of Gen. Taylor are remarkable for their succinct energy, and the absence of those verbose and grandiloquent strains which we are accustomed to meet with in narra- tives of American exploits. He writes like a man of sense, skill, and courage ; and we have not the slightest wish to detract from the honors he has gallantly earned under the flag of his country. Whatever opinion we may entertain of the causes of this war, and the political motives in which it originated, the behaviour of the American general and his troops deserves to be judged of by a much higher standard than the policy of the government which it is their duty to serve. The conduct of the Mexican army on the contrary, demonstrates the inability of that government to protect any portion of its dominions from in- vasion; and it degrades the descendants of the Spanish Americans still loxoer in the rank of nations." 58 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. " The nation with which we are at war is most savage in its pro- ceedings ; no regard being paid to the flags of friendly nations : even those usages and customs respected by civilised nations, to divest war of some of its horrors, have been shamefully disregarded. The enemy have fired red shot against this innocent city, and we publish it to the world in proof that, with all their boasted wisdom and liberty, they are unworthy of being counted among enlightened nations. " His excellency, the general-in-chief of the Northern Division, and his intrepid soldiers, are ready to fight the enemy in any numbers, and we are certain that our arms will be successful ; but the nation against whom we have to contend is excessively proud ; and it is also possessed of resources which may perhaps surpass those within our reach. Let us then make an immense effort to repel their aggressions. Let us contribute everything most dear to us, our persons, our means, to save our country from its present danger. Let us oppose to the unbridled ambition of the Anglo-American, that patriotic enthusiasm, so peculiar to us. Indeed, we need only follow the glorious example of Matamoros, that noble city, which will be known in future by the name of Heroic. Its inhabitants have emulated the examples of Me- namia, and Sagintum ; they have determined to die at the foot of the eagle of Anahuac, defend their fort whilst they retain the breath of life — this plan is settled. — The supreme government is making strenu- ous exertions in order to protect the territory placed under its care by the nation, and nothing is now wanting but for the people to rush in a mass to the frontier, and the independence of Mexico is safe." CAPT. MAY'S RECONNOITRE. 59 CHAPTER VII. Bombardment — Point Isabel — Capt. May attempts a communication -with Fort Brown — Incidents connected therewith — Major Brown's orders to his men — Appearance of the enemy — Bombardment resumed — Mexican re- connoisance — Anecdote. The echoing reports of the cannon that opened on Fort Brown reached Point Isabel : they were listened to with feelings so intense, that our soldiers fairly ceased for a moment to breathe. The cannon ade continued hour after hour, and then the war was known to have commenced. Gen. Taylor was anxious to know how well the fort stood the bombardment, that he might regulate his movements according to the demand circumstances made upon him. The Mexicans now literally filled the country between the point and the fort : to communicate was desperate service. A command, presumed to be of sufficient force, was selected on the evening of the 3d, to attempt the wished-for communication. Capt. May, with one hundred men, including Capt. Walker and ten of his Texian rangers, was ordered to proceed within six or eight miles of Fort Brown, and to reconnoitre the country on the left of the road towards the Rio Grande ; then to take a position on the edge of the chaparral under cover of the night, and if he heard no cannonading of the fort, to send in a small detachment under Capt. Walker to communicate with Major Brown, and wait the return of the command thus sent in ; then to proceed to the position reported to have been taken by the enemy, examine it, and obtain their strength, return to Point Isabel, examining the country on the left of the road towards the San Colorow, and under no circumstances to hazard an engagement, as the especial service he was on was of the greatest im- portance. Capt. May left Point Isabel about 2 o'clock, and proceeded a few miles on his route, when he ordered a halt until dark. He then went on, and came in sight of the enemy's camp fires about 9 o'clock. The 60 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. enemy was posted in a position formerly occupied by our own army as a camp, and known as the Palo Alto. There being no pickets out, Capt. May leading his command, by cautiously proceeding, got with- in half a mile of the enemy's front, circling them until he brought his party between the enemy's encampment and Fort Brown. He then protected himself and command from observation by the edge of the chaparral, about seven miles from the fort, and hearing no cannonad- ing, he ordered Capt. Walker, with six of his rangers, to proceed thi- therward, and if he found any portion of the Mexican lines near the fort, to examine their strength, and, if possible, to fire on some of the pickets, to give notice to those in the fort that an effort was being made to communicate with them. If successful, he was to inform Major Brown, that Gen. Taylor had ordered Capt. May to proceed to the position he then occupied, as he had heard the cannonading, and then to send Capt. Walker forward to learn the damage done the fort, and also, if its commander could maintain his position ; but not to put his information in writing, it being considered dangerous, as the risk of its falling into the enemy's possession was so very great. Capt. Walker having received his instructions, proceeded to the fort, which he reached between 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning. On his approach, he was hailed by the sentinel, and he answered, " Capt. Walker and friends from Frontone."* The troops of the fort at the time were lying behind the parapets. The instant Capt. Walker spoke his voice was recognised by the troops as that of a friend. The sen- tinel replied, " Stand, Capt. Walker and friends from Fontone !" and immediately communicated the fact to the officer of the guard, who communicated the same to the commanding officer of the fort. Major Brown then directed that the commanding officer of the party outside should come into his presence ; but that his armed party should re- main outside for further instructions. The instant Capt. Walker's voice was recognised, an officer inside the fort requested him to move his party from the position it then occupied, because the place where it stood was singularly exposed to the bursting of the shells sent from the town, as it was directly in the line of fire of the sand-bag fort bat- tery. Capt. Walker did as directed, and a guard of the fort then took # Frontone is used by most of the Texians as synonymous with Point Isabel. ADVENTURES OF CAPTAINS WALKER AND MAY. 61 a ladder, let it down into the ditch, crossed over to the side on which Capt. Walker was standing, let him down into the ditch, and then moved the ladder, so that Capt. Walker was received into the fort, and in the presence of Major Brown. Capt. Walker communicated his instructions to Major Brown, and stating where he had left Capt. May and his party, he requested fresh horses, that he might meet Capt. May, so that the whole party might pass the enemy's lines before daylight. The horses were furnished. Walker and his party left the fort about 4 o'clock, with Major Brown's communications, and proceeded near where he had left Capt. May and his party, but found they had gone, and that the Mexicans were pre- pared to cut off his return to Frontone. He then returned to Fort Brown, reaching it at reveille, saying, that u the game was blocked on him this time, but that he would give the Mexicans another turn when it was dark." Capt. May and command had remained in their saddles waiting for the return of Capt. Walker, until about half an hour before day, when it became apparent that the scouts of the enemy had discovered them ; and as Capt. Walker had been absent six hours, Capt. May was satis- fied he had met with some difficulty in returning, and as his force was not strong enough to engage the enemy, and as his orders were peremptory for him not to do so, Capt. May determined to return ; in doing which, he passed down the enemy's lines, within half a mile, at a brisk gallop over the open prairie, continuing to bear to the main road leading to Point Isabel. When within twelve miles of the point, Capt. May found opposing him, across his road, near one hun- dred and fifty of the enemy's lancers. — Forming into line, he charged them and drove them towards the left and towards their own camp, pursuing them nearly three miles on jaded horses. Finding he could not come up with the enemy, and fearing an ambuscade, he wheeled his squadron about, and proceeded to Point Isabel, reaching that place about 9 o'clock. Capt. Walker and command remained at Fort Brown throughout the day. Immediately after dark, he started from the fort with his party, and proceeded on to Frontone, and by his superior knowledge of the country avoided the enemy who were everywhere in his pathway, and using every means to cut off his return ; they being, as it afterwards 62 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. appeared, well aware of his office of messenger. Capt. Walker and command reached Gen. Taylor in safety, and brought the glorious news that Major Brown could maintain his position with such officers and men as were with him, against any force the enemy could bring against him. Major Brown, finding that the storming of the fort was not to be im- mediately attempted, allowed his men stationed at the exposed parts of the parapets, to step down from their assigned places, but to remain near and opposite, and ready to spring into them at a moment's warn- ing. On the evening of the 4th, soon after Capt. Walker left, the firing of musketry was heard in the rear of the fort, and within three or four hundred yards distance. It was supposed the Mexicans intended an assault. The garrison was immediately under arms, the batteries and defences all manned, and so continued during the night. At dawn of the morning of the 5th, large parties of the enemy were discovered in the rear of the fort, both horse and foot. Their left rested on a point of the river below the fort ; their right on a point above, at least a mile distant. This immense force of thousands was supported by a battery that had been erected in the night, and which was named, after it opened on Fort Brown, the " Battery in the Country." This battery, with those of Matamoros, opened at 5 o'clock in the after- noon, and kept up a galling crossfire of shot and shell, for about one hour. The firing was replied to by our eighteen, and six-pound howit- zer batteries, placed in embrasures on the south-east bastion. The bat- teries on both sides ceased firing simultaneously. About two hours after this, a Mexican by the name of Valdez, presented himself at the gate of the fort and was admitted. He stated that a party of American dragoons had been driven back to Point Isabel, (a Mexican's account, probably, of May's return to that place on the morning of the 4th,) and also that a party had been driven into the fort, (Walker's party, which attempted to communicate with Capt. May.) The Mexican also said that Arista's troops were becoming dissatisfied, and were desert- ing in great numbers, and that another revolution had broken out in Mexico. At 9 o'clock several Mexican officers, escorted by a party of cavalry, commenced a reconnoisance within eight hundred yards of the fort, while large bodies of mounted men and infantry were deployed in BOMBARDMENT OF FORT BROWN. 63 sight. Lieut. Hanson, with a high degree of bravery, asked permis- sion of Major Brown to take the dragoons, and return the reconnoi- sance at closer view ; his request was granted, and he and his little party gallanty issued from the fort into the open plain occupied by thousands of the enemy. He rode with great boldness up near where they were busy establishing a battery, at the cross roads, behind which they precipitately retreated on his appearance. After an ab- sence of an hour, Lieut. Hanson returned, reporting the erection of this new battery. In the meanwhile our men were hard at work strengthening the defences. The enemy took possession of Gen. Taylor's encampment, that he abandoned on the 1st, and placed their guards along the ditches he had thrown up for its defence. On Wednesday morning, before the sun had fairly risen, a spirited fire was commenced from the lower fort and mortar battery. This continued about one hour, the shot and shell being well directed, burst in every direction within the fort, tearing the tents to pieces, and wounding many of the dragoon horses. The immense size of the field work, and the few troops left to defend it, although its weak- ness in case of an assault, was its strength in this bombardment, for there were no crowds of living men for the shells to burst among. The cannonading now became a source of considerable merriment with many of the soldiers, who were obliged to sit idly by and wit- ness its progress, for the scarcity of ammunition within the fort would not allow the fire to be returned, as it was deemed prudent to reserve the small stock until an assault was made. The following anecdote is characteristic of the spirit of the inmates of the fort at this time. An old soldier, who prided himself upon the goodness of his coffee, and the military precision with which he served out the morning beverage, was busy making some for his mess. He had just com- pleted the operation, and was stooping over to pour it into the cups of his mess, when a ball whizzed over the parapet, struck in the ashes near him, and overturned his refreshment into the fire. The soldier- cook gave the ball a kick, exclaiming at the same time, in a most dolorous voice, " There ! those Mexicans have knocked over my coffee." When Gen. Taylor left for Point Isabel he gave his orders to Major Brown. They were, that he must maintain his post, and on no ac- 64 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. count risk his position by making a sally ; and that, in case he was surrounded, he must inform him, by firing at stated intervals the eigh- teen-pounders, which could be heard at Point Isabel. The fort was now surrounded, as Gen. Taylor had anticipated, and accordingly, at half past six, the signal eighteen-pounders were fired, at which the enemy, as if conscious that their reverberations were calling for relief, re-opened their two mortar and howitzer batteries in Matamoros, and a mortar at the cross roads in the rear of the fort. BOMBARDMENT OF FORT BROWN. 65 CHAPTER VIII Gen. Taylor's orders to Major Brown — Signal eighteen-pounders — Bomb- proof shelters — Manner of escaping from the bursting shells — Anecdote of a dodger — Mexican on the look out — Major Brown mortally wounded — White flag — Correspondence between Gen. Arista and Capt. Hawkins — Infantry attack — Bombardment at night — Mexicans fired into — New bat- teries opened — Interference with music — Mexican forlorn hope — Excite- ment in Fort Brown — Distant cannonading — Anticipations. It will ever be a matter of surprise that so little damage was done to Fort Brown and its inmates, by this severe and continued bombard- ment. The magazine of the fort was very small, and the great mass of the military stores of the army was still at Point Isabel. It was, therefore, properly resolved by the officers in command, to expend no ammunition that did not " positively tell," reserving it for the con- stantly expected assault, which the enemy seemed preparing for, and which was looked forward to by those within the fort, as a relief to the monotony of the bombardment. Acting upon the principle of saving powder, after it was discovered that the enemy's batteries could not be dismounted, they being sunk in the ground, with thick em- bankments in front, the soldiers were ordered to make temporary bomb-proof shelters, which was done by taking barrels of pork for the walls, and across which were laid sticks, the whole covered over with several feet of earth. The bomb proofs were built at points con- venient for the men when at their stations. The different Mexican bat- teries were named, and when the smoke of the discharge met the eye of the sentinel on the look out, he would say, " sand-bag fort battery ;" the men would then retreat into the bomb proof protecting them from this particular battery. So also, if " the lower fort battery," " the battery in the country," or "the mortar battery," was called out. If a shell was coming, which was easily distinguished from a solid ball by its fuse, the soldiers would fall on their faces, and the otherwise deadly messenger would harmlessly explode upwards into the air, and meet M'ith nothing to resist its force. One tall private expressed great indignation at being ordered to run away from the shot and shell, 5 66 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. saying, that he did not like to run from any thing. He finally went to his commanding officer, and asked to be excused from dodging the shot. This permission was granted, and a moment after, whiz came a shell over the parapet, and down went the private's head. A general laugh ensued, but our dodger got out of the difficulty by saying, that he did not consider it safe to stand up against that particular shell. Near the mortar battery of the Mexicans was an unusually tall tree. The moment their batteries opened on the fort, an eagle-eyed fellow, with a spy glass in his hand, would ascend this tree, to gloat over the prowess of the Mexican arms, and every time he saw the men fall to avoid the shell, he would report them as being killed by its explosion. So it looked to him. In this way reports were circulated in Matamo- ros that our men were falling in scores, and a rough calculation was made, to ascertain how long a time would elapse before all the de- fenders of the fort would be destroyed, for the thousands that com- posed Arista's army intended, when that time arrived, to make an assault. After the cross firing, called forth with so much energy by our signal eighteen-pounders, had continued for three hours and a half, the noble-minded Major Brown, commander of the fort, with his ad- jutant lieutenant by his side, took his usual round to see that officers and men were at their posts. He stopped for a moment to^give direc- tions to some of the soldiers who were busily employed at one of the bomb proofs. Every instant the men were engaged in dodging, to avoid the ball and bursting shell. One of the latter, from " the bat- tery in the country," struck in the parapet, burying itself in the sand Avithout exploding ; a cloud of dust rose into the air, amid which the gallant commander was seen to fall, mortally wounded. He was im- mediately taken to the hospital tent, and while being borne in the arms of two of his men, he exhorted those about him never to give up the fort. His right leg had been shot off, exhibiting the torn mus- cles, and jagged crushed bones, to the pained sight of his command. Although suffering the most excruciating torture, he remained per- fectly calm, and said to those who were sympathisingly standing about him : " Men, go to your duties, stand by your posts ; I am but one among you." While suffering under the operation of having his leg amputated above the knee, which was most skilfully done, he con- BOMBARDMENT OF FORT BROWN. 67 gratulated his country that the misfortune had befallen him, and not been meted out to a younger man. At this time large parties of infantry were seen in the rear of the fort, a portion of which endeavored to get near enough to use their muskets with effect; in this, however, they were unsuccessful. Mounted men were also seen with the infantry. But a few rounds of canister from Lieut. Lowd's battery soon dispersed them, killing seve- ral, as was afterwards shown. The bombardment now grew, if pos- sible, more severe than ever ; a continued shower of shell whizzed overhead, bursting in the fort, tearing up the earth, and destroying every thing that offered opposition. At noon the firing ceased until 2 o'clock, when a few shells were thrown. At half past four, a parley was sounded by the enemy, and two Mexican officers, bearing a white flag, advanced towards the fort, and when within two hundred and fifty yards, were signalled to halt. Capt. Hawkins, who succeeded Major Brown in the command of the fort, directed Major Sewell and Lieut. Britton to go out, and receive any communication the Mexicans might have to make. This was accord- ingly done, and a communication from Gen. Arista to the commander of the fort was handed to Major Sewell, who requested the Mexican officers to retire to a short distance, and there await an answer. This message was given to Capt. Hawkins, and was as follows : Ejercito Mexicano, Division del Norte, -> General en Gefe. 5 Se halla V. S. sitiado por fuerzas sufficientes a rendirla y ademas se encuentra a su espalda una numerosa division encampada que libre de toda atencion, valdra cuantos auxilios tenga V. S. esperanzas de recibir. El amor de la humanidad reconocido en el siglo presente por todas las naciones cultas, impone sin duda el deber de hacer menos crueles los desastres de la guerra. Este principio que los Mejicanos profesan con preferencia a cual- quiera otra nacion, me obliga a indicarle que siendo inutiles sus esfu- erzos, se rinda, para que por una capitulation evite la total ruina de los soldados que la obedecen. Asi me proporcionara V. S. el placer de cumplir con los sentimi- entos indicados de bondad y dulzura que forman el caracter de mis 68 OUR ARMY ON THE.RIO GRANDE. compatriotes, a la vez que dare lleno al mas imperioso de los deberes que mi pais exige, por las ofensas que ha recibido. Dios y Libertad ! Cuartel General en los Fanques del Raminero, Mayo 6, de 1 846. M. ARISTA* There can be no doubt that Gen. Arista thought that the bombard- ment was doing great damage to the soldiers in the fort ; indeed, it seemed impossible that it could be otherwise, but his declaration that a the Mexicans observe, above all other nations," the claims of hu- manity acknowledged in all enlightened countries, was, at this time, most singular hypocrisy, even for Mexicans, for he knew, (as the Americans afterwards learned,) that in his ranks was a " forlorn hope," commissioned by solemn rites to murder the soldiers in the fort, as soon as they surrendered. Upon reading Gen. Arista's letter, which the bearers stated would be answered in one hour, Capt. Hawkins deemed its contents, (though imperfectly understood for want of an interpreter thoroughly versed ~ in the Spanish,) of sufficient importance to convoke a council, con- - sisting of all the commissioned officers in his command, and place the letter before them. The spirit of the message was understood to be a proposal for the surrender of ilie fort. Capt. Hawkins said that he knew there was but one sentiment on that point, but he deemed it right that all the officers should be represented in the reply. * Translation. Mexican Army, Division of the North, ! You are besieged by forces sufficient to take you ; and there is, moreover, a numerous division encamped near you, which, free from all other cares, will keep off any succors which you may expect to receive. The respect for humanity, acknowledged at the present age by all civilised nations, doubtless imposes upon me the duty of mitigating the disasters of war. This principle, which Mexicans observe above all other nations, obliges me to summon you, as all your efforts will be useless, to surrender, in order to avoid, by a capitulation, the entire destruction of all the soldiers under your command. You will thus afford me the pleasure of complying with the mild and bene- volent wishes above expressed, which distinguish the character of my coun- trymen, whilst I at the same time fulfil the most imperious of the duties which my country requires for the offences committed against it. God and Liberty! Head Quarters at the Fanq.ues del Raminero, May 6th. 1846. M. ARISTA, CAPT. HAWKINS' LETTER TO GEN. ARISTA. 69 The vote of the youngest officer was then taken, and so with the others in succession. The vote was unanimous ; it was to defend the fort to the death. The following reply was therefore prepared and despatched to Gen. Arista within the allotted hour. Head Quarters U. S. Forces, Near Matamoros, May G, 1846, 5 P. M. Sir : — Your humane communication has just been received, and, after the consideration due to its importance, I must respectfully de- cline to surrender my forces to you. The exact purport of your despatch I cannot feel confident that I understood, as my interpreter is not skilled in your language ; but if I have understood you correctly, you have my reply above. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, E. S. HAWKINS, Commanding U. S. Forces opposite Matamoros. Gen. M. Arista, Commanding Division of the North. The Mexicans, upon receiving Capt. Hawkins' communication, opened the batteries with more zeal than ever ; shell, six and four- pound ball were literally showered into the fort, for the men at these hostile guns had acquired precision by long practice. Those at whom these deadly missiles were aimed, were compelled, from want of powder, to look sullenly on, and no reply was made, except the m tit- terings of defiance in the rustling folds of the star-spangled banner, that still proudly waved unharmed, and against which this iron storm was principally directed. Towards sundown the regimental colors were displayed. This called forth discharges of musketry from them at eight hundred yards distance. So closed this most eventful day, — a day of most exciting interest. The sentinels marched their silent rounds, while men and officers at their posts, stole snatches of sleep while resting upon their arms, and expecting every moment to hear the rushing cry that presages the deadly assault, and which was now more than ever expected. The appearance presented by the bombardment at night must have been singularly grand. As the shells rose into the air, the burning fuses gave them the appearance of fiery comets, and at times so rapidly 70 OUR ARMY ON THE> RIO GRANDE. did they fly, that streams of seemingly continuous, hissing light, formed magnificent arches from the Mexican batteries to our fort, -where they found a common centre. The continued reverberations of the heavy discharges, the constant explosion of shells, the sheeted flame from the mortars and howitzers, that in the darkness of night seemed bursting volcanoes, formed a picture of war at once sublime and terrible. With the morning light of the 7th the enemy's batteries recom- menced, but after pouring into the fort a large number of shot and shell, they suddenly ceased. About half past 7 o'clock a large num- ber of Mexicans were discovered in and around the Fanques del Ra- minero, and the houses formerly occupied by the guards of our Second brigade. Several rounds of canister and grape were fired into them, which caused them to make a precipitate retreat after throwing a few shell in return. The Mexicans had heretofore used shell made of bronze, they now used iron, which they fired at intervals until noon. It was at this time discovered that the mortar battery in the rear of the fort, had been removed to the city of Matamoros. About noon some shell were thrown, which killed four of Lieut. Bragg's horses, and broke the wheel of one of his caissons. Soon after all their batteries opened, and kept up a steady firing of round shot and shell, which continued for nearly two hours. By one of these discharges, the sentinel lost his arm, but the bomb proofs were so far advanced that the men were comparatively protected. Random shots were now fired from under the bank of the river, and the rear of the fort; it was evidently the determination of the besiegers to give our men no rest, and induce them to expend all their ammunition, our deserters having informed them that there was little in the fort. Orders had been given to return no firing more than eighty yards distant, and as the Mexicans never approached to within twice that distance, they elicited no reply. At half past two a regular bombardment commenced from all the batteries, howitzers, and mortars, which continued without intermis- sion until sunset. During this time a shell struck one of the tents, and entered a chest containing the instruments of the band belonging to the Seventh Regiment. These were entirely destroyed, and scat- tered in pieces about the fort. A barrel of molasses was similarly assaulted, much to the astonishment of the commissary, who saw the BOMBARDMENT CONTINUED. 71 treacle thus divided out in a manner contrary to all " army regula- tions," and the rules of the mess. Such precision in firing had the enemy now acquired, that in this bombardment of six hours' duration, more than half of their shot and shell were thrown in the fort. At dark, the indefatigable Capt. Mansfield, with a small party, left the fort, and levelled the traverse thrown up by our troops when they first arrived on the banks of the river, and also cut down a large quantity of chaparral that served at times to cover the " sharp shooters" of the enemy. Every thing after this remained quiet until midnight. Each man was at his post, and anxiously awaiting the assault, when the stillness was broken by volleys of musketry, and bugles "sounding the charge." The firing then ceased, but in a short time recom- menced, and continued until daylight. Dn the afternoon of this day, in the plaza of the city of Matamoras, was drawn up a body of infantry, denominated the " forlorn hope," whose duty it was to lead at midnight the assault on the fort. To nerve them for the work, every passion was appealed to, and every prejudice consulted, — and it was urged that large numbers of the sol- diers of the fort had been killed, and that those living must be worn down and exhausted, it was therefore a most favorable time for an attack. Midnight came — volleys of musketry were fired, and the bugles sounded the charge, but — the brave defenders of Fort Brown were undisturbed in their vigilance under the parapets of the fort. If the enemy's batteries had been quiet for want of solar heat, they could not have commenced more punctually at sunrise than they did on the morning of the 8th. For three hours, without cessation, the " lower fort," and " sand-bag battery," poured forth a continuous storm of shot and shell, notwithstanding which, a little party ventured from the fort, and succeeded in burning some houses which stood near the banks of the river. At noon the bombardment was resumed, and kept up about two hours. Many of the soldiers began to show symptoms of being worn down with hard labour and watching ; na- ture was becoming exhausted, they grew indifferent about the explo- ding shells, and listlessly let them burst in dangerous proximity of , their persons. The heavy bombardment had hardly ceased, when a severe cannonading was heard towards Point Isabel; so sudden 72 OUR ARMY ON THE. RIO GRANDE. did it commence, and so rapidly was it carried on, that it seemed like one continued volley of field pieces. The soldiers in the fort sprang as one man to their feet, and listened. The sounds of artillery continued to roll on the plain; a simultaneous shout rose from the men in the fort, that must have sounded in Matamoros more terribly than our severest cannonade, for it must have told the people there that those in the fort believed that Gen. Taylor was on the advance from Point Isabel. The enemy felt that shout, for there immediately commenced a severer bombardment than the fort had yet sustained ; and a new mortar battery having been opened across the river, west of the fort, made four playing upon it from different points at the same time. But our soldiers were now active, and they could scarce suppress their feelings ; for amidst ball and bomb pouring into the fort, they could, hour after hour, hear that distant cannonading, growing more and more distinct. It was too much. Gen. Taylor was surely driving the enemy before them, and in despite of the deadly missiles that rat- tled as a storm of hail over the fort, the men sprang upon the para- pets, and fairly silenced the thunder of the bombardment with their repeated cheers. The enemy's cavalry and infantry were seen above and below the fort crossing the river in masses, supposed for the purpose of rein- forcing the enemy. At 7 o'clock the bombardment ceased, the fort having received through the day three hundred shot and shell, with comparatively little injury. As the sun was setting a Mexican was seen running towards the fort with a flag. He stated that news had been received that our forces had come in contact with the enemy, and had driven them back towards Matamoros. He also stated that he was a prisoner in charge of the Mexican picket guard fired upon by the fort the evening previous, and that while they were carrying off the wounded and dead occasioned by the discharge, he had escaped. The inmates of the fort were now under the most pleasing yet intense excitement. They all felt that victory would perch upon the standard of their brave companions in the field, and that a brilliant era was advancing upon " the Army of Occupation." MARCH TO PALO ALTO. CHAPTER IX. The army leaves Point Isabel — Encamps for the night — Plains of the Palo Alto — Preliminaries of battle — Lieut. Blake's reconnoisance — Battle of the 8th commences — Churchill's batteries — Ringgold's batteries — Duncan's bat- teries — Mexican charge — Repulse — Ridgely's batteries — Ringgold's — Dun- can's — The prairie on lire — Action suspended. Ox the evening of the 7th, Gen. Taylor, with a force of little over two thousand men, left Point Isabel for Fort Brown. Leaving the point under the command of Major Munroe, Gen. Taylor had with him, besides his troops, a train of two hundred and fifty wagons, loaded with stores. The coming night the army bivouacked seven miles from the point. Its march was resumed early the following morning. About noon our advanced guard reported the enemy were drawn up in front, to oppose the progress of the army. The long " train" was immediately parked, the main body of our troops continuing to ad- vance. The moment so ardently wished for by our troops was evidently approaching, and the prospect of meeting the enemy, though of a force so superior to their own, flushed with pleasure every soldier's cheek. Though they had languished with the fatigues of a severe march, and the brackish water of the prairies stimulated, rather than allayed thirst, yet the mass now moved with accelerated speed ; significant glances passed between brother officers, and the privates, in unsuppressed feel- ing, showed their anxiety to engage in the conflict. In the midst of this excitement, an officer passed to the rear, bear- ing the news that the enemy had withdrawn his advance, leaving the surmise that they had retreated. The beaming face and accelerated step of the soldier disappeared. The wagons were again put in mo- tion, and with slow pace progressed another mile. The country now began to open into prairie. On the right and left of the American line were seen ponds of fresh water, and immediately beyond them, cha- parral. In front opened a broad plain of three miles in extent, bounded by Palo Alto, or dwarfish mosquite trees, that struggled through the OUR ARMY ON THB RIO GRANDE. thickets, and overtopped, by a few feet only, the thorn and prickly pear with which they were surrounded. Word now came back from the advance guard, that upon this prairie were the enemy drawn up. The train was brought into a solid square, and our little army then advanced with buoyant step, until the heads of its narrow columns reached the open prairie. A scene singularly thrilling and sublime, now presented itself — a scene such as was never before witnessed in warlike operations. Two contending armies had met upon a battle field formed by an American prairie. Not a shrub, not the slightest hillock or artificial embank- ment of any kind intervened to offer protection, or give to either party advantage over the other. This battle-plain was broad enough for the most extensive operations, while the respective commanders could look over their troops in the contest, as upon a moving panorama. Our soldiers glanced across this richly carpeted prairie, and saw ex- tended before them the Mexican host. In its rear was just discerni- ble the wiry-limbed " tall timber" that has given name to the plain. Upon the extreme right was placed a division of Mexican cavalry, that, from the perfect level of the country, seemed to tower over the sur- rounding landscape. Their sharp lances were erect, upon which hung glittering pennants, as if in bitter mockery of their office. Next was placed the artillery ; then heavy masses of infantry, their burnished muskets glittering in the sun, and jets ot light playing with terrible significance upon their bayonet points. Artillery, infantry, and cavalry were placed alternately, the whole forming a living wall more than a mile in extent, of physical strength, of steel, and latent fire. The me- ridian sun poured down its rays upon breasts heaving witli pent-up emotions and fierce passions, soon to be called forth in deadly strife. Six thousand men stood there in battle array. The gallant little American army saw this front with eyes flashing with enthusiasm, and a proud consciousness of coming victory. At the sight, the regimental colors were stripped of their coverings, and amidst deafening cheers unfurled in defiance, and thrown to the breeze. The line of battle was now formed in the following order, com- mencing on the extreme right : — Fifth Infantry, commanded by Lieut. Col. M'Intosh; Major Ringgold's Artillery; Third Infantry, com- BATTLE ARRAY AT PALO ALTO. 75 manded by Capt. L. N. Morris ; two eighteen-pounders, commanded by Lieut. Churchill, Third Artillery ; Fourth Infantry, commanded by Major G. W. Allen; the Third and Fourth regiments composed the Third brigade, under command of Lieut. Col. Garland ; and all the above corps, together with two squadrons of dragoons under Captains | Ker and May, composed the right wing, under the orders of Col. Twiggs. The left was formed by the battalion of artillery commanded by Lieut. Col. Childs, Capt. Duncan's Light Artillery, and the Eighth In- fantry under Capt. Montgomery, all forming the First brigade, under | command of Lieut. Col. Belknap. The train was parked near the ! water, under direction of Captains Cressman and Myers, and protected by Capt. Ker's squadron. Then, thus in the presence of the enemy, Gen. Taylor ordered the soldiers to stack their arms, and by companies march to the ponds be- fore them, and refresh themselves with the luxury of fresh water. De- liberately, as if on a holiday parade, did they proceed to obey this pleasing order. After long and invigorating draughts, they poured from their canteens the brackish water obtained at Point Isabel, and refilled them from the ponds. They then returned in order to their respective places. The coolness of Gen. Taylor, and his consideration for the comfort of his men, as evinced by this act, cannot be too much admired. At 2 o'clock, the army moved forward in battle array. While thus advancing, Lieut. J. E. Blake, of the Topographical Engineers, passed at full speed the advance guard, saying u he was going down to observe the enemy's lines." He continued on, until within one hundred and fifty yards of them, when he dismounted, and drawing out his spy- glass, commenced a reconnoisance ; the boldness of which, called forth admiration from the thousands who witnessed it. While thus engaged, two Mexican officers, evidently under the impression that he had some important communication to make to their commanding general, rode out from the ranks to meet him ; Lieut. Blake observ- ing this, remounted his horse, and rode deliberately down the whole of the enemy's line ; then returning, he gave to Gen. Taylor, what was subsequently proven to be a correct account of the Mexican force, in both artillery, cavalry, and infantry. 76 OUR ARMY ON THE itIO GRANDE. The space between the two armies was now gradually lessening, and soon the details could be distinguished. The tall, rank grass of the prairie, deadened the heavy tramp of the cavalry, and the lumber- ing wheels of the artillery 5 and the whole moved forward in such silence, that the rattling of their trappings could be heard singularly plain. A space of seven hundred yards only, intervened between the two armies, when the batteries on the right of the Mexican line open- ed, throwing their ball and grape over the heads of the Americans, and announcing, in tones of thunder, that the contest had begun. In quick succession the whole of their artillery, from extreme right to left, poured forth volleys of ball, which made the earth tremble, and filled the air with clouds of dust and sulphurous smoke. The word was now given for the advancing columns to halt, and deploy into line. When this was done, Lieut. Churchill's eighteen-pounders boom- ed above the surrounding din, announcing, in full-rolling echoes, that the Americans were " in the field." Major Ringgold's and Capt. Dun- can's commands were now ordered forward into the open prairie, and commenced their rapid discharges. A general cannonading now raged, unparalleled, we believe, in any light upon an open battle field ; Dun- can's battery, from its conspicuousness and nearness to our line, had often the concentrated fire of the enemy upon it. For two hours, twenty or thirty pieces of artillery rent the air with their thunders, the iron hail tearing up the prairie in deep furrows, and sending the dry dust in clouds into the air. There was but little precision in the enemy's firing. The missiles almost invariably passed over the Ame- rican lines ; far different was it with our own ; at every discharge, the sudden opening that followed in the solid masses, marked the terrible course of death where the Mexican cavalry bit the dust. The in- fantry, cool spectators of the raging battle, marked with eagle-eyes this havoc in the opposing ranks, and mingled their exulting shouts with the din, as they witnessed the prowess of their campanions in arms. The terrible eighteen-pounders rose ever above the tumult, and seemed as if keeping time in solemn sound, as at every discharge they sent their huge masses of crushing iron into the living wall at which they were directed. As the battle thickened, the infantry, now formed in our rear, grew impatient to participate in the fight, and the Mexi- can cavalry, by suffering so severely by our artillery, prepared for the BATTLE OF PALO ALTO. 77 charge. The manoeuvring of the day now commenced — the time for cool courage, quick thought, and deeds of individual heroism had arrived. A regiment of Mexican lancers, commanded by Gen. Torrejon, moved towards our right, as it was supposed to gain possession of our train. The Third and Fifth regiments of Infantry, with a portion of Ringgold's battery, under the command of Lieut. Ridgley, were ordered to check this movement, and turn the left flank of the enemy. They, however, still keeping up an irregular fire, continued steadily to advance toward our right and front, so as to out-flank our line, if possible. Upon their near approach, the Fifth was thrown into square, with Capt. Walker, and twenty mounted men, on its right. Lieut. Ridgely having dashed forward, unlimbered his battery, and com- menced rapid discharges of grape and canister upon the enemy's artillery, causing it to retreat ; but the lancers, fifteen hundred strong, continued steadily to advance, in spite of all opposition, until the Fifth poured into them from the front of the square a fire so deadly, that the front of the cavalry recoiled; great numbers fell dead, and those in the rear, without pressing forward on to the bayonets ready to receive them, broke into confusion. A portion, however, re-formed, and kept bravely on, in the attempt to reach the trains, when Col. Twiggs ordered the Third Infantry to the extreme right, to cut off their advance, which, when the enemy saw, they commenced a retreat in good order, marching apparently by squadrons, when Lieut. Ridgely, assisted by Lieut. French, opened his batteries, scattering them in all directions. While Lieut. Ridgely was engaged in directing this fire, his horse was shot from under him, and the same ball probably that caused the death of his steed, alarmed the horses at one of his caissons, which sprang madly forward in front of the gun. Lieut. Ridgely, re- gardless of personal danger, rushed forward between the two con- tending fires, seized the lead-horses by the head, and brought them into their places, thus saving not only his horses, but the ammunition of his battery. During this time, Major Ringgold's batteries were not idle ; but, supported by the Fourth Infantry, kept up a galling and continuous fire. On the left, and in the advance, was Duncan's bat- tery, which, supported by the Eighth Infantry, and Capt. Ker's squadron of dragoons, poured forth a terrible discharge. The dragoons, who 78 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. from tlieir elevated position could witness its effects, say that horses and riders were frequently blown into the air, and long openings were often visible, which it made in the solid columns against which it was directed ; notwithstanding this, the enemy's line remained unshaken. So rapid were these discharges, that the wiry grass of the prairie, that reached nearly up to the muzzle of the pieces, dried before the sheeted flame, and burst into a blaze ; the sulphurous smoke of the exploded cannon and musket-cartridges had already clouded the air, as if to veil the horrors of war from the clear blue sky above; but, when this conflagration took place, the very heavens were at times darkened, and huge masses of smoke rolled across the plain, completely ob- scuring our lines from the enemy's view. A BRAVE SOLDIER. 79 CHAPTER X. Action resumed — New line of battle — A brave soldier — Capt. Page wound- ed — Ringgold's battery — Ringgold's fall — Mexican cliarge — Repulse — Duncan's battery, its movements — Close of the battle — The wounded — Council — Result — Gen. Taylor's despatch — Gen. Arista's despatch. Two hours had now elapsed since the artillery opened on both sides, when the Mexican batteries slackened their fire, and soon after ceased altogether. It was evident that their line, unable to withstand the shock of Ringgold's, Churchills, Duncan's, and Ridgely's pieces, were falling back, to form, as Gen. Taylor correctly judged, a new line of battle, under cover of the smoke. The eigh teen-pounders were now pushed forward, until they occupied the position held by the Mexican cavalry at the commencement of the action. As the battalion of artillery advanced, it came up to a private of the Fifth, a veteran in Napoleon's wars, who lay on the battle field with both of his legs shot off. He was one of the first that fell after the cannonade commenced, and after having escaped in the terrible conflicts of Wa- gram and Austerlitz, in the retreat from Moscow, and the battle of Waterloo, he lived to fall on the Palo Alto, by a cannon shot from a Mexican battery. As his fellow soldiers passed him, and noticed the blood flowing from his wounds with every pulsation of his heart, they stopped for an instant to sympathise with him, but the brave fellow, as his eyes were glazing in death, waved them on, as with his last breath he said, " Go, comrades, I have only got what a soldier enlists for." A few moments only had elapsed, since the air had been rent with the fierce discharges of the artillery ; now, the familiar sounds of the farm yard were most prominently heard. Twenty yoke of oxen were slowly wending their way over the battle field, dragging, with infinite labor, the two eighteen-pounders into their new position. The drivers yelling, geeing and hawing, and cracking their long-lashed whips as coolly as if at a ploughing match ; an American prairie only was large enough to give them room to wheel into battery, which having done, they philosophically resumed eating the long grass, SO OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. which occupation their labors had temporarily suspended. It is re- markable, that although ten yoke of oxen often extended a broad line to the range of the enemy's guns, not a single one was hurt. The Fifth Regiment advanced, and occupied the extreme right of the newly formed line. During these movements, the wounded were being carried from the field to the rear, the crippled horses of the Light Artillery were removed, and the caissons sent to the train to be replenished with ammunition. The Mexicans arranged their line parallel with our own, but better protected than at first by the cha- parral in their rear. A little more than an hour elapsed, when the action on both sides was resumed, the artillery leading off, our own being apparently more destructive than ever ; the firmness with which the enemy sustained it became a theme of universal remark and admi- ration. Capt. May's squadron was now ordered to make a demon- stration on the enemy's left flank, and try to drive in their cavalry ; that gallant officer had been almost a mere spectator of the day's proceedings, and now obeyed with alacrity the command to take part in the action. As his squadron passed the commander-in-chief, the enemy's batteries concentrated their fire upon it. May succeeded, however, in gaining a position for charging, but the enemy was in such force, that the small number of his squadron could accomplish nothing, accordingly, in obedience to instructions, he returned to his first position, and there remained until the close of the action. The sun was now rapidly descending the horizon, and the Mexi- cans seemed determined to make one great effort to silence, if possi- ble, the terrible eighteen-pounders, and Ringgold's batteries. To ac- complish this, they poured into them a perfect hurricane of grape and canister, killing and wounding numbers of the gallant Fourth, that supported them, among which the brave Capt. Page fell, severely wounded, a cannon ball tearing off the lower part of his face, and stretching him helpless on the ground. Lieut. Col. Payne, inspector general of the army, and acting as aid to Gen. Taylor, coming up at this time, begged Lieut. Churchill to permit him to sight these pieces, which he did with great effect. At this time the gallant Major Ring- gold was placed in a position to try all the qualities of his favorite artillery, and nobly had the successes of the day justified his high expectations; coolly, amidst the rattling hail that fell around him, he MAJOR RINGGOLD MORTALLY WOUNDED. 