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v p ;.,.-. ■-. - per annum in advance f''r - tfl per square for tle firet ii nt insertion court or i i 00 is general taylor b0 is gen taylor slightly asked was ascertained that that id hern selected by the adminis miliar 1 ofthe expedition nized to defend texas mexican invasion mi taylor nxiously asked • ll th ews arrived that the . ider his command was th di struction by an over : mexicans on the rio i taylor wonderingly and med millions nol only in \ try but europe when the glad x 1 thai with eonsum ; and ral!anfry he had pxtrica rmy from their perilous po . nemy beyond bio • a ol monterey esteemed . has paled before lhe achieved at buena vista jety to have answered tbe ques head of this article has at once fold increased and been to mi gratified much information elicited and yet not enongh to public mind one informs us . men tie man of wealth and fann ers the ** chances and chang life to an existence of idle .-... another that he is a mod itatious and meritorious is seen more service hard knocks than any of ii now living others have lies of the past a re . r.nd indistrict of servi idered by him in days past at in the black i lawk war cho-bee the army and iw him as " old zack — _', and ready — the hero of resaca dela palma monterey mi vista — one ofthe greal cap the age — '< hie with whose name er coupled — one who e nceives his campaigns and hem when conceived heir when executed i'he intry know him as * the never surrenders il zachary taylor was born in _ eounty \ irginia in the year 1 ?.)(>. he comes from an ancient virginia which emigrated from england of liberty atid settled rn part of virginia near two . i a familv wliich has since nguished in its branch tcted with or related to lies of virginia the . lees barbours pen vays taliaferros and nam their ornaments such names . richard henry lee 1 jaroline . indue pendleton ' iiip barbour gen gaines sas & •. richard ta or went to twky within a few months after ted the country ; and then foot proceeded through the then ieraess now constituting the states of an i louisiana to ' urn i by sea linted a colanel in the ■. he served with great j'i the revolution engaged iti many ofthe ■1 hayles of lhat period — ith washington at trenton on i day 1770 hi 1790 col tay i with cols croghan and bul ■i kentucky — zachary be lly a few months old — ' v ' at that time the hunting ndofthc indians their battle field mtui'inselve — scene ol iheir con excursions against ik n hence ii is called ken ■: in their language * the ound in the battles ui col taylor greatly dis '.. and gov grayson oi wn to have said if i ' attack the gates of h i i '■■'■■dick to lead the storm peacc was established col '■many honorable and respon i lc was one of the framers i of kentucky ; repre ii county and louisville city v . in both branches of the mic and was a member of oral colleges which voted for jef . madison monroe and clay a l_:-y politicians of kentucky he is as one of the few men oi the jrt party who could be elected phe excitement of the old court court question aylor died on his plantation near he leaving three sous his second . sons george and william hav ' previously hancock zachary and three daughters eliza 1 and emily ' an>es taylor of newport kv ' ml i col taylor and brother r as has been erroneously sta ock elizabeth and emily have ,! it father so that joseph and '* only brother and sister of . >' now living the descendants of 1 members ofthe family with 1 s live in and near louis tacky * he dangers and difficulties or ■•■'■■and the hardships and • i frontier life was general 1 and educated as a boy cha°une tnan 10 w;is ot,'cl for s ac*er-hisblunt,sturdystraight ; firmness of purpose — ms ulness his foresight and de - modest and retiring demean the carolmtwatchman bruner & james ) editor * proprietors \ " k"p * cmcs ™ 1l ""•* rulers do this nn liberty 5 series gen'l harrison number 1 of volume iv salisbury7n c friday may 7 18477 ™" r e i i _____ i _ —~~~^—^— - — _ ««• i.tii lamiiy and ncignnornoou an ecdotes are told of his feats aud hardihood and his adventures night after night was he in the habit of seeing the house barricaded and the arms prepared to repel any attack that might be made before the morning dawn ed scarcely a week passed that there was not an alarm or an actual incursion of indians amongst the settlements even on his way to school was he in danger of the tomahawk and scalping knife ( in one occasion some of his school mates were murdured and scalped by the indians within a hundred yards of the point where he and his bro'her had sep arated from them who.can say what effect a boyhood so passed had in the formation of the char acter which has so wonderfully displayed itself in mexico / amongst his intimates at school were his brother col jos p taylor who dis tinguished himself at the battle of okee cho bee and has now the control of the commissary departments in mexico and col geo croghan subsequently the « he ro of sandusky in 1808 after the affair of the chesa peake and leopard the subject of this sketch applied tor a commission in the army and was appointed by mr jeffer son then president ofthe united states a 1st lieutenant in the 7th infantry his career from that time to the breaking out of the hostilities