81 directed his battery with almost the certainty of a rifle. His ammu- nition becoming nearly exhausted, he rode a little to the rear for the the purpose of giving orders to have his supply increased, and checked his horse in the rear of the eighteen-pounders, which were at the moment receiving the concentrated fire of the enemy. Several large shot passed directly over this battery, striking, and throwing up a cloud of dust, which had not dissipated, when Col. Payne heard his name beseechingly called by one of the soldiers, and looking behind, he saw Major Ringgold stretched upon the ground, his favorite steed plunging and writhing a short distance from him. Col. Payne imme- diately went to his assistance, and found that he was mortally wound- ed ; a six-pound shot had " struck his right thigh, and passing through the holsters and upper part of the shoulders of his horse, cut through his left thigh, in the same line in which the ball first struck him, ex- posing, but not breaking the bones." Thus terribly mutilated, while the balls were whizzing over his head, and striking about him, Major Ringgold rested his head upon his left hand, appearing more like a soldier reposing at ease after the fatigues of the day, than like one who had just received his death wound. So perfectly calm was he, that his face had not even lost its natural color; and, as his brother soldiers crowded about him, he waved them away, saying, they had work to do, and that they must go ahead ; he then re- moved, with his right hand, the chain from his neck, to which was attached his watch, and handing it to Col. Payne, said, " Give that to my sister ;" and after taking out his purse, and making the same request, he appeared to have closed his connection with the world, and calmly to await his death. In the mean time, the battalion of artillery under Lieut. Col. Childs, had been brought up to support the artillery on our right. A strong demonstration of cavalry was now made by the enemy against this part of the line, and the column continued to advance under a severe fire from our eighteen-pounders. The battalion was formed into square, and held ready to receive the charge, but when the advancing squadrons were within a close range, a deadly fire of canister from the eighteen-pounders dispersed them. A brisk fire of small arms was now opened on the square, by which one officer, — Lieut. Luther, of the Second Artillery, was wounded ; but a well-directed volley from 6 8S OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the front of Col. Childs' battalion, silenced all farther firing from the enemy's left. The battle of Palo Alto was now drawing to a close ; the Mexican army had withstood, for hours, the severe cannonading of our batteries, and accomplished much to elevate them, as soldiers, in the eyes of the world ; but their fire was gradually slackening ; solitary discharges of cannon alone were heard, and the line was slowly falling back into the chaparral. Gen. Arista seemed determined, however, to make one more effort to gain our rear, and possess himself of the stores and ammunition, and the events that now followed were worthy to close the successes of the day. Throughout, the battle had been one of artillery, and the artillery made the last great and brilliant demonstra- tion. While the enemy was pouring in their fire upon Ringgold's and Churchill's batteries, on our right, Capt. Duncan was quietly re- pairing the injuries his batteries had sustained, and replenishing his caissons from the train. When this was done, he limbered up, and according to orders, dashed down to the right of our line, to aid in silencing the enemy's fire, so destructive to the Fourth Infantry, and Col. Childs' battalion. The smoke still rolled in huge masses over the plain ; in fact, the growing coolness of the night air was driving it downwards to the earth, and obscuring the enemy's lines, when a slight breeze for an instant lifted this impenetrable veil, and exposed to Capt. Duncan's view the enemy, who were rapidly moving the entire infantry and cavalry of their right wing upon our train, which was now in the rear of the left of our line of battle. Capt. Duncan promptly communicated to the commanding officer this daring ma- noeuvre of the enemy, who ordered him to proceed with all possible despatch to the threatened point, and hold the enemy in check until the Eighth Infantry could come up to his support. Under cover of the smoke, which now favored this movement, Capt. Duncan, sup- ported in succession by the Eighth Infantry and Capt. Ker's dragoons, dashed back at full speed beyond his original position, and past the burning prairie, until he arrived in full view of the enemy. So sudden and unexpected was this movement to the enemy, (who but a moment before had seen Duncan's battery disappear behind the smoke in an opposite direction,) that the immense column of advancing cavalry under command of Col. Don Cavetano Montero halted before a shot CLOSE OF THE BATTLE. 83 had been fired, or a gun imlimbered. A strong body of their infantry, supported by two squares of cavalry, debouched from the extreme right front of the chaparral, and moved steadily forward to the attack \ nothing could exceed the pomp with which the infantry advanced ; the grand band of the army was at its head, pouring forth a volume of proud defiance and anticipation of coming victory. Suddenly the right section of Duncan's battery opened with canister and shell. At the first discharge the musicians were completely annihilated ; a shell exploded among them, piling them in one promiscuous heap of frightfully wounded and dead : their instruments were rent as if of paper. At each successive discharge, the havoc was fearful ; but those who escaped for a time, closed in and moved on ; but finally the ad- vancing foot and horse fell back in disorder to the bushes. The other section of the battery now played upon the cavalry that had halted upon the right of the guns, as before mentioned. Although the shots were well delivered, each one making an opening through the entire squadron, this part of the Mexican line remained unbroken. The columns of horse and foot which had been driven back into the chaparral re-formed, and moved forward with great regularity to renew the attack : after advancing about one hundred yards, Duncan's battery again opened, and drove them back pell mell to the bushes, when they commenced a precipitate and confused retreat, rushing against the head of the columns that had hitherto remained firm under our shot. Squadron after squadron followed, until the entire right wing was in full retreat. Both sections of the battery were brought to bear upon the flying columns, until they disappeared into the chaparral, and the darkness of approaching night obscured both friend and foe. The excitement of the contest gone, our soldiers sunk in their har- ness upon the battle field, and from fatigue and exhaustion, fell asleep. The artillerists reposed between the wheels of their well-used pieces, which remained hitched up — nature gave way, and could not sustain the men through the labors required by discipline, to prepare them properly for repose. The dragoons all night kept watch; in their extended circle, they rode among heaps of the Mexican dead, and heard from the dense chaparral the groans of the mortally wounded, as they breathed their last. Palo Alto also witnessed that. night, a scene which finds a parallel, in the after-part of every battle. By the 84 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. flickering light of torches, — , and a mulatto-looking gentleman, fantas- tically dressed, stepped out. Gen. Mareno called out, Capt. Thorn- ton ; as that officer stepped forward, the two prisoners crossed over into their own ranks, and thus completed their exchange. An old adage says, " A fair exchange is no robbery :" the Mexicans may not have considered themselves aggrieved, but we think that Thornton was worth as many Mexican captains as could be mustered in all the savannas of their country. Capt. Hardee, and Lieut. Kane, with like ceremony, passed over to the American ranks ; then came the non-commissioned officers and privates, successively called, until all were exchanged. Sergeant Allen was called out from among the American prisoners ; a Mexican ser- geant was produced, instanter, when the commanding officer was informed that Allen was not a sergeant, but had been reduced to a private. Col. Twiggs remanded the Mexican sergeant back into the prisoner line ; the poor fellow, supposing he was not going to be ex- changed for, petitioned to be permitted to pass, in a manner truly affecting ; at least, it overcame Col. Twiggs' heart, for he gave the Mexican sergeant for an American private, with the remark, that he believed he still had the best bargain. There were a large number of Mexican prisoners left, who would have ever remained in bondage, if they had waited to be regularly exchanged ; they were handed over to their countrymen, with the wounded, a receipt being taken of their number, to be held against the Mexicans, if the fortune of war ever throws our countrymen into their hands. Gen. Vega was offered his parole ; he declined it, on the ground that his government would, in spite of it, force him to bear arms ; he, with Col. Martinez, and ten other Mexicans, his friends, therefore remained prisoners of war. Our own wounded of the 8th and 9th were placed in the best con- A VISIT OF CEREMONY. 115 veyances that could be had, covered ox wagons, and thus conveyed to Point Isabel. Capt. Hooe was fortunate in having provided for him Gen. Arista's private carriage, the morocco cushions and delicate springs doing much to alleviate the pain that would have ensued, in a conveyance such as was used by the less fortunate. There was no travelling hospital attached to the army, and consequently the surgeons had to perform their work in the open field, frequently with the shot of the enemy's guns flying about them. Yet, probably there were never fewer cases of death, as the result of severe wounds, than oc- curred among those of Palo Alto, and Resaca de la Palma. On the morning of the 11th, Gen. Taylor started for Point Isabel, for the purpose of having communication with Com. Conner. Com. Conner, while cruising with his fleet off Vera Cruz, had heard of re- inforcements being continually sent to Matamoros for the purpose of cutting off the " Army of Occupation." With the greatest promptness he sailed for Brazos Santiago, with the determination to aid Gen. Taylor, if necessary. Nothing could have been more opportune : the appearance of the fleet, and the reinforcements from it, strengthened the point beyond the possibility of its being successfully carried by the Mexicans. The transformation of five hundred sailors and marines into " land lubbers," afforded a spectacle that occasioned much relief to the dullness of the point ; and " Jack's" soliloquies upon his being ashore on his " beam ends," with a musket in his hands, were among the many chapters of the excessively humorous, that enliven the sad- dest associations of the " horrors of war." The singular simplicity that marks Gen. Taylor's personal appear- ance and habits, has become a subject of universal fame. It is curious that a soldier, so eminent in all the qualities of discipline, should be so citizen-looking in his own appearance. Com. Conner, on the con- trary, is an officer that is not only strict in his dress, but has an extra nicety about it. He appears in full and splendid uniform on all public occasions, being the exact counterpart, in this particular, of Gen. Taylor. At the proper time, Com. Conner sent word to Gen. Taylor, that he would come on shore to pay him a visit of ceremony. This put old "Rough and Ready" into a tremendous excitement. If Com. Conner had quietly come up to his tent, and given him a sailor's 116 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. gripe, and sat down on a camp chest, and talked over matters in an old-fashioned way, Gen. Taylor would have been prepared; but, to have the most carefully-dressed officer in our navy, commanding the finest fleet, come in full uniform, surrounded by all the glittering pomp of splendid equipments, — to pay a visit of ceremony, was more than Gen. Taylor had, without some effort, nerve to go through with ; but, ever equal to emergencies, he determined to compliment Com. Conner, and through him the navy, by ajjpearing in full uniform, a thing his officers, associated with him for years, had never witnessed. In the meanwhile, Com. Conner was cogitating over the most pro- per way to compliment Gen. Taylor. Having heard of his peculiar disregard of military dress, he concluded he would make the visit in a manner comporting to Gen. Taylor's habits, and consequently equipped himself in plain white drilling, and unattended, came ashore. The moment Gen. Taylor heard that Com. Conner had landed, he abandoned some heavy work he was personally attending to about the camp, and precipitately rushed into his tent, delved at the bottom of an old chest, and pulled out a uniform coat, that had peacefully slumbered for years in undisturbed quietude, slipped himself into it, in his haste fastening it so that one side of the standing collar was three button holes above the other, and sat himself down as uncom- fortable as can well be imagined. With quiet step, and unattended, Com. Conner presented himself at Gen. Taylor's tent, the noble representatives of the army and navy shook hands, both in exceeding astonishment at each others' personal appearance. The wags in the army say, that the above contains the only au- thentic account of Gen. Taylor's ever being " headed," and that since that time, he has taken to linen roundabouts, of the largest dimen- sions, with more pertinacity than ever. Major Ringgold reached Point Isabel with the wounded of Palo Alto, on the evening following the battle, under the charge of Dr. Byrne. He was immediately placed in the very best quarters that could be afforded, and his wounds were dressed. He complained but little, and at intervals slept. In his waking moments, he spoke of the inci- dents of the battle, and dwelt particularly upon the effects of the artillery. He spoke of the precision with which his guns were used, and lamented that the artillery companies were not increased to one DEATH OF MAJOR RINGGOLD. 117 hundred strong ; he said, as his men fell about their pieces, he had none to take their places. On the evening of the 11th, the report spread that the heretofore sanguine expectations of his recovery by his fellow soldiers were not to be realised ; that his strength was falling fast with the passing day. As the night wore on, death came upon him, yet he seemed uncon- scious of its approach, and continued to converse with his friends about him. Suddenly he appeared conscious himself that his hours were numbered, but it produced no effect upon his tone of voice, or the spirit of his conversation. Dr. Byrne used all his skill in vain ; at a little past midnight, he raised his delicate hand to his forehead, wet with the cold sweat of dissolution, and said, " Thank God the brain is the last to die." He then cheerfully gave a few directions for his friends to observe when he was dead, and resignedly breathed his last. Three o'clock, the hour appointed for Major Ringgold's funeral, came, and the army and navy vied to honor his remains ; members of both arms of the service acted as pall bearers, and moved in the solemn train. It was a costly sacrifice to the manes of war when the gallant Ringgold fell. The slow march that filled the air as the pro- cession moved along, seemed to keep time with each saddened heart. Grave of Major Ringgold. Major Ringgold was buried just outside the entrenchments at Point Isabel. The small mound that marks his grave would not be distin- 118 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. guished, except on a broad prairie, destitute almost of all else beside. The stormy breeze of the gulf at night moans over him, and the sol- dier and citizen, as they pass, step a moment aside to contemplate, and drop a tear over the sacred remains. The 12th was busily occupied by Gen. Taylor in preparing to start for his camp on the Rio Grande : amid his numerous engagements, he found time to write the following despatch : Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Point Isabel, Texas, May 12, 1846. Sir : — I am making a hasty visit to this place, for the purpose of having an interview with Com. Conner, whose squadron is now at anchor off the harbor, and arranging with him a combined movement up the river. I avail myself of the brief time at my command to report that the main body of the army is now occupying its former position opposite Matamoros. The Mexican forces are almost disorganised, and I shall lose no time in investing Matamoros, and opening the navigation of the river. I regret to report that Major Ringgold died the morning of the 11th instant, of the severe wound received in the action of Palo Alto. With the exception of Capt. Page, whose wound is dangerous, the other wounded officers are doing well. In my report of the second engage- ment, I accidentally omitted the name of Lieut. Dobbins, Third In- fantry, among the officers slightly wounded, and desire that the omission may be supplied in the despatch itself. I am under the painful necessity of reporting that Lieut. Blake, Topographical En- gineers, after rendering distinguished service in my staff during the affair of the 8th instant, accidentally shot himself with a pistol on the following day, and expired before night. It has been quite impossible as yet to furnish detailed reports of our engagements with the enemy, or even accurate returns of the killed and wounded. Our loss is not far from three officers and forty men killed, and thirteen officers and one hundred men wounded ; while that of the enemy has in all probability exceeded three hundred killed ; more than two hundred have been buried by us on the two fields of battle. I have exchanged a sufficient number of prisoners to recover the command of Capt. Thornton. The wounded prisoners have been sent GEN. TAYLOR'S DESPATCH. 119 to Matamoros — the wounded officers on their parole. Gen. Vega and a few other officers have been sent to New Orleans, having de- clined a parole, and will be reported to Major Gen. Gaines. I am not conversant with the usages of war in such cases, and beg that such provision may be made for these prisoners as may be authorised by law. Our own prisoners have been treated with great kindness by the Mexican officers. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., Commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. 120 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. CHAPTER XV. Gen. Taylor starts for camp — Returns — Lieut. Col. Wilson's command — Taking of Barita — Appearance of it — Proclamation — Preparations for tak- ing Matamoros — Armistice proposed — Ceremonies thereof— Death of Lieut. Stevens — Raising of the flag — Disposition of the army — Head quarters of Gen. Taylor — Governor of Matamoros — Prefect — A plain talk — Lieut. Col. Garland pursues Arista — Is fired upon — Anecdote — The Rio Grande after the battles — The battle fields. On the morning of the 13th, Gen. Taylor and staff, with an escort of dragoons, started for camp. When but a few miles from the point, he was met by an express that had been sent to inform him that a large body of fresh troops were understood to have arrived at Mata- moros, and that the enemy was concentrating troops at Barita, a small village near the mouth of the Rio Grande, on the Mexican side of the river. He immediately returned to Point Isabel, determining to start for his camp the next day. At the point he found quite an accession to his force had just arrived from New Orleans, including regulars and volunteers from Louisiana and Alabama. These were the first that arrived from those states, in answer to the call of Gen. Taylor for reinforcements. The activity of Gen. Taylor, and the mass of business that he per- forms, is astonishing. From the 1st of the month, up to the present time, he had not had a regular time for eating or sleeping. Dressed in the garb of a common farmer, and seated in a Jersey wagon, on the morning of the 14th he again started for his camp, with over six hundred men, a train of artillery, and two hundred and fifty wagons, loaded with army stores, having previously arranged a plan, and or- ganised a force, to attack Barita. Accordingly, Lieut. Col. Wilson, First Infantry, with four compa- nies of United States troops, two companies of Louisiana volunteers, under the commands of Captains I. F. Stockton, and G. H. Tobin, and one company of Alabama volunteers, under command of Gen R. Desha, got ready to march to Barita. The command was landed at the Brazos, about one o'clock in the afternoon of the 15th, and immediately took TAKING OF BARITA. 121 up its line of march, three steamers at the same time being ordered to ascend the river, and transport the troops across it, at the proper place. Com. Conner ordered part of his fleet off the mouth of the river, to assist in crossing the soldiers, and to aid, if necessary, in the attack, with the men of the fleet. Col. Wilson proceeded up the banks of the river, momentarily expecting an attack from the Mexican cavalry that were said to be in the vicinity. Contrary to expectations, he took possession of Barita, without firing a gun, the inhabitants fleeing be- fore his approach. The town was found to be most romantically situated on the banks of the river, upon a high bluff, surrounded by the very richest quality of land. It was composed of a number of huts, the most important of which was the custom-house, as is usual in all Mexican towns. The inhabitants were found to be idle, living almost without labor, upon the spontaneous productions of the prolific soil. Col. Wilson, on taking possession of the place, issued a manifesto to the inhabit- ants, stating that they might return to their dwellings, that their lives and property would be protected, and all their civil and religious rights guaranteed to them. He then commenced and soon com- pleted a breast-work, which, from the peculiar character of its posi- tion, would command the passage of the river, and the surrounding country. Barita, from that time, became an important resting-place for our troops, who go to Matamoros by way of the mouth of the river. The people soon returned to their dwellings, and however much they were surprised at the approach of our troops, their wonder knew no bounds, when they were paid a fair price for their property by an armed force, who had already taken possession of it without opposi- tion, by the mere exhibition of their arms. Gen. Taylor arrived at his camp, from Point Isabel, without having met with the enemy. On the evening of the 14th, he determined to make an attack on Matamoros, if possible, the following day. Two large sixteen-inch mortars had arrived, which were set so as to throw shell into the city, if it was not surrendered without opposition. Two days, however, were consumed in preparation, it being almost impos- sible to obtain boats of any description, to cross our troops to the east side of the river. On the morning of the 17th, all preparations OUR ARMY ON THE" RIO GRANDE. were completed. It was arranged, that at the same time Gen. Taylor made his demonstration on Matamoros, Col. Wilson should advance from Barita. Orders had been given to Col. Twiggs to cross, when Gen. Taylor was waited on by the Mexican Gen. Reguena, empowered by Gen. Arista to treat for an armistice, until the two governments finally settled the difficulties pending. This cunning, on the part of the Mexican chief, was too apparent to Gen. Taylor ; he was aware that Matamoros was filled with the munitions of war, and time was only wanted to move them off. Gen. Taylor replied promptly to Gen. Re- guena, that an armistice could not be granted; he recapitulated the circumstances of the preceding month, when he had himself proposed an armistice, which Gen. Ampudia had declined. He stated that he was receiving large reinforcements — that he would not then suspend hostilities which he had not invited or provoked ; he also said that the possession of Matamoros was a " sine qua non," and that the .Ame- rican troops would occupy the city, at the same time giving to Gen. Arista and his forces leave to withdraw from the town, leaving behind the public property of every description. Gen. Taylor remarked, that " Generals Ampudia and Arista had promised that the war should be conducted agreeably to the usage of civilised nations, and yet the Mexican forces had, in the battles of the 8th and 9th, stripped our dead, and mutilated their bodies." Gen. Reguena replied, " that the ivomen( !) and rancheros did it, and that they could not be controlled." Gen. Taylor said, he would come over to Matamoros, and control such people for them. Gen. Reguena then left Gen. Taylor, pledging himself that at 3 o'clock that evening he would come over with an answer from Gen. Arista. Gen. Taylor, accordingly, for the time, suspended his prepa- rations for crossing. The answer promised by Reguena to be delivered to Gen. Taylor, positively at 3 o'clock, did not come. Gen. Taylor immediately ordered preparations to be made for crossing the river ; parties were sent up and down the river to secure all the boats that could be seen on either side. That night, just after dark, the army moved up the river, and encamped opposite the contemplated crossing. On the morning of the 18th Capt. Bliss, assistant adjutant general THE ARMY CROSSES THE RIVER. 123 of the " Army of Occupation," Major Craig, Capt. Miles, and Lieut. Britton, appeared on the banks of the Rio Grande, and sounded a parley. Lieut. Britton then crossed the river with a white flag, and met a deputation of citizens from the prefect, who was the official civil representative of the city. The deputation wished to know the cause of the parley ? Lieut. Britton replied, that Capt. Bliss, aid to the commanding general, wished to see the prefect in person, or, whoever was the commanding officer of the city, as he had an offi- cial communication for him from his chief. The deputation crossed the river with Lieut. Britton, met Capt. Bliss, and invited the Ameri- can deputation to Matamoros. The American deputation crossed over, and met the prefect in his office, which was situated on the north west side of the Plaza. Capt. Bliss then delivered to the pre- fect a letter from Gen. Taylor, which demanded a surrender of the town and all the public stores therein, stating, at the same time, that his general had commanded him to say that the rights of individuals should be protected, that their religion should be respected, and that their courts of law and justice should proceed as they had done under the Mexican government, unless interfering with the rights of our government, and the necessary operations of the commanding general. Capt. Bliss asked the prefect to answer in positive terms, whether he could return and report to his general, that the town would be given up without a blow, or whether it would be necessary to carry it at the point of the sword, (as in either emergency, Gen. Taylor was de- termined to have it.) The prefect then answered, " Gen. Taylor can march his troops into the city at any hour that may suit his conve- nience." Capt. Bliss then said, " here let the interview terminate." While this conversation was going on, our army was crossing above the city. The east bank was defended by two eighteen-pounders, and the three batteries of our artillery. Col. Twiggs ordered the re- gimental bands to strike up Yankee Doodle. The light companies of all battalions first went over, followed by the volunteer and regular cavalry. Lieut. Hays, of the Fourth Infantry, and ten select men, with Capt. Walker, of the Rangers, first crossed the river with orders to ascer- tain and report the number and position of the enemy, if near the river. Immediately after Lieut. Hays had gone over, the flank com- 124 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. panies of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Infantry, were thrown across, commanded by Capt. Buchanan, and Capt. Larned. After these com- mands there followed Capt. Smith, of the Artillery battalion, with two companies, followed by Capt. Ker's squadron of dragoons. After this force had crossed, Ridgely's Artillery was dismounted, and taken over in parts. In the mean time, the infantry already over had taken possession of a strong place, to be ready for an attack. In the midst of these busy operations, Capt. Bliss arrived, and informed Gen. Taylor of his interview with the prefect, and of the unconditional surrender of the town. Gen. Taylor immediately ordered that portion of the American forces that had not crossed the river, to return to Fort Brown and cross there. Capt. Ker, of the Dragoons, passed be- low where the troops were crossing, and raised upon the walls of Fort Paredes, the star spangled tanner, unfolding it in proud de- fiance upon the west side of the Rio Grande. The different regiments already on the west side of the Rio Grande were marched to their respective places of encampment, without noise or disorder, save when the flag of our country was unexpectedly seen waving from Fort Paredes ; discipline then gave way to feeling, and nine hearty cheers rent the air, and announced the occupation of Ma- tamoros by American troops. That evening a small guard was established in Matamoros, to keep the peace. No troops, except under command, visited it that night. The Matamorians slept securely under the protection of the American government, a boon ever denied them by their own. Upon inquiry, it became evident that Gen. Reguena had been sent over to Gen. Taylor merely to gain time ; that, even while he was negociating for the surrender of the city, Arista's troops were throw- ing the public stores into the river, burying pieces of artillery in wells, and concealing other portions of the public stores in out-of-the way places about the city. Arista commenced his retreat on the evening that Gen. Reguena promised to bring a message from him to Gen. Taylor, taking with him two pieces of artillery, and over four thousand men, leaving behind his sick and wounded. A gloom was thrown over the brilliant events of this day by a most unfortunate accident ; Lieut. George Stevens, a graduate of West Point in 1843, and a most promising officer in the Second Dragoons, was OCCUPATION OF MATAMOROS. 125 swept by the swift current from his horse, while crossing the river at the head of his command. He had distinguished himself on the bril- liant days of the 8th and 9th, and his untimely death was universally lamented. His friends, two days after he was drowned, had the me- lancholy satisfaction of recovering his body, and giving it the cere- monies of a soldier's burial within the walls of Fort Brown, beside the gallant hero that gave it his name. Immediately upon taking possession of Matamoros our troops were distributed so as to occupy the upper and lower suburbs of the town, a small guard only being stationed in the city itself. Col. Twiggs' command was stationed above the city along the banks of the river, his own head quarters occupying a romantic spot directly on its brink. Gen. Worth's command was located in the bend of the river below, having a fine view from his tent, and Lieut. Col. Belknap's of the sur- rounding country. Directly opposite Col. Belknap's, were to be seen a few torn tents, and a number of wiry-looking horses. They marked the head quar- ters of Capt. Walker, of the Rangers. From Col. Twiggs' tent you could see the volunteer regiment stretching away west, almost as far as the eye could reach, centering around the Fanques del Raminero, and then scattering off in little groups. The Seventh regiment nestled beneath the walls of Fort Brown, which they had so nobly defended. Gen. Taylor found a few trees that appeared to be higher than their neighbours, under which he pitched his " head quarters ;" they could only be recognised from the tents about them by their disposition — ■ they were arranged for shade, and not with military precision. Col. Twiggs was appointed " Governor of the Town, 1 ' and to his especial care was intrusted the taking possession of the military stores left by the Mexican army. Don Jesus Cardenas, the prefect of Matamoros at the time Gen. Taylor took possession, was distin- guished among his fellow citizens for oppression, and for his hatred to foreigners. In surrendering the city, the prefect's only care was to know if he could retain his office. He never stipulated for any pri- vileges for the citizens, or seemed in any way to think of their in- terests. Immediately upon Col. Twiggs taking command, he sent for this notable Cardenas, and asked him for an inventory of the public property. He stated, positively, that he knew of none, and persisted 326 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. in declaring that none was left by the Mexican forces when they evacuated the city. Col. Twiggs dismissed him, and entering the city with information obtained from other quarters, soon began to find vast quantities of military stores, in almost all the out-of-the-way places about the Plaza. This outrageous trifling on the part of the prefect Col. Twiggs was determined to notice. Accordingly he waited upon him the following morning at his office, to give the gentleman what is denominated a M plain talk." The colonel laboured under one difficulty — eloquent himself, it was a great drawback to have it marred by an indifferent translator. Fortunately, an American citizen by the name of Dugden, a very intelligent gentleman of Matamoros, and an object of the pre- fect's special oppression, offered his services as an interpreter. u I wish to give this falsifying prefect a proper notion of his conduct,' 1 said the colonel, with a variety of explicatures. u Can you, Mr. Dug- den, do justice to what I say?" Mr. Dugden assented, and " the Go- vernor" laid down the first paragraph of his lecture in English. Dug- den did justice to what was said, and, it was thought, added a little on his own responsibility, much to the gratification of the governor. The prefect, bearded in his own den, began to turn a variety of co- lors : his consternation increased, as the citizens of the town crowded into his office, and, by the wildest expressions of delight, testified their pleasure at what was going on. The prefect literally trembled in his shoes, and promised to act better and honestly point out the hidden treasures. But he prevaricated so constantly, that he was finally dis- missed, and ejected from the shadow of the office he still held, and he left the city, it was supposed to join Arista or some other general in the interior. The day following the taking of Matamoros, Lieut. Col. Garland, with all the regular and irregular cavalry of the army, about two hun- dred and fifty dragoons and rangers, started in pursuit of the retreating Mexicans, with orders to harass their rear, and to capture prisoners and baggage. On the 22d, Col. Garland returned from his pursuit. He succeeded in capturing a small rear party, after a slight show of resistance on their part, in which two Mexicans were killed, and twenty-two taken prisoners, two of our own troops slightly wounded, and one wagon with ammunition and clothing of an artillery com- THE BATTLE FIELDS. 127 pany captured. The scarcity of water, the barrenness of the country, and the condition of the horses, compelled Col. Garland to return to Matamoros, he having penetrated over sixty miles into the enemy's country. The army of the Mexicans under Gen. Arista, was but twenty-four hours ahead of our cavalry, retreating in good order, our officers stopped at the ranches where the enemy had, the night previous. A ranchero, at one of these stopping places, inquired with great sim- plicity of Capt. Graham, where the Americans were going; he was told in pursuit of the retreating Mexican army. " Retreating army !" said the fellow with astonishment, " why Gen. Ampudia stopped at my house last night, and said that his troops had conquered the Ame- ricans, and that he was now on his way to Mexico to take the news." The man remained confounded, for it was impossible for him to be- lieve his nation had been whipped in battle, and still more incompre- hensible, that a small number of American dragoons should seriously and for purposes of war, really drive before them over three thousand troops. For several successive days after the precipitate retreat of the Mexi- cans, the bodies of drowned Mexican soldiers were thrown ashore by the current of the river. Among the mass, were distinguishable seve- ral officers. Arista, in his official despatch, mentions two who thus met their death. The body of Father Leary was taken out of the water near the fort, his canonicals still on, and his cross clutched tightly in his hand. As the Rio Grande fell, it left suspended to the overhanging trees, the bodies caught in the meshes of their branches ; thus they hung in the air, until they dropped piece-meal into the water below. The very river itself, for awhile, became offensive ; mutilated corses floated along, attacked by the voracious cat-fish, causing them to twitch and roll about, as if still in the agonies of death. On the battle fields, more glaringly horrible effects of war were pre- sented ; in the lone places in the deep chaparral, lay the mouldering bodies of those of the wounded who had crawled away to die. Buzzards and carrion crows, wheeled in excentric circles over these unmade graves; beetles and foul insects burrowed beneath them; jackals, at night, dug their way into the mounds of the dead, exposing 123 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the interior corruption to the passer-by. The descending rains would beat down the arch made by these desecrations, and the pile marking where a hundred Mexicans lay, gradually sunk, until it seemed as if the remains of so many human beings scarcely disfigured the surface of the earth. A few months, or years passed away, all vestiges will be gone. The result of so great a sacrifice, will be the memory of a few glorious deeds ; the suffering, the sin, the dreadful offences in the sight of heaven, will only have permanent record in another world. With the return of Lieut. Col. Garland's command from the pursuit of Gen. Arista, ended the first great act in the history of the operations of our army on the Rio Grande. MATAMOROS. CHAPTER XVI. Early history of Matamoros — It becomes important to the government — Its situation — Appearance from Fort Brown — Red tower — The ferry Anaciiita — Its attendants — Ferrymen — Ranchero — Cattle driving — Sudden order — Suburbs of Matamoros — Mexican hedge — Sand-bag fort battery — Changes — Commander-in-chief. Matamoros, situated in the department of Tamaulipas, is one of the largest cities in Northern Mexico, and from the American occupa- tion of it, has suddenly become a place of intense interest to us. The 17th of May, 1846, the day on which it was taken possession of by our troops, is destined to mark an important era in our national his- tory, and, probably, in that of the world. It is said, that at the close of the last century, a small farm was situated where Matamoros now stands, and according to Mexican cus- tom, it rejoiced in a cognomen proportionately magnificent to the in- significance of the thing named. The Rancho was known, therefore, as that of San Juan de los Esteros. About the year 1801, a missionary wandered from the interior of the country to the north, and finally came to the bank of the Rio Grande. Charmed with the country, he resolved to establish a mission at San Juan de los Esteros, and wishing to begin every thing anew, he changed the name to the more popular one of Congregacion del Refugio, thus setting forth to the world, from the very commencement, an inducement for the oppressed to flee to this retreat, which formed the site of the future city of Matamoros. As late as 1826, when the " Refugio" was approaching its maximum of worldly greatness, the supreme legislature of the department in which it is situated, having occasion to draw largely upon the inhabit- ants for extraordinary taxes, in return granted them the compliment- ary title of Ville de Matamoros. This would have been considered most honorable indeed, by the Spaniards who conquered the Alham- bra, as the name of the city signified that its inhabitants had distin- guished themselves in the wars with the Moors ; a distinction earned, perhaps, by a few of their early progenitors. In the year 1835, the " supreme legislature," having farther use for 9 130 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE, money, honored Matamoros with the new appendage of Puerto, and followed it up by the appointment of a series of rapacious and unprin- cipled custom-house officers, who held their uninterrupted sway until the American forces under Gen. Taylor took possession of the city. Matamoros is situated upon the west bank of the Rio Grande, thirty- five miles from its mouth in a straight line, and over one hundred by the way of the river. It is well laid out, the streets crossing each other at right angles. Above the northern ferry stands Fort Paredes, a work constructed with considerable attention to military art ; the other " forts " around the city being little else than earth embank- ments, thrown up to protect the men who were at the pieces used during the bombardment. The Rio Grande, Rio del Norte, or Rio Bravo, as the Mexicans severally term it, is the largest river near Mexico, and one of the longest in the world. It is throughout a river of pleasant scenery, frequently passing through highly picturesque and broken land ; ap- proaching towards its mouth, it courses through a prairie country. It is remarkably straight as a whole, and runs swiftly, hence its name of " Mad river." — There being no timber on its banks, it is not filled with snags, but presents a clear, canal-like appearance. In the vicinity of Matamoros, the channel is so narrow that a strong man can throw a stone across it, and conversation can be carried on by persons on opposite sides of the river with ease. The banks are covered with strong wiry grass, most excellent for grazing cattle, interspersed with chaparral, and the stunted mosquete tree. The land on the edge of the river is, in many places, as rich as the imagination can conceive. The city of Matamoros, viewed from the opposite side of the river, seems imbedded in the luxuriant charms of a fine level country, loaded with rich vegetation. — The first glimpse of it will always make an impression of pleasure and astonishment. The city is not immediately on the river. Its trade being carried on principally with the interior, and its carrying being done by mules, there has been no inducement, as in American cities, to build immediately on the water's edge for the convenience of commerce. The city therefore appears buried up in a vast garden, which seems to encircle it,, its houses and towers thrusting themselves up from among surrounding vegetation. The late operations of the Mexican army probably caused the first DESCRIPTION OF MATAMOROS. 131 labor of any importance immediately upon the river bank. You now see two small forts, connected together by triangular breastworks. But for these hastily-thrown-up breastworks, the banks of the Rio Grande would look as primitive as they did when the Spaniard first visited them. The city of Matamoros can be traced a mile up and down the river. At its extreme eastern limit is " Fort Paredes," on the walls of which was raised the first United States flag by American troops in Mexico. As you look westward, you„ perceive the city losing itself in the dis- tance in little gardens, and still farther on, can be traced the hedges that mark the small cotton fields of the Mexican planter. The buildings look well ; many appear remarkably fine. A splendid private residence, built of brick, and yellow washed, is quite con- spicuous, and known as the head quarters of Gen. Mejia, previous to the retreat of the Mexicans. Upon its top can be seen the flagstaff's of the English and French consuls. A large building just beyond, presenting a white gable, has an immense hole between the upper windows, made by one of our eighteen-pound shot. A row of Anglo- American looking houses can be distinguished, that are owned and occupied by foreign merchants living in Matamoros. Two unfinished towers may be discerned with some difficulty ; they are above the roof of the cathedral that bounds one side of the Flaza. On the extreme south-east of the city, rises a small red tower, appa- rently that of a church. Soon after our troops encamped on the east side of the Rio Grande, in the direction of that tower were often heard the muffled drum, and quick rollings of musketry. The sounds be- tokened the burial of the soldier dead, or the ruthless murder of some unfortunate offender of the military tyrant that held sway over the Mexican troops. The known cruelty of the Mexican generals, not only to their enemies, but to their own troops, gave to that red tower a startling and curious interest. To the right of the white house we have alluded to as being struck by the eighteen-pound ball, is a square block of buildings, apparently surrounded by a wall, from which rises a flagstaff. This square of buildings was occupied, when in possession of the Mexican troops, by a regiment they called the sapedores, con- sidered to be the best disciplined corps in the Mexican service. Here Lieut. Deas was confined while a prisoner. Matamoros, from the 132 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. regularity with which it is laid out, the great number of what appear to be familiar-looking houses, and the everywhere growing shrubbery, when viewed from a distance by an American eye, has anything else than a foreign look. Passing up the banks of the river, perhaps a quarter of mile above Fort Brown, along a fine road, constantly filled by wagon trains, groups of soldiers, and stragglers generally, you come to the ferry ealled Anaciiita, nearly opposite Fort Paredes. The scene that it presents throughout the day, is one of the most novel to be met with on the Rio Grande. Upon the top of the bank are two or three rude sheds, made of limbs of trees and brush, just high enough to accomo- date some half dozen dark swarthy Mexicans, in a sitting posture, who have for sale " hot corn," and a vile, soul-sickening compound, de- nominated by the Americans " beer," together with tortillas, cheese, and lumps of maple sugar. On their right and left are large piles of copper shells, copper balls, parts of gun-carriages, and hundreds of old muskets and lances. This heterogeneous mass of " military stores," is a portion of the immense quantity being brought out of Matamoros by wagons marked U. S., to be deposited for safe keeping within the walls of Fort Brown. The crowd, in part, is composed of all the variety of blood in the world, with specimens of all possible variety of mixtures. Northern States, Middle States, Western States, Southern States, and no states at all, have strong delegations ; dark swarthy Frenchmen, and darker and swarthier Spaniards, are in juxta-position ; native Mexicans are plentiful, of every possible variety of mongrelness, so that no two are exactly the same shade, for in color they range from the yellow buff, through every variety of nankeen, deepening into the brownish red of the aborigines, and running still lower in the scale of creation, until the hair abandons the straight black, and kinks into wool, to cover heads a white man denominates negro. Yet these vari-colored people are good specimens of what they themselves are pleased to denominate the " magnanimous Mexican nation." A great number of this group were soldiers in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and some of them, particularly those most shabbily dressed, were officers in command. THE FERRY. 133 There is not much noise heard ; two or three stern-looking sen- tinels, that occupy the edge of the bank, and show no apparent inte- rest in what is going on, save when they give a fierce, contemptuous look towards these Mexicans, suffice to keep them silent and respectful. The "regulars" have too much discipline to be otherwise. The " volunteers " are the boys to kick up a fuss and dust, and but for their boisterous mirth, the ferry at Matamoros would be very noiseless, always excepting the eloquent appeals of Uncle Sam's wagon driver's to their " cattle," which are Mexican mules, that seem to look upon the conquest of the country by the Americans with more indignation than any other of the inhabitants, and display it by never doing a particle of work, if they can help it, and none at all, unless labored out of them by hard work, and harder swearing. The ferry flat is worked by two Mexicans, at a stated price per day. They have permanently fixed a rope across the river, and by it pull the flat to and fro, with considerable skill. One of them is en dislia- hille, which means undressed, without limitation, when applied to that ferryman : the other has the aggregate of one-eighth of a shirt, and a boot •, they are evidently jolly dogs, having work enough to do to make them happy, and keep them out of mischief, while their accumulating fortune from their labor at the flat, has undoubtedly raised them in the estimation of their countrymen, who, I noticed, laughed most heartily at their jokes, and paid them that deference usually bestowed by humble people upon men in a profitable government office. You are obliged to have patience at times at the Matamoros ferry, as well as at some other frontier towns, as the boat is not always ready to accommodate you on the instant ; so you can examine things about you. Here is a " ranchero," that wishes to sell his horse ; the poor animal has nothing left in his body from the hard usage he has received, but a vicious spirit. The fellow that has him for sale, stole him from an American that he sold him to the day before ; the ran- chero makes his living by selling that horse, and he will continue thus dishonestly to trade, until at some unlucky time, he will sell that horse to a " ranger," and when he is found out, his days will be numbered, and his father's son will bite the dust for his rascality. 134 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Mexican Ranchero. There is a Mexican yonder, leaning gracefully on the pummel of his saddle ; his dress is that of a better class of citizens, and has a kind of theatrical banditti look, that would have delighted Mr. Crum- mels amazingly. His hat is a palmetto, of a rakish cut, covered with glazed cloth, and ornamented on the sides of the crown with silver balls, that resemble stop-cocks on the head of a steam boiler. These ornaments have caused a great deal of speculation in our minds, to comprehend the character of mental calibre and education, that con- ceives them to be useful and ornamental. His linen is of most excel- lent quality, and wrought with an abundance of needle-work. His pantaloons of dressed leather, ornamented with gay cord and a gross of metal buttons, opened from the hip down^ displaying most co- quetishly, wide white drawers. He is puffed up with the gas of self- esteem, as a hard-blown bladder is with wind, and seriously believes, that he is the most distinguished piece of humanity under the sun. A MEXICAN HEDGE. 135 Whoop! crack! thwack! Whip, cut, slash, here is a dust and confusion — fifty head of large-horned and splendid-looking cattle won't go across the river, in spite of a horde of half-naked Mexicans who are determined they shall. The oxen reach the edge of the water in a drove, wet their hoofs, and then start back in a rush. Now commences a shower of blows over the face, eyes, and horns, of the poor animals ; a few rather tender-pated, plunge into the Rio Grande, their Mexican drivers leap in after, mount their backs, seize them by their horns, bend their heads cross the river, or under it, as they choose ; the oxen struggle across, the Mexicans tumble off their backs, retracing their way in the water, as glibly as if they were cat fish, and equally independent of the facilities of a ferry. The crowd continues to gather at the ferry, some hundred and fifty persons wish to cross the river, and the flat has started from the other side — a general rush ensues to the water's edge, as not more than one-third of ihe crowd present can be immediately accommodated. The flat touches the shore, and two opposing currents meet : one coining out of the flat and another going in — every thing is in confusion, horses and men tumble out of the flat, and men and horses tumble in ; a perfect babel of uttered language ensues, and a fair prospect of a war is presenting itself — when, an United States officer arrives — the sentinel salutes him — he orders the men to fall back — every thing becomes quiet in an instant again ; the ferried-over wend their way up the bank, and disperse among the different camps ; as many of the crowd as can be properly accommodated, follow the officer quietly into the flat, and away it goes with a full load for the Mexican side of the river. So passes each day of the ferry Jlnacuita, at Matamoros. After you get over the ferry, you have an open and picturesque road before you, of nearly a half mile to the city. Much to inte- rest presents itself, for every thing, to American eyes, is unlike " the familiar road-side." The hedge of a small cotton field, now broken down in places, is worthy of attention, for it is characteristic of the fences of the country. Their being no timber to split into " rails," the Mexican cannot disfigure the landscape with those awful " worm fences," that so mar our own fields ; on the contrary, he plants with some care the thorn bushes and delicate brush that every where grow spontaneously, strengthening them with the trunks of the palm tree. 136 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. A thousand vines and wild flowers soon tressel over this " breast- work," binding it together in a solid mass ; and tropical birds with gay plumage, bury themselves in its interstices. A Mexican hedge, therefore, soon becomes a formidable defence against a foe, defies the most viciously disposed cattle intruders, offers a shade at noon, and is the place of resort for all the gay, the musical, and the beautiful of the feathered tribe. A large species of blackbird will much attract attention. It seems very tame and familiar ; a pair will generally be seen together mounted on some high limb, and performing a series of bowings and contortions truly wonderful to behold, throwing their heads into the air, burying them under their wings, then turning their feathers up with all imaginable roughness, and giving utterance to the strangest varied scream ever heard, the conclusion of which is like the whizzing, crashing sounds made by the breaking off and falling of a heavy limb of £ tree. Birds with a pale ashy plumage, and tails resembling those denominated " of Paradise," flit about, and a minia- ture dove, not larger in its body than a robin, pecks modestly in the dust, — the most beautiful and loveable bird we ever saw. This hedge leads to a poor Mexican farmer's cottage, that faces close upon the road, and as it represents its class, is worth examina- tion. The walls are made of reed, about three or four inches thick, and ingeniously held together by others running crosswise, not unlike rude basket work. The rafters of the house are made of gigantic reed, thatched most securely from admitting the rain, by long salt marsh grass, cut about the mouth of the Rio Grande. There are no windows — two doors, situated on either side, admit all the light and air its inhabitants indulge in. It is a mere lodging room after all in rainy weather, for the Mexicans of the poorer classes live out of doors, sleep under the shade of their stunted trees, or upon the door steps of their rude houses. The house is " a mere form," equally enjoyed by hens and chickens, pigs, goats, fleas, and other domestic animals. The " kitchen garden" looks inviting, though in waste, — splendid figs are ripening upon a wilderness of luxuriant trees, — pomegranates, with their russet sides, meet the eye, — tall green corn, of the best quality, waves in the constant breeze, — and, on the ground, there ripen in modest obscurity good looking squashes, that in size show a near relationship to the succulent pumpkin. In front of the house I A MEXICAN HUT. 137 noticed a large hole, occasioned by a shot thrown in the bombard- ment, — in the inside of it one of our own troops was sitting very comfortably on a bench, eating hot corn, evidently set before him by a Mexican woman, who, though she did no credit to her sex in the way of personal beauty, seemed to honor it by her hospitality. can Farm Just beyond this thatched house, you are turned off of the road by the " Sand-bag fort battery," a rough work, that afforded protection to three or four pieces of artillery in the bombardment of Fort Brown. The rain had already washed down some parts of the walls, and two or three big-headed mules seemed to hold it in full possession. The road every where is pleasant, and cottages are filling up with « cake and beer shops ;" the Americans, like their progenitors " across the waters," must be well fed to fight well, and this characteristic is taken advantage of to the great profit of innumerable hangers-on of the camp. In one of these little shops, I found the stock to consist of an empty claret box, a jug of whiskey, two tin cups, a few pounds of maple sugar, a pail of Rio Grande water, and a Mexican saddle worth one hundred and fifty dollars. You now get out of the fields, and come into the suburbs of the city, the road takes a sudden turn 138 OUR ARMY ON THE, RIO GRANDE. to the right, and gives you an extended view down one of the streets that leads " way back towards Monterey." On your left you per- ceive the tortuous winding of the river reaching away towards its mouth, and upon the rolling land are the thousand tents belonging to our army. The tents stretch out before you for miles, until they grow into seeming white spots, looking like snow balls resting on the bluish sward. Nearer to you is an unfinished powder magazine, the workmen have abandoned it after raising its thick square walls — the ruins of houses are hidden away among the long weeds — a ranchero wends his way across the broken field, and two or three soldiers off duty stop him, to hold a long conversation in Irish, and English, and Spanish, and although they are entirely unacquainted with each others language, they seem very familiar and agreeable companions. A very thickset) fanner-looking old gentleman, in a linen roundabout, and remarkable for short legs and long body, mounted on a snow-white charger, followed by a mounted dragoon, most perpendicular in his saddle, and covered with trappings, passes by. If you inquire who that is, you will be laughed at, for he is the major general com- mander-in-chief of the " Army of Occupation," and he is going over u to consult with several officers," about something he made up his mind should be done " nolens volens," a month ago. PRIVATE RESIDENCE IN MATAMOROS. 139 CHAPTER XVII. The bridge — Change in the country — Private residence of a wealthy citizen — Newspaper in Mexico — Interior of the city — Plaza — Cathedral — Its front — Chapel — Its worshippers — Halls of justice — Head quarters of our troops — Mexican prison — A prisoner free — Court room — Military stores — The rich widow — Her mules. Turning up the road leading directly into the city, you pass over a very handsomely-constructed bridge, laid in water-proof cement ; it was a public work in the better days of the Mexican republic. This bridge was more needed formerly than now. Until a few years since, there annually formed by the rains a lake between the river and the city ; it gave a semi-aquatic appearance to Matamoros, and was the common resort of the inhabitants who wished to enjoy a bath. Either the heads of the lake broke away, or the overflowings of the Rio Grande changed the formation of the land, for it dried up, and left in the place of a transparent sheet of water, a little stream, bounded on either side by dank weeds, over which the bridge gracefully arches, looking liberal from the apparent extra breadth of the span. Past the bridge, on either side of the road, rise tall trees, for the country, giving to it a picturesque and rural appearance. On your right is the Front View of a Private Residence in Matamoros. 140 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. large brick house of a wealthy citizen, who was a colonel of militia on the 8th and 9th. You are struck with its desolate front ; it has not a window or door that is made for comfort or ornament, and those that present themselves are protected by thick heavy batten doors and shutters. Up high, on one corner of the front, is something that looks much like a large cage. That cage is the balcony, whereon at eve, steal forth the females of the family, to enjoy the evening air. They are out of the reach of stolen kisses, or letters of love, and Mexican jealousy is somewhat lulled by this arrangement. The lower part of the house presents bare walls, that protect male and female from the assaults of sudden revolution, of lawless robbers, of plundering sol- diery, and thefts of hungry officials ; that house speaks a volume of melancholy detail, of the social and political condition of the country. Side view of the same Residence. " Hare is de Republica de Rio Grande y amiga de los pueblo, neu papier, one beet." A newspaper boy, for the first time, in the Repub- lic of Mexico. He is looked upon by the inhabitants in favor of the old dynasty, as Indians look upon the appearance of bees — it shows that the white man is coming. He is an old boy, though young in news- papers, being full sixty years of age, but he does bravely. " Hare is de Republica." " Hold on there," cries a volunteer, " let us have a ■'."r:i-:p,T\ &lHfi WINDOW OF A PRIVATE HOUSE. Family looking out at the American Troops marching by. UNFINISHED CATHEDRAL. 141 number." All sad reflections upon the condition of Mexico, suggested by the prison-like appearance of the Mexican colonel's house pass away, for intelligence has found wings, and those even in Mexico who run, can in future read ; a new order of things has commenced, and sudden and singular improvements for the better are bound to follow in Matamoros. Cleverly in Matamoros, the first impression you receive is the deso- late one created by the prison look of all the houses. They have a semi-moorish appearance, and you cannot divest yourself of the idea that a city thus built, must be inhabited by people of jealous disposi- tions, subject to civil war, and of unsocial habits. As you progress along, you see, peeping through grated windows, pairs of dark eyes that flash strangely with fear and curiosity ; little children retreat be- fore you with that gait peculiar to the young of timid animals, that flee from instinct, before they do it from reason. The double door, opened at an angle to admit the air, gives glimpses of deep brunettes, throwing remarkably luxuriant and dark tresses over their heads, pre- vious to arrano-incr them for the evening's listlessness. Men sit sul- lenly about in their fantastic dresses, half of them looking as if they had stolen out of a stock company of a theatre, while engaged in playing a " brigand piece." There is a flaunting, stiletto-you-in-the- dark look, about the whole of them. As you wander on, you find the city remarkably well laid out, and although giving evidences of having seen better days, still it is far from being destitute of attractive buildings. Once fairly in the plaza Hidalgo, the principal square of the city, you can rest yourself under the shade of some stunted china trees, and then commence examining at your leisure. You will at once be attracted by the unfinished cathedral, that is so managed, that the houses on its wings appear to be a part of the cathedral itself, giving to the mass a very imposing appearance, bound- ing one entire side of the plaza. It was some years since that the architect commenced the building with most excellent intentions, and but for an evident want of funds, would have made a splendid build- ing. Two fine, but unfinished, towers command the ends of the ca- thedral, upon one of which is laid a rude piece of timber, from which are suspended two bells. The Gothic door in the centre would have exposed the interior with great effect, but, alas, some misfortune over- 142 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. whelmed its progress, and left the bare walls, to provoke the imagina- tion to contemplating the reasons why a work so well begun, was not completed. In front, seated in the angles formed by the pillars, or upon their bases, fifty or more poor miserable creatures, who seem, in their po- verty, to have nothing in abundance but sunshine, and that they are determined to enjoy. Many are disgustingly disfigured by slow can- kerous diseases, that appear to render their victims hideous, and yet will not kill. Some are slightly wounded soldiers who have crawled out of the hospitals for fresh air. Few well-dressed persons linger in their vicinity, but pass decorously on and disappear in a narrow alley- way on the right of the cathedral, where we will enter. Having done so, you soon come to a small room, no doubt intended originally for the sacristy, but now used as a chapel. The walls are plain ; there is no wealth about the altar to tempt sacrilegious hands. The adorn- ments, on the contrary, are of little value, and of a kind in no way har- monious with the objects for which they are appropriated. The priest is at the altar in the act of celebrating mass, the worshipping con- gregation is impressive, and tempts the heart to join in the solemn service. Before you are kneeling some twenty Mexican women, many of them quite handsome, all calculated to excite curiosity. They kneel gracefully, and, accidentally as possible, expose a fine foot, tastefully set off with a small slipper. There are but two Mexican men in the house, shame upon the sex, but there are men there beside, noble and true-hearted men, that form a curious sight, all the circumstances con- sidered. Some twenty United States troops, in their uniforms, are on their knees at prayer, among the most devotional in the house. Jt w r as a sight to see those thus engaged, who but a few days before were sur- rounded by the terrors of the battle field, busy, prominently busy, in the work of death. Such is one of the cathedrals of Matamoros, and the principal building in the city. Directly opposite the cathedral is a row of buildings two stories high, variously occupied. In the centre are the halls of the city jus- tices ; in the rear of which is the calabozo, and also a kind of maga- zine for military stores. A rich widow owns the lower third of the row, living in great state, within her own premises ; an object of ex- HALL OF JUSTICE. 143 eimuui/diMON Halls of Justice and Head Qu ceeding interest to the enterprising bachelor u volunteers" who think of settling in the country. The calabozo, or city prison of Matamoros, under the charge of the civil authorities, is one of the most wretched places that can be con- ceived of, in which to incarcerate human beings. You enter from the street, passing between two Mexican sentinels, and come to a thick batten door, with a small grate in it. A poor wretch, nearly naked, and wan from misery and watching, opens the door, and you enter a small court paved with brick, which are polished smooth by the continued stepping of naked feet ; on one side are small cells, open- ing into the court, and having no provision made, when shut, for light or air. The doors were all open now ; sickness or want of food had weakened the few prisoners that were held in bondage, until it was not dangerous to let them enjoy the light of heaven that struggled into their living graves. Imagination cannot conceive the suffering that is 144 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. endured by humanity, sweltering under a tropical sun, and surrounded by the soul-sickening influences of this prison house. What tales of misery it could unfold, if the walls could speak ; how many brave- hearted Americans have lingered out a miserable existence in these cells for some conventional crhne, devised to rob them of their wealth, or to avenge some fancied wrong. There was a hang-dog look about the sunken eyes of the few pri- soners, and, after knowing the Mexican character, one will be at a loss to guess what crime they could commit, to make them odious enough among their own people, to be thus incarcerated. Beneath a rude shed, one of the prisoners was busy in making tor- tillas. There was an expertness about his operations that would always excite the curiosity of the uninitiated. He had a flat stone be- fore him, elevated to a slight angle ; in his hands was a sort of " rolling pin." He placed the just ripened corn on the upper side of the pin, then rubbing it briskly up and down the stone, managed most adroitly to crush out the snowy farina, leaving the hull to gather upon the upper side of the pin. It was evidently the slight of years of practice, and constitutes the labor of one half of the population of Mexico, who thus actually do no more than the work of a few well-conducted steam or water mills. The floury pulp is simply patted into cakes, and laid upon the ashes to bake, and the tortilla is complete. In the extremest of the cells was a wheel-barrow ; upon it was a mass of something enveloped in a soldier's overcoat. Curiosity prompted the lifting of one corner of this veil : a Mexican soldier lay there asleep^ contracted into a space to suit the short bed of the wheel- barrow. A soldier, fortunate in his sleep, for his soul had left its prison-house of clay, and the terrible one that still held his body in durance vile. Emerging from a Mexican prison into the fresh air, the sky looks brighter to the eyes, and the soul seems to have escaped from bondage. You pass an American sentinel in a large door-way adjoining the prison, and come to a wide pair of stairs. Ascending, you find your- self in the seat of justice of the city of Matamoros, and perhaps for the department in which it is situated. The room is fitted up in a sort of barbaric splendor, a velvet canopy with gold fringe is suspended over the judge's seat, contrasting unpleasantly against a badly finished wall. MILITARY STORES. 145 A velvet cushion, also fringed with gold, forms the couch for a very old bible in the Latin tongue. All else was commonplace. The windows of the court room extended to the floor, and opened upon a gallery, from which you looked down into the public square. — The floor of the court room was covered with envelopes of official documents, franked from the different capitals of the departments, and from the city of Mexico, directed to the principal officers who commanded the Mexi- can forces against Gen. Taylor, leaving the supposition that the room was displaced of justice, and occupied by Gen. Arista as his head quarters. Descending from the court room, you pass back, and come to a court yard, from the buildings on either side of which American troops were busily engaged in removing military stores. This depot had just been discovered, and was evidently one of the principal in the city. On the right were standing hundreds of condemned English tower muskets : on the floor, knee deep, and in strange confusion, were scopets, bayonets, and heaps of copper grape and shell. The room on the left contained an immense quantity of clothing fantastically cut and trimmed, which caused one of our troops to remark, w it must have been intended for showmen's monkeys." With the clothing were various crude war implements, belts, cartridge boxes, cases of canister shot, and cannon ball, which had been originally packed by mule loads, in green ox hide, the hide, when drying, having drawn them together as tightly as if they were a solid mass of iron. All this military rubbish our troops were removing ; it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Mexicans. Save the grape and ball, the whole was to us of little value. In breaking up the canisters, several were found filled up with small pieces of bar iron, old keys, and glass ; the great majority, however, were of copper grape. In a little recess, evidently intended for it, reposed quietly a small mountain howitzer, with carriage and equipments complete. It was a small piece of cannon, truly, and compares with our eighteen-pound- ers, as a humming bird does with an eagle. " The officer of the day, 1 ' looking at, said it was an effective weapon in " the narrow mountain passes," where heavier artillery could not be taken. Leaving these " stern realities of war," you can, by going down the plaza a house or two, enter through a sort of half public way into 10 146 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the court of the rich widow's residence. It is a splendid place, of immense size, bounded on two sides by large and handsomely-orna- mented galleries, the whole interior more beautiful, as with all Spanish houses, than the dull front would promise. The garden abounded with fig and pomegranate trees, and a variety of tropical shrubs. The widow, however, was secluded within the thick walls and the heavy curtains of her own apartments, giving neither stranger or friend, as far as we could learn, a view of her weeds and dark eye lashes. An American, however, will be indebted to that rich widow for a surprise, if he will step under an angle of the house, and look well at her " carriage horses." It is wonderful, that among the most remarkable things in Mata- moros to unsophisticated American eyes, should be a pair of mules, strange and peculiar as all else is. The widow's carriage mules — who could look at them, and ever forget the sight ? A mule, forsooth ! who could dwell for a moment on its beauties, big headed, long eared, mongrel, monster beast ? The widow 5 s mules, however, were beautiful, and yet they looked exactly like mules. A fact that can be explained in the extraordinary resemblance that is often noticed between a lovely girl of sixteen, radiant in charms, who is a precise counterpart, in every feature, to her ugly, ill-natured, freckled, furrowed papa. The widow's mules were sublemented certainly — their heads were small, and possessed of delicate nostrils, that dilated with breathing, as if they were formed of brocade satin. Their ears were pointed, and blood-like, as any descendant of Godolphin Arabian, with fine legs, ending in hoofs so delicate, that one felt disposed to take them in the hand, and toy with them. The widow's mules would convince the skeptical, that the ass in the east may be, without absurdity, " royal ;" how, and where, did the rich widow of Matamoros get these mules ? Coming again into the plaza, you can rest yourself upon a pile of boxes, just taken out of the Mexican armory. A long train of w T agons marked U. S. on their covers, are coming along to take them away; the few Mexicans about, look on surlily, but the boxes are taken off to Fort Brown as cavalierly as if they Mere from one of our own depots. In the Calle Iturbide, just round the corner, is a refectory worthy of notice, and there one can rest comfortably after the fatigues of a morning's-" looking" excitement. CHAPEL DE LA CAPILLA. 147 CHAPTER XVIII. Chapel de la Capilla — Its use by Gen. Arista — Its ornaments — Its worship- pers — Incident — The grated house — Suburbs of the town — The ruined bar- racks — The red tower — Scene suggested — Mexican hospitals — Treatment of the sick — Their appearance — The artillery — Musket wound — Market square — Its commodities — Queer dogs — Mexican exquisite. In the " upper square" is a curiously-constructed building, known as the Chapel de la Capilla, giving its name to the square itself, that will attract attention by the crude taste displayed in ornamenting its front. It appears to have been painted some light dingy color, and then streaked with a large brush along its front with red paint. The instant it was convenient for the Mexican commanders to use this chapel for military purposes, they turned out the sacred furniture of Chapel de la Capilla- 148 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the altar, and all the ornaments, throwing them in confused heaps, and in their place piled up the ammunition of the army. After the battles, it was used for a few days as a hospital for the wounded, and then restored to its legitimate uses. The Chapel de la Capilla is better furnished than the one in the cathedral : but the great poverty about every thing, shows that the people of Matamoros are any thing than enthusiastic or liberal in re- ligious matters. Over the altar, there were to be seen two wax figures, about three feet in height, representing " the Father" and " the Vir- gin." They were dressed precisely as were the people in the streets, and, save a more elevated expression about the face, given by the mysterious light that played on them from above, and the deathly look of the wax of which they were composed, they might have been mis- taken for the common Mexican effigies, in the making of which these people are singularly expert. On the threshold of the chapel, was kneeling in solemn prayer, a Mexican girl, robed in pure white ; her regular, dark features, mingled in them the Castilian and aboriginal blood most witchingly, giving to them a warm expression, truly like the mellow, golden flesh tints seen in an old picture. Large tears were threaded on her dark eye lashes, and as she raised her eyes in prayer, one involuntarily thought of the females that look out from the creations of Corregio. When the priest concluded his prayer, offered up for the sick and afflicted, she turned her head for a moment, when a familiar recognition followed ; a tinge of interest in worldly things shaded the spiritual face. The vanity was flattered by the remembrance ; and the recognition called to mind by a kindly service rendered to a wounded officer in one of the hospitals, who was attended by a delicate girl, clad at the time in the common dress of the country, and who was remarkably attentive to his wants. This daughter was now praying for the recovery of a parent, over whom she daily and nightly watched, regardless of all the terrible and humiliating scenes around her. Leaving the chapel, and going towards the river, you will be struck with the appearance of a private residence, having extra large bars across the window ; the damaged condition of the front, being done by the shot during the bombardment. SUBURBS OF MATAMOROS. Private Dwelling, Matamoros. The fears of the inmates, joined with the clumsiness of the iron- worker, have made this dwelling look like a perfect calabozo, bnt a peep through the open gate gives you a glimpse of an enchanting court, in which were seen gay-plumaged birds in cages, and inviting arbors formed by the rich tropical foliage. Farther still towards the river, are the lower suburbs of the town ; here the land is considerably broken, and on the rising ground are the ruins of what apparently were several fine houses. A little off the road stand the walls of an unfinished powder magazine. The suspension of this public work was probably owing to a want of go- vernment funds for its completion. Keeping to the right, you pass through a street lined on either side with half rural-looking habita- tions, some of which are quite pretty, when suddenly the road opens into a large parade ground, one side of which is bounded by spacious, and, originally, very handsome barracks. The front is plain, and the pavement being good, and furnished at either end with handsome brick guard houses, the whole has a very military appearance. A few years since a hurricane passed over Ma- tamoros, and on its way unroofed this building ; a portion of the 150 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. roof still lies across the front. Curiosity prompts the passer-by to enter, through the once strongly fortified doorway. The interior has a perfectly Spanish appearance ; the walls are terribly thick, and all the rooms are dungeon-like. This building seemed to have been recently occupied by troops. Passing from the court, you ascend by wide but steep steps to the upper walls ; and while engaged in fol- lowing the range of the loop holes, and observing how perfectly a few soldiers behind the strong breastwork could command the inside of the whole barracks, it suddenly flashes on the mind, that the strongly-built guard house that surmounts this wall, is the red tower that, while the Mexicans still held the city, so intensely interested our troops. arracks, Suburbs of Matamoros During the bombardment of Fort Brown, and when Matamoros was thronged with troops, almost every evening, solemn music was heard, Avhich seemed to proceed from the plaza, and move towards this red tower. At sunset volleys of musketry were fired, followed by a cloud of white smoke circling round this tower. This signified either a funeral, or an execution. One can stand at the base of this red tower, and overlook the HOSPITALS IN MATAMOROS. 151 various courts of the barracks. Directly in front is the main one — the parade ground. Imagination, prompted by the well-known summary executions of the military "despots of Mexico, can readily call up some poor wretch brought out for sacrifice ; see him pinioned and kneeling in bold relief against the barrack wall, while overhead, and opposite, in all the panoply of abused authority, stands the cruel-hearted military tyrant, coolly giving directions for the execution. An irregular discharge of fire arms follows, the ghastly mutilated victim starts convulsively forward : his comrades, their hearts brutalised by the constant sight of blood, rush, with eager haste, to drive their knives into his heart; so passes a military execution in Mexico. When Gen. Taylor took Matamoros, it was represented to him by public scandal, that there were fifty or sixty persons in it, who were wounded in the battles. The number was considered remarkably small, and created some surprise. After the public stores were taken possession of, there was found among them a quantity of tobacco, a portion of the best was divided out among our troops, and the re- mainder Gen. Taylor ordered to be sold at auction, the proceeds to be applied to the relief of the wounded Mexican soldiers. This led to some examination, when to the surprise of all, the " commission" appointed to inquire into the number, reported nearly four hundred sick and wounded. This startling fact justified the American estimate of the deadly effect of our arms, which was so flatly contradicted, by the number of wounded first reported as being in the city by the Mexicans. A visitor in Matamoros would find the hospitals places of melan- choly interest, and sources of constant surprise. They developed traits of the Mexican character, no where else exhibited. The veil is torn away in these receptables of suffering humanity, and it was a matter of serious speculation, whether the horrors of war were not eclipsed by the horrors of the social condition of the poor wretches, whose mutilated bodies were strewn around. Not a street in Mata- moros is destitute of its hospital, and as you move about, a curtain before the door of some private house would blow aside, and reveal the cot, with the attenuated form stretched under a sheet, surrounded by silent nurses, that seemed to be dark figures, wrought into the solid walls against which they were relieved. 152 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. There were plenty of excellent houses for the Mexicans to place their wounded into, but their officials paid no attention to comfort, even where it was as easily obtained as the miserable places in which the wounded were often thrown, as useless remains of a defeated battle field. Hence the meson, a dirty, low building, the public inn of the place, where horses and men find, with equal accommodation, a lodg- ing for the night, was chosen, among other indifferent places, as an hospital. In the city, better buildings were appropriated to such uses, but in all were the same indifferent attentions, or rather "neglects" of the invalids. The sick generally lay upon the ground; some few enjoyed the luxury of a raw hide to repose upon, and a block of wood to support their heads ; a sheet of white cotton was wrapped closely about their attenuated frames, exaggerating the horrors they partially concealed. Some passed their time in heavy sleep, with half-opened eyes, that leered upon the spectator more horribly than did those of the un- buried dead at Palo Alto. Some never slept, but ever looked with eyes of living coals of fire, that betrayed the fever that was consuming them ; some swayed to and fro, as if impatient of the restraints of sickness, and were longing for their far mountain homes, from which they had been torn to fight battles in which they had no interest ; some sat doggedly staring into the dust, with scarce sense enough to feel, or mind sufficient to speculate upon their condition. Were these indeed the brave soldiers of the 8th and 9th, who had about them their ghastly titles that showed they had been in the thickest of the fight ? Were these men Mexicans ? Were such va- rieties of colors all equal in social condition ? Even so. The Castilian with auburn hair, the swarthy Indian with straight, the dark negro with kinked, with all their intermediate mixtures, lay side by side, all Mexicans, all of the same sympathies, feelings, language. All moved in their winding sheets, evidently equal in mind and body. To the American, who makes distinction in colors, this strange mixture of races in one people, causes the greatest surprise. Their countenances were hideous from natural physiognomy ; every style of expression was represented : the African, with low forehead and protruding lips ; the besotted Indian, his straight hair hanging over his regular features, giving it additional ferocity ; the Malay-looking MARKET IN MATAMOROS. 153 mongrel, with tawny skin, slight moustache, and cold-blooded, trea- cherous eyes ; the low, cunning, yet intelligent, brutish white man. All these various faces peered out from among loose folds of white cloth, that fall about them, giving them the appearance of Arabs, or some eastern crew of a pirate ship. And yet these were all Mexicans, and might have been, without offence to that people, blood relations, members of the same family. Go where you would, and there were evidences of the artillery. Ringgold had written the strength of " his arm " with terrible distinct- iveness. Arms and legs gone, shattered bodies, ghastly wounds, all too hideous for the musket, were eveiy where to be seen. It was surprising that men could live thus torn to pieces. And yet the greatest suffering, apparently, was from a musket ball. Had it been grape, or of heavier material, it would have done its work effectually, and left its victim painless in death. As it was, it had gone through the breast, tearing the fine machinery of the lungs to pieces, and yet left vitality enough to have them move on in their ruins, poison- ing the whole frame with impure blood, and leaving the patient to suffer beyond the imagination to conceive. Poor soldier, his breath rattled and tore away at his vitals ; his sufferings were indeed a dark spot on the bloody page of war. Amidst all their misery and desolation, amidst these places so hum- bling to pride, so sacrificing to vanity, woman was there, devoted to a husband or a brother ; she sat in the dust, fanned away the torturing insects that lived on blood, and revelled in wounds, sanctifying the most menial offices by her spirit and influence, and shedding, by her smiles, by her silent attentions, by her teachings of hope in another world, the only bright rays that are seen to glimmer in a Mexican hospital. Besides the public squares already mentioned, one other, occupied by the market, is worthy of notice. The building is of commodious dimensions, and in the early morning presents, with the square sur- rounding it, a lively, picturesque appearance. Here are assembled every variety of mongrel population, from the apparent savage, to that appanage of Spanish enlightenment, a duenna in full dress. Like their class among all nations, the market people are loquacious in the extreme, and on all sides is a continual strain of musical, gut- 154 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. teral sound, composed of the softest Castilian, and the aboriginal languages, curiously intermingled. Their commodities consist of a great variety of vegetables, but red pepper and garlic have the most prominent place. They have also different kinds of cakes, as well as the indispensable tortil. As to the meats, the substantial materials for the culinary art, nothing can be said in favor of them as represented in the Matamoros market. Mexi- can butchers would, by their bungling, make but indifferent beef of a stall-fed ox, and where a half wild steer, whose skin and flesh are of nearly equal weight, is the object of market enterprise, the quality of Mexican beef may be imagined. One of the most singular articles of commerce, occasionally met with, is a curious species of dog, of a steel-gray color, and being per- fectly destitute of hair. To see one of the largest quietly sleeping, one would suppose that a cast iron appendage to some aspiring modern portico had been removed from its place, and dropped in the thorough- fare. These dogs, so destitute of covering, look very well in iron or stone, but a living one, to all refined taste, seems disgusting in its poverty. The long avenue of the market, and the throng constantly moving about, afford a fine opportunity for display, and it is most amusingly taken advantage of by the dandies of the town. A Mexican exquisite is remarkable for his rings and his pride, and it is a most amusing spectacle, when one of them throws his poncha, " all tattered and torn," across his shoulders, and perambulates the market with an air that would have added new fame to Vandyke, had he given it to one of his Netherland portraits. — It is decidedly one of the most exquisite scenes in the world. MEXICAN IMPOSTS. 155 CHAPTER XIX. Abandoned public stores in Matamoros — The copper shells — Mexican im- posts — Large gun-carriages — Saddles — Evidences of hasty retreat — Revo- lutions in Mexico — Their effects on the business of Matamoros — Its pros- pects under a settled government — Number of men engaged in the battles — Arista's statements — French consul's statement — Alcade Gomez — Pro- bable number of troops — Conduct of our soldiers — The moral effects of the battles. The amount of public stores found in Matamoros, by Col. Twiggs, was incredibly large. They must have cost the government of Mexico from five to six hundred thousand dollars, and had evidently been collected together, from the time that Mexico became indepen- dent of Spain, until the present. A large quantity, no doubt, was sent to Matamoros, during the prosecution of hostilities in Texas. The age of much of these military stores, was known by the old-fashioned manner in which it was packed up, and a part seemed to be the refuse of arsenals, as it was totally unfit for use. The muskets were con- demned English tower muskets, bought probably by the government, from private citizens in England : the same species of commerce has precedence in the manufacture of arms in our own country. The clothing found was of the most fantastic description, and of sizes too small for the average of our American troops : — the great object seemed to be, to have plenty of trimmings. The grape and canister shot was of copper, and also the shells; by some, it is supposed that this " house" was the refuse of the silver and gold ore of the mines. An immense amount of ammunition must have been carried away by Arista, as he seized every possible convey- ance that could be found in the city, and loaded it, to send with his army into the interior. Among the government stores were tobacco, segars, stamped paper, and playing-cards. It would seem that the Mexican government laid its heaviest imposts on the vices of the nation ; and this was wisely conceived, as the Mexicans spend a large portion of their time in card- playing and smoking. Two pieces of cannon were taken from a well. 156 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. In one house were an immense quantity of shell, and two gun-carriages, made of the most splendid mahogany, and intended for at least thirty- two pounders. It is said that these carriages were brought over land, while the guns were shipped at Vera Cruz : the vessel containing them was wrecked at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Had these powerful guns arrived at their destination, and been brought to bear upon Fort Brown, it might have made a change in the fortunes of its defenders. These superb carriages are now within the walls of the fort, but are exposed to the action of the elements : they should be taken to Wash- ington, and there wrought into furniture, to adorn the capitol. Beneath the floor of a stable, where a portion of Mexican cavalry horses had been stationed, were found a large number of saddles, many of excellent quality, and some richly ornamented with silver. It is probable, that for years to come, discoveries will continually be made, of hidden depositories of military stores. It was curious to notice how suddenly, in many instances, the work of the soldiers had been abandoned. In the large room in which the gun-carriages were found, was a carpenter's bench — the workman had been busily making boxes for cannon shot, and left one nearly com- pleted ; the shaving in his plane was but half cut off from the board on which he was engaged. In the very act of sweeping his plane, the news had come of the defeat : the carpenter had dropped his in- strument and fled. Such were the evidences of consternation every where to be met with. The continued revolutions in Mexico have gradually undermined the prosperity of Matamoros. Its trade has each year decreased in importance. The taxes imposed by the central government paralyze commerce, and the privilege that each department has of levying a tariff, has constantly tended to confine the business of Matamoros to its own department of Tamaulipas. Hordes of office-holders have come from the city of Mexico to rob its inhabitants. Export and im- port duties were levied on every thing; and, as speculation prevailed among office-holders, confiscations for conventional breaking of laws were of every-day occurrence. Bribery of officials, of course, soon became reduced to a system : the smallest traders bribe the lowest officials — the judge, the governor — the governor, the minister — and REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT. 157 all seek to evade paying tribute to the supreme government. All these evils tend, directly, to impoverish the country. With the evils of bad government came recklessness of fortune. The inhabitants, not naturally enterprising, from the insecurity of property became to rely upon the spontaneous productions of the soil, rather than upon any business investment, for their support. Hides, tallow, fat, and wool, which are produced in such abundance upon the broad savannas of Mexico, proved to be sufficient for the supply of every present want ; and this has originated with the people a preference for that kind of wealth not liable to be easily stolen, or taken from them by the rapacity of military leaders. Notwithstanding the accumula- tion of evils by which Matamoros has suffered, such is the great production of its commercial wealth, that it still flourishes with con- siderable estate, and maintains a population of six or seven thousand souls. Let the northern part of Mexico be once possessed of good laws and an intelligent population, that would call forth the undeveloped resources of the country, and Matamoros would soon grow into a city of great commercial importance. It is not possible for the present in- habitants to accomplish anything. Besides being indolent, they pos- sess a revolutionary spirit that renders the blessings of a settled go- vernment for them impossible. The causes of this revolutionary spirit are numerous. The people are naturally fond of games of chance, and they carry this passion into every detail of life, and are fascinated by the risk of losing the tor- tilla of the morning's meal, as well as by the chances of a change in government. No matter how prosperously a government may be organised, or however well calculated to benefit the people, those out of office and power have but to display to the mass the prospect of gaining both by a revolution, and it is at once plunged into with the greatest en- thusiasm. This will ever continue to be the state of Mexico, until people of a higher order are distributed through its present population, who will give a new tone to society, infuse a new spirit into its peo- ple, and impress a new character upon its social and political organi- zation. 158 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE, The exact number of men engaged on the Mexican side in the bat- tles of the 8th and 9 th, will always be a matter of some speculation. Gen. Arista garbles his statements throughout, and attempts to palliate defeat by giving false accounts of his own strength. Gen. Taylor had, counting all his force, twenty-three hundred men. He, himself, esti- mates the strength of the enemy to have been six thousand ; while Gen. Arista says, the force under his command amounted to but three thousand men. The French consul resident at Matamoros during the concentration of Mexican troops at that place, and who is evidently not prepossessed in favour of the Americans, sets down the number of their forces en- gaged in the battles as follows : No of Men. No. of Men. Infantry, 1st, Col. Mendoza, 180 Brought forward, 2860 " 10th, Col. Gareid, 250 Artillery of all kinds, twelve Sapadores. Col. Reyes, 330 pieces, 400 Ligero 2d, Col. Currasco, 350 Cavalry, 3d, 300 " 6th, Col. Cazanova, 200 7th, Col. Montero, 300 " 4th, Col. Araga, 600 Sth, Coh Torrejon, 600 Mexico, 300 Irregular, Col. Canales, 600 Morilia, 250 " Col. Lavariego, 130 Tampico Mateos, 400 5190 2860 Alcalde Gomez, a civil magistrate of the country west of the Rio Grande, who lives about seven miles below Fort Brown, states that Arista crossed the main body of troops at his ferry, and impressed him with all the boats between his ferry and Barita into the service. He also states, that two days were occupied by the troops in crossing, with all the flats and boats that could be gathered together, and that upwards of five thousand went over in this time. Alcalde Gomez also says, that it was Arista's intention to give Gen. Taylor battle as he went down to Point Isabel ; but the great delay in getting over his men, allowed Gen. Taylor to pass the place singled out for the con- templated attack upon our army. Gen. Torrejon had, by the acknowledgment of official Mexican documents, over fifteen hundred regular cavalry under his command ; and Canales, who commanded the rancheros, had probably an equal force. These, with the five thousand infantry certified to by Alcalde EFFECT OF THE BATTLES. 