between this country and england has but little interest for the public attending to the routine of his duties he but prepared himself for the more active service ofhis profession when opportunity should offer at the opening of the campaign in 1812 we lind him a captain in command of fort harrison a rude and weak stockade on the wabash with a small force not exceeding fifty men most of whom were like himself disabled by sickness from doing duty in this state a body of 400 british and indians endeavoured to get possession of his defences by stratagem in this they were foiled by his wariness and caution they then in the 5th sep tember 1812 a backed him and made most strenuous efforts to carry his works they succeeded in firing a block house which constituted one side of his defences and thus opened a way for their assaults in spile ol this his own sickness and the inefficiency of his command he succeeded in repulsing them with considerable loss they abandoned the undertaking for this gallant defence mr madison confer red upon him the brevet rank of major — the first brevet ever conferred in our ar my ln 1832 he commanded the regular troops in the black hawk war and en dured the hard hips and privations of that most vexatious campaign for several years alter thai he remained in command f fort crawford at prairie du chien built by him and kept in awe the indian tribes in that quarter by them he was called •' big chief in 1830 as colonel of the 1st infantry he went to florida — relinquishing fur lough we think to do so there he was placed in command of a seperate column composed ofthe 1st 4th and oth infantry — some artillery and the missouri volun teers on the 25th day of december 1837 christmas day with the above named troops amounting to about 500 men he attacked and deleated at okee-cho-bee seven hundred indians under the com mand of sam jones alligator and coa choo-chee the indians were strongly posted in a dense hammock perfectly con cealed and confident of victory the hammock crossed in front and partially banked on either side the only approach to their position tiiis approach was per fectly exposed and led through a swamp covered with saw-grass in the mire of which our men sunk to the knee at every step gen taylor then colonel was then as now not to be deterred bv difficul ties and dangers he attacked the ene my in their position and alter a bloody and desperate engagement for three hours succeeded in driving them before him with great slaughter at the point of the bayonet some idea may be formed of the severity of the contest from the fact that gen taylor here lost col thompson col gentry capt van swearengen lts brooke and carter and 1 19 men — more than one-fourth his whole force major noel who was breveted for his gallantry in this action entered the swamp with a full company and had only seven men at the close ofthe battle this was the se verest battle and the last one in the flor ida war gen taylor as is his custom was every where in the thickest of the fight for this action he received the brevet rank of brigadier general and the command in florida after four or five years hard service amongst the swamps and diseases of florida gen taylor de sired to be recalled and was assigned the command ofthe 1st military department composed of louisiana mississippi ala bama arkansas c with his headquar ters at fort jesup there he remained waiting quietly until his country should require his more active services w hen it was determined by the admin istration to send an army to the frontiers of texas gen taylor was selected to command it he was we are informed requested by the war department to with draw an application for a furlough which he had previously filed and which from his uninterrupted services the courtesv and custom of the department could scarcely have denied him ever self-sa crificing and always scrupulously atten tive to even the shadow of duty he gave up his furlough as he had before done when ordered to florida and entered en ergetically upon the work assigned him with his career since that time — glorious and dazzling as it is — the country is fa : miliar yet few comparatively — strange as the statement may at first view appear appreciate gen taylor as he deserves the whole country rings with his fame the great and small rich and poor de light to do him honor — scarcely a breath of detraction mingles with the homage al ; most universally awarded him — yet we repeat but few appreciate him as lie de | serves caught and blinded by the splen i dour of his most astonishing victories how : few consider the labors the cares the anxieties tbe difficulties he experienced in preparing in organizing this expedi tion in a country unprepared by policy • and in fact for entering iuto-a campaign how few think of lhe obstacles to be over come in the embarkation — upon the march j — and in the camp how few consider | his feelings — his distress when in his camp he saw his men destitute of the com \ monest necessaries dying day after day from disease and exposure how few ap | preciate his extended views of policy his great military plans since disclosed to us in his despatches tothe war department wriiten about that time how few ap ( preciate the readiness and ability with ' which he accepted and carried out the