159 Gomez, make eight thousand men, which is probably near the num- ber engaged in the battles of the 8 th and 9 th. Among Gen. Arista's private papers, was found what appeared to be an official return of the army on the morning of the 9th, which set down the whole force at six thousand eight hundred. As this return only included the " regulars," there is yet to be added Canales' ran- cheros, and the eight thousand men are made up. The conduct of our soldiers during the two battles, cannot be too much admired. Every one was anxious to be the first engaged in the contest ; the ambition was to be in the thickest of the fight. There never was fought a battle, on ground that offered so many hiding places, as that of Resaca de la Palma; every clump of chaparral afforded perfect protection from observation and discovery, yet not an instance is known of its being taken advantage of, and the returns of both battles have no " missing" in the list. The proportion of officers, in the total of the killed, has no precedence on record, and shows how nobly they must have led on their men. It is a curious fact, that the commanding officer of the American army was a " colonel," opposed to whom were five generals, and one major general. The effect of the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma upon the civilised world, has been great indeed. Our country having but a small standing army, and a generation having passed away since we have had an opportunity to illustrate our prowess in arms, our military power had been somewhat lost sight of by European nations. It is no doubt true that these two battles, comparatively unimportant in loss of treasure and life, have accomplished a moral effect, that may check interference in American affairs by European powers, that would, if actually commenced, result in a general war among the civilised nations of the earth. The spirit with which our troops fought, exhibited a most perfect concentration of courage, tempered by constant acts of generosity. So long as the combat lasted, they furiously contended for the mastery, but the battle ended, humanity immediately resumed her sway. The generous courage of the subordinates, only found a rival in the gallant bearing of the officers who led them on to victory. 160 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. CHAPTER XX. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. [In the following anecdotes and incidents, none are given, except such as were related by actors or participators in the scenes, or came under the author's personal observation.] THE GENERALS IN CAMP. The contrast of the two commanding generals, Taylor and Arista, in the pomp and circumstances of war, was characteristic of the dif- ferent institutions under which they lived. There was a semi-barbaric splendor associated with Arista's, according with the despotism of the Mexican government. A simplicity about that of Taylor's, equally significant of pure republican institutions. The marquee of the commanding general of the Mexican forces was bell-shaped, and of great size.* The material of which it was composed, was ornamented by parti-colored stripes, giving it a holy- day appearance. Around it were stationed officers, whose rich dresses glistened in the sun, and who were ever ready to pay the most abject respect to their chief. Led horses, richly caparisoned, slowly paced in sight. Protecting its rear, like continued labyrinthian walls, was arranged the equipage of the camp. Pack saddles for five hundred mules were tastefully placed for display, and their loads near by, heaped up in prodigal confusion. To the poor Mexican soldier, bi- vouaced in the open air, this wealth seemed a vision of fairy land, and its conventional possessor, rich, beyond their imagination, and powerful, beyond comparison. Bands of rude music almost constantly rent the air with their noisy labor. The furniture of the marquee was rich ; the costly figured chests of the camp were the ornamental furniture ; upon their tops * We had the privilege and opportunity of examining most of Gen. Arista's camp equipage at Fort Brown. We are indebted to the "Commissioners" appointed to examine it, for some particulars relative to the plate, &c. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 161 reposed in ostentation, the heavy silver service of the table, or the elegantly finished " maps of the campaign." Amid this array sat the commanding 1 general, surrounded by his numerous staff — his clothes of gay colors, and laced to vulgar profusion. Visits of ceremony, or of business, were conducted with pomp and needless delays ; long lines of officials stared and leered, and were impudent, or cringing, as suited their purposes best. Music rolled, sabres and muskets rattled, and the buzz of inflated greatness, and hollow pretence, was trium- phant. About a mile above the city of Matamoros, a little distance from the banks of the Rio Grande, are to be seen (June 1st,) some stunted and ill-shaped trees, which bend their gnarled and almost leafless limbs over a group of three or four small tents, only different from those of the common soldier in their rear, in this, that they are hete- rogenously disposed of for shade, instead of being in a line, regard- less of all else than military precision. The plain about is dotted over with thousands of tents, before many of which are artillery, and groups of men and soldiers ; and over some wave in triumphant folds our national flag, giving promise of more importance and pomp, than the little knot to which we have particularly alluded. We wended our way on towards the dwarfish trees, that were distinguish- ed by being a few feet higher than the surrounding brush, and the little group of tents that rested beneath them, for they were pointed out as marking the head quarters of the commanding general of a triumphant American army. Not the slightest token was visible, to mark one tent in the group from another ; there were no sentinels, nor any military parade present; a chubby sunburnt child, " belonging to the camp," was playing near by in the grass, temporarily arrested in its wanderings by some insect of unusual size, that was delving in the dust. We presented our- selves at the opening of one of the tents, before which was standing a dragoon's horse, much used by hard service. Upon a camp stool at our left sat Gen. , in busy conversation with a hearty-looking old gentleman, who was dressed in Attakapas pantaloons, and a linen roundabout, and was remarkable for a bright flashing eye, a high fore- head, a farmer look, and a " rough and ready" appearance. It is hardly necessary for us to say, that this personage was Gen. Taylor, the 11 162 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. commanding hero of two of the most remarkable battles on record, and the man who, by his firmness and decision of character, has shed lustre upon the American arms. There was no pomp about his tent ; a couple of rough blue chests served for his table, on which were strewn in masterly confusion, a variety of official-looking documents ; a quiet-looking citizen-dressed personage made his appearance, upon hearing the significant call of " Ben," bearing on a tin salver a couple of black bottles and shining tumblers, arranged around an earthen pitcher of Rio Grande water. These refreshments were deposited upon a stool, and " we helped ourselves," by invitation. We bore to the general a complimentary gift from some of his fellow-citizens of New Orleans, which he de- clined receiving for the present, giving at the same time a short, but " hard sense" lecture, on the impropriety of naming children and places after men before they were dead, or of his receiving a present for his services, " before the campaign, so far as he was concerned, was finished." With the highest possible admiration of the republican simplicity of the manners and character of Gen. Taylor, we bade him good day, with a higher appreciation of our native land, for possessing such a man as a citizen, and of its institutions, for moulding such a character. HARD TO WHIP. Early in the action of the 8th, a private of the Eighth regiment was severely wounded by a grape-shot on the head. He was ordered by the surgeon to the rear, any excitement being liable to cause sudden death. The soldier stole out of the hospital, picked up a musket, and started off to re-enter the engagement. He was arrested, and sent back to the hospital, where he became so enraged at being thus deprived of his " sacred rights," that it became necessary to tie him hand and foot. A CHIVALROUS SOLDIER. In the battle of the 9th, a private belonging to the Eighth regiment. in the charge on the enemy's batteries, threw himself in front of Col. Belknap, and received three balls in his person, aimed at the colonel. His gallantry will be duly rewarded by Col. Belknap, to whose kind attentions he is indebted for his recovery from his severe wounds. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 163 CASE OF ARMY CRUELTY. On our arrival in the American camp, on the east side of the Rio del Norte, the first object that particularly struck our attention, was a soldier posted upon the highest part of " Fort Brown," who was walk- ing to and fro with a perpendicularly anxious look. After having been more than a week in camp, that soldier was still on the same eminence, with the same polished musket, and same anxious look. Occasion- ally he rested upon the muzzle of his musket, with his crossed arms, but generally, he paced up and down his confined walk, as if in the last degree of despair, of ever being released from his painful situa- tion. We know it is the same man we first saw, from the fact that wc never saw any one take his place, and also because he wears precisely the same dress and accoutrements, and has the same perpendicular walk. No doubt he is put upon the walls of Fort Brown, in the glaring sun, without an umbrella, to walk day and night, for ever, for some petty offence. We rise every morning expecting to see him gone, but his strength seems wonderful, for he is still there. What a dread- ful fate is his ! — What has that soldier done, so criminal, that he should be condemned by heartless military officers, to walk for ever upon the walls of Fort Brown ? MEXICAN LIEUT. COL., A LA GEN. VEGA. Some two weeks after the taking of Matamoros, the officer of the guard for the day, was very quietly smoking a papereto under the shade of some China trees in the plaza, when he was surprised to see coming towards him, a Mexican officer in military undress. The American officer rose, and approached him, claiming him as a pri- soner. The lieutenant colonel of artillery, for such he appeared, nodded assent, and took a seat beside the officer of the day, looking as profound as possible, and as much as he could like a soldier, who by the fortunes of war had got into the hands of an enemy. A ser- geant was despatched to Gen. Taylor, to announce the capture, and give in the rank and dignity of the prize. Now it so happened that a deputation of Mexican citizens were at Gen. Taylor's tent on some indifferent business, and old " Rough and Ready" asked said deputa- tion, the character and standing of this captured " lieutenant colonel 164 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. of artillery." The deputation said, that he managed the guns of the " Sand-bag fort," that he was a worthless sort of character, and had been about Matamoros, ever since its capture, in a disguise, getting drunk, and, what was of more importance, getting in debt without any prospect of paying. Gen. Taylor heard all this, and said nothing. As the evening sun was declining, an officer came to the general, to know what disposition should be made of the prisoner colonel, who had the live long day, been in " durance vile," in the plaza, much to the edi- fication of the loafers and lazzaroni of Matamoros. " Let him go on his parole," said Gen. Taylor. The information was conveyed straight- way to the lieutenant colonel. Now it so happened that the prisoner had that very day heard, that Gen. Vega was treated in the United States with great consideration ; that he was a lion of the largest mane, and the favorite of the ladies, and preferred by them, to honest men of their own country, and had, moreover, a letter of credit from Gen. Taylor, to pay his expenses in the United States ; and these bright pictures had caused the magnani- mous self-delivery as a prisoner of war. Instigated by these high and chivalrous motives, he replied a la Vega to the officer who told him he could go on his parole, that he could not accept it, for he would be obliged to fight, or be taken out and shot ; that his government would not pay any attention to a parole. This information was duly conveyed to Gen. Taylor. Whereupon old "Rough and Ready," in great wrath, said, that the Mexican lieutenant colonel of artillery would not do any harm loose without a parole, and ordered him to be released indefinitely. A PERFIDIOUS MEXICAN. A private, on the 9th, who had followed Lieut. Dobbins through the thickest of the fight, raised his musket at a Mexican, and would have blown him through if the poor fellow had not most piteously cried out amigo, amigo, at the same time dropping his weapon. The private did the same, and advanced towards the Mexican to take him prisoner. The Mexican then perfidiously raised his piece and in- stantly killed the generous American. This so enraged Lieut. Dob- bins, that he drew his Bowie knife, and at a bound reached the coward, literally splitting his head in twain. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 165 A SUFFERER BY THE BOMBARDMENT. During the first day of the bombardment of Fort Brown, there was an attempt made by our soldiers in the fort to fire Matamoros with hot shot. The furnaces prepared to heat the shot were imperfect, and fuel was difficult to obtain, the consequence was, the shot were made very warm, but not sufficiently so to set any thing on fire. The good citizens of Matamoros, determined to make the most of the balls we sent into their city, had frequent scrambles for them, as they fell into their streets. When the hot shot were thrown, one fell into the centre of the plaza, and off started a crowd to obtain the prize ; one indi- vidual, more swift than his fellows, clasped the hot ball in his hands, burning the palms of them to a crisp. After that, the Mexicans were more cautious, and usually waited for the balls to cool. This burnt- handed gentleman was a conspicuous patient in one of the hospitals, declaring that " he was a severe sufferer by the bombardment." AMUSING SCENE IN MATAMOROS. The high price of cotton goods in Matamoros, owing to the Mexican tariff, is well known. Several enterprising " yankees," since Gen. Taylor has taken possession of the city, have " moved in," opened stores, and are selling goods on " cheap principles," about one-third of the usual Mexican prices, but double the usual American prices. It is an amusing scene to witness the crowd around these stores, com- posed of the mixed people of the city. Finely dressed women, ran- cheros, naked Indians, and negroes, all eager to purchase goods, and jabbering good, bad, and indifferent Spanish, with a rapidity truly appalling to a phlegmatic Anglo-American. In the mean time, the " old established merchants" are looking upon their neglected stocks with sorrow and astonishment ; although they have got the greater part of them by defrauding the revenue, they have cost more in bribes to the custom-house officers, and other Mexican functionaries than the yankees' charging prices. This species of war- fare is rapidly converting the people over to American notions, and they have only to fully learn that they can have cheap goods, and the enjoyment of life and liberty, to abandon their government as rapidly as they have their high-priced stores. 166 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. MUTILATING T.HE DEAD. These Mexicans went into battle with a horde of unpaid soldiery in their rear, who had the prospect of plunder held out to them as a reward. Arista's aid, Capt. Nagreet, told Col. Twiggs, that these un- paid soldiery plundered their own dead after the battle of the 8th. MEXICAN EXAGGERATION. The Mexicans exaggerated our power after the battles, as much as they were in the habit of exaggerating their own before them. One soldier reported in Matamoros, " that, previous to battle, the American soldiers were fed by their officers on powder and whiskey, to make them fight ;" another said that the Americans " were so strong, that one of our troops could pick up one of their cavalry, and pitch horse and rider, a hundred feet." UNEXPECTED ATTACK. One of Arista's aids, taken on the 9th, told Col. Twiggs, that the Americans charged on them when they did not expect it, and that his army had no idea that Gen. Taylor would so promptly follow up the battle of the 8 th. A GRATIFIED MEXICAN. Soon after Gen. Taylor took possession of Matamoros, a Mexican merchant came in from the interior, with twenty thousand dollars in gold and silver. According to the old state of things, the merchant, to export it to the United States, which he wished to do, would have been obliged to pay two heavy duties. Four per cent, for bringing it from the interior, and six per cent, for exporting it out of the country. Not exactly satisfied with the necessity of paying over so much money to the hungry officials who still lingered about Matamoros, he visited Gen. Taylor's tent, and stated his wish to ship to the United States twenty thousand dollars in gold and silver. " Well," said the general, " ship it ; very much pleased you are so disposed." " But," said the merchant, hesitating, " the interior and exterior duties." " I know nothing about such duties, while I am in Matamoros," said Gen. Taylor. The merchant bounced off, congratulating himself in Spanish that the Americans had come to the country, as he had made two thousand dollars in one day by their so doing, upon a small shipment of specie. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 167 THE SMITH FAMILY IN MEXICO. Scene in Gen. W 'a tent. A veiy warm day made the almost constant "Gulf breeze" par- ticularly refreshing; one or two field officers had met in Gen. W.'s tent, to speculate upon what would be "done next" in the "Mexican war." While thus engaged in conversation, a Mexican lady, plainly but tastefully dressed, suddenly interrupted the group, followed by an attendant, and a nurse bearing a child of an exceedingly blonde ap- pearance. The officers rose instantly, and offered her a chair : her companion placed herself in its rear, and the nurse kept herself outside, to amuse the favorito. The lady spoke eloquently and understand- ingly with her eyes — " I came for some information of much import- ance to myself." Her tongue spoke it in Spanish, and, although it was as musical as falling water, it was as indefinite, in particular meaning, to the ears that heard it. — An interpreter was instantly de- spatched for, and soon made his appearance, when the following con- versation ensued : Signora. — My name is Signora Soledad Ortega, and I came to inquire for my husband, who is an American ; he left, just before the battles, for Corpus Christi, and has not yet returned. General. — How long since you saw him ? Signora. — Three months. It is three years since we were married, and I am ignorant of what keeps him away. General. — He is detained, probably, on important business, and I trust will soon return ; perhaps I may, by hearing his name, recognise an acquaintance. Signora. — His name is Don Smeith. A tall, raw-boned yankee, who had had the enterprise to go to Mexico to make a fortune, get a rich wife, and improve the country, rose up in our imagination, but the particular yankee was not sug- gested. Gen. W. replied that he was not personally acquainted with the lady's husband, and expressed a sincere desire that he would soon return ; the conversation then became desultory, and the lady showed that she was truly American in heart, as well as her husband. She stated, with earnest simplicity of manner, that throughout the bom- bardment of Matamoros, she was certain her house would not be 168 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. struck by the cannon balls, because she was herself Americano, and because of her child ; she said, while the dark Castilian blood rushed to her cheeks, that when she heard the firing on the battle field, that she prayed to the saints that her husband was in the battle, fighting. The lady then descanted upon the cheap goods the Americans were selling in Matamoros, and said it was a good thing that such was the case : the nurse then brought forward the favorito, whose name the lady, in the sweetest tones of the Spanish voice, proclaimed to be Felipe Ortega Smeith ; then rising, and adjusting most gracefully her beautiful reboza, she bade the party adios, and disappeared. RIO GRANDE DEER LARGEST ON RECORD. There are wandering over the prairies in the vicinity of our camp on the Rio Grande, a great number of the finest large-horned cattle in the world. M Our Volunteers," wishing for a fresh steak, would oc- casionally make one bite the dust. An order came, that no more " killing beef" must take place : and no more beef was killed. Scout- ing parties now went out for venison ; some good shots were fortu- nate enough to kill one. It was dragged into camp, and duly divided up among the knowing ones of the regiment. When daylight ap- peared, suspicions got out that a beef had been killed. This was stoutly denied, and the report was contradicted by the assertion, that a deer had been killed weighing over eight hundred pounds. This caused universal surprise, especially among certain officers, who de- manded to see the horns. After a great deal of delay they were pro- duced, and examined by a court martial, who solemnly decided, that the deer of the Rio Grande had horns perfectly smooth, and resem- bling those of the ox species in other parts of the world. MEXICAN SOLDIERS. The day on which the battle of Resaca de la Palma was fought, was excessively warm, yet large numbers of the Mexican soldiery fought throughout the battle, with their heavy overcoats on, or tied over their shoulders. It could only be explained in the probable fear they had to leave their coats, which answered them for tents and bedding, in the camp, exposed to the thievish propensities of the rancheros. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 169 THE TROPHIES OF THE WAR. Among the most interesting relics obtained in the battles of the 8th and 9th, are the standards of the different companies and regiments. They were brought to New Orleans by Lieut. Col. M. M. Payne, while on his way with them to Washington. We spent a half hour in ex- amining these " pomps and circumstances of war" with the greatest interest. We found eighteen in all, seventeen of which are of tri- colored woollen or baize cloths, ornamented with the appropriate letters and symbols. They are mounted on staffs sharpened with iron, and are not only ornamental, but dangerous as offensive wea- pons. But the flag of the most absorbing interest is that lettered BATALLON GUARD A COSTA DE TANPICO. This magnificent and torn flag, apart from its associations, is re- markahle for its appearance, and the materials of which it is formed. It is of large size : its field of tri-colored silk, green, white, and red. In the centre is embroidered the Mexican coat of arms, more beauti- fully than we conceived any modern Penelope had power to do, even if her delicate fingers were over skilful at the work. The Mexican eagle with its out-stretched wings fairly lay before us, each rustle of the flag on which it rested causing the prismatic colors of the atmo- sphere to play over the brilliant floss-silk needlework as brilliantly as if it had been the plumage of the bird itself. Some fair Mexican damsel's bright eyes must have grown weary under their long dark lashes, in thus delicately counterfeiting nature. Perhaps it was the work of cloistered nuns — some holy sisterhood who, by ascetic life, have long attenuated fingers, and thus made more nimble than those possessed by the " world's gazers" of their sex. The members of a whole convent, probably, have said their matins and then by turns wrought upon that banner, which they fondly hoped was destined to lead, gloriously, the arms of their country in every fight. Alas ! for the fortunes of war. That flag, in the battle of the Palo Alto, was torn by our cannon shot, and now bears upon its folds the shattered shreds thus rudely 170 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. made. At the Resaca de la Palma it waved over the bravest troops, and floated in the wind as long as its regiment lasted before the terri- ble fire of our arms. When all was lost, its bearer tore it from its staff and fled, to save it from the stain of capture. Such, however, was not to be its fortune. The brave man was met by one of our own troops, and hand to hand they fought for the prize — the Mexican nerved by every feeling of patriotism, the American by eveiy sentiment of a soldier's ambition. The brave standard-bearer was overcome, and the precious object of his care became an object of idle curiosity, in the hands of his enemy. May it ever be respected among our peo- ple, as the only evidence existing of the once brave " Batallon de Tanpico." A BOXING IRISHMAN. After the battle of Resaca de la Palma became general, a private, an Irishman, found a bunch of chaparral between himself and a strapping Mexican. The Mexican raised his piece, and taking deliberate aim, pulled trigger : the piece did not go off. The Mexican again raised his musket and snapped, Paddy all the time coolly looking on. At the second failure to discharge his piece the Mexican, in a delirium of wrath, threw his musket away, and went through various gyrations of despair. Paddy, mistaking these eccentricities for a challenge for a . fist fight, threw away his musket, and placing himself in an attitude that would have delighted deaf Burke, sang out, " Oh, by the powers, you will not find me amiss with the fists, if that's yer game." Lieut. , who was observing this singular exhibition of coolness and chi- valry, ordered the soldier to take up his proper weapon, and send the Mexican to his long home, which was done accordingly. YOUNG McINTOSH. In the hottest part of the battle of the 9th, Lieut. Mcintosh noticed a soldier that had been severely wounded in the leg, and who was rapidly bleeding to death. He stopped, stooped down, leaned his mus- ket in the hollow of his arm, and then tied a handkerchief above the wound, thrusting a bayonet in it, so as to form a torniquet, and then passed on to the charge. This chivalrous act, which saved the sol- dier's life, was performed amid the heaviest fire of the enemy. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 171 A FIGHTING CLERGYMAN WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE. There is precedence for fighting clergymen, — some distinguished themselves in the revolution for their spirit and love of liberty. We have an excellent specimen of the character now on the Rio Grande. The Rev. Capt. R. A. Stuart, of Louisiana, commands as fine a body of volunteers as were ever mustered, — he is strict in his discipline, yet sociable in his habits, — he has gone into the field with all the enthusiasm of a patriot, and all the high duty of a Christian clergyman. Sunday, June 1st, will in time be memorable, from the fact that the soldier captain preached in Mexico. Throwing aside the military, he addressed his brothers in arms, as men, responsible to a Supreme Being for their actions ; and his appeals were listened to with the deepest interest, and the eyes of many sunburnt veterans, recently distin- guished on the field of battle, were filled with tears, and their bosoms heaved with emotions more powerful than had ever been called out by the brisk cannonade of an enemy. The Rev. captain took for his text : If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless and the ividow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt, Then I will cause you to dwell together in this place, in the land I gave to your fathers for ever and ever. Jer. vii., 6, 7. The comments and illustrations were apposite in the extreme, and suggested by the scenes around the speaker. He dwelt upon the in- cidents of the preceding month, and of the beautiful spectacle shown to the world by a conquering army, extending over a country its laws, — which were more benign, more liberal, more protecting, than those displaced by the fortunes of Avar. This, said the speaker, warming with his subject, is carrying out the spirit of the text, — this " is not oppressing the stranger, or the fatherless, or the widow, or shedding innocent Moody Such a peaceful conquest, he continued, worthily rivals the gallant feats of arms that shone forth on the fields of Pala Alto and Resaca de la Palma, — such a peaceful contest went beyond the effect of arms — it not only conquered the body, but car- ried willingly captive the mind. It was calculated to shed light over the dark borders of Tamaulipas, — to make its inhabitants embrace the blessings of freedom, — to open their eyes to the degradations of 172 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. their own government, that enslaves alike their bodies and their minds. The soldier-preacher then passed on to the second part of his text, — " Then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land I gave to your fathers for ever and ever?'' It would be impossible for us to give the slightest idea of the conclusion of this remarkable discourse. The Rev. speaker showed most plainly and beautifully, that it was the order of Providence that the Anglo-Saxon race was not only to take possession of the whole North American continent, but to influ- ence and modify the character of the world, — that such was meant by " the land I gave your fathers for ever and everP He stated that the American people were children of destiny, and were the passive instruments in the hands of an overruling powei, to carry out its great designs ; and beautifully illustrated this position by a rapid glance at the history of our nation in times past, and the present. He concluded by hoping that hostilities with Mexico would cease, — that wiser councils would govern at her capitol, — and that peace would again extend its wings over her distracted land ; and with a truly eloquent burst of patriotism upon the Christian duty of every man's standing by his country, so long as a single foe remained in arms against her, he sat down, amidst deep, silent, powerfully suppressed feeling. The Rev. R. A. Stuart is a clergyman of the Methodist church, and a sugar planter in the parish of Iberville, Louisiana. COMMERCE ON THE RIO GRANDE. This river, under the influence of American enterprise, is assuming a very busy appearance. The steamers Frontier and Cincinnati have arrived at Matamoros, giving to the port of the town a lively appear- ance. " River front lots" will soon become valuable in that city, and stores will be erected on the water's edge. There was never but one steamer on the Rio Grande, we believe, before the " Army of Occu- pation" arrived on its banks, and that was owned by one of the Texian Austins, as far back as 1827. The boat carried on a very brisk trade as high up tne river as Comargo, in hides, tallow, bones, &c, but the ranchero muleteers, who had the commerce of the country in their own hands, complained to the government in Mexico, and Austin's boat was ordered off, and ever after prohibited entering the Rio Grande. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 173 A BRAVE MEXICAN. Died. — On Sunday morning, at 6 o'clock, Capt. Jose A. Baragan, of the Mexican army, wounded in the battle on the 9th of May. Capt. Baragan was a brave and meritorious officer, and behaved gallantly on the field of battle. He was much esteemed by the American officers, and received from them every respect and attention. — 3fatamoros Republic of Rio Grande. We had the melancholy pleasure of seeing Capt. Baragan, while in Matamoros. He was confined to his bed by wounds he received in the battle of the 9th. He was an object of interest to the officers of the army, because of his gallant bearing in the field of battle, and for his fortitude while suffering under his wounds. We heard Col. Twiggs observe, that if he died, he should ask permission from head quarters to bury the brave Mexican officer with military honors, as a last token of admiration for his virtues. These incidents are interest- ing, because they display the better side of the soldier's feelings, and the soldier's heart. SERGEANT VANDENHOOF. On the " 9th," Sergeant Vandenhoof, of the Fifth, suddenly came on a Mexican : both raised their muskets at the same time, and fired; both missed; they then charged with their bayonets, and the Mexi- can fell. A BOLD ACT, Lieut. E. Kirby Smith, of the Fifth regiment of Infantry, in the charge of his regiment on the 9th, jumped astride a gun, defended himself until it was taken by his comrades, and, thus seated, was drawn ,by the soldiers into the presence of Gen. Taylor. CAPT. BLISS' HORSE. This gallant officer, while acting as aid to Gen. Taylor, at the Palo Alto, had the nose of his horse cut badly by a cannon shot. Soon after, another ball struck the horse, and killed him. A DEATH AVENGED. Lieut. Chadbourne was killed, when in the act of taking possession of a battery, by two lancers ; a brother officer avenged his death, by almost instantly killing both of the Mexicans with his sword. 174 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. a Mexican's eyb to business. The immense number of the killed, rendered it impossible for our soldiers, detailed for the purpose, to bury them fast enough ; and Gen. Taylor sent over to Matamoros for two hundred Mexicans, to assist in these solemn rites. Some twenty miserable-looking fellows, in obedience to the demand, came across, who were sent to hunt for bodies in the out-of-the-way places. They were gone a long time, without returning, when it was discovered that they were busy shaving the dead horses' tails — the hair being, among the Mexicans, a valuable article of merchandise. A JERSEY BOY. A young man from New Jersey, by the name of Gilbert Dudley, had occasion to carry some message to an advance picket, at the time the Mexicans were surrounding our army at Fort Brown. On return- ing, he saw two Mexican soldiers, seated under a tree, with their muskets leaning near them. Dudley instantly sprang in front of the muskets, and raising his rifle, signified to the Mexicans that they must march in the direction he pointed. They obeyed him, and he thus secured two prisoners of war, inarching them into camp. DOGS IN THE BATTLE. Very many of the officers attached to the " Army of Occupation," owned remarkably fine dogs, principally of the pointer and setter species. After the battle of the 8th began, and the firing became gene- ral, two dogs, remarkable for their intelligence, appeared to listen to the confusion for awhile, and after an ardent consultation, they started off at great speed for Point Isabel, being the first arrivals at that place from the battle field. There was one brave dog, however, to redeem the character of the species. He posted himself in front of one of the batteries, and watched with intense gravity the appearance of the ball ; the instant it was discharged, he would start after it at full speed, expressing great surprise that it was out of sight so suddenly; he would then wheel round, and watch the appearance of another ball, and then again commence the futile chase, and so continued throughout the action, escaping unharmed. ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS. 175 gen. Taylor's frankness. Gen. Taylor never concealed any of his plans, where it was at all necessary that they should become known in a business way. On all occasions he acts with the greatest frankness towards his own coun- trymen, and towards the Mexicans. As an illustration of his off-hand manner, we heard the following authentic anecdote : After Gen. Taylor had informed the Mexicans that he should take Matamoros, a deputation of its citizens waited upon him, with the evident intention of delaying the occupation. Gen. Taylor replied that he should take the city at a given time, naming it ; and said, that if any opposition was made, he would batter it down, and if the delega- tion thought he could not do it, they might walk up to Fort Broicn, and examine his preparations for themselves. WINNING A SADDLE. Among the Texian Rangers, " winning a saddle," means, taking one from a Mexican. On the 8th, when Gen. Torrejon charged with his cavalry, a Mexican officer and horse fell upon the field. A Texian dismounted amidst the very charge, and in an instant almost, transfer- red the officer's saddle to his own horse, and left his own in its place, saying, that if it was not a fair exchange, the owner might come to him, and he would pay the difference. THE FORCE OF A BALL. A scopet was found on the Resaca de la Palma, through the side of a barrel of which, had passed a musket ball. The scopet is kept as a curiosity. MEXICAN RATIONS. The Mexicans had a curious way of carrying their rations ; many wore heavy high-crowned leather hats. In the top of some of these hats, there were tin pans ingeniously fitted in, and filled with food. CRANIOLOGICAL CURIOSITY. The heads of the Mexicans found on the battle field, were remark- ably small and round; their hats appeared to be short sections of stove-pipe. Their teeth were invariably good. 176 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. A SQUADRON OF DISAPPOINTED LOVERS. Capt. May, who wears his hair and beard very long, on account of the climate, caused thereby much speculation as to the reason. Some of the papers stated, it was on account of disappointed love. It is a singular coincidence, if this be true, that every man attached to May's command is afflicted in the same way, as they all have, more or less, long hair and long beards. Such a brave set of disappointed lovers, we think, never before got together; they stand up against their wounded hearts most manfully, and seem likely to get through with them, without much ultimate injury. MEXICAN CRUELTY. During Capt. May's charge, Lieut. Z. M. P. Inge fell at the head of his platoon, mortally wounded in the throat by a cannon shot ; his horse was also killed. In the midst of the battle, his body was stripped by the rancheros, and mutilated with their spears. BEAUTIFUL REMARK. A gentleman expressing some surprise that Gen. Taylor was so promptly made a major general, was replied to as follows : — " Gen. Taylor wrote out his claims to the title of major general on the battle field, and public opinion gave him his commission." CHIVALROUS ACT. A sergeant of Capt. Cobun's company, Third regiment, in charging a Mexican battery aimed at our advancing columns, saw one of the Mexican gunners light its quick match, and then retreat ; the sergeant rushed upon the piece, pulled out the match, and then followed on with his company. ANNIVERSARIES. 177 CHAPTER XXI. Translations from Mexican papers found in Matamoros — An editor speculates on the propriety of anniversaries — He glories in the great days of the Mexi- can nation — Some doubt comes on his mind about the unsullied character of his national flag — Glorious prospects, if certain things come to pass — Ampudia's resignation to Arista — Canales threatens to exterminate the Anglo-American nation — Ampudia's proclamation against illicit trade — Arista's report of the Mexican killed and wounded on the 8th and 9th — Parrode to the troops of the department of Tamaulipas. " Every nation has one or more days, consecrated to perpetuate the memory of those events that have affected "its history the most before the world. Such has been the practice of nations, since the re- motest antiquity. Thus Greece, and Rome, and almost all the pagan nations, raised temples to their illustrious captains, in commemoration of the battles they had won, in which they deposited their tributes of homage, as well as their tears, to the memory of those killed in their country's cause. Modern nations, and Mexico, have imitated and observed this custom, and for this reason, among us, the 1 6th of September, 1810, has been decreed a solemn anniversary: on such a day, our gratitude must be a public one, as the 16th of September was marked by the finger of God, as the day in which the cry should be given, which at whose echo the lion of Spain fell pros- trate, to be replaced by the eagle of anahuac, the movements of whose wings astonished the world, by showing to it the wonderful metamorphose of the existence of seven millions of inhabitants, which it was before ignorant of. In the same manner, the 27th of September, 1821, after eleven years of a bloody war, and after many brave heads had been cut off by the executioner, is a grateful day to the Mexicans, as it gave to them a country, and in it the catalogue of nations was increased. " But, coming to our object, there are days which we wish were covered with a veil, as they bring to us fatal ideas ; such as the 21st of April, 1836, as in it, by an unpardonable neglect, a spot has been left, which we would wish was not indelible, on the tri-colored flag j 12 178 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. that flag, at whose move fled panic-struck the hosts of the degenerate sons of Pelayus, and of the conquerors of the heroes of Marengo, Austerlitz, and the Pyramids. " It was ten years ago, that, in spite of the glorious engagements in which was exhibited the courage of the Mexican troops, valiant par excellence, that they, at least, had to yield the place, to say so, to those coward enemies, that had raised the flag of ignominy, San Jacinto ! This is distinguished as the loss of Texas, though the true motives were only the fruits of our inexperience and foresighted- ness. San Jacinto caused remembrances that will be forever odious, until we punish those who pretended to be friends of Mexico, the better to evade and usurp our property. " The consciousness of our superiority, and the confidence that the Supreme Being will approve of the victory to be had over the North American army encamped opposite this city, on the left bank of the Bravo ; and the horrible precedents of the generals commanding the Division of the North, are among the powerful reasons which move us, since we have begun to edit this journal, with the just end to ob- tain more glory to Mexico, by raising the warlike spirit of our troops, if these troops, so accustomed to fight with courage for the holy rights of their country, need be excited to it. " No matter if we are blamed for it ; we would have thought it a good omen if we had opened our fires on the enemy two or three days before this, relying that the justice of the God of battles would be ready to fulminate on the day the terrible sword on the heads of the wretches ; that is to say, that this had been done exactly on the Tenth anniversary of the terrible defeat of San Jacinto. " We must confess though, that, convinced as we are that the day will pass without verifying the accomplishment of our desires, we let fall on these lines tears of grief — patriotic tears — falling perhaps without much cause, but which sadden our hearts, as does the sight of the North American soldier to that of the Republic. Nevertheless, we are cheered by the grateful consideration that in the bosoms of our warriors are burning feelings and patriotic enthusiasms ; and we are convinced that if the battle was not given on the day we thought pre- destinated for the vengeance of a great crime, it will be given at an early day. The soul of the Mexican cannot look with indifference LETTER FROM CANALES. 179 upon the odious flag waving before him — odious flag of the stars. Maybe to day — and this thought is terrible — our enemies are toasting in their curst orgies to the memory of this event, to them so glorious, to us so degrading. Let them tremble amidst their rejoicings, as the veterans of our country will soon plant the tables of their repasts upon the torn corses of their invaders. " His Excellency, the commander-in-chief of the Division of the North, Don Mariano Arista, comes resolved to combat for the honor of the Republic. He accepted the command offered to him by the supreme government for the noble purpose of showing to the proud Mississippi Riflemen what the bayonets of our soldiers can do. Let Heaven pro- tect our just cause. Let the arrival of Gen. Arista be the knell of the extermination of the Anglo-Saxon race. [Matamoros, April 15 — Aquila del Norte.] Secretary of the Second General-in-Chief^ of the Division of the North. 3 Honored Sir : — Trusting, after having sent to you the extraordi- nary express by which I announce to you the approaching triumph of our arms over the invading enemy, I received the order which your Excellency communicated to me from his Excellency, the President ad interim, to deliver up the command-in-chief of the division to his Excellency the Gen. Don Mariano Arista ; and for its fulfilment I have made his Excellency known in such character in the general order of day. Few hours were wasted to carry into execution the plan, which I had made myself, when I also received the official despatch, of which the accompanying is a copy. The military laws being so strict, no- thing is left for me to do but to obey superior orders. God and liberty! — Matamoros, April 14. PEDRO AMPUDIA. To his Excellency, the Minister of War and Marine. Auxiliary Regiment of the Cities of the North : Since the very hour in which your Excellency left this frontier, the persecutions began against the citizens who form this Auxiliary Regi- ment, which, from its formation has been under my orders : but even this is nothing. The persecution was extended to all the citizens of ]80 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the cities of the north that had assisted, in conjunction with the regi- ment, to give your Excellency the civic and unfading crown which you so justly deserve. Camargo, Mier, Guerrero, and Reinoso were freed in December '42, by your Excellency's heroic and brave efforts. What are our emotions and feelings of gratitude at seeing your Excel- lency at the head of our forces, none better than your Excellency can estimate : to attempt to explain them would be impossible. It seems as if Providence, in its inscrutable designs, had marked your Excel- lency as the powerful liberator of these inhabitants. Twice have they been near deserted, and as many times has your Excellency appeared as their tutelary deity, to deliver them from a complete extermination. Let your Excellency then receive, on this occasion, the most grateful congratulations, not only from me, but from the Auxiliary Regiment under my command, for your happy arrival in this city, and for the wise appointment which the supreme government has made in naming you our commander-in-chief; whose mere presence at our head is a sure and happy omen of the future victory that awaits us. On this account we congratulate your Excellency, as under your command triumph is certain. The hated flag of the stars and stripes will shortly be hum- bled at the feet of our eagle. The madness of ambition or rapacity are natural evils, which carry their own punishment. Your Excel- lency may depend upon my efforts, and those of the regiment under my command, to carry into effect the destruction of the North Ameri- cans, and those who may pretend to imitate them. God and liberty! — Guadaloupe Camp, April 13, 1846. ANTONIO CANALES. To His Ex. the General-in-Chief, Don Pedro Apmudia. Division of the North,") General-in-Chief, y Considering that the hour has arrived for taking vigorous and pre- ventive measures, to clear the eastern department from Anglo-Ameri- can rapacity; and that, according to the rights and laws of war, every one who may be a traitor to his country, or a spy to the enemy, must suffer the penalty of death, without any remission whatever ; and lastly, considering that it is my sacred duty to put a stop to the con- traband trade carried on with the Americans, and making use of the powers granted me by the existing laws, I have resolved — KILLED AND WOUNDED OFFICERS. 