views half military half political of the government from lhe moment he landed at corpus christi throughout the war but more especially in his march to matamo ; ros his conduct on the march — and his , course whilst at fort brown at the risk of his life and that thing dearer than life j his reputation lie swerved not in the i slightest degree from the spirit ofthe line j of policy marked out for him by his gov ernment who would envy him his feel ings whilst in lhe face of an enemy who ; he knew could make all preparations and strike him or remain friendly at their : own eleciion ar.d at whatever time and under whatever circumstances best suited them while lie must lay quiet and await the blow ? who can sufficiently praise him for his foresight forbearance and en durance when although his camp was ; almost in a state of mutiny he refrained lrom crushing as he could easily have done the small parties which first crossed | the llio grande had he done so he : would have had on his hands an endless vexatious guerilla war and the glorious battles of ihe 8th and 9th would have ne ' ver been fought as much as gen tay i lor deserves for those battles and who will say he does not deserve greatly .') he ■deserves ten-fold more for his conduct prior to the time when they were fought | the former showed him a general of skill : coolness gallantry — the latter proved him | not only a soulier but a man of energy ' and endurance one who could not only act but wait a man of strong mind capa ble of extending military and political views to follow gen taylor's course through the mexican campaign from the 7th of may isili to the present time would be a work of supererogation what man with american heart and feeling need be reminded of achievements which have done more to give us confidence in our selves to raise us in the estimation ofthe world than anything which has occurred since the gallant actions during the war of 1812 ? through city and village — up on hill and plain — trom the highest tothe lowest the name of gen taylor has be come a household word — his victories and his despatches the theme of every tongue on the 8th and oth of may were fought the battles of palo alto and llesaca de la palma who has forgotten the anxiety which pervaded the country when the news arrived that our little army at mat amoras was surrounded by three or four times their number of lhe enemy and their communications cut off i some commen ced cavilling at the capacity of the gener al in command the many inquired anx iously a.s to his character and capacities the very few yet were some found know ing the man and recollecting his services in time past predicted that all would be done that skill and gallantry could effect even the most hopeful inquired the num ber of rations in his camp and calculated how long he could maintain fort brown and when reinforcements could reach him he however entertained no such ideas as these he decided upon and performs a coup de main which at once stamped him as a general and which we are informed is the same suggested by the duke of wellington in conversation upon the ar rival in england ofthe news ofthe posi tion of our forces leaving in fort brown a garrison with instructions '* to hold out to the last extremity he with the main body of his army moved down to point isabel put that post in a state of security obtained additional ammunitions and pro visions and commenced retracinghis steps to the relief of the gallant men he had left behind him and to the maintenance of thc position he had taken to the war department he wrote detailing his pro ceedings and saying " if the enemy ob struct my march in whatever force i will fight him at palo alto be found gen arista witb 60g0 men prepared to fight him his own force amounted to 2000 men en cumbered with a long train of wagons he could bring into the fight only 1700 men yet with these he drove the enemy lrom their position with great loss anil slept upon the battle field on the morn ; ing ofthe 9lh a council was called as to the expediency of proceeding — fortifying themselves and awaiting reinforcements or falling back to point isabel in the council there was a difference of opinion gen taylor's decision deserves to be re corded in history if i live i will sleep in fort brown to-night lie was as good as his word and thereby saved the noble garrison which had defended fort brown against the unremitting attacks of the mexicans for five days and nights lie resumed his march and continued it until he reached ihe resaca or de la pal ma here he found the enemy who hav ing been reinforced now amounted to 0000 men advantageously posted in a position of their own selection crossing the road along which he must pass having their front protected by the ravine and their hanks by the thick chapparal he did not hesitate to attack them and a most glorious and complete victory crowned his arms i'he enemy were driven be yond the rio grande and that night gen taylor slept in fort brown the loss of the mexicans in these battles amounting it is believed in killed and wounded to two thousand men though gen taylor's modesty estimates the number less in his despatches proves that they fought well there were collected there the choice troops of mexico bank after rank was mowed down and replaced — the guns were again and again captured retaken and manned and the victory was only complete when at least one seventh ofthe whole mexican army had been placed hors du combat the limits ofthis sketch will not allow us to speak fully gen tay lor's praises nor to recount the thousand acts of gallantry displayed in these two days the first mail which tended to relieve our anxieties brought us the news of the brilliant victories the country was electri lied the world astonished and gen taylor was at once and deservedly ranked amongst the great captains of the world his indifference to danger was attested by his being everywhere in the thickest ofthe fight and the perfect cool ness and calmness with which he survey ed the field and gave his orders ; when desired by his staff to retire from a posi tion where the balls fell thick he replied let us move a little nearer and they will pass over our heads we cannot retrain from telling otic anecdote illustra tive of his tact a huge body of mexi can cavalry was about charging a weak battalion which was thrown intosquare to repel if jt being imposible for gen tay lor iti the then stage of the light to detach any troops to its support be himself alone rode amongst them saying men ! place myself in your square the soldiers re cognised their gen gave him a cheer aud receiving the enemy with a well directed fire repulsed them with loss for these battles gen taylor received the brevet rank of major general the thanks of congress and a gold medal com memorative of the events thanks were voted him and swords presented him by louisiana and other states lie was subsequently appointed a full majorgen eral under the supplement war bill a few days after these 1 attics gen taylor crossed the bio grande aud took posses sion of matamoras from that time to the early part of september he wns en gaged in receiving organizing disciplin ing his reinforcements principally volun teers ; establishing depots — collecting pro visions and munitions of war — procuring means of transporting his army into the interior of mexico these duties always much more vexatious and laborious than lighting and at the same time less appre ciated after making ever effort in his power he found in the early part of september that he had early transpora tion sufficient for the provisions munitions and material for 0000 troops with this number however he determined to move forward to monterey the capital city of the stale of the nuevo leon this he found admirably fortified as well by na ture as by art and defended by 10.000 troops.besides the armed inhabitants the situation of this citv rendered it defensi ble there were strong works upon the right and left of the town extending to the rear in the city there is the black fort — almost impregnable when properly man ned besides till this their streets were barricaded and every house constituted a fortress being looped for musketry no thing hiunted gen taylor attacked this gibralter and after three days hard fighting compelled gen ampudia the commandant to capitulate that he should have succeeded against such odds and un der such disadvantages is as he himself ingeniously remarks one of the unac countable events of the age it was ac knowledged to be an achievement more brilliant than the victories of the palo al to and resaca and has been character ised as an instance of daring and suc cess which has few if any parallels in mo dern warfare — never was more consum mate generalship displayed than there was by gen taylor on this occasion it had been his plan originally to send gen worth's division to the right of the town j-*en butler's to the left and rear and to have retained gen twigg'sin front these positions were lo have been taken on the 2 1st on the night ofthe 21st he with rwiggs divisions would have carried the citadel on the morning ofthe 22nd the three divisions wp,-e to have moved simul taneously to the attack from their various position and the city must have fallen un der this well digested plan man pro poses but ood disposes h was a part ol the original plan of gen t to create on the morning of ihc 21st a diversion in the favor of gen worth who had on the 20i h been ordered to take up the position contemplated as above described on lhe night ofthe 20th gen worth bavin dis covered thatthe opposition offerred him would be most formidable wrote a note to len taylor urging him to make the diversion a strong one in affecting this on the morning ofthe 21st garland's di vision became involved to save if gen taylor found it would be necessary to move up the whole volunteer division on the instant he changed his entire pro conceived plan of operations and deter mined to make the light then lie order ed up all the troops with the exception of his reserve — pressed the enemy so in iheir fortifications as to force them to con centrate their forces upon that part of the town and thus left to worth a compar atively easy task in accomplishing the works intrusted to his division this worth did gallantly as gallantly as a man could do but the heko of monterey is t.ie commanding general he who planned the attack and ordered the details he who where balls hew thickest and death was rifest bore the brunt of the battle the hard lighting at monterey was on the left of lown the