181 1st. That every natural citizen, or stranger residing on this frontier, or in any of the towns of the three eastern departments, who shall lend aid, either directly or indirectly, to the enemies, shall be shot. 2d. All those, that after the publication of this proclamation, shall continue the baneful contraband trade with the enemy, will suffer the same penalty of the former article, it being granted, that the North Americans, in marching troops to the left bank of the Rio Grande, have in fact declared war. 3d. The civil and judicial authorities are charged strictly to accom- plish these preventive measures, at their own responsibility. PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. Head Quarters, Reonosa, April 8, 1846. Arista's Report. Division of the North. List of Officers killed and wounded in the battles of the 8th and 9th. BATTLE OF THE EIGHTH. Killed — Capt. Antonio Rubi ; Lieutenants Pedo Mabury, Francisco Rosas, and Francisco Battala. Wounded — Col. Luis Foriega ; Captains Ignacir Gutierez, Juan Gar- redo, Guabalupe Cardenas, Telesforo Carrion, Leonardo Picazo, Fer- nando Marrni; Lieutenants Remijis Osorno, Antonio Daza, Manuel Mastareno, and Ensign Leopoldo Mijia. BATTLE OF THE NINTH. Killed — Captains Jose Ramires, Manuel Arana, Pedro Apesteguia ; Lieutenants Francisco Pacheco, Antonio Lousa,and Ensign Jose Martel. Wounded — Lieutenant Colonels Francisco Garcia Cazanova, Mari- ano Fernandez ; Commander of Battalion, J. Maria Mateus ; Comman- der of Squadron, Ignacio Pena ; Captains Jose Barreiro, Jose Garduno, Idelfondo Vega, Mariano Blanco, Jose Felix Velez, Jose Apolonio Bar- ragan; Lieutenants Antonio Aguinaja, Anselmo Juarez, Doroter Nava, Antonio Villegas, Lauro Ordonez, Mariano Sandi, Juan Larrondo, Luir Vargas, Camilo Granados, Roman Gil, Francisco Rivas ; Ensigns Mijuel Gutierrez, Cristoval Castro. Memorandum 1st— -All the officers, except Capt. Pedro Apesteguia and Ensign Jose Martel, who were drowned in crossing the river, died on the battle field. OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. 2d — Lieut. Anselmo Juarez and Ensign Manuel Marano, have just died of their wounds. Division of the North,") Commander-in-Chief, j The enclosed despatch will inform your Excellency of the number of wounded and killed, that we have had, as well as of those missing yet, and that our troops amount to four thousand men, exclusive of the numerous auxiliary troops. MARIANO ARISTA. The Commander-in- Chief of the Department of Tamaulipas, to the troops under his command : Fellow Soldiers : The afternoon of the 8th of this month, our brothers of Matamoros have fought with intrepidity and enthusiasm in the Fanques del Ramerino : on the 9th, they charged again with the same ardor. But fate has not crowned our efforts ; the enemy passed from the fort, favored by the dense smoke of a wood on fire, which protected them from our shot ; thus have our enemies escaped ! Soldiers : Another time we shall conquer ; such is the fate of war ; a defeat to-day, and glory to-morrow ; that glory will be ours at the end of this holy struggle. The God of battles is trying our valor, but he has not abandoned us : we know how to conquer, and we know how to suffer. Soldiers: The lamentation of the soldier for the companion who dies on the field of battle, ought to be a shot well aimed at the enemy. Those are the tears which our brothers require of our love. Their tomb must be raised in the American camp. The corpses of the Yankees ought to form their mausoleums. Soldiers : If we have lost some of our brothers, the glory will be greater ; there will be fewer conquerors ; it is not the number which gives victory. There were but three hundred Spartans, and the power- ful Xerxes did not cross the Thermopylae. The celebrated army of the great Napoleon perished in Spain, at the hands of a defenceless people, but they were free and intrepid, and were fighting for their liberty. Fellow soldiers : Shall we do less than they did ? We are fighting for our liberty, our religion, our country, our cradles, our graves. Let PARRODE'S PROCLAMATION. 183 he who does not wish to die a traitor — he who wishes to deserve the tears of his children, let him take breath and sustain his courage; he must not faint — he must not fear. But, what have we to fear ? The heart tells us, that in it we shall find all that is requisite, and our hearts we will oppose to the enemy. Soldiers : Vengeance for our brothers ! glory for our children ! honor for our country ! We will defend those cherished feelings. Do not fear. I swear to you, that if the day be a laborious one, our glory will be sweeter ; but glory we will have, and your general and companion will attain it with your loyalty and valor. ANASTATIO PARRODE. Tampico, May 13, 1846. 184 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. CHAPTER XXII. Major General Z. Taylor — His military history. The brilliant events which have become associated with the "Army of Occupation," have made Major Gen. Taylor one of the most con- spicuous men of the nation. He has shown himself eminently an example of true American character, by being equal to any emergency. The very difficulties under which he has labored, in the most trying eras of his life, have called forth traits of character, civil, and military, of the highest order. His despatches, for their modesty, clearness, and good taste, have been admired the world over, while they have, at the same time, recorded victories in arms, unsurpassed for bril- liancy in the annals of war. Major Gen. Taylor was born in Orange county, Virginia, on the 24th of November, 1784. His father, Capt. Dick Taylor, removed to the " dark and bloody ground" before Zachary was a year old, he was therefore raised and educated in Kentucky. His father was a chivalrous man, and remarkable for his daring, even among the bold spirits that filled the West in its early days. Zachary was a lad of active habits, and fond of athletic sports. It is related of him that, when he was a young man, he swam, with his brother, from the Kentucky shore across to the Indiana side of the river, and back again, at a time when it was booming with the high water of March, and freezing from the cold weather. Immediately after the news spread through the country of the attack on the Chesapeake, he entered the army as a lieutenant, being then twenty-four years of age ; he rose to the rank of captain before the close of the war. Capt. Taylor was first brought prominently before the people of the country in 1812, by his gallant defence of Fort Harrison. On the 5th of September of that year, the fort, then in the Territory of Indiana, was attacked by the Miamis in large force, and by him re- pulsed. On the evening of the 3d, four guns were heard, which GENERAL TAYLOR'S HISTORY. 185 Capt. Taylor presumed were fired upon two young men, who had previously gone out of the fort; as a party, under the command of " the Prophet," was known to be skulking about. There were in the stockade a number of sick, nine women and children, and but fifteen or sixteen men fit for duty. Waiting until morning, Capt. Taylor then sent out a small party, to learn, if possible, the cause of the firing the night previous. The bodies of the two young men were found scalped, and otherwise mutilated; their remains were brought into the fort and buried. A communication was soon afterwards received from the Prophet, that left no doubt that a hostile attack might soon be expected. Capt. Taylor, although having just recovered from a severe indisposition, personally inspected the different defences, ex- amined the guns, and delivered ammunition to his men. Every pre- caution was taken to guard against surprise, it being by him resolved not to surrender the fort while he lived, however great a force might be brought against it. At midnight he was called from his quarters, with the announcement that the Indians had fired the lower block house ; a building that contained a large portion of the stores of the army contractor. The enemy, at the same time, assisted by the light, commenced with their rifles. Orders were immediately issued for the buckets to be got ready, and for water to be drawn from the well, to extinguish the conflagration which had not yet extended far. The men, however, either from sickness, or apprehension of defeat, did not spring to their work with spirit ; the fire rapidly extended, reached the store room, and exploded a quantity of whiskey, throwing the flames to the roof of the building; the men in the fort gave up in despair. The scene was now terrible ; the illumination made by the burning building, in the dark night, gave every thing a mysterious and repul- sive look, and reflected upon the faces of hundreds of painted savages, who mingled their war hoop, and rifles, with the crackling of the burning buildings, and the screams of the women and children in the fort. So completely were the soldiers paralysed, that two of the stoutest deserted their posts. The whole of the resources of Capt. Taylor were now called into requisition. He ordered a number of his men to mount the roof of the barrack building, and throw off such parts as were in contact with 186 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the block house : he then kept the gable end thoroughly. Laboring with his men, he pointed out to them how the buildings could be saved. Hope began to revive at the prospect of success ; the men labored with spirit, and the block house gradually burned down, with- out communicating its fire to the adjoining buildings. To protect the opening thus made in the fort, a breast work had been erected in ad- vance, which completely protected it from the assaults of the Indians, who found themselves foiled and defeated, when they thought they had accomplished an easy victory over the fort. The fire was now returned from the fort upon the Miamis, who, finally, sullenly re- treated ; Capt. Taylor having lost only one man. With a modesty characteristic of his despatches from the Rio Grande, Capt. Taylor related the attack and repulse of the Miamis upon his fort, to Gen. Harrison. President Madison shortly after- wards conferred upon Capt. Taylor the brevet rank of Major, for his gallantry. In 1832, with the rank of Colonel conferred upon him, he was ac- tively engaged in the Black Hawk war, commanding the First Infantry and the Sixth. In 1836, he was ordered to Florida. The year fol- lowing, he received the title of Brevet Brigadier General. In Florida he distinguished himself by being among the foremost in danger, esta- blishing a lasting fame by his celebrated battle of the O-ke-cho-bee. Story hath it, that Gen. Taylor was challenged to battle by Alligator, an invitation to fight readily accepted. The Indians were confident of success, as they were to be met in their own entrenchments ; the O-ke-cho-bee being the only place, in the Florida war, where the In- dians voluntarily met our troops. The Indians, seven hundred in num- ber, were entrenched in a strong position, in a thick swamp, covered in front by a small stream, which was rendered totally impassable by quicksands. Col. Taylor charged on the Indians with about four hundred men, composed of the First, Fourth, and Sixth regiments of the U. S. infantry, and a number of Missouri volunteers. The battle was hotly contested ; for three hours our troops sus- tained a deadly fire, driving the Indians before them inch by inch, with the point of the bayonet. One hundred and thirty-nine of our troops were killed, being nearly one-third of our whole force. Col. Taylor was on horseback throughout the whole contest, exposed to the GEN. TAYLOR'S HISTORY. 187 deadly fire of the enemy, frequently in the thickest of the fight, en- couraging his troops by his presence, and cheering them on in the deadly charge. Victory was complete : the battle of O-ke-cho-bee was the last stand where the Indians, in any body, met our troops. After five years' arduous service, Gen. Taylor resigned his command in Florida. After Gen. Taylor's retirement from Florida, he was assigned the command of the First Department of the army, including the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, &c, with his head quarters at Fort Jessup. His position gave him command of the " Army of Oc- pation." The brilliant events that have crowned the history of the Army of Occupation, are familiar with the world. On the 29th of June, the President enclosed to Brevet Brigadier General Taylor, the commis- sion of Brevet Major General, for his brilliant achievements on the Palo Alto, and Resaca de la Palma. Lastly, by the recommendation of the President, the unanimous consent of the Senate, and the uni- versal sanction of the people of the United States, Zachary Taylor was appointed a Major General of the United States Army. OBITUARY MAJOR JACOB BROWN. Major Jacob Brown, whose death occurred during the bombardment of " Fort Brown," (which appellation it has received in respect to his me- mory,) was a native of Berkshire, Massachusetts. — In 1812, he enlisted in the army, as a private soldier. He served with great gallantry throughout the war, and was in all the battles on the frontiers, through 1813 and '14. But before the close of the war, he was commissioned with a lieutenancy for good conduct in the battle of Chrisler's fields, and since that time he had risen, through regular gradations, to the rank of Major. In his long service of thirty-four years, Major Brown had many respon- sible tasks imposed upon him, all of which he fulfilled with honor to him- self and country. He possessed the entire confidence and love of all. It is said that he never was engaged in a duel, except as a peace-maker between belligerents, and that he w r as never tried by a court martial. He is represented as having been an excellent disciplinarian, and a prudent and most efficient commander. Major Brown was a man of sound judgment, and of remarkable kindness of heart. He was beloved by all who knew him, and his fall in the fort caused the greatest feeling on the part of the soldiers. Many of them shed tears, in their uncontrollable sorrow at his and their misfortune. In battle he was distinguished for his great coolness, military skill, and singular courage. Gen. Taylor pronounced his loss "irreparable. 7 ' During his public career, he was at various times intrusted by govern- ment with large sums of money, and was always remarkable for his accu- racy, untiring attention, great system, correctness, probity, and punctuality in every thing relating to business. He resided for many years at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was so much respected by its citizens for his integrity and business habits, that, although an officer in the United States Army, he was elected president of the Bank of Arkansas, which office he well filled for a year, when he terminated this service by resignation. The high respect in which he was held by the civilians of the country, is illus- trated by the proceedings of a public meeting at Little Rock, held imme- ately on receipt of the intelligence of his death, at which were passed the following resolutions, the mayor of the city presiding : " Resolved, That in the midst of the rejoicings occasioned by the victories 189 190 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. achieved by the Army of Occupation under the command of Gen. Taylor, we grieve for the loss of many brave* officers in the American army, and among the number of the slain, we have to deplore the loss of Major Jacob Brown, of the Seventh regiment of Infantry, for many years associated and known in this community as a faithful, honest, and efficient public officer. "Resolved, That our sorrow for his untimely loss to the army and to the country, is consoled by the manner of his death, in the service of his country, by the hand of the enemy, on the field of battle, and in the hour of victory. " Resolved, That we desire in this public and solemn manner to testify our regard and esteem for the private virtues and personal worth of the deceased soldier, while he was associated with us, our admiration of his public services in peace and in war, and our deep sense of the crowning sacrifice of his life, that endears his memory to his countrymen. "Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the chair- man and secretary, and that the papers of the city, and throughout the state, be requested to publish them; and that a copy thereof be made out by the secretary of this meeting, and transmitted to the family of the deceased." Major Brown left, at his death, a wife and two daughters, to mourn their loss, and inherit his honorable fame. MAJOR SAMUEL RINGGOLD, THIRD ARTILLERY. This distinguished officer, whose death cast a gloom over the glorious events of a victorious battle field, was a native of Washington Co., Mary- land. He was born at Front Park, near Hagerstown. Major Ringgold was the son of Gen. Samuel Ringgold, who at one time represented the state of Maryland in the United States Senate. He was educated at West Point, at which place he graduated with the highest honors ; after which, he visited all the celebrated military schools of Europe; studied at the Poletechnique, and at Woolwich, and took advantage of every other facility afforded in Europe, to accomplish himself in military tactics, particularly in those relating to artillery. On his return to the United States ; he dis- tinguished himself for his persevering efforts to have created an efficient artillery arm, as a part of the military establishment of the country. No one with less energy of character than Major Ringgold possessed, would have succeeded, as public opinion was not in favor of it; but all that the gallant Ringgold promised for flying artillery, was more than realised at the battle of Palo Alto. MAJOR SAMUEL RINGGOLD. 191 Major Ringgold eminently possessed the power to infuse among his command his own spirit, and to impart to his officers his extensive know- ledge ; in illustration of which, we have only to look at the accomplished officers he has left to assume his place. The press of the whole country testified sorrow at his glorious, yet melancholy death : where he was most known, he was most honored. With Major Brown he was singularly popular, while among the civilians of the country he found hosts of enthu- siastic admirers. Baltimore, the capital of his native state, particularly testified its sorrow at his death, most of the inhabitants knowing him per- sonally, from his long occupation of Fort McHenry. When the news of his death arrived in that city, it caused the liveliest demonstrations of grief. Col. Davies announced it to a meeting of thou- sands assembled in Monument Square, and drawn together to learn the particulars of the battle of the 8th. The instant it was announced that Ringgold had fallen, every head was uncovered, a silence came over the vast multitude. This was a fearfully sublime tribute to the hero's memory. On the following day, the attorney general of the state, with some touch- ingly eloquent remarks, announced his death in the Baltimore county court- Motion was made instantly to adjourn, upon which the Hon. Judge Le Grand said — " In the motion of the attorney general, the court recognise a becoming appreciation of the sad feeling which the announcement of the death of our brave townsman has inspired in the bosoms of our entire community. It is fitting that the court, and indeed every branch of the government, should exhibit the sincerest evidences of the affliction which all have sus- tained, in the death of one, who surrendered his life in the defence of his country. Custom has prescribed, amongst its usually cold ceremonials, the expression of grief at the final departure of any distinguished citizen; but when the resolute and noble defender of the honor of the country and the integrity of its soil, is swallowed up in the jaws of death, whilst in the act of adding by his daring intrepidity another brilliant page to its history, the patriotic heart properly demands, and will have, the tribute which the just, and the grateful, ever promptly pay to the gallant dead. To us, all this is evident by the gloom which is everywhere in our city; and which, the enunciation of a succession of the glorious victories of our arms, cannot dispel. The court, therefore, can have no difficulty in concurring in the motion, responsive as is that concurrence to the feelings of the community and of its own. Major Ringgold was a citizen of Baltimore, known to us all, to some of us intimately, and by whomsoever, and wheresover known, recognised as a gentleman of the highest sense of honor, and of the kind- liest feelings of which humanity is susceptible. He is gone, but the fame 192 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. his late brilliant conduct won, will henceforth constitute a part of the pride and history of his country. Let the court stand adjourned until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock." And the court accordingly adjourned. On the 26th, the flags of the city and the shipping, were displayed at half-mast, enshrouded in crape. Upon the arrival in New Orleans of the military costume of Major Ring- gold, a great sensation was created, and many manly tears were shed over the relics of the honored dead. They were presented by the friends of the deceased, to the "Ringgold Infantry*' of Baltimore; by them, to be preserved through time, as the most precious treasure in their possession. The necessary measures have been taken to have his remains removed from the desolate barren of Point Isabel, to be buried with military honors in Baltimore. Among the ceremonies provided for, is, "that the remains will be kept in the Rotunda for a few days, with a military guard of honor constantly present, to enable companies in distant portions of the state, to gratify the wishes they have expressed, to participate in the ceremonies ; and the time fixed for the funeral, will be communicated to all companies not located in Baltimore, upon their expressing such a wish, by letter ad- dressed to the Eagle Artillery Company, who are charged with all the details of the funeral." Among the many tributes to the memory of Major Ringgold, that have been written in the gush of feeling occasioned by his death, the following, from a southern pen, will harmonise with the feelings of all : SONNET. IN MEMORY OF MAJOR RINGGOLD. With solemn step the column files away; 'Tis done! a buried hero sleeps below; The eye is dim that kindled in the fray — The hand is cold that dealt a freeman's blow ! Sleep sweetly, soldier ! in thy narrow bed ! Rest softly, Ringgold ! in a soldier's grave ! Bright be the flow'rs that softly o'er thee wave, And green the turf that swells above thy head ! No braver heart than thine e'er beat beneath The starry banner's proudly glittering wave; None nobler ever won the glory wreath; None truer consecrates a soldier's grave ! Then, rest thee ! on thy country's southern strand, Hero ! of daring soul, and mighty hand ! Vicksburg. J. E. C. CAPT. PAGE AND LIEUT. BLAKE. 193 CAPT. JOHN PAGE, FOURTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Capt. Page was a native of Maine ; he was appointed a second lieutenant of the Eighth Infantry, from Massachusetts, on the 13th of February, 1818. He was breveted 1st January, 1829, and received his commission of cap- tain the 30th of April, 1831. Capt. Page was wounded just before the close of the battle of the 8th, and just before Major Ringgold fell, at the time the enemy concentrated all their fire upon Ringgold's and Col. Churchill's batteries, the gallant Fourth supporting them at the time, many soldiers of which fell with their captain. A cannon ball struck down Capt. Page, while in command of his division, with such force as to carry with him the three men next be- hind him. His whole lower jaw was shot away, making one of the most ghastly wounds that could be conceived of. He was conveyed to Point Isabel, where he was carefully attended to. The injuries he received in his trip from Point Isabel to New Orleans, a short time since, did much to depress the sanguine hopes of his friends for his final recovery; but having met with his devoted wife, whose efforts to reach him after he was wound- ed, was so womanly, and so often frustrated by a series of accidents, it was believed he would recover. Fate ordered it otherwise, and he sleeps with Ringgold, Brown, and others, who gave up their lives in defending the honor of the arms of their country. Capt. Page died on Monday morning, July 13th, 1846, on board of the steamer Missouri, while on his way to Jefferson Barracks ; to which place his remains were taken, and with every honor, consigned to their mother earth. LIEUT. J. E. BLAKE, CORPS OF TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS. Lieut. Blake, a native of Pennsylvania, and a graduate of West Point, has caused his memory to be cherished by his gallant conduct on the 8th, and the melancholy circumstances of his death created a sympathy with every officer and soldier in the army. Of his death, Gen. Worth, in writ- ing to a friend, says, " You will probably by this mail hear of the loss of that gallant ornament and devoted member of the Topographical Corps, my warmly-cherished friend, Blake. The manner adds poignancy to our sor- rows. Had he fallen in the conflict, in which, by all accounts, he had especially distinguished himself, regrets would have been turned into envy. After the battle, on casting aside his weapons, one of his pistols accident- 13 194 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. ally discharged, and gave him a mortal wound. Knowing and valuing him as I did. you will readily conceive .how I deplore his loss, both as a gallant and true-hearted friend, and accomplished comrade. He has left no better soldier behind." Capt. James Duncan, Second regiment of Artillery, made the following report to the commander of the First brigade, relative to Lieut. Blake's chivalrous reconnoisance on the day previous to the commencement of the battle of the 8th. Camp Matamoros, Mexico. May 30, 1846. General : — The following brief account of the daring reconnoisance made by the gallant and ill-fated Blake, at Palo Alto, cannot fail to be in- teresting to his former commander, with whom he was so long associated, and who properly estimated and appreciated the high qualities he pos- sessed as a man and a soldier. At Palo Alto the enemy's line was formed with his back resting on the chaparral. Partly owing to the bushes in which some of his troops were posted, but chiefly owing to our distance from his lines, it was impossible to ascertain, with the necessary certainty, the disposition he had made of his different arms. To obtain the important information. Lieut. J. E. Blake, of the Topo- graphical Corps, dashed off from the right of our line to within musket shot of the enemy's left. Here he dismounted, and with his field glass coolly counted the number of men in one of the enemy's squadrons, which, of course, enabled him accurately to estimate the enemy's entire cavalry force. Lieut. Blake then remounted his horse, and galloped from left to right of the enemy's line, stopping from time to time, and carefully ob- serving the formation and number of his infantry, as well as the position, number, and calibre of his field guns, all of which information was fully verified by the subsequent events of the day. This appropriate act of personal gallantry was certainly unsurpassed on either of our glorious days; and, in my own estimation, it had no superior in interest, among the many it may become the pleasing task for history to record. Very respectfully, I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, JAMES DUNCAN, Capt. Second Artillery, com'g. Field Artillery First Brigade. Gen. Worth, Commanding First Brigade. The remains of Lieut. Blake were consigned to the silent tomb, by LIEUTENANTS CHADBOURNE AND INGE. 195 torch light, on the field of Palo Alto, on the evening of the "Ninth," near the entrenchment thrown up for the protection of the train. Grave of Lieut. Blake. LIEUT. THEODORE LINCOLN CHADBOURNE, EIGHTH REGIMENT OF INFANTRY. Lieut. Chadbourne, who was killed on the Resacade la Palma, in the deadly charge of the Eighth regiment, was a native of Eastport, Maine. He was of most excellent military descent, being great-grandson of Major Gen. Lincoln of the Revolutionary army. He met his death long before he had arrived at the prime of manhood, being but twenty-three years of age j yet he had already shown traits of character that marked him among the most promising of the young officers of our little army. He is represented to have been a model of manly beauty, possessing a mind that harmonised with his symmetry of person. He was singularly happy in all his associations with his brother officers. He was the idol of the do- mestic circle, and the pride of his parents. His death carried sorrow into the happiest of family circles, and destroyed well-cherished hopes, that built bright scenes of glory for the warm-hearted and patriotic soldier. Lieut. Chadbourne was a graduate of West Point, and had been two years in the army. Upon the receipt of the news of his death, at Fort Niagara, the United States officers there stationed, held a meeting, ex- pressive of their sorrow at his death, and of their admiration of him as a man and a soldier. LIEUT. Z. M. P. INGE, SECOND DRAGOONS. Lieut. Z. M. P. Inge, who fell at the head of his command, in the bril- liant charge made by the Second Dragoons on the enemy's batteries, in 196 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the battle of the 9th, was a native of Alabama. He graduated at West Point in the year 1838, and immediately after entered the service as se- cond lieutenant of dragoons. He received his commission of first lieute- nant February 1st, 1841. Lieut. Inge is spoken of by his brother officers in terms of the greatest affection, and was greatly beloved for the quali- ties of his heart, while the manner of his death ranks him among the bravest of soldiers. LIEUT. R. E. COCHRANE, FOURTH INFANTRY. Lieut. Cochrane, who fell on the 9th from a charge of Mexican ca- valry, was appointed to the army from the state of Delaware. He was killed beyond Arista's head quarters, being among the advance of the troops. No soldier ever fell more gallantly. His loss was a severe blow to his regiment, and clouded the victory that rested upon their arms. The citizens of his native place have testified their admiration of his vir- tues, by having taken the proper measures to have his remains removed from the banks of the Rio Grande, to rest among the familiar scenes of his childhood. Lieut. Cochrane has left a young wife to mourn his loss; in her sorrow, she hears the praises of an admiring nation for the memory of her deceased husband. BATTLES ON THE RIO GRANDE. OFFICIAL REPORTS. Reports of General Taylor. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, May 16, 1846. Sir : — I have now the honor to submit a more detailed report of the action of the 8th instant. The main body of the Army of Occupation marched under my imme- diate orders from Point Isabel on the evening of the 7th of May, and bivouaced seven miles from that place. Our march was resumed the following morning. About noon, when oar advance of cavalry had reached the water-hole of "Palo Alto," the Mexican troops were reported in our front, and were soon discovered oc- cupying the road in force. I ordered a halt upon reaching the water, with a view to rest and refresh the men, and form deliberately our line of battle. The Mexican line was now clearly visible across the prairie, and about three-quarters of a mile distant. Their left, which was composed of a heavy force of cavalry, occupied the road, resting upon a thicket of chaparral, while masses of infantry were discovered in succession on the right, greatly outnumbering our own force. Our line of battle was now formed in the following order, commencing on the extreme right : Fifth Infantry, commanded by Lieut. Col. Mcintosh ; Major Ringgold's Artillery ; Third Infantry, commanded by Capt. L. M. Morris; two eighteen-pounders, commanded by Lieut. Churchill, Third Artillery; Fourth Infantry, commanded by Major G. W. Allen; the Third and Fourth regiments composed the Third brigade, under command of Lieut. Col. Garland, and all the above corps, together with two squadrons of dragoons, under Captains Ker and May, composed the right wing, under the orders of Col. Twiggs. The left was formed by the battalion of Artil- lery, commanded by Lieut. Col. Chiids, Capt. Duncan's Light Artillery, and the Eighth Infantry, under Capt. Montgomery, all forming the First brigade, under command of Lieut. Col. Belknap. The train was parked near the water, under direction of Captains Grossman and Myers, and .protected by Capt. Ker's squadron. 197 198 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. About 2 o'clock we took up the march by heads of columns in the di- rection of the enemy, the eighteen-pounder battery following the road. While the columns were advancing, Lieut. Blake, Topographical Engi- neers, volunteered a reconnoisance of the enemy's line, which was hand- somely performed, and resulted in the discovery of at least two batteries of artillery in the intervals of their cavalry and infantry. These batteries were soon opened upon us, when I ordered the columns halted and deployed into line, and the fire to be returned by all our artillery. The Eighth In- fantry, on our extreme left, was thrown back to secure that flank. The first fires of the enemy did little execution, while our eighteen-pounders, and Major Ringgold's artillery, soon dispersed the cavalry which formed his left. Capt. Duncan's battery, thrown forward in advance of the line, was doing good execution at this time. Capt. May's squadron was now detached to support that battery and the left of our position. The Mexi- can cavalry, with two pieces of artillery, were now reported to be moving through the chaparral to our right, to threaten that flank, or make a de- monstration against the train. The Fifth Infantry was immediately de- tached to check this movement, and, supported by Lieut. Ridgely, with a section of Major Ringgold's battery, and Capt. Walker's company of volunteers, effectually repulsed the enemy — the Fifth Infantry repelling a charge of lancers, and the artillery doing great execution in their ranks The Third Infantry was now detached to the right as a still further se- curity to that flank, yet threatened by the enemy. Major Ringgold, with the remaining section, kept up his fire from an advanced position, and was supported by the Fourth Infantry. The grass of the prairie had been accidentally fired by our artillery, and the volumes of smoke now partially concealed the armies from each other. As the enemy's left had evidently been driven back, and left the road free, and as the cannonade had been suspended, I ordered forward the eighteen-pounders on the road nearly to the position first occupied by the Mexican cavalry, and caused the First brigade to take up a new posi- tion, still on the left of the eighteen-pounder battery. The Fifth was ad- vanced from its former position, and occupied a point on the extreme right of the new line. The enemy made a change of position corresponding to our own, and after a suspension of nearly an hour the action was resumed, The fire of artillery was now most destructive j openings were constantly made through the enemy's ranks by our fire, and the constancy with which the Mexican infantry sustained this severe cannonade was a theme of universal remark and admiration. Capt. May's squadron was detached to make a demonstration on the left of the enemy's position, and suffered severely from the fire of artillery, to which it w T as for some time exposed. REPORTS OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 199 The Fourth Infantry, which had been ordered to support the eighteen pounder battery, was exposed to a most galling fire of artillery, by which several men were killed, and Capt. Page dangerously wounded. The enemy's fire w r as directed against our eighteen-pounder battery, and the guns under Major Ringgold in its vicinity. The Major himself, while coolly directing the fire of his pieces, was struck by a cannon ball and mortally wounded. In the mean time the battalion of artillery under Lieut. Col. Childs had been brought up to support the artillery on our right. A strong demon- station of cavalry was now made by the enemy against this part of our line, and the column continued to advance under a severe fire from the eighteen-pounders. The battalion was instantly formed in square, and held ready to receive the charge of cavalry, but when the advancing squadrons were within close range, a deadly fire of canister from the eighteen-pounders dispersed them. A brisk fire of small arms was now opened upon the square, by which one officer (Lieut. Luther, Second Ar- tillery,) was slightly wounded; but a well-directed volley from the front of the square silenced all further firing from the enemy in this quarter. It was now nearly dark, and the action was closed on the right of our line, the enemy having been completely driven back from his position, and foiled in every attempt against our line. While the above was going forward on our right, and under my own eye, the enemy had made a serious attempt against the left of our line. Capt. Duncan instantly perceived the movement, and, by the bold and brilliant manoeuvring of his battery, completely repulsed several succes- sive efforts of the enemy to advance in force upon our left flank. Sup- ported in succession by the Eighth Infantry, and by Capt. Ker's squadron of dragoons, he gallantly held the enemy at bay, and finally drove him, with immense loss, from the field. The action here and along the whole line continued until dark, when the enemy retired into the chaparral, in rear of his position. Our army bivouaced on the ground it occupied. During the afternoon the train had been moved forward about half a mile, and was parked in rear of the new position. Our loss this day was nine killed, forty-four wounded, and two missing. Among the wounded w T ere Major Ringgold, who has since died, and Capt. Page dangerously wounded, Lieut. Luther slightly so. I annex a tabular statement of the casualties of the day. Our own force engaged is shown by the field report herewith to have been one hundred and seventy-seven officers, and two thousand one hun- dred and eleven men; aggregate two thousand two hundred and eighty- eight. The Mexican force, according to the statements of their own offi- 200 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. cers taken prisoners in the affair of the 9th, was not less than six thousand regular troops, with ten pieces of artillery, and probably exceeded that number — the irregular force not known. Their loss was not less than two hundred killed, and four hundred wounded — probably greater. This es- timate is very moderate, and formed upon the number actually counted upon the field, and upon the reports of their own officers. As already reported in my first brief despatch, the conduct of our officers and men was every thing that could be desired. Exposed for hours to the severest trial — a cannonade of artillery — our troops displayed a coolness and constancy which gave me throughout the assurance of victory. I purposely deter the mention of individuals until my report of the action of the 9th, when I will endeavor to do justice to the many instances of distinguished conduct on both days. In the mean time I refer for more minute details to the reports of individual commanders. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington. Field report of the corps composing the Army of Occupation, com- manded by Brevet Brig. Gen. Z. Taylor, on the Sth May, 1846. Corps. General staff, f Light Artillery, (Ringgold's) - J Second Dragoons, - 1 Third brigade, (Third and Fourth regiments,) I Fifth Infantry, ------ First hri^ade I Li S ht Artillery, (Duncan's,) - rirsi UIl °*" G - \ Battalion of Artillery and Eighth Infantry, Right wing. Aggregate. 177 O 3 DO m V £ c C OJ.2 c u o 53 9 50 . 243 611 358 49 791 2111 20 55 262 663 3S0 53 855 Head Quarters Army or Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, May 6, 1846. Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. W. W. S. Bliss, Assistant Adjutant General. REPORTS OF GENERAL TAYLOR. 201 ll 1 =r £ 3 *2 S.3 b« '-^- A ( — — \r~ A * HtSP □- to"£to ?H ^sV g*3. s 3 " ^^ > 15 15 "■>- , »2= r oTO a) •3 * TO =9 ~ ^ - & >- TO ^SsI»S3Si ' ■ », «< §- TO "~» . i • I JO ' i ' i 5 TO i i i i TO i 2. i • • s 1 1 1 1 1 w ' Commissioned officers. w Non-commissioned officers, arti- tO 1 >^ GO *- •■■ ficers, musicians, and privates. GO |* * * Commissioned officers. 3 o c 3_ *. 1 H- Non-commissioned officers, arti- ►— CT> to ^ ** t-3 0> ficers, musicians, and privates. 2 Commissioned officers. Non-commissioned officers, arti- 5' 10 63 ficers, musicians, and privates. |1" O *W *- >— Killed. *. 1 l-l- *• OS O *■ *■ GO C5 ►-> Wounded. pi" ~ *. O Killed. o a TO *. t* 63 Wounded. * * * E o S <* ~ m - « «— 1 5 s g 5 ' w g *d 5' ■* » TO «-( TO CT5 c i 6 2. So.** 5 § 3 a. « 2 3 1 12. o £L — TO r 5 TO TO 5" O a> Oj ta CL O "■4 s 3 -I r -^ § OS o Ci 4 i. ^. o 3 •202 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Camp near Fort Brown, Texas, May 17, 1846. Sir : In submitting a more minute report of the affair of '-'Resaca de la Palma,? 5 I have the honor to state, that early on the morning of the 9th instant, the enemy, who had encamped near the field of battle of the day previous, was discovered moving by his left flank, evidently in retreat, and perhaps at the same time to gain a new position on the road to Mata- moros, and there again resist our advance. I ordered the supply train to be strongly parked at its position, and left with it four pieces of artillery — the two eighteen-pounders, which had done such good service on the previous day, and two twelve-pounders which had not been in the action. The wounded officers and men were at the same time sent back to Point Isabel. I then moved forward with the columns to the edge of the chaparral or forest, which extends to the Rio Grande, a distance of seven miles. The light companies of the First brigade, under Capt. C. F. Smith, Second Artillery, and a select detach- ment of light troops, the whole under the command of Capt. McCall, Fourth Infantry, were thrown forward into the chaparral, to feel the enemy and ascertain his position. About 3 o'clock I received a report from the ad- vance, that the enemy was in position on the road, with at least two pieces of artillery. The command was immediately put in motion, and about 4 o'clock I came up with Capt. McCall, who reported the enemy in force in our front, occupying a ravine which intersects the road, and is skirted by thickets of dense chaparral. Ridgely's battery, and the advance under Capt. McCall, were at once thrown forward on the road, and into the cha- parral on either side, while the Fifth Infantry, and one wing of the Fourth. was thrown into the forest on the left, and the Third and the other wing of the Fourth on the right of the road. These corps were employed as skirmishers to cover the battery and engage the Mexican infantry. Capt. McCall's command became at once engaged with the enemy, while the light artillery, though in a very exposed position, did great execution. The enemy had at least eight pieces of artillery, and maintained an incessant Are upon our advance. The action now became general; and although the enemy's infantry gave way before the steady fire and resistless progress of our own, yet his artillery was still in position to check our advance — several pieces occu- pying the pass across the ravine which he had chosen for his position. Perceiving that no decisive advantage could be gained until this artillery was silenced, I ordered Capt. May to charge the battery with his squadron of dragoons. This was gallantly and effectually executed : the enemy REPORTS OF GEN. TAYLOR. 203 was driven from his guns, and Gen. La Vega, who remained alone at one of the batteries, was taken prisoner. The squadron, which suffered much in this charge, not being immediately supported by infantry, could not re- tain possession of the artillery taken, but it was completely silenced, In the mean time the Eighth Infantry had been ordered up, and had become warmly engaged on the right of the road. This regiment and a part of the Fifth were now ordered to charge the batteries, which was handsomely done, and the enemy entirely driven from his artillery and his position on the left of the road. The light companies of the First brigade, and the Third and Fourth re- giments of Infantry, had been deployed on the right of the road, when, at various points, they became briskly engaged with the enemy. A small party, under Capt. Buchanan and Lieutenants Wood and Hays, Fourth In- fantry, composed chiefly of men of that regiment, drove the enemy from a breastwork which he occupied, and captured a piece of artillery. An attempt to recover this piece was repulsed by Capt. Barbour's Third In- fantry. The enemy was at last completely driven from his position on the right of the road, and retreated precipitately, leaving baggage of every de- scription. The Fourth Infantry took possession of a camp where the head quarters of the Mexican general-in-chief were established. All his offi- cial correspondence was captured at this place. The Artillery battalion (excepting the flank companies) had been or- dered to guard the baggage train, which was parked some distance in rear. That battalion was now ordered up to pursue the enemy, and, with the Third Infantry, Capt. Ker's Dragoons, and Capt. Duncan's battery, fol- lowed him rapidly to the river, making a number of prisoners. Great numbers of the enemy were drowned in attempting to cross the river near the town. The corps last mentioned encamped near the river — the re- mainder of the army on the field of battle. The strength of our marching force on this day, as exhibited in the annexed field report, was one hundred and seventy-three officers, and two thousand and forty-nine men — aggregate, two thousand two hundred and twenty-two. The actual number engaged with the enemy did not exceed one thousand seven hundred. Our loss was three officers killed, thirty- six men killed, and seventy-one wounded. Among the officers killed, I have to report the loss of Lieut. Inge, Second Dragoons, who fell at the head of his platoon, while gallantly charging the enemy's battery; of Lieut. Cochrane, of the Fourth, and Lieut. Chadbourne, of the Eighth Infantry, who likewise met their death in the thickest of the fight. The officers wounded were Lieut. Col. Payne, inspector general ; Lieut. Dobbins, Third Infantry, serving with the light infantry advance, slightly; Lieut, 204 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Col. Mcintosh, Fifth Infantry, severely, twice; Capt. Hooe, Fifth Infantry, severely, (right arm since amputated ;) Lieut. Fowler, Fifth Infantry, slight- ly; Capt. Montgomery, Eighth Infantry, slightly; Lieutenants Gates and Jordan, Eighth Infantry, severely, (each twice;) Lieutenants Selden, Mac- lay, Burbank, and Morris, Eighth Infantry, slightly. I have no accurate data from which to estimate the enemy's force on this day. He is known to have been reinforced after the action of the 8lh, both by cavalry and infantry, and no doubt to an extent at least equal to his loss on that day. It is probable that six thousand men were opposed to us, and in a position chosen by themselves, and strongly defended with artillery. The enemy's loss was very great. Nearly two hundred of his dead were buried by us on the days succeeding the battle. His loss, in killed and wounded and missing, in the two affairs of the 8th and 9th, is, I think, moderately estimated at one thousand men. Our victory has been decisive. A small force has overcome immense odds of the best troops that Mexico can furnish; veteran regiments per- fectly equipped and appointed. Eight pieces of artillery, several colors and standards, a great number of prisoners, including fourteen officers, and a large amount of baggage and public property, have fallen into our hands. The causes of victory are doubtless to be found in the superior quality of our officers and men. I have already, in former reports, paid a general tribute to the admirable conduct of the troops on both days. It now be- comes my duty, and I feel it to be one of great delicacy, to notice indivi- duals. In so extensive a field as that of the 8th, and in the dense cover where most of the action of the 9th was fought, I could not possibly be witness to more than a small portion of the operations of the various corps, and I must therefore depend upon the reports of subordinate commanders, which I respectfully enclose herewith. Col. Twiggs, the second in command, was particularly active on both days, in executing my orders, and directing the operations of the right wing. Lieut. Col. Mcintosh, commanding the Fifth Infantry; Lieut. Col. Garland, commanding the Third brigade ; Lieut. Col. Belknap, command- ing the First brigade; Lieut. Col. Childs, commanding the Artillery bat- talion ; Major Allen, Captains L. M. Morris and Montgomery, command- ing respectively the Fourth, Third, and Eighth regiments of Infantry, were zealous in the performance of their duties, and gave examples to their commands of cool and fearless conduct. Lieut. Col. Mcintosh repulsed with his regiment a charge of lancers in the action of Palo Alto, and shared with it in the honors and dangers of the following day, being twice severely wounded. The command of the Fifth Infantry then devolved upon Major REPORTS OF GEN. TAYLOR. 