first shot fired at monterey was from one ofthe long culverins aimed al gen tay lor himself whilst reconnoilering it struck a short distant in front oi liim and bounded over his head there ! i knew it would fall short i me he camly remarked one anecdote of gen taylor at monterey told by his staff has never appeared in print in traversing the field of bailie it was neces sary to cross a bridge which was constantly ' sweptby the mexican artillery when approach ing it.it was agreed lhal ihey ihe general and his stall should cs iss ;! singly at a gallop four had crossed thus when it came to be the general's turn just as he reached the mid dle of the bridge and when the hails were showering around him something going wron in another part ut the field attracted ids atten ' ion stopping his horse much in tiie discom fiture of those following him he deliberately took out and arranged his spy-glass satislied himself and then closeing it rode on in tin street oi tiie town where there wis not a foot cl ground which was not riddled by bails he was seen walking deliberately to anil fro direcling his men in their attacks upon the barricades atid houses any eulogium we could pass on the storm ing oi monterey would fall lar short of the re ality barely to state the fact as we have hastily and imperfectly done causes it to sound like romance yet was it real — a reality a most too rea — :>.< many a saddened heart and vacant seat round the firesides in our country can testify to follow gen taylor from the capitulation at monterey and do him justice is tin most dif ficull pari ol the duly we have undertaken — v etc it not lhat all who read tiiis have suffi cient information to eke ont that in wliich v.e may be at loss or sufficent enthusiasm in lhe subject to excuse it wc would abandon ihe at tempt gen taylor from a deficiency in means of transportation had been able to take with him to monterey so little provisions and so few mu nitions of war and his little army was so cut up in the battle and worn out by its fatigues that when tic administration directed him to terminate ihc armistice which constituted one of the provisions of the capitluation he was unable to move onward to move up men and munitions — to establish depots and extend properly his base of operations — to dispose of liis lureos so as to secure the country which had fallen into his power with taking of monterey required time and labor — the administration about this time concluded to change in some degree the plan ofthe cam paign and for lhe first time asked gen tay lor's views upon the subject lie gave tbem fully clearly and sufficiently — in a manner to challenge lim admiration of lhe civilian as well as the soldier any one to rightly appreciate gen taylor must read carefully and thought i fully his despatches to the war department from the time he entered mexico to tiie present — especially ihese written subsequently to the taking of monterey they show him the man as well as tbe general — the civillian as weil as the soldier their great merit conciseness and tlie aptitude and pert inancey of every word and expression — though in these they are mod el — bul in the extendedness of tlieir views of civil policy — tho graveness of their concep tions of military operations the administration not approving what cen taylor had done and proposed doing oi for some cause not known to us determined to take from him the control of tiie campaign and to commit it to gen scott of this gen i ay lor was ol course ignorant he first threw for ward jen worth with his division to occupy sallillo — a point commanding the great pass through which alone an army of any size with artillerv c could make a demonstration up on his position and lines of communication and operation he next ordered gen wool to oc cupy parras a position where he commanded the approaches from the state of chihuahua ; and which would enable him to attack on the flank any force marching from san luis potosi upon saltillo his intention was moreover and in chief that in the event ofan expedition j into the interior of mexico < ;. .„ nv " , __] . . hold he pa,os pass a p tsltss thrown throug|kthat upon i e r„mil * in his rear wi.h iheml e gen l^r.hat hernial oceop;',;.:!j;;r':x erroad through the mountains the tula nil lett a garrison in monterey and in perw moved down with lhe remainder of hia force to victoria he at the same time ordered gen tatierson to move with his forces along tbe coast hy that means protecting his gen taj r s thmk and concentrating the fines al vic ona witbtampico in our possession tbis plan "• operation would have secured la us beyond ne possibility of redemption the states of xew jeo,,ahd r»mnulipas and the , would have most effectually prevented e ene my trom penelrmhng into the conquered errito '}• with the passes bus in our possess and o„r whole line defended bv 10,000 men the new levies in vow measun supplying the p«ace ofa portion ofthe regulars and more ex p*ripnced volunteers wbo might have been with drawn from p.,i,lt isabel matamoras cam r go and even partly from monterey an exoe on might wisely have been organized gainst yeracro gen taylor however was at this point checked in his operations t victoria he received from gen scotl informa tion that he had assumed the c mmand a re