205 Stamford, who conducted it with zeal and ability to the close of the engage- ment. Lieut. Col. Belknap headed a charge of the Eighth Infantry, which resulted in driving the enemy from his guns, and leaving us in possession of that part of the field. Capt. Duncan and Lieut. Ridgely deserve special notice for the gallant and efficient manner in which they manoeuvred and served their batteries. The impression made by Capt. Duncan's battery upon the extreme right of the enemy's line, at the affair of Palo Alto, contributed largely to the result of the day; while the terrible fire kept up by Lieut. Ridgely, - in the affair of the 9th, inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy. The eighteen- pounder battery, which played a conspicuous part in the action of the 8th, was admirably served by Lieut. Churchill, Third Artillery, assisted by Lieut. Wood, Topographical Engineers. The charge of cavalry against the enemy's batteries on the 9th, was gallantly led by Capt. May, and had complete success. Capt. McCall, Fourth Infantry, rendered distinguished service with the advanced corps under his orders. Its loss in killed and wounded, will show how closely it was engaged. I may take this occasion to say, that in two former instances, Capt. McCall has rendered valuable service as a partisan officer. In this connexion, I would mention the services of Capt. Walker, of the Texas Rangers, who was in both affairs with his company, and who has performed very meritorious services as a spy and partisan. I must beg leave to refer to the reports of subordinate commanders for the names of many officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, who were distinguished by good conduct on both days. Instances of individual gal- lantry and personal conflict with the enemy, were not wanting in the affair of the 9th, but cannot find place in a general report. The officers serving in the staffs of the different commanders are particularly mentioned by them. I derived efficient aid on both days, from all the officers of my staff. Capt. Bliss, assistant adjutant general; Lieut. Col. Payne, inspector general ; Lieut. Eaton, A.D.C.; Capt. Waggaman, commissary of subsistence; Lieut. Scarritt, Engineers, and Lieutenants Blake and Meade, Topographical Engineers, promptly conveyed my orders to every part of the field. Lieut. Col. Payne was wounded in the affair of the 9th, and I have already had occasion to report the melancholy death of Lieut. Blake, by accident, in the interval between the two engagements. Major Craig and Lieut. Brereton, of the ordnance department, were actively engaged in their appropriate duties, and Surgeon Craig, medical director, superintended in person the arduous service of the field hospitals. I take this occasion to mention generally the devotion to duty of the me- dical staff of the army, who have been untiring in their exertions, both in 206 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. ihe field and in the hospitals, to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded of both armies. Captains Crossman and Myers, of the quartermaster's department, who had charge of the heavy supply train at both engage- ments, conducted it in a most satisfactory manner, and finally brought it up, without the smallest loss, to its destination. I enclose an inventory of the Mexican property captured on the field, and also a sketch of the field of " Resaca de la Palma," and of the route from Point Isabel, made by my aid-de-camp, Lieut. Eaton. One regimental color (battalion of Tampico) and many standards and guidons of cavalry were taken at the affair of the 9th. I would be pleased to receive your instructions as to the disposition to be made of these tro- phies j whether they shall be sent to Washington, &c. I am. very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Field report of the corps composing the Army of Occupation, com- manded by Brevet Brig Gen. Z. Taylor, on the 9th May, 184G. oi £'£ . CS ii o T==2 i 0) CS C x > o >-•- Corps. 13 S •Sgft .2«T3 o 'to Is! e<9 C .. in fcD s U 31 s w E c £.£ be o o o s fcfi O £ < General staff, ------ 11 9 20 f Light Artillery, (Ridgely's,) ... ! Second Dragoons, - j Third brigade, (Third and Fourth regiments,) 4 49 53 Ri^ht win* 7 . 18 219 237 51 608 659 L Fifth Infantry, - - 22 354 376 First brigade C Light Artillery, (Duncan's) - 4 47 51 i X Battalion of Artillery and Eighth Infantry, 63 763 826 2222~ J Aggregate, ------ 173 2049~ Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, May 16, 1846. Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A. } commanding. W. W. S. Bliss, Assistant Adjutant General REPORTS OF GEN. TAYLOR. 207 ^3 a ** a O S 2 N CD el- £ s' k! gj" H CD o P w 23 0Q CD CTQ p i > TO ore Er s- H t-H S °* S Tre us g.2 £.s i 3»o3.g£ o c TO re So ^»» 2 » » 3 tO J ~*f 1 «< 5 ' 2. =" TOO 1 on ~ to -< , re as ■ la i ID i in . \ >— ' w . «l - - - I Commissioned officers. w col Non-commissioned officers, arti- j? Oi --J CO ©wwo — >— — Commissioned officers. |g -J K> >— >- Non-commissioned officers, arti- g "* Ui CJ» tc Ui *. CD tfi. Oi •— ficers, musicians, and privates.!:" I Commissioned officers. Non-commissioned officers, arti- S ficers. musicians, and privates. i=P 30 Da CO w «o OS to — -J Killed. || CO JO — Wounded. ~ s — 00.— Killed. x O j 00 — Wounded. • r-^~^ tr 1 r r 1 r 1 F« m a * it oi ©S-^S-ggg £ p s o = • • • « r ^ r p O 3 3" -1 O — ■ X. ayne, insp killed, ns, slightly ane, killed Mcintosh slightly do dbourne, k ev.,) Seld€ 3 — P «- 2 - 5- 3 3 a ,_,£, a. o o 2-. 3 x gene nded Capt. woi aclay S 3 ral, w Hooe nded, , Burb £ o «. g 5a a 9- 2 o «< 2.3 --,» i ound omer Jord iE ^ re c re < r» C ,. to a 3 ^ ^ I |< GO Q OS cs • >S a So OS C*i a 203 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, No. 59. Matamoros, July 3d, 1846. Sir: It has been brought to ray notice that an omission occurred in my detailed report of the action of the 9th, which I beg leave to supply in the following words, to follow immediately after the mention of Lieut. Col. Mcintosh's being "twice severely wounded :" The command of the Fifth Infantry then devolved upon Major Stamford, who conducted it with zeal and ability to the close of the engagement. I need hardly say that this omission was entirely accidental, and I beg, as an act of justice to Major Staniford, as well as myself, that the above paragraph may be inserted in the original report, and may receive the same publicity. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [Signed] Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Major General. The Adjutant General of the Army. Report of Col. Twiggs. Head Quarters, Right Wing, Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, May 11, 1846. Sir: I have the honor to make the following report of the transactions of the different corps of the right wing of the army under my command, during the actions with the enemy, on the 8th and 9th instant. About 2£ P. M., on the 8th, we found ourselves at the Palo Alto, within one mile of the chaparral which borders the Rio Grande, and nine miles from the river. My command being composed of Major Ringgold's company of Light Artil- lery, two squadrons of dragoons, the Fifth Infantry, and the Third and Fourth Infantry, composing the Third brigade. The enemy, at the distance of about half a mile, opened their batteries on their right, which, being immediately responded to by our two eighteen- pounders, in charge of Lieut. Churchill, brought on the action of the 8th instant. Major Ringgold's battery was ordered to the right and front of the eighteen-pounders, at a distance of about seven hundred yards from the enemy, when the battery was opened with great effect, as was shown the next day, by the number of the enemy's dead found along his line. The infantry, in the mean time, was formed in rear of the artillery, re- ceiving with the greatest possible coolness the enemy's fire, and only anxious for the order to rush in and participate actively in the affair. A regiment of the enemy's lancers was observed to move to our right, REPORT OF COL. TWIGGS. 209 apparently to gain possession of our wagon train, a few hundred yards in rear. The Fifth Infantry and two pieces of Major Ringgold's artillery, under the command of Lieut. R. Ridgely, were ordered to check this movement. Having gained ground to the right, some four or five hundred yards, the Fifth was formed in square to receive a charge from the lancers, who advanced to within fifty yards, when the opposing side of the square fired into and repulsed them, having received in the mean time several irregular discharges from the enemy. The lancers re-formed, and contin- ued their movement to get in rear of our right flank, when I ordered the Third to move to the right and rear, around a pond of water, and prevent their progress in that direction. Seeing their movement frustrated in this point, the lancers commenced a retreat in good order, marching apparently by squadrons, when First Lieut. R. Ridgely, of Major Ringgold's battery, assisted by Brevet Second Lieut. French, opened a fire on them, and scat- tered them in all directions. In this affair, the enemy lost some twenty- eight or thirty men. This portion of the right wing served in about this position until the close of the action. In the mean time, Major Ringgold, with the remaining two pieces of his battery, continued to play on the enemy with great success. The gallant major was mortally wounded by a cannon ball towards the close of the action, and his horse shot under him at the same time. The army and the country will long deplore the loss of so brave and accomplished an officer. The second squadron of dragoons, commanded by Capt. May, who, during the day, was under the immediate orders of the general command- ing, being ordered to turn, if possible, the left flank of the enemy, the Fourth Infantry was ordered to support him. Having advanced in our right and front some four hundred yards, under a very severe fire from two of the enemy's batteries, it was found the force he had to oppose was eight or nine hundred cavalry; he retired agreeably to his orders, and the Fourth Infantry was accordingly withdrawn. In this operation, Capt. May's squadron had five men wounded and six horses killed, and the Fourth Infantry one man killed, one officer (Capt. Page) mortally, and one man severely wounded. Night coming on, the right wing took position in front of the wagon train, and slept on their arms on the ground first occupied by the enemy. The perfect coolness of Lieut. Ridgely, and the great pre- cision with which he fired his pieces, whilst acting in concert with the Fifth, deserves notice, the last and most effective shot he having aimed himself. On the morning of the 9th, some of the enemy being discovered in the edge of the chaparral, we advanced the Fifth Infantry on the right, with the second squadron of dragoons in front, Major Ringgold's battery, com- 14 210 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. manded by Lieut. Ridgely, on the left of the Fifth, and the Third brigade on its left. On advancing, the enemy having retired, we entered the cha- parral, and approached to within eight hundred yards of Resaca de la Palma, where the enemy had taken position for fight. The advance guard having kept up a fire till our arrival, Lieut. Ridgely was ordered in front of the Fifth with his battery, and having advanced cautiously to within about lour hundred yards of their battery in the road, the enemy opened on him with grape. Lieut. Ridgely pushed forward rapidly about one hundred yards further, and returned their fire with great spirit and success, ad- vancing on them whenever their fire slackened. At times the two batte- ries were firing canister at each other, when not more than one hundred yards apart. Having advanced in this manner about five hundred yards. Captain May's squadron was ordered to charge the enemy's guns. Dash- ing forward in columns of fours, (the main road admitting of no other for- mation,) the squadron charged across the ravine through seven of the enemy's pieces, driving the gunners from them; Capt. May, with Lieu- tenants Inge, Stevens, and Sackett, and the first and second platoons of the squadron charging the guns in the road and on the right of it : Capt. Graham, accompanied by Lieutenants Winship and Pleasanton, with the third and fourth platoons, leading the charge against the pieces on the left of the road in the ravine. Capt. May having charged through the pieces in the road, rallied some six men, and charged again at some of the gun- ners who had regained their pieces, drove them ofT, and took General Vega prisoner. In the charge, Lieut. Inge fell at the head of his platoon, whilst leading it. on gallantly, having passed through their batteries. Corporal McCauley was taken prisoner, nine privates and eighteen horses were killed, Sergeant Maley, nine privates, and ten horses wounded. The Fourth Infantry, under the command of Brevet Major Allen, the Fifth, commanded by Lieut. Col. Mcintosh, and the Third, commanded by Capt. L. N. Morris, retained possession of the enemy's artillery, repulsing at different times largely superior parties brought to bear against them, and finally brought off the pieces, making several prisoners of war. After the unsurpassed, if not unequalled, charge of Capt. May's squadron, the enemy was unable to fire a piece. In this affair, Lieut. Inge, Second Dra- goons, and Lieut. Cochrane, Fourth Infantry, were killed: and Lieut. Col. Mcintosh, Capt. Hooe, and Lieut. Dobbins were wounded. I would respect- fully call the attention of the commanding general to the gallant conduct of Col. Mcintosh, Fifth, and Col. Garland, Fourth Infantry, (commanding the Third brigade :) Lieutenants Ridgely, Shover, and French, Third Artillery ; Captains May and Graham, Lieutenants Winship, Stevens, Pleasanton. and Sackett. Second Dragoons; and Capt. Buchanan, Lieutenants Hays and REPORT OF COL. GARLAND. 211 Wood. Fourth Infantry, &c. ; the latter two having captured a piece of ar- tillery, defended by one hundred and fifty or two hundred, with but a few men. The enemy having been routed with great loss, this day's action closed with much honor to the American army, spreading terror amongst the Mexican people. In this action every officer and man performed his duty most gallantly. Capt. Arnold and Lieut. McDonald, Second Dragoons, my aids on the 8th and 9th instant, performed the several duties assigned them with promptness, coolness, and courage. They accompanied me during the whole of the affairs, except when detached carrying orders. The detailed account of the commanders of each regiment and corps is herewith sub- mitted. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. E. TWIGGS, Col. Second Dragoons, commanding Right Wing A. 0. Capt. W. W. S. Bliss, Assistant Adft. Gen., Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros. Report of Col Garland. Battle Field, near Matamoros, Head Quarters Third Brigade, May 11, 1846. Colonel : — I have the honor to enclose herewith, for the information of the commanding general, the reports of Capt. Lewis Morris, of the Third, and Brevet Major Allen, of the Fourth Infantry, giving a detailed account of the services performed by the regiments under their respective commands in the actions which took place on the 8th and 9th instant. I have only this moment received these reports, and, as I am under or- ders to march immediately with my brigade, have not a moment to add any thing to them if I were disposed to do so. Both of these regimental commanders used every effort to meet the enemy and to overcome him. It was pleasing to me to witness the gallant rivalry between these two corps; they shared liberally in the dangers and exertions which brought about our signal success. I witnessed, with great satisfaction, in a dense chaparral, Capt. Morrison, of the Fourth, overcoming obstacles which I believed insurmountable, in order to reach the enemy. Of Capt. McCall, Fourth Infantry, whose merits are fully appreciated by the commanding general, I can make no remark, as he was detached 212 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. with a separate command under the special instructions of the general himself. It gives me great pleasure to speak in terms of high approbation of the efficient services of my principal staff-officer, Lieut. Beaman, of the Fourth Infantry ; Brigade Major Lieut. G. 0. Haller, A. C. S., also rendered me valuable service during the two actions. Most respectfully, I am, Colonel, your obedient servant, JOHN GARLAND, Lieut. Col. Fourth Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, Col. D. E. Twiggs, Second Dragoons, commanding Right Wing Army of Occupation. Report of Major Alien. Head Quarters Fourth Infantry, Camp on the Battle Field, May 10, 1846. Sir : — I have the honor to report for the information of the colonel com- manding the Third brigade, that, in obedience to orders received yesterday, when the firing commenced, the Fourth Infantry deployed as skirmishers on the right and left of the road, and advanced towards the point where the firing seemed most lively. After rushing on for some short distance, it was discovered that the enemy were pouring in a heavy fire of grape and musketry from a small breastwork just in front, defended by one piece of artillery, and about one hundred and fifty or two hundred men. Capt. Buchanan, being nearest this point, and finding himself the senior officer, collected some twenty-five or thirty men of the regiment, portions of his own company, and companies D, H, and K, together with Lieutenants Hays and Woods, charged the works, completely routed the enemy, and captured the piece. The regiment still continued to move forward, until it emerged from the thicket into the main camp of the enemy, containing the head quarters of the commanding general of the Mexican army, their ammunition, some three or four hundred mules, saddles, and every variety of camp equipage. I regret extremely to announce the death of First Lieut. R. E. Cochrane, of my regiment, who fell at the very edge of the camp, whilst gallantly leading his men into it. The nature of the cha- parral was such, that, in going through it, it very frequently became un- avoidably necessary to divide the regiment into several detachments, each of which met the enemy at different points, and always put him to flight. I cannot pass over in silence the brave and distinguished behaviour of Lieutenants Hays and Woods, as well as that of Sergeant Major Maloney, REPORT OF CAPT. BUCHANAN. 213 and Corporals Farran and McFarlin, who. whilst their gallant commander, Capt. Buchanan, was briskly engaged in driving back the infantry, rushed forward with six men to the cannon, and whilst Lieut. Hays was endea- voring to dispatch one of the mules attached to it, Lieut. Woods sprung to the handspikes, turned the piece in such a direction as to lock one of the wheels against a tree, and thereby prevented its being moved, and succeeded in defending and securing it. The conduct of the officers and men on this day, as well as on the 8th, reflects the highest credit on the American soldier. On the 8th, Capt. Page was severely, if not mortally wounded, and one man killed, and one wounded. On the 9th, First Lieut. R. E. Cochrane and three men were killed ; Lieutenants Wallen and Hays and six men wounded — Lieutenants Wallen and Hays very slightly. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. W. ALLEN, Brevet Major, commanding Fourth Infantry. To Lieut. Col. J. Garland, Commanding Third Brigade. P. S. For further particulars, you are referred to the accompanying report of Capt. Buchanan. G. W. A. I have the greatest pleasure in expressing my warmest thanks to the Adjutant of the Fourth Infantry, Lieut. A. Haskins, for his coolness and gallantry, and efficient assistance throughout the whole of both affairs. GEO. W- ALLEN, Brevet Major., commanding Fourth Infantry. Report of Capt. Robt. C. Buchanan. Camp on the Battle Field, May 10, 1846. Sir : — In compliance with your request, I have the honor to report that, in the deployment of the Fourth Infantry, I found myself in command of companies B, D, and K, on the left of the road, as we entered, and having been ordered to cross to the right and advance, did so. After crossing the pond, I had with me Lieutenants Hays and Woods, and about twenty men of different regiments, mostly, however, of the Fourth. Upon deploying my men on the crest of the hill, I discovered one of the enemy's pieces about fifty yards in my front, which was defended by about one hundred and fifty infantry. I charged and took the piece, and attempted to spike it, but, not being able to do so, took it back to a place of safety. The enemy had a breastwork in my rear, and opened a heavy fire on me, 214 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. when, with about ten men, I dislodged him, and drove him across the road. Too much credit cannot be given to Lieutenants Hays and Woods, of the Fourth. They were among the very first to reach the piece, and to them belongs the credit of its capture. Whilst I was engaged in driving the enemy from his breastwork, these officers, with their men, repulsed a party that charged them in order to recapture the piece. I cannot refrain from calling your attention to Sergeant Major Maloney, and Corporal Far- rail, who behaved with remarkable coolness and gallantry. Every body did his duty nobly, as becomes American soldiers. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, ROBERT C. BUCHANAN, Capt. Fourth Infantry. To Major G. W. Allen, Commanding Fourth Infantry. Report of Capt. L. JV. Morris. Head Quarters Third Infantry, Camp on Battle Field, near Matamoros, May 10, 1846, Sir : — I have the honor to report that, in obedience to your order, imme- diately before the battle of the 9th instant, at this place, I deployed the Third Infantry as skirmishers on the right of the road, the left resting on the road ; the regiment advanced rapidly to the front : and, soon after the firing commenced, I found my command so far advanced, as to be exposed to a cross fire from our own and the enemy's batteries, and, in conse- quence of the very dense chaparral, the regiment became very much scattered. I passed an order down the line for the officers to collect all the men they could, and bring them into the engagement, which was altogether on the left of the road. I returned myself with all the men I could collect, turned Duncan's battery, and joined in the action on the left flank, with Lieutenants Johns, Bee, Williamson, and Hatch, Third In- fantry; Lieut, and Adjutant Irons passed into the right with a few men, and joined a party under Capt. McCall. The officers near me on this oc- casion did all that could be desired of gallant soldiers : they directed the men with coolness, judgment, and activity : the soldiers too, about thirty in the detachment, did themselves great credit. I regret that I cannot give a more full account of what the regiment accomplished. As stated before, it became scattered, and each officer was compelled to act inde- pendently. Some few have to regret that they could not find their way out of the chaparral in time to join in the battle. Capt. Barbour did good REPORT OF MAJOR STANIFORD. 215 service with his detachment, by driving back a body of cavalry attempting to recover a piece of artillery, taken by some officers and men of the Fourth Infantry. I must not omit to notice in this report the conduct of Corpora] O'Sullivan, of company E, Third Infantry, who fired at a body of the enemy, and immediately rushed in upon them, and seized a lieu- tenant by the collar, disarmed him, and delivered him a prisoner to Lieut. Graham. He afterwards went with a party under Sergeant Kendall, of F company, Third Infantry, captured a gun from the enemy, rolled it out into the road, and turned it over to an officer of the Fifth Infantry. There were many other acts of individual daring ; but, where all behaved well, it is deemed unnecessary to multiply instances. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, L. N. MORRIS, Capt. Third Infantry, commanding Regiment. Lieut, Col. J. Garland, Commanding Third Brigade Army of Occupation. Report of Major T. Stamford. Head Quarters Fifth Infantry, Camp on the Field of Battle, May 10, 1846. Sir : — In obedience to your orders, I have the honor to report that, in the action of Palo Alto, on the 8th instant, the Fifth Infantry was placed on the extreme right of our line. After sustaining the cannonade of the enemy for about three-quarters of an hour, the regiment was ordered to turn the left flank of the enemy, and was detached for that purpose, ad- vancing nearly half a mile to the right and front ; the cavalry of the Mexi- cans, with two pieces of artillery in view, extending themselves, apparently for the purpose of outflanking us. On the near approach of the enemy's cavalry, the regiment was thrown into square, with Capt. Walker, of the Texas Rangers, and twenty mounted men on our right. The enemy com- menced an irregular fire upon our square, as they advanced, wounding three or four of our men, and continued to do so until within about fifty yards, when our fire was delivered from one front of the square, killing several men and horses, and causing the enemy to retire. Our fire was followed by the rifles of the mounted men. At this moment Lieut. Ridgely, with two pieces of his battery, came to our support, and poured in a de- structive fire of grape and canister on the enemy, now in full retreat towards his right. The regiment remained on this ground for about half an hour, when we were ordered to take position on the right of the new 216 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. line, which had been formed by throwing forward our right; the enemy having changed his front nearly perpendicular to his first line. Here we received a severe fire from the enemy's batteries, wounding a corporal of the color company, and the color sergeant slightly. As it was now near night, we were ordered up for the protection of the train; the cannonading from both sides ceasing at dark. In the battle of the 9th, the Fifth being in advance, and the enemy be- ing discovered in front, the regiment was ordered into the chaparral on the left of the road, and directed to advance as skirmishers, and push for the enemy. The chaparral at first was dense, and almost impassable ; con- sequently the regiment became much separated and extended, rendering- it impossible to advance with much regularity. A severe cannonading from both sides now began, mingled with a tremendous fire of musketry. In a few moments the order was given to charge the enemy's batteries, which was promptly done by cavalry and infantry, and the enemy's guns were all captured. In this brilliant exploit the Fifth bore a conspicuous part, a portion of the regiment successfully resisting the attempt of the enemy to recapture those guns on the right of his battery; the remainder of the regiment being extended towards the right, and mingling in the se- vere and close engagement which was there going on, and was so glo- riously terminated. During the action of this day, Lieut. Col. Mcintosh, and Capt. Hooe were severely, and Lieut. Fowler slightly wounded; loss of the rank and file, nine killed and twenty-five wounded, many of them severely. In conclusion. I will only add, that all, both officers and men, did their duty in a most gallant manner, determined to conquer the enemy or perish in the conflict. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, T. STANIFORD, Major Fifth Infantry, commanding Regiment. Col. D. E. Twiggs, Commanding Right Wing Army of Occupation. Report of Lieut. Ridgely. Camp near Matamoros, May 10, 1846. Sir : — In compliance with your directions I have the honor to report that the company which I now have the honor to command, took up its posi- tion in the line of battle about 3 o'clock, P. M., on the afternoon of the 8th, at a distance of about eight hundred yards from the enemy's line. REPORT OF LIEUT. RIDGELY. 217 After receiving a few rounds of artillery, we advanced about a hundred yards, where we opened our battery with considerable execution, as proven the next day ; but in consequence of their making a flank move- ment to our right, I was detached with two pieces to operate with the Fifth Infantry, who had been sent forward to oppose the movement. My section had already lost one man and two horses badly wounded. As I was taking position on the right of the Fifth, who were in square, they fired a volley from one of its faces on the enemy, whose cavalry had charged. I at once unlimbered and commenced firing. Very shortly I saw their artillery and cavalry, which latter was in large force, retiring. I am happy to state our fire proved effective, and the movement was frus- trated. Brevet Second Lieut. French had the immediate charge of one of the pieces. We continued changing position from point to point until dark, when we encamped. I then learned that Brevet Major Ringgold, who had been with the other section, had been badly wounded. The section was brought up by Lieut. Shover, who had kept it actively em- ployed during the entire afternoon. The following morning, about noon, I took my position in the rear of the Fifth Infantry, on our way to Matamoros, marching in columns of sections whenever practicable. After having advanced about five miles, I was or- dered to the front with my battery, and was there informed the enemy were immediately in our front, occupying the road with their artillery. Capt. Walker, of the Texas Rangers, was sent to point out to me their exact position. After moving very cautiously for a short distance. I discovered them about four hundred yards in advance, in the road, and almost in- stantly their artillery opened. I moved rapidly to the front for about a hundred yards and returned their fire, which was kept up very spiritedly on both sides for some time, their grape-shot passing through our battery in every direction. So soon as it slackened I limbered up, and moved rapidly forward, never unlimbering unless seeing them in front, or per- ceiving from the fire of their infantry they were on my flanks. Frequently the several pieces fired canister on them when not over a hundred or hun- dred and fifty yards. After having advanced in this manner for about five hundred yards, Capt. May, Second Dragoons, rode up and said, "Where are they ? I am going to charge." I gave them a volley, and he most gallantly dashed forward in " column of fours" at the head of his squad- ron. I followed as quickly as possible, at a gallop, only halting when I came upon the edge of the ravine, where I found three pieces of artillery, but no cannoniers ; however, their infantry poured into me a most galling fire at from twenty-five to fifty paces; and here ensued a most desperate struggle j but our infantry coming up, they were completely routed. Their 218 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. cavalry coming so near that I once cut at them with my sabre, I did not advance as rapidly as I desired, as I perceived I was not, at times, sup- ported by the infantry, it being impossible for them to get through the chaparral. I cannot, sir, speak in too high terms of the gallantry and coolness of my officers, and the behaviour of my non-commissioned officers and men generally: and respectfully beg leave to call the attention of higher autho- rities to the fact, that the officers during the greater portion of the engage- ment, and always when closely pressed, had to perform the duties of not only one, but two cannoniers, handling their own shot and firing their own pieces, in consequence of the very limited number of men. In conclusion, sir, I am proud to stale, that until the enemy's artillery was taken and they completely routed, no other artillery was required, or at least used, but the battery I have the honor to command. I am, sir ; very respectfully, your obedient servant, RANDOLPH RIDGELY, First Lieut. Third Artillery, commanding Light Company C. CASUALTIES. Wounded. — 1 brevet major on the 8th. 1 sergeant, 3 privates. Killed. — 1 private on the 8lh. Two horses wounded on the 8th, (since dead.) 1 horse on the 8th, (aban- doned.) 5 horses very severely, (unserviceable,) on the 9th. 6 horses not very severely, on the 9th. Report of Capt. May. Dragoon Camp, Resaca de la Palma, On the Battle Ground, May 10, 1846. Sir : — Having been detached from the head quarters of my regiment with my squadron, and acting under the immediate orders of the com- manding general during the actions of the 8th and 9th instant, it becomes my duty to report the services which the squadron I had the honor to command rendered during those actions. You are aware that my first orders on the 8th were to strengthen the left flank of the army, and sustain Lieut. Duncan's battery : in this posi- tion I lost four horses killed and two wounded. About half an hour before sunset I received orders to proceed to the enemy's left flank and drive in his cavalry, In execution of these orders, and while passing the general and his staff, the enemy concentrated the REPORT OF CAPT. MAY. 219 fire from their batteries upon us ; killing six of my horses, and wounding five men. I succeeded in gaining a position on the enemy's left with a view of charging his cavalry, but found him in such force as to render ineffectual a charge from my small command, and therefore returned, in obedience to my instructions, to my first position, where I remained until the close of the action, which terminated very shortly afterwards. Thus ended the service of my squadron on the 8th instant. On the morning of the 9th, my squadron was actively employed in re- connoitering the chaparral in advance of the field of the 8th, and on the advance of the army I took my position as the advance guard. When about half a mile from the position which the enemy were reported to have taken, I was ordered to halt and allow the artillery and infantry to pass, and await further orders. I remained in this position about three- quarters of an hour, when I received orders to report with my squadron to the general. I did so, and w T as ordered by the general to charge the enemy's batteries, and drive them from their pieces, which was rapidly executed, with the loss of Lieut. Inge, seven privates, and eighteen horses killed, and Sergeant Maley, nine privates, and ten horses wounded. Lieut. Sackett and Sergeant Story, in the front by my side, had their horses killed under them, and Lieut. Inge was gallantly leading his platoon when he fell. We charged entirely through the enemy's batteries of seven pieces — Capt. Graham, accompanied by Lieutenants Winship and Pleasanton, leading the charge against the pieces on the left of the road, and myself, accompanied by Lieutenants Inge, Stevens, and Sackett, those on the direct road, and gained the rising ground on the opposite side of the ravine. The charge was made under a heavy fire of the enemy's batteries, which ac- counts for my great loss. After gaining the rising ground in the rear, I could rally but six men, and with these I charged their gunners, who had regained their pieces, drove them off, and took prisoner Gen. Vega, whom I found gallantly fighting in person at his battery. I ordered him to sur- render, and on recognising me as an officer he handed me his sword. I brought him under a heavy fire of their infantry to our lines, accom- panied by Lieut. Stevens and a sergeant of my squadron. I then directed Lieut. Stevens to conduct him in safety to our rear, and presented his sword to the commanding general. From this time until the enemy were routed, I was engaged in collect- ing my men, who had become scattered in our lines. I succeeded in as- sembling half of my squadron, and joined the army in pursuit of the ene- my, until he crossed the Rio Grande, from which I returned to camp. I cannot speak in terms of sufficient praise of the steadiness and gal- lantry of the officers and men of my command. They all behaved with 220 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. that spirit of courage and noble daring which distinguished the whole army in this memorable action, and achieved the most brilliant victory of the age. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. A. MAY, Capt. Second Dragoons., commanding Second squadron. Lieut. McDonald, Adjutant Second Dragoons. Report of Lieut. Col. Belknap to Gen. Taylor. Head Quarters First Brigade, Camp near Matamoros, May 15, 1846. Sir : — In submitting an official report of the operations of the First bri- gade in the actions of the 8th and 9th of May. at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, I feel a degree of delicacy in the task from my humble rank in comparison with the importance and magnitude of my command, and lest I shall be unable to do full justice to the admirable conduct of the officers and men who served under my orders. On first meeting the enemy I received your order to form on the left, with instructions to move into the chaparral and allow the men to refresh themselves by getting water. Perceiving in a few moments that the enemy were advancing, and not knowing precisely, being on the left of the line, where water was to be obtained. I directed the men to remain in the ranks. The enemy shortly after having halted, and your instructions for the refreshment of the men having been repeated, they proceeded to get water, and immediately fell in prepared and eager for action. The brigade was then ordered to advance in column on the left of the army, the battalion of artillery, under command of Lieut. Col. Childs, on the right, the Eighth regiment of Infantry, commanded by Capt. Montgomery, on the left, and Capt. Duncan's battery in the centre. The army then having been ordered to advance, the brigade moved in this order until the enemy opened his batteries. When the brigade was halted, Capt. Dun- can's battery advanced about two hundred yards and commenced a most destructive fire upon the enemy. This disposition was maintained for about two hours, when the enemy's fire slackened, and finally ceased. Nothing could surpass the coolness and steadiness of the command while thus exposed to a galling fire, receiving as they did the heavy discharges of the enemy's well-aimed artillery without the power of defending them- selves. In a short time after the firing ceased the army was ordered to advance REPORT OF LIEUT. COL. BELKNAP. 221 and take position somewhat nearer to the enemy; the battalion of artillery taking post in rear and to the right of the two eighteen-pounders, Capt. Duncan's artillery on their left, and the Eighth Infantry on the left and to the rear of his battery. At this moment Capt. Duncan, with his usual quickness of perception, discovered and communicated to me the fact that the enemy was moving the entire cavalry and infantry force of his right wing upon our train in rear of the left of our line of battle, and that his battery could produce a more destructive effect upon the enemy by taking position further to the left. I ordered him to proceed to the threatened point with all possible despatch, and hold the enemy in check till the Eighth Infantry could come up to his support. The battery dashed back to the left flank in full view of the enemy, and engaged him within point blank range of his small guns. So sudden and unexpected was this move- ment to the enemy, who a moment before saw this battery disappear in the opposite direction behind the smoke of the burning prairie, that his whole column of cavalry pulled up to a halt before a shot had been fired or even the guns unlimbered. A strong body of the enemy's infantry, supported by two squadrons of cavalry, debouched from the extreme right point of the chaparral, and moved steadily forward to the attack ; one sec- tion of the battery opened upon them with round shot, shells, and spheri- cal case, so well directed that the whole advance, horse and foot, fell back in disorder to the bushes ; the other section played in the mean time upon the masses of cavalry that had halted at the sight of the guns as before mentioned. Although these shot were well directed, and each made an opening through an entire squadron, this part of the enemy's line stood unshaken. The column of cavalry and infantry driven back in the chaparral by the other section, re-formed there and moved forward a second time to the attack with great regularity. After they advanced about one hundred yards from the chaparral, the section before ordered to drive them back again opened, and drove them with even greater success than before. They fell back pell-mell to the bushes and commenced their retreat ; their supporting cavalry abandoned them, rushed back upon the head of the columns that had before withstood our shot, and a flight commenced. Squadron after squadron took it up. and the entire right wing of the army was in full retreat. Both sections were now brought to bear upon the enemy's broken and flying columns, and a brisk and destructive fire kept up till they disappeared in the chaparral, or darkness put an end to the battle. When this battery first reached its position on the left, and before the infantry could arrive for its support, Capt. Ker, of the Second Dragoons, 222 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. ■who had been directed with his squadron to guard the baggage train, with a promptness and eagerness worthy of all praise, offered to repel any at- tempt of the enemy to assail the battery on its left. During the absence of the Eighth Infantry on the left, the commander of the artillery battalion vigorously and successfully repelled a desperate effort on the part of the enemy to carry the eighteen-pounders, by promptly forming square, and arresting the charge of cavalry. While in this posi- tion he received a fire from a line of the enemy's infantry, which was quickly returned. He then encamped on his own ground; at this time the brigade was re-united near the eighteen-pounder battery, and bivou- aced in front of the army. On the morning of the 9th we w T ere instructed to assume the same order and advance upon the enemy, he having in the night, and early in the morning, retired. The brigade advanced across the plain and took posi- tion in the chaparral, where we halted for several hours waiting instruc- tions, and burying in the mean time eleven of the enemy's dead that were there found terribly mangled. The army having been put in march in the afternoon, the brigade was ordered to halt, as a reserve, when within about a mile of the enemy's position. In a few minutes, the firing having commenced in front, I received orders to move up Duncan's battery, and one battalion of infantry ; the battery and the Eighth regiment were im- mediately put in motion, the latter in double quick time. On arriving at the scene of action, the Eighth regiment charged the enemy on the right of the road, and drove him from his position. At this moment, Capt. May, of the Second Dragoons, informed me that he had charged and carried one of the enemy's batteries, but, being unsupported, was unable to maintain it. I immediately ordered the Eighth Infantry to form in the road, when it was led to a charge upon the battery, a part of which had, as reported, been retaken by the enemy. This movement was executed with the greatest celerity, and the battery secured. The regiment then charged upon the ravine, and across the small prairie amidst a sheet of fire from the front and right, drove the supporting column be- fore it. destroying the enemy in vast numbers, they having maintained a most determined and obstinate resistance, until finally repulsed and driven from the field. Capt. Montgomery, with his regiment, pursued vigorously into the chaparral on the opposite side of the ravine, until, from the rapid flight of the enemy, further pursuit was useless. The conflict was short : the result shows the severity. At the head of the ravine, I met with Capt. McCall, Fourth Infantry, who, in command of the advance, had gallantly brought on the action, and poured a most destructive, and kept up an incessant fire upon the enemy. REPORT OF LIEUT. COL. BELKNAP. 223 After the commencement of the action, on advancing with the Eighth Infantry and the battery of artillery, I ordered Lieut. Col. Childs to remain with his battalion as a reserve. It is due to Col. Childs to state, that he was desirous that his battalion should be selected to advance into the action instead of the Eighth regiment. He soon after received orders from the commanding general to advance. He obeyed, and rapidly pursued the enemy to the Rio Grande, where, having thrown out pickets, he cap- tured one captain, and about twelve privates during the enemy's flight. As soon as the enemy's batteries were carried, and his infantry began ;o give ground, Capt. Duncan was ordered to cross the ravine, and take up a new position, that previously occupied rendering it impossible for him to assail the enemy without galling our own troops. This was done, and the enemy vigorously pursued, a few well-directed shots from our batte- ries driving him from position to position, till he reached the river. Where all have acted nobly it may seem improper to speak of indivi- duals, but I feel compelled to name the commanders of corps in the bri- gade. The commander of the battalion of artillery, Lieut. Col. Childs, needs no praise from me. His well-earned fame — won on many a field — is known to all; but his coolness and intrepidity in the battle of the 8th, during the heavy cannonade of the enemy, the prompt manner in which he repulsed the charge upon the eighteen-pounder battery, and his hot pursuit of the enemy to the banks of the Rio Grande on the evening of the 9th, are new evidences of his zeal and soldiership which it gives me pleasure to record. Capt. Montgomery, in command of the Eighth Infantry, at Palo Alto manifested the utmost coolness during the cannonade of that day, when his horse was shot under him ; the celerity with which he moved to the support of the battery of artillery when threatened by the enemy's ca- valry, as well as his eagerness in getting into action on the 9th, in which he was wounded, and his vigor in pursuing the enemy, merits high com- mendation. I cannot too much commend the skill and judgment of Capt. Duncan on both fields. His quick eye detected at Palo Alto the threatening move- ment of the enemy on our left, whose advancing columns were arrested by his prompt action, and finally turned back by the rapid and skilful dis- charges from his fine battery. In the battle of the 9th, the Eighth regiment lost in Lieut. Chadbourne a promising young officer, who fell in the manful discharge of duty. Lieutenants Gates and Jordan were badly but not mortally wounded. The latter, when personally charging the enemy, being overpowered by num- bers, was relieved by Lieut. Lincoln, who slew with his own hand two of 224 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the fiercest assailants. Lieutenants Selden, Burbank, Maclay, and Morris were wounded. Lieut. Luther, of the artillery battalion, was wounded by a musket ball in the action of the 8th. On this day, Lieut. Daniels, acting A. D. C, had his horse shot under him by a cannon ball. Capt. McKavett, of the Eighth Infantry, and acting field-officer of his regiment, had his horse shot under him by a musket ball on the 9th. I cannot close this report, without bearing testimony to the zeal and effi- ciency of the brigade staff. The highest praise belongs to Lieut. Chase, Second Artillery, acting assistant adjutant general, and Lieut. Daniels, Second Artillery, brigade commissary and acting aid-de-camp, for the rapidity with which they communicated my orders from point to point, and the coolness and courage they displayed under the hottest fire in both these battles. My thanks are also due to Mr. John B. Cozzens, of New York city, who rendered valuable assistance, by transmitting with intelligence such in- formation as I had occasion from time to time to communicate. It is impossible to enumerate all the instances of personal bravery con- spicuous on these days. It may be confidently asserted, that in their pas- sive exposure to the deadly fire of the enemy's batteries on the plain of Palo Alto, the fortitude, high moral courage, hardy valor, and perfect dis- cipline displayed by the troops, have few parallels in the history of war, while the battle of Resaca de la Palrna will long be associated with deeds of heroism and intrepid daring, which can never be surpassed. In the action of the 8th, the artillery battalion lost in killed, one ser- geant, one corporal, one private; wounded, one lieutenant, two artificers, one musician, and five privates — aggregate, twelve. The Eighth Infantry lost, killed four privates, sixteen privates wounded — total twenty, (including missing two privates.) The artillery company had wounded one non-commissioned officer, one artificer, and two pri- vates — total, four. On the 9th, the companies in Capt. McCall's command, belonging to the artillery battalion, lost in killed, one corporal, two privates; wounded, one sergeant and four privates — total, ten. The Eighth regiment of Infantry on the 9th, lost, in killed, one subal- tern, four non-commissioned officers, and three privates — total, eight; wounded, seven officers, (one captain and six subalterns,) eight non-com- missioned officers, seventeen privates — aggregate, thirty-two. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. G. BELKNAP, Lieut. Colonel commanding First Brigade. Capt. W. W. S. Bliss, Assistant Adft General, Army of Occupation. REPORT OF CAPT. DUNCAN. 225 Report of Capt. Duncan. Camp opposite Matamoros, May 12, 1846. Sir : — In obedience to your instructions, the following report is submitted, in reference to the operations of the battery of field artillery, which I had the honor to command, in the battles of Palo Alto^ and Resaca de la Palma, fought on the 8th and 9th instant. After the fire from the enemy's artillery had been drawn by the ad- vance of our line of battle, in obedience to the instructions of the general commanding, the battery under my command was moved two hundred yards to the front of the line, and opened its fire. The battery being the most conspicuous and nearest point of our line, the principal part of the fire of the enemy's batteries was at once concentrated upon it, and kept up briskly and incessantly for nearly two hours; during this time, the bat- tery under my command was not idle, but the gallant officers and brave men who directed and worked it, returned the enemy shot for shot, with interest. The firing of our battery was well directed, yet the enemy's line, from right to left, was steady and unshaken. In the early part of the engagement, our guns set fire to the prairie grass in front of them, the flames spread rapidly, and the direction of the wind was such as completely to envelope our own line in smoke, and entirely to conceal from us the operations of the enemy. About two hours after the enemy's batteries opened, his fire slackened, and soon after ceased entirely : this cessation of fire was taken advantage of, to replenish our ammunition chests, which were nearly exhausted, and to make such repairs to the battery as had been rendered necessary. We were actively engaged at this work, when the reopening of the enemy's batteries showed us that his artillery had changed its position, and all its fire was concentrated upon our right, which your brigade was ordered to reinforce. The infantry of your brigade moved off immediately, and in- structions were given by you to the field artillery, to follow as soon as the necessary repairs were made, and the chests replenished with ammuni- tion. While these preparations were being made, a lucky breeze rolled aside the smoke that had hitherto concealed from us the movements of the enemy, when it was discovered that he was rapidly moving the entire cavalry and infantry of his right wing upon our train, which was in rear of the left of our line of battle. My battery at once followed your brigade to the right, where the important fact was communicated to you, when dispositions were made promptly to check this daring measure of the enemy. The battery under my command, was ordered to proceed with all pos- 15 226 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. sible despatch to the threatened point, and hold the enemy in check, until the infantry could come up to its support. Under cover of the smoke, which now in turn favored our movement, the battery dashed back again to the left flank, beyond the burning prairie, in full view of the enemy, and engaged him within point blank range of our little guns; so sudden and unexpected was this movement to the enemy, (who, but a moment before, saw us disappear behind the smoke in an opposite direction,) that his whole column of cavalry pulled up to a halt before a shot had been fired, or even the guns unlimbered. Now began the important operations of the day, so far as our little bat- tery was concerned. A strong body of the enemy's infantry, supported by two squadrons of cavalry, debouched from the extreme right of the chaparral, and moved steadily forward to the attack : one section of the bat- tery opened upon them with round shot, shell, and spherical case, so well directed, that the whole advance, horse and foot, fell back in disorder to the bushes : the other section played, in the mean time, upon the masses of cavalry that had halted at the sight of the guns, as before mentioned. Although these shot were well delivered, and each one made an open- ing through an entire squadron, this part of the enemy's line stood un- shaken. The column of cavalry and infantry, driven back into the cha- parral by the other section, reformed there, and moved forward a second time to the attack, with great regularity. After they advanced about one hundred yards from the chaparral, the section before ordered to drive them back, again opened upon them, and repulsed them with even greater success than before : they fell back, pell-mell, to the bushes, and com- menced the retreat: their supporting cavalry abandoned them, rushed back against the head of the columns that had hitherto withstood our shot, and a flight of the entire right wing commenced. Squadron after squadron took it up, and in less time than it takes to record the fact, the entire right wing of the enemy was in full retreat. Both sections were now brought to bear upon the enemy's broken and flying column, and a brisk and destructive fire kept up, until they disappeared in the chaparral, or darkness, that by this time enveloped both friend and foe, and put an end to the battle of Palo Alto. The hearty cheers of the gallant Eighth Infantry, who promptly sup- ported this movement, joined with those of Ker's intrepid dragoons, who had united their destinies with ours before the infantry came up, an- nounced to our comrades on the right, that on the left, too, the field was won. The battery now encamped, with the rest of the army, on the battle field, and after slaking their thirst, both officers and men threw them- REPORT OF CAPT. DUNCAN. 227 selves under the guns that they had directed and served so well, and slept soundly until morning. In the affair of the second day, the enemy's strong position could not be assailed with more than one battery of artillery at the same time : this honor did not fall to the battery under my command, which came up early in the action, but could not take part in it, as the only position from which the enemy could be engaged without galling our own troops, was in pos- session of Ringgold's battery, under command of Lieut. Ridgely. Our own infantry had been pushed into the chaparral to the right and left of Ridge- ly's battery, and were already so far in advance, that both batteries were rendered unavailable ; however, by this time the enemy's batteries had been carried, and his infantry began to give ground. At this stage of the action, I received instructions to cross the ravine, and take up a new po- sition. After crossing the ravine, accompanied by Ridgely's battery, it soon be- came apparent that the enemy w r as in full retreat for the river. About this time Capt. C. F. Smith's Light Infantry, and Ker's dragoons, were or- dered across the ravine, to support the artillery, and the pursuit at once commenced. A part of the Third Infantry followed immediately, and Col. Child's battalion soon after. The enemy can scarcely be said to have made a stand after the flight commenced ; for a few well-directed shot from our batteries drove him from position to position until he reached the river. Soon after reaching the river, it w T as found that no regular crossing had been attempted by the enemy, neither had his retreat been regular. In twos and threes and small bodies they came to the stream, into which they plunged, one party after another as they came up, numbers of whom were drowned before reaching the opposite bank. As our pursuing columns debouched from the chaparral that surrounds our fort upon the Rio Grande, and saw the star-spangled banner still waving from the ramparts, the cheers of congratulation and delight that went to, and came back from our comrades, who had so nobly defended their posi- tion, can never be forgotten. A part of our troops having drank of the waters of the Rio Grande, fell back to the battle ground, where they bivouaced for the night. The two batteries of artillery, Ker's squadron of dragoons, Col. Child's battalion, and Capt. Smith's gallant command, who were the first in the battle and the last out of it, bivouaced upon the banks of the Rio Bravo, many of them upon the same ground they had left nine days before, and which had, during this absence, been occupied by the investing army of our gallant fort. OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Thus ended the battle of, and pursuit from, the field of Resaca de la Palma, and closed the day that will long be conspicuous in the annals of our country. My command parted with the gallant Eighth at the ravine, and left them hotly engaged with the enemy, and we were glad to come, under your command, the following day, on the same ground we left ten days before. Our loss was inconsiderable : only four men were wounded, one ser- geant and one artificer badly — two privates slightly. Four horses killed, one wounded, and the carriages slightly battered. It affords me the liveliest pleasure and gratification to bear testimony to the coolness, gallantry, and judgment with which the officers associated with me, First Lieut. I. F. Roland, Second Lieutenants W. Hays and J. J. Peck, discharged their respective duties on both of these glorious days, and the steadiness and bravery of my men is beyond all praise. Their work was done in the presence of the whole army, and they may with pride appeal to their comrades as to the manner in which it was per- formed. My thanks are due to Mr. John B. Cozzens of N. Y. City, who was with the battery during the whole of both engagements, and rendered import- ant service by transmitting, with coolness and intelligence, through the hottest fire, such orders and information as were necessary to be commu- nicated from point to point during the progress of the battles. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JAMES DUNCAN, Capt. Second Artillery, commanding Field Artillery First Brigade. Lieut. Col. G. W. Belknap, Commanding First Brigade Army of Occupation. Report of Capt. McCall to Gen. Taylor. Camp near Matamoras, May 13, 1846. Sir : — On the 9th instant, in obedience to your orders, I marched from Palo Alto, the battle ground of the 8th, with the " advance," (consisting of two hundred and twenty men,) to follow and observe the movements of the enemy on the route to Matamoras. I directed Capt. C F. Smith, Second Artillery, with the light companies of the First brigade, to move on the right of the road, while I advanced with the detachment composed of artillery and infantry on the left. Capt. Walker, of the Texas Rangers, with a small detachment of mounted men, was ordered to examine the REPORT OF CAPT. McCALL. 229 road ia front, and Lieut. Pleasanton, Second Dragoons, with a few dragoons, marched in rear of the columns of infantry. Having followed the trail of the enemy about two and a half miles, through the chaparral, a prisoner was taken on the edge of the Jackass prairie, and one of the enemy killed by Capt. Walker's men on the prairie. Having examined the opposite side, Capt. Walker reported the road clear; when, desiring to procure definite information as to the position of the enemy, I pushed him forward into the chaparral, (within supporting distance,) and one or two parties of from three to six were seen in the brush, one of which, a mounted party, was fired upon by my right flank- ers. On reaching the open ground at La Resaca de la Palma, the head of my column received three rounds of canister shot from a masked battery, which killed one private and wounded two sergeants on the left of the road, and made my men take cover. They rallied, however, handsomely, within forty or fifty paces. I now brought Capt. Smith's detachment to the left of the road, proposing to attack by a flank movement what I sup- posed to be only the rearguard of the retiring army : and I sent Lieut. McCown, with two men, to recall Lieut. Dobbins, who, with a few men, had deployed to the left, where he killed one or two of the enemy who showed themselves in his front. On the return of Lieut. Dobbins with Lieut. McCown, the former reported a large body of troops in motion on our left, and at the same time some lancers were observed in the road in front. Being now satisfied that the Mexican army was in force in our front, I despatched three dragoons to inform you of the fact, and then moved my command to a stronger position to await your arrival. On your arrival. Capt. Smith was again ordered to take the right of the road, while I took the left, with orders to bring on the action, and then flank the enemy. Advancing about three hundred yards or more, to the front and flank, I encountered the right of the enemy's infantry, and the action immediately commenced. They were strongly posted in the ravine, on the near side of the pond, (the principal line being on the opposite side,) and, in addition to the fire of musketry from both lines, my men were ex- posed to heavy discharges of canister from two field-pieces in rear of their centre ; yet in a short lime the enemy were driven from their right to- wards the road, and my men followed with a hearty cheer. In following them, however. I soon found that our own batteries were sweeping my front, and, their fire being kept up, I made a flank movement to the road, and here I at once became engaged with the enemy occupying the pond on the right of the road. As soon as their fire ceased at this point, I re- crossed the road to regain my former position on the right flank of the enemy. Here a part of my regiment became mixed in with the Fifth re- 230 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. giment of Infantry: they united with that regiment and charged with it. Lieut. Pitcher, of the Fifth regiment was of the number. I continued to advance on the left of the Fifth regiment, and was soon engaged with part of the regiment of the Tampico Guards. They received several destruc- tive fires from my men, and then retired. I should mention that, during this interval, Lieut. McCown. having been separated from me, joined the Eighth Infantry, and charged with them. My command continued to move forward on the enemy's right, with more or less interruption, (in- separable from a bush fight,) until the close of the battle. Capt. Smith being separated from me, I was not an eye-witness of the individual conduct of himself and officers, but I enclose herewith his re- port made to me this day. In that part of my command where I was in person every officer and man did his duty most handsomely. I received every assistance from the good conduct of Lieutenants Dobbins, McCown, Wainwright, and Pitcher. Lieutenants D., W., and P. used their own rifles and guns with good effect against the enemy, and everywhere inspired the men with confidence and eagerness to engage. The loss sustained by the "advance" on the 9th May was six killed and fourteen wounded. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE A. McCALL, Capt. Fourth Infantry, commanding the advance. Capt. W. W. S. Bliss, Adjutant General Army of Occupation. Report of Capt. Smith. Camp of the Artillery Battalion, First Brigade, Near Matamoros, Mexico, May 13, 1846. Sir : — Agreeably to your desire to-day, I have the honor to report that ; pursuant to your orders on the 9th instant, my command (consisting of the four light companies of the brigade) advanced on the right of the road, flanking our artillery, and about eighty yards from it. The moment the fire of the enemy was heard, I hastened the battalion, marching it by the right flank, in the direction of the pond, until stopped by the thick cha- parral ; when it was faced to the front, and advanced in the direction of the enemy's battery. It being impossible to get through the chaparral advancing in line of battle, I ordered an advance by the heads of compa- REPORT OF CAPT. HAWKINS. 231 nies, and to have the line re-formed as soon as we could get through — a matter that seemed difficult, if not impossible. We had advanced thus but a few paces, when a discharge of musketry was given by the enemy towards the battery, and from our right and rear. This rendered a cor- responding change on my part necessary. Accordingly, I ordered the battalion to deploy as skirmishers, facing the pond, and to advance through the chaparral as far as possible. The moment this deployment was at- tempted, a heavy and well-sustained fire of musketry was opened upon us from the opposite edge of the pond, and kept up until the enemy retired. The chaparral was too dense for the men to charge through; but they maintained a steady fire, and with considerable effect, until a short time before the close of the action ; when, my own observation confirm- ing the report of the officers and men, that a severe cross-fire of musketry, which had been opened upon us from the left, came from our friends, I withdrew the battalion about two hundred yards, and then moved up the road to report for orders. Gen. Taylor (by his adjutant general) directed me to sustain Lieut. Duncan's battery, just about to pursue the enemy, which I did until it halted here. The behaviour of the company, officers, and men, was all that could be desired. I feel under special obligation to Capt. J. B. Scott, Fourth Artil- lery, for the assistance rendered me (as an acting field officer) throughout the day. I give a return of the killed (four) and wounded (nine) below. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. F. SMITH, Capt. Second Art.. Com. Batt. Light Co's., First Brigade. Capt. George A. McCall, Fourth Regiment of Infantry. Report of Capt. Hawkins. Head Quarters, Fort Taylor, Texas } May 10, 1846. Sir: — I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 6th instant, during the third day of the bombardment of this fort, its gallant com- mander, Major Brown, received a severe wound, which caused his death at 2 o'clock on the 9th instant. I immediately assumed command, and have the honor to report the result of the bombardments since 7 o'clock P. M., on the 4th, at which time Capt. Walker left with a report of the result up to that time. At 9 o'clock P. M. on the 4th, firing of musketry 232 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. was heard in our rear, about three or four hundred yards distant, and apparently extending a mile up the river; the firing was very irregular. This continued until half-past 11 o'clock P. M. The garrison was under arms, batteries and defences all manned, and continued so during the night. On the 5th instant, at 5 o'clock A. M., the fire was recommenced from the enemy's batteries, which was immediately returned from the eighteen-pounder battery and six-pounder howitzer, placed in embrasure on the south-east bastion. The firing was kept up one hour, receiving during that time about fifty round shot and shells from the enemy. The batteries on both sides ceased firing at the same time. Our expenditure of ammunition was thirty rounds of both calibre. At 8 o'clock A. M., Valdez, a Mexican, came in and reported that a party of dragoons had been driven back from the prairie to the point, and also a party to the fort ; that he had seen thirty deserters from Arista's army, who stated that the Mexicans were without subsistence-stores, that they were tired, and left for their homes ; that it was stated in the Mexican camp that Arista had received an express from Mexico informing him that another revolution had broken out in Mexico, and that he could receive no support from the government. At 9 o'clock A. M. it was reported that a reconnoisance of officers, escorted by mounted men of the enemy, was going on in rear, within eight hundred yards of the fort; and that other parties, mounted and infantry, were at the same distance, extending from the bend of the lagoon to the river. Lieut. Hanson, Seventh Infantry, asked permission to take the dragoons and go and look at them. This was granted, and in an hour he returned, reporting that the enemy was establishing a battery at the cross roads; his appearance among them created great alarm, and they were soon concentrated at a distance under cover of their work. Every man at work to-day strengthening the defences. Several parties of cavalry and infantry seen to-day occupying our old encampment. At 11 o'clock P. M. musketry was heard in our rear, from bend of lagoon to the river. The troops all at their places in the bastions during the night. Wednesday, May 6. — At 5 o'clock A. M., the cannonade commenced from the lower fort and mortar battery. Many round shot and shells thrown until 6 o'clock, when there was a cessation of firing. During the last hour, the shot and shells were well directed, bursting in all directions in the interior of the fort, tearing our tents to pieces, and injuring several horses. At half past 6 o'clock the signal eighteen-pounders were fired, at which the enemy opened their batteries in our front and rear, and the cannonade continued from two mortars and a howitzer in front, and a mortar established at or near the cross roads in rear, until 10 o'clock A. M., when our gallant commander received a mortal wound from a falling shell. REPORT OF CAPT. HAWKINS. 233 Large mounted parties and infantry were seen at this time in rear. At 7 o'clock one mortar was playing upon us from town, and two from the rear. At 10 o'clock a small party of infantry crept up in ravine, and fired musketry; but, being out of range, the fire was not returned. At half past 10 o'clock A. M., several parties of infantry and mounted men were seen surrounding us in rear. Several rounds of canister were fired from Lieut. Bragg's battery, which soon dispersed them. Several were after- wards heard to have been killed. Immediately afterwards, and until half past 12 o'clock P. M., we received a continual shower of shells from the enemy's batteries. At 2 o'clock five shells were thrown. At half past 4 o'clock P. M., a white flag was shown at the old buildings in rear, and a parley sounded by the enemy. Two officers advanced, and were met by two officers of my command, who brought me the document marked A, signed by Gen. Arista, allowing me one hour to reply. This document being considered one of great importance, I deemed it necessary to convoke a council, consisting of all the company commanders in my command, and laid it before them. They unanimously concurred with me in the reply, a copy of which is the accompanying document marked B. This document w r as despatched in the allotted time, and shortly after its reception, the enemy's batteries opened upon us with a continual shower of shot and shells until sunset. The night was passed very quietly, but constant vigilance was exercised in the command; every man kept at his post, as an attack was confidently expected in the morning. Thursday, May 7. — At half past 5 o'clock A. M., the enemy's batteries opened with shells, and continued for about an hour and a half, and then ceased. At half past 7 A. M., several rounds of canister and grape were fired into the enemy's picket guards, at the houses in rear, and at the old guard-house of the Second brigade, which caused them to abandon their positions. This was replied to by a discharge of some ten or twelve shells. At 9 o'clock A. M., we received a shower of some four or five shells, and then stopped. About this time the enemy commenced firing iron shells, having previously thrown composition shells, and it was discovered that one of the mortars had been removed from our rear, and returned to the city. At a quarter past 10 A. M., we received three shells; at 11 A. M., eight shells; at 12 M. six shells, by which four of Lieut. Bragg's horses were killed, and the wheel of one of his caissons disabled. At half past 12 the batteries were opened with round shot and shells, and continued for an hour and a half. By this time our bomb proofs were so far advanced, that our troops were comparatively protected. At 2 o'clock small parties of infantry commenced on us with random musketry, on the bank of the river, and from the ravine. At half past 2 P. M., a regular bombardment 234 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. with shot and shells, from a howitzer and the mortars, was kept up with little intermission until sunset. At 5 o'clock, during this bombardment, a shell struck in a tent, almost entirely destroying the instruments of the Seventh Infantry band, to the value of three hundred dollars. The accu- racy of their firing now evidently increased, as at least one-half of the shells thrown fell in the fort. A sentinel to-day lost his arm by a round shot from the enemy. As soon as it was dark enough, a party headed by our indefatigable engineer, Capt. Mansfield, was sent out to level the tra- verse thrown up by Gen. Worth, and cutting down the chaparral, which served as a cover to the sharp shooters of the enemy. At 12 o'clock at night, a random fire of musketry commenced around us, followed by two bugles ; this continued for about one hour, and from 3 A. M., was continued until near day-light. Friday, May 8. — At a quarter past 5 o'clock A. M., the enemy's bat- teries again opened with shells from the lower fort, from the sand-bag battery, and from our rear. The fire this morning was kept up until 8 o'clock A. M., without cessation. A party was sent out this morning, and burnt the old houses near the traverse, on the river bank. This drew from them several round shot and shells ; from 12 to half past 2 P. M., a heavy bombardment of shells was kept up: at least fifty thrown at us during that time. At half past 3 they again opened their shells upon us, accom- panied by round shot. At this time the enemy had established a mortar in the ridge of the chaparral across the river, and immediately west of us. Mortars were now playing upon us from the north, south, and west, four in number. The firing of round shot was kept up for two hours, and that of shells until half past 7 P. M. About half past 2 P. M., a heavy can- nonading w r as heard, supposed to be a little north and east of us ; it appa- rently approached until half past 4, when it became very distinct ; it lasted until nearly 7 P. M. This we supposed to be an action between our forces and the enemy. A little before sunset, a Mexican came running in with a white flag, from the direction of the Second brigade guard-house, claiming protection. He stated that our forces had come in contact with those of the enemy; had driven them back ; that he was a prisoner in charge of the picket guards fired on by our batteries ; that while they were bury- ing the dead, and carrying off the wounded, he effected his escape. During the cannonade this afternoon, a small column of infantry from above, and one of cavalry from below, were seen advancing, supposed to be rein- forcements to the enemy. The excitement in our command during this distant cannonading was intense. During the day we received from one hundred and fifty to two hundred shells, and from seventy-five to one hundred round shot, and not a man disabled. During the previous night, REPORT OF CAPT. HAWKINS. 235 the halliards of the flag on the outside had become unrigged ; and as the firing had become too intense to re-establish them, a temporary staff was erected on the inside, and the national flag of the Seventh Infantry raised as a substitute. We passed a very quiet night — the men on the alert at their guns. Saturday, May 9. — An officer of the Seventh succeeded in lowering the topmast of the flag-staff, and rigging the halliards, but found he could not raise it again without great labor and exposure ; he therefore lashed it in position, and raised the national flag, after having stood a succession of round shot, canister, and shells from the enemy's batteries for fifteen or twenty minutes. At 10 o'clock, a sergeant and ten men fired the houses on the road which had been successively occupied by our own and the enemy's pickets. It brought a heavy discharge of shells, canister, and round shot from the enemy's batteries. Shells, with slight intervals, continued until half past 2 o'clock P. M. ; the mortar on our west silent, and one firing from a position between us and the fort, at the upper ferry; it was much further off, but fired accurately. Two P. M., Major Brown died, and in a short time we heard the re-engagement between the armies. Quarter to six, quite a number of Mexican cavalry, and a few infantry, were seen in the retreat. At this time we received a heavy fire of round shot and shells. From the time the battle commenced, and continued to increase, an eighteen-pounder and six-pounder were fired in the direction of the upper ferry; when, finding it difficult to distinguish between friend and foe, the firing was discontinued. I cannot close this report, and pass in silence the gallant and laborious efforts of the officers and men of this command, to fulfil the high trust reposed in them by the commanding general. Under the most disadvantageous circumstances, labor was per- formed by the men with the greatest alacrity, and always in good cheer. Our indefatigable engineer, Capt. Mansfield, is entitled to the highest praise. We have only to lament the loss of a gallant and faithful officer, who, proud of the trust reposed in him, would have gloried in the accom- plishment of the task which he so gallantly commenced. I have the honor to report a list of the killed and wounded during the seven days' bombardment of Fort Taylor, Texas. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, E. S. HAWKINS, Capt. Seventh Infantry, commanding post, Capt. W. W. S. Bliss, Assistant Adjutant General, Army of Occupation, Texas. 236 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. (A.) Ejercito Mexicano, Division del Norte,") General en Gefe.) Se halla V. S. sitiado por fuerzas sufficientes a rendirla y ademas se en- cuentra a su espalda una numerosa division encampada que libre de toda atencion, valdra cuantos auxilios tenga V. S. esperanzas de recibir. El amor de la humanidad reconocido en el siglo presente por todas las naciones cultas, impone sin duda el deber de hacer menos crueles los desastres de la guerra. Este principio que los Mejicanos profesan con preferencia a cualquiera otra nacion, me obliga a indicarle que siendo inutiles sus esfuerzos, se rinda, para que por una capitulation evite la total ruina de los soldados que la obedecen. Asi me proporcionara V. S. el placer de cumplir con los sentimientos indicados de bondad y dulzura que forman el caracter de mis compa- triotes, a la vez que dare lleno al mas imperioso de los deberes que mi pais exige, por las ofensas que ha recibido. Dios y Libertad ! Cu artel General en los Faxques del Raminero, Mayo 6, de 1846. M. ARISTA. (B.) Head Quarters U. S. Forces, Near Matamoros, May 6, 1846, 5 P. M. Sir : — Your humane communication has just been received, and, after the consideration due to its importance, I must respectfully decline to surrender my forces to you. The exact purport of your despatch I cannot feel confident that I un- derstand, as my interpreter is not skilled in your language; but, if I have understood you correctly, you have my reply above. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, E. S. HAWKINS, Commanding U. S. forces opposite Matamoros. Commanding Division of the North. REPORT OF CAPT. MANSFIELD. 237 Killed and Wounded during the Bombardment. KILLED. May 3, 1846. — Sergeant Weigart. B. co., Seventh Infantry. WOUNDED. Major J. Brown, commanding post. Private Lefear, E. co., Third Artillery, slight wound. Private Thompson, E. co., Third Artillery, slight wound. Private Thompson. D. co., Fifth Infantry, slight wound. Citizen J. Paugh, sutler's clerk, slight wound. Mexican prisoner, slight wound. Private Smith, C. co., Seventh Infantry, slight wound. Private Moody, H. co., Seventh Infantry, fracture of arm. Citizen Russell, discharged soldier, fracture of leg. Private Stewart, H. co., Seventh Infantry, slight wound. Private Ratcliff, H. co., Seventh Infantry, slight wound. Mexican prisoner, slight wound. U tt it Recruit Cowan, Seventh Infantry, slight wound. DIED. Major J. Brown, commanding post. I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant, E. S. HAWKINS, Capt. Seventh Infantry, commanding post, Capt. W. W. S. Bliss. Assistant Adjutant General, Army of Occupation, Texas. Report of Capt. Mansfield. Fort opposite Matamoros, Texas, May 12, 1846. Sir :— I have the honor to report the proceedings of myself, the only engineer officer of your command at this place during your absence with the army, from the 1st to the 10th instant. On the afternoon of the 1st, after your departure, the carpenters were continued at work on the draw and bridge of the fort till dark. No work was done by the soldiers this afternoon in consequence of the removal of their camp and tents, &c. into the fort. On the morning of the 2d, the labor of completing the ditching and embanking of the unfinished front was resumed and continued all day with much success. On the morning of the 3d, (Sunday,) at break of day, the command were roused by the fire of the enemy on our batte- " 6, u " 3 > a " 6, u " 6, u " 6, u 11 7 ; « " 7, a " 7, u " 8, u U 8 ; it " 8, a " 8 > a " 8 ; u " 8 > (C " 9; a 238 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. nes. But the labor of ditching and embanking was resumed, and con- tinued all day, notwithstanding the fire from the enemy's batteries, with- out interruption. On the 4th and 5th the ramparts were completed, al- though the fire of the enemy was continued, and progress made in the construction of a bomb-proof and traverse in rear of postern. On the 6th, other bomb-proofs, &c. were commenced and continued uninterruptedly, except by the falling and bursting of shells. On the 7th, in the evening, as we had frequently been insulted at night by musketry, it M r as deemed best to level the traverse on the bank of the river ; to prevent the use of it by the enemy to fire into the fort ; and one hundred men, with three offi- cers besides myself, accomplished the work by midnight. On the 8th the men were encouraged at their excessive labor by the sound of distant firing \ your first battle on the prairie. On the afternoon of the 9th, being apprehensive, and hearing no sounds of battle, and receiving no courier from you, and having ascertained that the enemy had sent off his troops from our rear to reinforce himself in your front, a party was sent out to burn and destroy every thing that might be a cover, or of service to the enemy in case he returned to his operations against the fort ; and we con- tinued at it till the sound of battle and the retreat of the enemy indicated their defeat in the afternoon. In the course of the duties it has fallen to my lot to perform in this short period, I have to state that I have been most truly and faithfully seconded in my operations by the late Major Brown, the commanding officer, till the 6th, when he lost his leg by a bomb-shell, while standing six or eight feet from me, and which caused his death on the 9th. The same aid was ex- tended, cheerfully, by his successor, Capt. Hawkins, to the command. And all the officers and soldiers worked cheerfully to the full extent of their strength, at the various works, which, on consultation with the com- manding officer, it was deemed necessary for us to undertake for the de- fence of the fort and safety of the men. The official report of the commanding officer will give you all other particulars that do not fall strictly under my department. I cannot close this official report without expressing my regret for the loss of the lamented Major Brown, who indicated by the manner he exer- cised his command, and his coolness and self-possession under trying cir- cumstances, the true characteristics of the soldier and the gentleman. All which is respectfully submitted. JOS. K. F. MANSFIELD, Capt. Corps Engineers. Brig. Gen. Zachary Taylor, Commanding U. S. Army in Texas. INVENTORY OF CAPTURED PROPERTY. Inventory of Captured Property. Report of a board of officers, composed of Capt. G. Morris, Capt. C. H. Larnard, and First Lieut. B. Alvord, of the Fourth Infantry, convened at the camp of the Third brigade, on the 10th May, 1846, with orders to take an inventory of that portion of the property which was collected in that camp, captured from the Mexican army in the battle which occurred on the 9th May, 1846, about four miles north of Matamoros. ORDNANCE AND ORDNANCE STORES. Six six-pounder cannon — field pieces. Two twelve-pounder cannon — field pieces. Ammunition boxes for same, containing 49 rounds of six-pounder canis- ter fixed. Ammunition boxes with 7 rounds of canister for twelve-pounders. Five boxes containing 40 rounds twelve-pounder canister. 36 rounds of six-pounder strap-shot fixed. Limber with mules and harness, belonging to the 8 field pieces. Three bags of slow-match and priming tube. 393 stands of small arms, as follows : 265 muskets with bayonets, serviceable. 24 do. without bayonets, do. 18 scopettes, do. 78 muskets, broken parts, unserviceable. 13 scopettes. do. do. do. 100 cartridge boxes. 155,600 rounds of musket ball-cartridges. 18 lances. 20 swords. 2 cavalry guidons. ENTRENCHING TOOLS. 30 shovels. 10 pick axes. 10 axes. MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. About 500 mules. About 450 pack-saddles with trimmings. A large quantity of cabristrar and mats for packing. 20 horses. 3 spring wagons with harness. 15 saddles. 3 ox carts with a pair of oxen to each. SUBSISTENCE. 4 sacks of rice. 6 barrels of flour. 2 sacks of bread. 6 sacks of salt. 3 sacks of flour. 3 kegs of lard. 240 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. 9 sacks of beans. 2 sacks of sugar. 1 sack of pepper. 3 stones for pounding corn. PERSONAL BAGGAGE OF OFFICERS. Portfolios, writing desks, canopy and other baggage of General Arista — package containing orders and official correspondence — one topographical sketch of route from Matamoros to Barita ; and one plan of the position of the American forces opposite Matamoros, &c. &c. Personal baggage of General La Vega, &c. One clothes-bag and roll of bedding, marked J. W. Martines. 4 mess chests. 7 rolls of bedding — officers' baggage. 2 canopy frames. One chest, apparently belonging to a staff officer, containing " Order book of Division of the North," diary of events, maps, &c. (Signed,) FRANCIS ZEGTJRA, &c. MISCELLANEOUS. 16 sacks of com. 1 anvil. 1 blacksmith's vice. 1 bar of iron. 1 bag of mallets. 1 box blacksmith's tools. 2 boxes containing carpenter tools. 2 bags of fellers and spokes. 1 bag of iron axle-trees — containing two sets. 1 bag containing jars of tar. Two large boxes of band instruments — one containing also 18 uniform coats for musicians. 2 bass drums. 16 common drums. 3 water casks. 1 large copper cauldron. 10 large iron camp kettles. 32 large tin camp kettles. 7 iron pots. 1 medicine chest. 3 bundles of cot frames and cots — hospital furniture. 1 chest, containing officers' baggage, and 95 dollars in silver — owner not known. The board, in making their report, have to add, that the inventory is very imperfect, in consequence of the constant additions made through- out the day, and brought into camp and deposited, after the property had been counted by the board. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, Capt. Fourth Infantry. C. H. LARNARD, Capt. Fourth Infantry. BENJ. ALVORD, First Lieut. Fourth Infantry. DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR, PREVIOUS TO ACTUAL HOSTILITIES. Head Quarters First Military Department, New Orleans, La., July 20, 1845. Sir : — I respectfully acknowledge your communication of July 8, cover- ing the instructions of the Secretary of War of the same date, relative to the Mexican settlements on this side of the Rio Grande. Those instruc- tions will be closely obeyed ; and the department may rest assured that I will take no step to interrupt the friendly relations between the United States and Mexico. I am gratified at receiving these instructions, as they confirm my views, previously communicated, in regard to the proper line to be occupied at present by our troops. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Steamship Alabama, Aransas Pass, Texas, July 28, 1845. Sir: — I respectfully report my arrival at this place on the 25th instant, with eight companies of the Third Infantry, it having been found neces- sary to leave two companies of that regiment, to be brought over in other transports. The troops are temporarily established on St. Joseph's island. I am waiting the report of a boat expedition sent to Corpus Christi bay, before I determine on the site of an encampment. I hope to receive the neces- sary information in the course of the day, when I shall immediately com- mence the removal of the Third Infantry to the point selected. The posi- tion will probably be " Live Oak Point," in Aransas bay, some ten miles from our present position. I am very anxious to establish myself at the mouth of the Nueces, but the extreme shoalness of the water will, I fear, 16 241 242 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. present an insuperable obstacle, unless we can procure lighters of much lighter draught than those we have at present. The difficulties of effecting a debarkation on this coast, and of estab- lishing depots for supplying the army, are much greater than I anticipated, and will render our operations at once embarrassing and expensive. Be- tween Pass Cavallo and Brazos Santiago, there is no entrance for vessels drawing more than seven or eight feet; and the prevailing winds render the operation of lightening extremely uncertain and hazardous. We have been favored with fine weather, and, should it continue, the other trans- ports, which may now be expected, will be enabled to discharge without difficulty. We had a very favorable run from New Orleans ; and I am happy to state that the health of the command w r as greatly improved by the voy- age. The eight companies have scarcely any sickness at this time. The day before leaving New Orleans, I received from Major Donelson a communication dated at Austin, on the 7th of July, informing me that the convention had unanimously accepted the proposition of annexation, and suggesting that two companies should be posted at Austin. I still deem it best to concentrate my force until our relations with Mexico shall become settled, and until the country can be examined, and the best mode of supply ascertained. I hear nothing important from the Mexican frontier. Some Indian depredations are committed from time to time near Corpus Christi, and will claim my first attention after I can get established. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 15, 1845. Sir : — I have the honor to report that, by New Orleans papers of the 7th instant, I have received intelligence of the preparatory steps taken by Mexico towards a declaration of war against the United States. I shall spare no exertions to meet suitably this probable change in the relations between the two countries; and the additional force ordered to join me, as announced in your communication of July 30, will, I trust, enable me to do something more than maintain a merely defensive attitude on the DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 243 Nueces. This will depend upon the demonstrations made by Mexico along the Rio Grande, in regard to which the Secretary of War has so- licited a report. I am enabled to say, upon information which is regarded as authentic, that Gen. Arista was to leave Monterey on the 4th of this month for Matamoros with one thousand five hundred men — five hundred being cavalry. I learn, from the same source, that there are five hundred regular troops at Matamoros. In regard to the force at other points on the Rio Grande, except the militia of the country, I have no information; nor do I hear that the reported concentration at Matamoros is for any pur- pose of invasion. I have but just arrived at this place, and hope in a few days to be able to obtain more full and precise intelligence concerning the movements of the Mexicans. I shall not fail to communicate promptly to the department all such intelligence upon which I think reliance can be placed. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. P. S. — I enclose a sketch prepared by Lieut. Eaton, of Aransas and Corpus Christi bays, showing our intended depot, and also our present position — Fort Marcy. Z. T, Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 15, 1845. Sir : — I have deferred, perhaps, too long making a report of my opera- tions since arriving on this coast ; but I have been unwilling to speak only of difficulties attending the establishment of my force ; and such and so many have been those difficulties, that not until this moment have I been able to report anything satisfactory in regard to our movements. After a careful examination — for the most part personal — of Aransas and Corpus Christi bays, I have settled upon this point west of the Nueces river, as the most favorable for present occupation, and have pushed forward the troops and supplies as rapidly as our means of transportation would per- mit. I am now enabled to report that the artillery, the Third Infantry, and seven companies of the Fourth Infantry, are in position here, well supplied with ammunition and provisions. One more company of the Fourth (left temporarily at St. Joseph's island) will join in a day or two. Some works of defence are in progress; and if I succeed in procuring some 244 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. light guns from the sloop of war St. Mary's, (for the field battery has not yet arrived,) I shall feel able to maintain my position against any Mexican force that can be brought against it. The arrival of Graham's companies of the Fourth, of the Second Dragoons, and Seventh Infantry, will doubt- less enable me to assume an offensive attitude should it become expedient. Our last mail (which was saved with difficulty from the wreck of a schooner on the 13th instant) brought your communications of July 28 and 30 — the latter enclosing a letter from the Secretary of War of the same date. I am gratified to find that my measures thus far have met the ap- probation of the government and general-in-chief, and, particularly, to find that I have but anticipated the wishes of the President in taking up a position west of the Nueces. I have determined to establish my depot, for the present, on the point of St. Joseph's island, whence supplies can be thrown either into Corpus Christi or Aransas bay, as may become necessary. Owing to the shoal- ness of the water between the two bays, the transportation of troops and supplies has been attended with much delay and expense. Instructions have been given to the quartermaster in New Orleans to procure trans- ports adapted to our purpose, on the arrival of which our supplies can be thrown forward with facility and economy. Nothing has been heard from the Second Dragoons since they marched from Fort Jesup, except a rumor (which I really hope may prove unfound- ed) that Col. Twiggs has been taken sick, and was forced to turn back. I am very anxious for the arrival of this regiment, as its services are greatly needed for outposts and reconnoisances. I shall despatch an express to communicate with the regiment, and ascertain its position and condition. Graham's companies of the Fourth Infantry were daily expected in New Orleans at the last advices, and will, doubtless, sail about the same time with the Seventh Infantry. I shall bring all the infantry to this point ex- cept a suitable guard for the depot in my rear, and probably all the cavalry also, as I do not deem it prudent to detach in our existing relations with Mexico. I am gratified to be able to report that the troops are more healthy than could reasonably be expected, considering their great exposure and the inferior quality of the water on the coast. The prevalent complaints are not at all serious, and the command is, perhaps, more healthy than it would have been had it remained at Fort Jesup and vicinity. The Fourth Infantry sailed from New Orleans under convoy of the "St. Mary's," sloop of war, Capt. Saunders. The "Falmouth," Capt. Sands, and "Lawrence," Capt. Jarvis, have also been off Aransas pass, and their commanders have communicated with me. DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 245 I take pleasure in acknowledging my obligations to these officers for valuable assistance which they have extended to us, and for the assurances of support and co-operation. I am, sir. very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 19, 1845. Sir : — I respectfully enclose for the information of the department, a copy of a letter addressed by me to the President of Texas, and forwarded to him by special express on the 17th instant. I have deemed it proper to make this communication to President Jones, in consequence of the desire manifested by the authorities of Texas to have a garrison establish- ed at once at Austin. As I cannot consent to detach any portion of my command while a superior Mexican force is probably concentrating in my front, and as I still feel bound to extend every assistance compatible with a successful prosecution of the main object of the expedition, towards put- ting the frontier in a suitable state of defence, I have judged it prudent to make the suggestions and recommendations which you will find in the enclosed letter. Trusting that they will meet the approbation of the War Department, I remain, sir. very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 16, 1845. Sir : — I have the honor to report my arrival at this place, in obedience to the special instructions from the War Department, of which you have already been apprised by my letter of July 20th to the Secretary of War and Marine. One company of artillery and a brigade of infantry are now in position 246 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. here, and will soon be reinforced by seven companies of dragoons and an additional regiment of infantry. You have undoubtedly received intelligence of the hostile steps taken by Mexico, and the probable declaration of war against us by that power. Under these circumstances, I do not deem it prudent to detach any por- tion of my force at present, and it is the principal object of this commu- nication to recommend that any volunteers or spies now in the service of Texas be continued in employment, should you consider it necessary for the defence of the frontier. If you concur in this view, I will at your in- stance despatch an officer to muster into the service of the United States any companies which you may designate as necessary for the security of the frontier, to conform in numbers and organization to the laws of the United States. Should such musters be made. I will recommend that the officers and men while in service continue to receive the same rate of pay which they have drawn from the Texan government. My presence, and that of my command, is now imperatively required on this frontier. When our relations with Mexico, and the state of the service in this quarter, shall permit my absence, I will take great pleasure in proceeding to the seat of government, and conferring with you per- sonally in relation to the proper dispositions to be made for the permanent occupation of the frontier. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. His Excellency Anson Jones, President of Texas, Washington, Texas. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 20, 1845, Sir : — I beg leave to call your attention to the condition of the artillery company serving in this army, in regard to the number of men soon to be discharged, and the necessity of supplying their places as early in the autumn as practicable. From an official report of Lieut. Bragg, it ap- pears that twelve men will be discharged by the end of November, there being now fifty enlisted men in the company. There will thus at the end of November be fourteen vacancies in the company, unless some re-en- listments should reduce the number, upon which we cannot reckon with any certainty. To render a company efficient with four pieces, sixty men are required; to complete which number, should the general-in-chief see DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 247 fit to add a detachment to the company for this service, twenty-two re- cruits will be required. The great importance of keeping this small force in an efficient condi- tion, will excuse me for urging the necessity of sending out good recruits to the company as soon as the advanced season will render it safe to pass through New Orleans. The field battery, much to my regret, has not yet arrived I could get no guns of suitable caliber from the "St. Mary's" sloop of war, but have procured three pieces indifferently equipped, and a small supply of am- munition, from the citizens of this place. These guns add materially to our strength in case we should be attacked here, which I do not antici- pate, but they are not fit for field service. I cannot doubt that our battery will arrive before it shall become necessary for us to move. The Second Dragoons are to-day at Goliad, on the San Antonio river, and will arrive at San Patricio on the 23d, where I expect to meet them. The officers and men are generally well, and the horses are in quite as good condition as we could expect. We have no news of the Seventh, or Graham's companies, of the Fourth. Caravans of traders arrive occasionally from the Rio Grande, but bring no news of importance. They represent that there are no regular troops on that river except at Matamoros, and do not seem to be aware of any preparations for a demonstration on this bank of the river. I still deem it my duty to look to the possibility of such an event, and to prepare for a forward movement, should circumstances require it. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington. D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 26, 1845. Sir: — I respectfully acknowledge the receipt of your communications of August 6th and 9th — the former by the hands of Lieut. Ringgold, who arrived here yesterday. A duplicate of the despatch of the 6th has also been received by mail, as well as general orders Nos. 37 and 38. In regard to employing volunteers from Texas, you will perceive that I have in part anticipated the wishes of the government in my letter of the 16th instant to President Jones, a copy of which was furnished you on 248 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the 19th. In that communication I looked only to the defence of the frontier against Indian aggressions, bi»t I shall now communicate with President Jones, and ascertain the number of volunteers that can be called into service in case of an invasion by Mexico, and shall take the necessary steps to arm and employ that force should the safety of the country re- quire it. I feel confident, however, that such necessity will not arise. The three companies of dragoons from Fort Washita will afford adequate protection to the country about Austin, and will, I doubt not, enable us ultimately to dispense even with the very small irregular force now in service in that quarter. Judging from the best information I can obtain as to the future wants of the service on this frontier, looking more particularly to the possibility of an invasion of the soil of Texas by Mexican troops, I deem the force soon to be under my orders, viz : four batteries of field artillery, one regiment of cavalry, and five regiments of infantry, to be fully adequate to meet any crisis that may arise. The ordnance and ordnance stores already shipped are ample for all our purposes, unless indeed it should become necessary to invest Matamoros, in which case a battering train of heavier caliber would be required. A moderate supply of pontons and ponton wagons might greatly facilitate any active operations in this country, where it is next to impossible to bridge the streams, owing to the scarcity of timber. I have received special orders Nos. 66 and 68, assigning officers of the engineers, topographical engineers, and ordnance to my command : two of those officers, Lieutenants Scarritt and Kingsbury, have already report- ed with promptness. Our greatest want has been, and still is, a strong and efficient corps of quartermasters. Capt. Cross was necessarily sent with the dragoons, though under orders from his own department, which would have retained him at Fort Jesup. I do not consider him as pro- perly belonging to my command, and shall relieve him from duty on the arrival of the dragoons. We shall then have four regiments in camp, without one quartermaster on duty with them. I am informed that Cap- tains Myers and Ketchum have been ordered to join me, but it does not seem unreasonable to request that, in addition to a proper supply of cap- tains, a field officer of rank and efficiency be despatched to assume direction of that important branch of the public service. Five companies of the Seventh Infantry have arrived at St. Joseph's island, and will join me in a day or two. Graham's companies have also arrived, and we have reason to expect three companies from Pensacola in a few days. Two companies of volunteer artillerists, mustered into service by Gen. Gaines, have reported to me very unexpectedly; and as DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 249 I have made no application for this force, and do not deem it necessary, I am placed in a rather embarrassing situation. As they are now here, I think it best, on the whole, to retain them for a short period, perhaps until the arrival of our own artillery, when they can be handsomely discharged and sent home. I met the dragoons at San Patricio, on the 24th, and was much pleased with their efficient condition. They have found ample supplies of forage and water, and the horses are in excellent flesh, most of them being now fit for any service. The regiment will probably join me here to-morrow. I regret to learn that the most false and exaggerated rumors have pre- vailed in New Orleans, in relation to reported disasters encountered by this command. These rumors are not only calculated to cause much pain and anxiety in the community, but also to entail a heavy and needless expense upon the government in procuring the muster of volunteers, &c. T beg you to understand that, even with the small force originally under my command, I have had too much confidence in my officers and men to feel any apprehension of serious disaster. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. V. S. A n commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington City. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, August 30, 1845. Sir : — I respectfully report the arrival at this point of seven companies of the Seventh Infantry under Major Brown, and two companies of vo- lunteer artillery under Major Gaily. Major Seawell's company, I am informed, was ordered back to Baton Rouge by Gen. Gaines, and some small detachments of that regiment were also left at several posts. I have retained one company as a guard for the depot at St. Joseph's island. The battalion of volunteer artillery has a fine battery of eight pieces — two twelves and six sixes, completely equipped in every respect. The officers are zealous, and the men seem to be quite well instructed in their duties. In case of need, I look for valuable service from this battalion. I have just received a communication from President Jones, under date of the 23d instant, notifying me that he had taken preparatory steps to- wards organising a volunteer force of one thousand men to assist me, if necessary. This matter will form the subject of a special communication to your office in a few days. 250 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Apprehending that the erroneous impressions current in New Orleans in regard to our situation might induce Gen. Gaines to order the muster of a battalion or brigade of infantry, I addressed a communication to his staff officer, by the steamship Alabama, expressing my thanks for the re- inforcement of the volunteer battalion of artillery, but with the hope that no more volunteers would be sent, without a requisition from me. That communication will reach New Orleans to-night or to-morrow, in time, I trust, to stop the employment of any more volunteers. We have no news from the Rio Grande. Idle stories are brought in from that quarter, but with the means of accurate information which we now possess, I do not deem it necessary to repeat them. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, September 6, 1845. Sir : — I have the honor to report that a confidential agent, despatched some days since to Matamoros, has returned, and reports that no extraor- dinary preparations are going forward there ; that the garrison does not seem to have been increased, and that our consul is of opinion there will be no declaration of war. A decree had been issued, prohibiting, under the penalty of death, any communication, by writing, across the frontier — a precaution which has been adopted on former occasions, and caused, no doubt, by our presence here. Nothing definite can be learned in relation to the march of troops from the interior. A body of three thousand men was reported in march to Matamoros, but the information is too vague to merit much confidence. The agent, who is intelligent, and upon whose statements a good deal of reliance may, I think, be .safely placed, says that the mass of the people, with whom he mingled, is opposed to a war with us, and that if war be declared, the frontier departments of Tamau- lipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon, will probably declare themselves inde- pendent of the central government, and establish pacific relations with us. This is the substance of the information brought from Matamoros. Not- withstanding its character, I shall not relax my exertions to prepare for active operations, and a state of war with Mexico. I must express the DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 251 hope that no militia force will be ordered to join me without my requisi- tion for it. I am entirely confident that none will be required. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, September 14, 1845. Sir : — I respectfully acknowledge the following communications from the Secretary of War — one of August 23, conveying the instructions of the department in relation to the employment of volunteers from the United States; one of August 26, enclosing copies of circulars to the go- vernors of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi ; and two of August 30, giving further instructions for my government, and enclosing copies of instructions to Com. Conner, and of a letter of August 28 to Major Gen. Gaines; also, your communications of August 26 and 30, enclosing a copy of the same letter to Gen. Gaines, and desiring more frequent communica- tions from my head quarters. I now regret that I suffered the interval between July 28 and August 15 to elapse without making any report to your office; but I was inces- santly occupied, during that time, in examining the country, and after- wards in making an establishment at this point, and could not have re- ported anything important, of a positive nature, until my arrival here. Could I have imagined the possibility of such extravagant rumors as pre- vailed in New Orleans, and, above all, that they could gain credence in the public mind, when the same means of communication brought no re- port from me, I would certainly have apprised the department, by every opportunity, of our operations, unimportant as they might have seemed. No intelligence, worthy of credit, was received from the Rio Grande, un- til just before my report of August 15. Since that date I have kept the department advised, at short intervals, of our situation and the news from the frontier. In view of the large reinforcements of regular troops ordered to join me, I cannot believe that it will become necessary, under any circum- stances, to employ volunteers from the United States. In reply to my communication, of August 16, to President Jones, a copy of which was forwarded to your office, the president indicated a few companies of rangers, amounting, in all, to about three hundred men, as proper to be 252 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. mustered into service for the protection of the frontier. I have accord- ingly given orders for the muster of one company at Austin, and one at Bexar. A company at ihis place, and one at Goliad, are designated by the president, and will be mustered when their enrolment is completed. Three small detachments, of thirty men each, are to be considered in ser- vice, but cannot, from their position, be conveniently mustered at present. It will be recollected, that when I addressed the president of Texas on this subject, I could not anticipate the transfer of dragoons from Fort Washita ; and although two of the companies, indicated above, might, perhaps, be dispensed with, I think it best, from motives of policy, to retain them for three months, the term for which all are to be mustered. You will see from my "special orders," No. 14, that I have directed two of the three companies from Red river to San Antonio, retaining one at Austin. With a company of mounted rangers at each place, the frontier will be secure from insult. The commander of the rangers at San An- tonio, Major Hays, has reputation as a partisan, and to him I have specially intrusted the duty of keeping me advised of any movements on the Rio Grande in the neighborhood of Laredo, with strict injunctions, however, to molest no Mexican establishments on this side of the river. Should San Antonio be seriously menaced, it can be readily succored from this point. A route will be immediately opened hence to San Antonio. I would at once put a larger force in that town, but for the difficulty of sup- plying it. An examination is now making by an officer of engineers of the coun- try in our front, chiefly to select suitable sites for encampments, should it become necessary to winter in this neighborhood. The great scarcity of wood will render it necessary, in that case, to change our position. Re- connoissances will soon be made of the Nueces river and the Laguna Madre, to ascertain their navigability, and the facility of establishing depots in the event of a forward movement to the Rio Grande. We have no news of interest from the frontier. Arista, at the last ac- counts, was at Mier, but without any force: nor is there, as yet, any con- centration of troops on the river. A report reached San Antonio, a few days since, that preparations were making to receive troops at Laredo. This I consider very doubtful ; but if troops arrive there, I shall expect to receive early information of the fact from San Antonio. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A. } commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 253 Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, October 4, 1845. Sir : — I beg leave to suggest some considerations in relation to the pre- sent position of our force, and the dispositions which may become neces- sary for the more effectual prosecution of the objects for which it has been concentrated. It will be recollected that the instructions of June 15, issued by Mr. Bancroft, then acting Secretary of War, directed me to " select and occupy, on or near the Rio Grande, such a site as will con- sist with the health of the troops, and will be best adapted to repel inva- sion," &c. Brazos Santiago is the nearest entrance to the mouth of the Rio Grande ; and Point Isabel, within that entrance, and twenty-one miles from Matamoros, would have fulfilled more completely than any other position the conditions imposed by the secretary. But we had no artillery, no engineer force or appliances, and but a moderate amount of infantry; and the occupation of Point Isabel, under these circumstances, and with at least the possibility of resistance from the Mexicans, might have compromised the safety of the command. I therefore determined to take up the next accessible position in the rear, which is the mouth of the Nueces river. All the information which I could obtain before leaving New Orleans, seemed to point to Corpus Christi as the most suitable point for concentration ; and, although before the President's instructions of July 30 reached me, I would have preferred a position on the left bank of the river, yet a careful examination of the country had already con- vinced me that none could be found combining so many advantages as this. Every day's experience has confirmed these impressions. Corpus Christi is healthy, easily supplied, and well situated to hold in observation the course of the Rio Grande from Matamoros to Laredo — being about a hundred and fifty miles from several points on the river. I have reason to believe, moreover, that a salutary moral effect has been exercised upon the Mexicans. Their traders are continually carrying home the news of our position and increasing numbers, and are confessedly struck by the spectacle of a large camp of well-appointed and disciplined troops, accom- panied by perfect security to their persons and property, instead of the impressment and pillage to which they are subject in their own country. For these reasons, our position thus far has, I think, been the best possi- ble; but, now that the entire force will soon be concentrated, it may well be a question whether the views of government will be best carried out by our remaining at this point. It is with great deference that I make any suggestions on topics which may become matter of delicate negotia- tion ; but if our government, in settling the question of boundary, makes 254 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. the line of the Rio Grande an ultimatum, I cannot doubt that the settle- ment will be greatly facilitated and hastened by our taking possession at once of one or two suitable points on or quite near that river. Our strength and state of preparation should be displayed in a manner not to be mis- taken. However salutary may be the effect produced upon the border people by our presence here, we are too far from the frontier to impress the government of Mexico with our readiness to vindicate, by force of arms, if necessary, our title to the country as far as the Rio Grande. The "Army of Occupation" will, in a few days, be concentrated at this point, in condition for vigorous and efficient service. Mexico having as yet made no positive declaration of war, or committed any overt act of hostilities, I do not feel at liberty, under my instructions, particularly those of July 8, to make a forward movement to the Rio Grande without authority from the War Department. In case a forward movement should be ordered or authorised, I would recommend the occupation of Point Isabel and Laredo as best adapted to the purposes of observing the course of the river and covering the frontier settlements of Texas. Point Isabel is accessible by water, and can be safely occupied by two brigades of infantry, with a suitable force of field artillery. On the arrival of the steamer Harne} r , I shall order a careful reconnoissance of Brazos Santiago, as a necessary preliminary measure to the occupation of Point Isabel. To occupy Laredo will require a land march from this point. Supplies may probably be transported by water as high as San Patricio, and possibly to the junction of the Rio Frio with the Nueces. I propose to establish a depot on the Nueces river, probably at the crossing of the San Antonio and Laredo road, from which to operate towards the Rio Grande. You will perceive from my "special orders," No. 24, that a reconnoissance has been ordered in that direction. A bri- gade of infantry, with the cavalry, and a battery or two of field artillery, will be sufficient for the occupation of Laredo. That town is on the left bank of the Rio Grande, and possesses the military advantage of holding in observation the main route from the interior of Mexico through Monte- rey to Matamoros. In case it should be found impracticable to establish a suitable depot on the Nueces, the entire force, after strengthening San Antonio, might be thrown forward to Point Isabel, where it could be readily supplied, and held in readiness for any further service. I have deemed it my duty to make the above suggestions. Should they be favorably considered, and instructions based upon them. I will thank you to send the latter in duplicate to Lieut Col. Hunt — one copy to be de- DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 255 spatched direct, without delay • the other to be sent via Galveston, should a steamer be running to that port from New Orleans. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington , D. C. P. S. — It is proper to add, that, should any auxiliary force be required, I propose to draw it wholly from Texas. I do not conceive that it will become necessary, under any circumstances, to call for volunteers from the United States. Z. T. Head Quarters Army of Occupation. Corpus Christi, Texas, October 11th, 1845. Sir: — I respectfully report the arrival at St. Joseph's island, on the 9th instant, of five companies of the Fifth Infantry, under Lieut. Col. Mcintosh, two companies of the Eighth Infantry, under Capt. Montgomery, and one company of the Seventh Infantry, under Brevet Major Seawell. Lieut. Col. Mcintosh's command (of seventeen officers and two hundred and thirty-nine men) arrived here to-day. These troops are in good health, and complete the entire number ordered to this coast. I feel a satisfac- tion, which I cannot doubt will be shared by the department, in being able thus to report the completion, without disaster or notable accident, of the transfer of so many bodies of troops from remote points to this coast, at an unfavorable season of the year. Lieut. Col. Payne will be announced in orders to-morrow as acting in- spector general of this army. I shall assign Major Ewing to the com- mand of the field batteries, leaving Brevet Lieut. Col. Childs in command of the battalion of artillery companies in the First brigade. In regard to the discharge of the volunteer artillery from New Orleans, I would respectfully remark, that their term of service will soon be draw- ing to a close ; and as their service here has been most creditable to them in every respect, and they would feel a mortification in being summarily discharged, [ would ask leave to retain them until such a time as will allow them to reach New Orleans by the expiration of the period for which they were mustered. You will, I hope, readily appreciate the motives of policy which may, 256 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. in the long run, render their detention an absolute benefit to the public service. I need hardly say that I much regretted their employment in the first instance ; but, under all the circumstances of the case, I think it best to keep them for the short period of their term which yet remains. The excellence of their discipline and instruction has won the most favourable opinions from the officers here. Recent arrivals from the Rio Grande bring no news or information of a different aspect from that which I reported in my last. The views ex- pressed in previous communications relative to the pacific disposition of the border people on both sides of the river are continually confirmed. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D.C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, October 15, 1845. Sir: — I respectfully enclose the return of the Army of Occupation for July. At the end of that month all the corps of the army had not reached Texas, some of them being yet at sea, which is the reason that no return was furnished at the proper time. All the troops destined for this point are now in position here, except Major Ringgold's company, which is expected daily from St. Joseph's island. The morning report of to-day exhibits an aggregate present of three thousand seven hundred and thirty-three, which Ringgold's compa- ny, and an absent detachment of cavalry, will increase to three thousand eight hundred and sixty. Capt. Burke's company remains as a guard at St. Joseph's island. Three hundred recruits are now wanted in the regiments and detach- ments here ; which number, I can hardly doubt, will be increased to nearly five hundred by the close of the year. I hope measures may be taken to supply the requisite number of recruits, or as many as can be spared, from the depot. The utmost activity prevails in the instruction of the brigades and regi- ments. Col. Whistler's brigade commenced to-day with evolutions of the line, and will be followed by the others as rapidly as possible. Several of the regiments have been so long cut up in small detachments as to DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 257 render it necessary to dwell for some time upon the school of the battalion before proceeding to the higher manoeuvres. I have nothing of interest to report from the frontier. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, November 7, 1845. Sir: — I respectfully enclose a copy of a letter from Com. Conner, com- manding the home squadron, which I received by the "Saratoga" sloop of war on the 5th instant. The intelligence communicated by the com- modore will, doubtless, reach the seat of government long before the receipt of this letter. The communication from the Secretary of War, dated October 16, was received and acknowledged on the 1st and 2d instant. I purposely de- ferred a detailed reply to the various points embraced in that communi- cation until I could receive an answer to mine of October 4, which covered (at least in part) the same ground. The intelligence from Mexico, how- ever, tends to modify, in some degree, the views expressed in that com- munication. The position now occupied by the troops may, perhaps, be the best while negotiations are pending, or at any rate until a disposition shall be manifested by Mexico to protract them unreasonably. Under the supposition that such may be the view of the department, [ shall make no movement from this point, except for the purpose of examining the country, until further instructions are received. You will perceive, from my orders, that reconnoissances are almost constantly in the field, the officers of engineers and topographical engineers rendering valuable ser- vice on those duties. T refer you to the reports made by those officers to the chiefs of their own bureaux for the information which is thus pro- cured in relation to the country. An examination of the harbor of Brazos Santiago will be ordered in a few days — as soon as a proper vessel shall become disposable for that service. In case no movement is made this season towards the Rio Grande, I may find it necessary to detach a portion of the army a short distance into the interior, where wood can be more readily procured than here. 17 258 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Bat m no case do I deem it necessary to hut the troops, platforms, on which to pitch the tents,' we re extensively used in camps of position in Florida, and will, I cannot doubt, form a sufficient protec- tion here. On the hypothesis of an early adjustment of the boundary, and the consequent establishment of permanent frontier posts, I cannot urge too strongly upon the department the necessity of occupying those posts be- fore the warm weather shall set in. A large amount of sickness is, I fear, to be apprehended, with every precaution that can be taken ; but the in- formation which I obtain leads me to believe that a summer movement would be attended with great expense of health and life. As in Florida, the winter is the best season for operations in Texas. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. JJ. S. A., commanding. The Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D. C. U. S. Ship Falmouth, Off Vera Cruz, October 24, 1845. General : — I hasten to inform you that the Mexican government has accepted the proposal made by that of our country to arrange the existing difficulties by negotiation. This information left here for Washington yesterday by Mr. Parrolt, and we may consequently soon expect an envoy to be sent out from the United States. I deem it advisable you should be thus early apprised of this change in the state of our relations. No troops have marched towards the frontier for a length of time • and I am told by Mr. Parrott, who left Mexico a few days since, that many of Arista's officers had returned to that city in a state of utter poverty. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, D. CONNER, Commanding Home Squadron. Brig. Gen. Taylor, Commanding Army of Occupation. DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 259 Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, Texas, November 8, 1845. Sir : — I beg leave to call your attention to the present condition of our communications with the United States. While in New Orleans, I represented the necessity of a despatch vessel — a steamer, if practicable — to ply between our position and New Or- leans. I was informed from your office under date of July 30th, that measures had been taken to supply the want, and under date of August 23d, from the War Office, that the t extraordinary manner, opposed to the guarantee and respect due to private property. Nothing can have authorised you in such a course. The commerce of nations is not suspended or interrupted, except in consequence of a solemn declaration of blockade, communicated and established in the form pre- scribed by international law. Nevertheless, you have infringed these rules; and, by an act which can never be viewed favorably to the United States government, have hindered the entrance to a Mexican port of ves- sels bound to it, under the confidence that commerce would not be inter- rupted. My duties do not allow me to consent to this new species of hostility, and they constrain me to require of you, not only that the ves- sels taken by force to Brazos Santiago shall be at liberty to return to the mouth of the river, but the restoration of all the provisions which, be- sides belonging to private contractors, were destined for the troops on this frontier. I consider it useless to inculcate the justice of this demand, and the results which may follow an unlooked-for refusal. I have also understood that two Mexicans, carried down in a boat by the current of the river near one of the advanced posts of your camp, were detained, after being fired upon, and that they are still kept and treated as prisoners. The individuals in question do not belong to the army, and this circumstance exempts them from the laws of war. I therefore hope that you will place them absolutely at liberty, as I cannot be persuaded that you pretend to extend to persons not military the con- sequences of an invasion, which, without employing this means of rigor 19 290 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. against unarmed citizens, is marked in» itself with the seal of universal reprobation. I avail myself of this opportunity to assure you of my distinguished consideration. God and Liberty! Matamoros, April 22, 1846. PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. Sr. Gen. D. Z. Taylor. Head Quarters Army of Occupation, Camp near Matamoros, Texas, April 22, 1846. Sir: — I have had the honor to receive your communication of this date, in which you complain of certain measures adopted by my order to close the mouth of the Rio Bravo against vessels bound to Matamoros, and in which you also advert to the case of two Mexicans supposed to be detain- ed as prisoners in this camp. After all that ha* passed since the American army first approached the Rio Bravo, I am certainly surprised that you should complain of a measure which is no other than the natural result of the state of war so much in- sisted upon by the Mexican authorities as actually existing at this time. You will excuse me for recalling a few circumstances, to show that this state of war has not been sought by the American army, but has been forced upon it, and that the exercise of the rights incident to such a state cannot be made a subject of complaint. On breaking up my camp at Corpus Christi, and moving forward with the army under my orders to occupy the left bank of the Rio Bravo, it was my earnest desire to execute my instructions in a pacific manner ; to ob- serve the utmost regard for the personal rights of all citizens residing on the left bank of the river, and to take care that the religion and customs of the people should suffer no violation. With this view, and to quiet the minds of the inhabitants, I issued orders to the army, enjoining a strict observance of the rights and interests of all Mexicans residing on the river, and caused said orders to be translated into Spanish, and circulated in the several towns on the Bravo. These orders announced the spirit in which we proposed to occupy the country, and I am proud to say that up to this moment the same spirit has controlled the operations of the army. On reaching the Arroyo Colorado I was informed by a Mexican officer that the order in question had been received in Matamoros, but was told at the same time that if I attempted to cross the river it would be regard- ed as a declaration of war. Again, on my march to Frontone I was met DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 291 by a deputation of the civil authorities of Matamoros, protesting against my occupation of a portion of the department of Tamaulipas, and declar- ing that if the army was not at once withdrawn, war would result. While this communication was in my hands, it was discovered that the village of Frontone had been set on fire and abandoned. I viewed this as a direct act of war, and informed the deputation that their communication would be answered by me when opposite Matamoros, which was done in respectful terms. On reaching the river I despatched an officer, high in rank, to convey to the commanding general in Matamoros the expression of my desire for amicable relations, and my willingness to leave open to the use of the citizens of Matamoros the port of Brazos Santiago until the question of boundary should be definitively settled. This officer received for reply, from the officer selected to confer with him, that my advance to the Rio Bravo was considered as a veritable act of war, and he was ab- solutely refused an interview with the American consul, in itself an act incompatible with a state of peace. Notwithstanding these repeated as- surances on the part of the Mexican authorities, and notwithstanding the most obviously hostile preparations on the right bank of the river, accom- panied by a rigid non-intercourse, I carefully abstained from any act of hostility — determined that the onus of producing an actual state of hosti- lities should not rest with me. Our relations remained in this state until I had the honor to receive your note of the 12th instant, in which you denounce war as the alternative of my remaining in this position. As I could not, under my instructions, recede from my position, I accepted the alternative you offered, and made all my dispositions to meet it suitably. But, still willing to adopt milder measures before proceeding to others, I contented myself in the first instance with ordering a blockade of the mouth of the Rio Bravo by the naval forces under my orders — a proceed- ing perfectly consonant with the state of war so often declared to exist, and which you acknowledge in your note of the 16th instant, relative to the late Col. Cross. If this measure seem oppressive, I wish it borne in mind that it has been forced upon me by the course you have seen fit to adopt. I have reported this blockade to my government, and shall not remove it until I receive instructions to that effect, unless indeed you de- sire an armistice pending the final settlement of the question between the governments, or until war shall be formally declared by either, in which case I will cheerfully open the river. In regard to the consequences you mention as resulting from a refusal to remove the blockade, I beg you to understand that I am prepared for them, be they what they may. In regard to the particular vessels referred to in your communication, I have the honor to advise you that, in pursuance of my orders, two Ameri- f 292 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. can schooners, bound for Matamoros, were warned off on the 17th instant, when near the mouth of the river, and put to sea, returning probably to New Orleans. They were not seized, or their cargoes disturbed in any- way, nor have they been in the harbor of Brazos Santiago to my know- ledge. A Mexican schooner, understood to be the " Juanita," was in or off that harbor when my instructions to block the river were issued, but was driven to sea in a gale, since which time I have had no report con- cerning her. Since the receipt of your communication, I have learned that two persons, sent to the mouth of the river to procure information re- specting this vessel, proceeded thence to Brazos Santiago, when they were taken up and detained by the officer in command until my orders could be received. I shall order their immediate release. A letter from one of them to the Spanish vice-consul is respectfully transmitted herewith. In relation to the two Mexicans said to have drifted down the river in a boat, and to be prisoners at this time in my camp, I have the pleasure to inform you that no such persons have been taken prisoners, or are now detained by my authority. The boat in question was carried down empty by the current of the river, and drifted ashore near one of our pickets, and was secured by the guard. Some time afterwards an attempt was made to recover the boat under cover of the darkness; the individuals concern- ed were hailed by the guard, and, failing to answer, were fired upon as a matter of course. What became of them is not known, as no trace of them could be discovered on the following morning. The officer of the Mexican guard directly opposite was informed the next day that the boat would be returned on proper application to me, and I have now only to repeat that assurance. In conclusion, I take leave to state that I consider the tone of your com- munication highly exceptionable, where you stigmatize the movement of the army under my orders as " marked with the seal of universal reproba- tion." You must be aware that such language is not respectful in itself, either to me or to my government; and while I observe in my own cor- respondence the courtesy due to your high position, and to the magnitude of the interests with which we are respectively charged, I shall expect the same in return. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. Sr. Gen. D. Pedro de Ampudia, Commanding in Matamoros. DESPATCHES OF GEN. TAYLOR. 293 Division or the North, ") Second General-in-Chief, j" In reply to your note which I received yesterday, I have the honor to state that if Col. Cross, quartermaster general of the forces under your command, had been found at any of the military posts under my orders, his lot would have been that of a prisoner of war, treated with the con- sideration due to his rank, and according to the rules prescribed by the law of nations and of war, well considered in his situation of prisoner. The rumor was current in this place, also, that the colonel in question had disappeared from your camp; but I have been able to learn nothing certainly, so that I cannot answer satisfactorily the respectful request in your note on the subject. The particular circumstances in which we are placed should not pre- vent me, in my private capacity, yielding to the sentiments of humanity, from manifesting to a certain point my sympathy for the feelings of the family of Col. Cross, caused by his disappearance. I renew to you, on this occasion, the consideration due. God and Liberty! Head Quarters in Matamoros, April 16, 1846. PEDRO DE AMPUDIA. S . en. D. Z. Taylor. 294 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. LIST OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS Of the United States Army present in the actions of "Palo Jllto" and " Resaca de la Palma," on the 8th and 9th days of May, 1846. Camargo, August 18th, 1846. Dear Sir : — Your note requesting the names of the officers -who parti- cipated in the recent service of the army on the Rio Grande was received before our head quarters left Matamoros. but on account of the press of business could not be attended to at that time. I now send a copy of our official list, which has been recently prepared under instructions from Washington. #,##,#-### I remain yours, very truly, W. W. S. BLISS. Mr. T. B. Thorpe. General Staff. Brev. Brig. Gen. Z. Taylor. Lieut. Col. M. M. Payne, Inspec. Gen., wounded in the action of the 9th. Brev. Capt. W. W. S. Bliss, Asst. Adj. Gen. First Lieut. J. H. Eaton, Aid-de-camp. Capt. G. G. Waggaman, Commissary of Subsistence. First Lieut. J. M. Scarritt, Engineers. C In the action of the 8th only. Ac- I cidentally killed by the discharge of First Lieut. J. E. Blake, Top. Engs. M • en' u (Wounded in the action of the 8th — died of Brev. Maior S. Ringgold. -{ J { wounds on the 10th. Capt. M. Burke. First Lieut. Geo. Taylor, Brev. Capt. " " R. Ridgely. :< (( W. H. Shover. :c a w. Gilham. c a w. H. Churchill In the action of the 8th only — remaining in command of the 18 pounder battery at " Palo Alto." " " G. W. Ayers. Second Lieut. S. L. Fremont. " " C. L. Kilburn. Brev. Second Lieut. S. G. French. Fourth Artillery. Capt. W. W. Morris, Brev. Major. " J. B. Scott. " R. C. Smead. First Lieut. J. C. Pemberton. " " J. P. McCown. Second Lieut. S. S. Fahnestock. LIST OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 297 Second Lieut. R. S. Garnett, Adj. Art. Bat. " « C. Benjamin. Brev. Second Lieut. J. F. Farry. Third Regiment of Infantry. Capt L. N. Morris. a H. Bainbridge. a ^. P. Field. u J. N. Barbour. First Lieut. W. S. Henry. a < L. S. Craig. tt \ J. M. Smith. u " W. H. Gordon. it " D. T. Chandler. it "\ S. D. Dobbins, slightly wounded in the action of the 9th. a " \ B. R. Johnson. tt " \ 0. L Shepherd. u « W.B.Johns. Second Ue\t. D. S. Irwin, Brev. 2d Lieut, and Adjt. a " Thos. Jordan. tt " \ D. C. Buell. it " \ I. B. Richardson. it « W. T. H. Brooks. tt " A. W. Bowman. tt " A.. J. Williamson. it " it. Hazlitt. Brev Second Ueut. J. C. McFerran. it " " H. B. Schroeder. it " « J. J. C. Bibb. it " l« J. P. Hatch. it « " B. E. Bee. Fourth Regiment of Infantry. Lieut. Col. J. Garand. Capt. G. W. Allen; Brev. Major. ,, T , „ (Severely wounded in the action of the 9th— died of j0hnPa H Wounds July 12th. " W. M. Grah^n, Brev. Major. " P. Morrison. « G. A. McCall " G. Morris. 11 R. C. Buchanai. 298 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Capt. C. H. Lamard. First Lieut. B. Alvord. " « C. Hoskins, Adjt. " " R. H. Graham. :( " R. E. Cochrane, killed in the action of the 9th. Second Lieut. S. Smith. " " G. 0. Haller. " « H. D. Wallen. " " J. Beaman. " " C. R. Perry. " " C. C. Augur. " " N. S. Grant. Brev. Second Lieut. J. S. Woods. " " « A.Hays. " " « J. A. Richey. " " « P. A. Farrelly. Fifth Regiment of Infantry. Lieut. Col. J. S. Mcintosh, severely wounded in the action of he 9th. Major T. Staniford. Capt. M. Scott. " M.E.Merrill. " E.K.Smith. " A. S. Hooe, do. do. do. do. " W. Chapman. First Lieut. R. B. Marcy. " " D. Ruggles. " " C. L. Stevenson. " " J. A. Whitall. " " Geo. Deas, Adjt. " " S. H. Fowler, slightly wounded in the actionof the 9th. Second Lieut. S. Norvell. " " J. C. Robinson. " " M. Rosecrants. Brevet Second Lieut. J. P. Smith. " " « E.K.Smith. li " " T. G. Pitcher. " « « W.L.Crittenden. Eighth Regiment of Infantry. Major W. G. Belknap, Brev. LieuS Col. Capt. W. R. Montgomery, slightly wounded in the acton of the 9th. LIST OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. Capt. H. McKavett. « J. V. Bomford. First Lieut. I. V. D. Reeve. " " C. R. Gates, wounded in the action of the 9th. " " Geo. Lincoln. a " A. L. Sheppard. It « J. Selden, do. do. do. a « A. T. Lee. u ••' R. P. Maclay. do. do. do. u « J. G. Burbank. do. do. do. Second Lieut. J. Beardsley. " C. F. Morris. do. do. do. " « J. D. Clark ; Adjt. " " C. D. Jordan, wounded (severely) in the action of the 9th. " " J. Longstreet. " " J. B. Booker. " " T. L. Chadbourne, killed in the action of the 9th. " « E. B. Holloway. " " L. B. Wood. " " A. Crozet. Brev. Second Lieut. H. M. Judah. " "* " C. G. Merchant. " " « G. Wainwright. " « « J. G. S. Snelling. "> " " T. J. Montgomery. LIST OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS Of the United States Army present at the defence of Fort Broivn, 2d to 9th May, 1846. General Staff. Capt. J. K. F. Mansfield, Engs. Asst. Surgeon L. C. McPhail. " " H. E. Cruttenden. " « G. M. Provest. Second Regiment of Artillery. Capt. A. Lowd. First Lieut. A. Elzey. Second Lieut. A. B. Lansing. 300 OUR ARMY ON THE RIO GRANDE. Third Regiment of Artillery. First Lieut. B. Bragg. « « G. H. Thomas. Second Lieut. J. F. Reynolds. Fourth Regiment of Artillery. Brev. Second Lieut. J. P. Johnstone. Seventh Regiment of Infantry. Major J. Brown, wounded on the 6th— died of wounds on the 9th. Capt. E. S. Haw r kins. " F.Lee. « D. S. Miles. " W. Seawell, Brev. Major. " G. J. Rains, do. « T.H.Holmes. " R. H.Ross. « D. P. Whiting. " R. C. Gatlin. « G.R.Paul. First Lieut. F. Britton. " « N. Hopson. " « C. Hanson. « « J. C. Henshaw. « « H. Little. « " C. H. Humber. Second Lieut. F. N. Page, Adj. « « L. Gantt. " " N. J. T. Dana. " " L. McLaws. « " S. B. Hayman. « " E. Van Dora. « « F. Gardner. « (; J. H. Potter. Brev. Second Lieut. E. B. Strong. « " " J.M.Henry. « « " H. B. Clitz. « « " W.H.Wood. THE END. Just Published, CAREY AND HART'S LIBRARY FOR THE PEOPLE. No. 1, Price 50 Cents. THE HISTORY OF THE BASTILE, AND OF ITS PRINCIPAL CAPTIVES. BY R. A. DAVENPORT. COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME. This work has been several times reprinted in London, and is now given, for theirs/ time, to the American public. It has received the unani- mous commendations of the British Press — and the interest of the subject, and the ability with which it is treated, cannot fail to secure for it an equally favourable reception in this country. As the author remarks in his preface, "It is the only work in the English language that has even the slightest pretension to be denominated a history of the Bastile." After the demolition of the Bastile, its key was presented by General Lafayette to General Washington, by whom it was placed in the hall of Mount Vernon, where it yet remains, enclosed in a glass case fastened to the wall for the inspection of the curious visitor. "We recommend it as a production of a very uncommon order of merit. Entertaining, interesting and valuable as illustrating an important portion of the History of France, our only wonder is that it now appears for the first time in America. "We cannot too highly commend the style of typography in which the enter- prising publishers have ushered the initial number of their series to public pa- tronage." — V. S. Gazette. " Apart from its literary merits, how a book of this size, and in every respect so admirably executed, can be afforded for the sum of fifty cents! passes our comprehension.: that, however, is the business of the publishers, who, probably, expecting but a trifling profit on each copy, have made their calculations with reference to the sale of a large edition — a result certainly due to their liberality and enterprise." — Inquirer and Courier. "It forms a valuable addition to the stock of historical literature, and cannot fail to obtain the popularity here which it has acquired in England. "The mechanical execution is excellent. The paper is fine and white, the type clear and distinct, and the price, fifty cents, places the volume within the reach of all who, for a moderate expenditure, are disposed to accumulate a " Library" so valuable as, judging from the works which are announced to follow the present, the projected series must necessarily become." — North American. LIBRARY FOR THE PEOTLE. Nos. 2 and 3, Price 50 Cents. ACHIKVKMKNTS KNIGHTS OF MALTA, 11 Y ALEXANDER SUTHERLAND, Author ■ ;m," &c. < (MPLETE IN TWO VOLUMES. Price 50 Cents, Each. u ri; - II derived his ihe old chronicles founded on n and array - .." hi :m imposini i.fjhi • ■ ashing , id of M i la ':•■ ■ ' n« known, n tno rm.d ii, r sword aixi buck •odoni '• i trembled in their capitola, scared by the di -iioutof •■lit waned hefor ■ - and from the little aee-girt rock on \\ and dii ren centuries it bay the children of the Propbei the h | no* iJ » Ihail councils, and lake pari in menta : •• |',, • irted from this illuairious institution, and the d < r <- go ne) but ■ dullard alone would turn front ih •• lhal lella «- u>r— ■■ i 1 conflicts. A faithful historical knightly daring with re tin- pro ammedan tad de- ned i>y the reading world." — /J ieaea. • VVhea we kail ill- render tliat tins history reads as pleasantly »* a romance, and is quite as true as history W troahk li.m with farther opinions?"— SouUurn Pa- triot. ron'a celebrntad remark, that 'truth is stranger than fiction,' is admirably illustrated in the* or, not m the mo*i highly wrought pag< >a of roman< a in the wonderfnl tale of * Ivsmass,' do we meet with adventure and exploit of ■ more romantic and sublime character Ml those with which the history oi these ' Knights of Malta,' ia filled to overflowing uritr « In these volumes will be band chronicled, some of the mosi brilliant feats lhat deco- rate military annals "--.Y <> Caiwiiniisl 7 u They embrace one of themoel interesting and romantic chronicles extant, and teem with the redorda of Knightly daring and pione seal. TneChe Malta were for centuries the great bulwark ot ' ChTt»UNi'l"iii.ag;unst the incursions of Mahometan ferocity, and every incident connected with their courteous achieiMMnenta is fraught with an in- terest at once peculiar and highly wrought." — A*. O. Tropic. ^BBBS I I '