quisition for all his regulars with the exception of aboul 1000 artillery and dragoons and all i f the volunteers who had seen anv servic ■with the exception of ihe 2d mississippi r.ginwnt and directions to return lo and remain at m ■■[ terey j'he scene here presented to lhe mind mighl louch lhe heart of ihe roost callous a general who had organized and trained his troops — suffered with them the hardships and privations ofthe mosl anions portion ofthe ca n paign — and fought three battles which bad h vated the character ofthe country and shed an enduring halo around the merican anas — parting from his armv with a mere escort to go into a retiracy which differed from banish ment only in name who has not his sympa lines aroused ihr the old veteran when with the small troop ihat was to accompany him a waiting his leave-taking he addressed those with whom he conquered on tbe rio grande and at monterey in the feeling and stirring words whicb have heretofore appearrd in this paper _ gen taylor retired to monterey but a rem nant of an army was left wiih him and he was directed to remain on lhe defensive the coun try supposed that he would eiiher retire from tho armv or necessarily remain in inglorious in activity he did neither his country could not spare his services and he telt it his du ly to give them whenever required whether they were appreciated or not it was moreover not his disposition to remain idle however small the means at his command might lw here he displayed over again most conspicuously at once ihe noble generosity ofhis character tho unadulterated patriotism and the greal military sagacity which have become synonymous witb his name scott was about attacking yera cruz — he knew ihat any demonstration towards san luis would aid in the success ofthe under taking ji himself had noi been well treated — yel the best interests of lhe count \ mighl bn served and he smothered all personal consider ations lie at once perceived that monterey was not the point at which his maud even oil lhe defensive should l.e made — l.e took thc rr sponsibilify instead of remaining in security and shielding himself behind his orders a his mighl hive done and marched to sallillo at that point he found the volunteers who con>ii!;!»":l the mass i f his forces flurried t having the regulars withdrawn from ihem and disheartened by the inactivity ol a camp ii . wiihout any prospcel of action hi presenee restored their confidence a i alw lys has tha remarkable power of d ling nch is ill i un bounded confidence of ll rs in his kill gallantry and resource i'oi -... en com aging his men an i ci pond • icy incident to *. . he removed his camp lo a rua sue i — . mi advance of :-' iltillo thu next i ! ave are that his small armv of 1000 regulars and 4000 volunteers nn i • ; whom had never hern in battle are aboul being overwhelmed by 21,000 mexican led bj s mta ann i in pei on gen urrea with 6000 cavalrj bad thrown him self in his rear bj way of victoria llfus demon strating gen taylor's wisd m in desiring lhe tula pass occupied for more than a week he whole country was kepi in a state of lhe most intense anxiety for his fate and lhal ol his small yet gallant army report foi i re port — now that he was defeated — igain lhat with greal loss he had ucceedc i in makin his retreat to monterey .'!; - besl frien is and those who had the greatesl reliance ii n hia great capacity and readiness br evi ry emergency en tertained gloomy i'm and dared not hope more than tbat he would by greater exer tious be able to < icujh with ihr remnant of his army into lhe black i oil at monterey again as had been the case in may were calculations made as to the number of rations iti that place and tbe length of lime his army there cooped up \\ ould be able to subsist did he think of defeat and retreat no he had weighed well every circumstance he had chosen bis hattie field he 1 new that tbe pro per dace to fight was in front of sallillo — lie knew that should the mexican army once ret him iti monterey they would with part of their force threaten him and hold him in c\.x't whilst the rest would pounce down upon bis de pots at camargo and matamoras cut of his communications and destroy his base line of op erations lie knew that they would occupy the rincnnada pass the pass " de los mscrtos and thence be able with impunity continually to annoy id forces he had moreover plant ed himself at agua nueva — the position suited his fancy — and he was not disposed to re.'in quish it without gome hard knocks will santa anna attack you general .' " inquired <>>• . ofhis officers l«'t him come was the reply with a shrug of die shoulders " be will go back faster than he came to 1 wood hi son in-law tie wrote " i wiil fail back to a position proper for the manoeuvring of mv artillery and ben il santa anna wishes to distinguish him self 1 will give him a chance he retired to ihe battle field le had chosen — buen vista santa anna approai ifed an i de manded an unconditional surrender tberepiy was come and take me on lhe 2£d of february lhe hattie commenced bettveen j 1 000 regulars picked troop under their favorite lea de lhe napoleon of iln west fgbling in their own country f»r their horn s their families their very existence and 5000 raw vdlunteers . carrying on a war of invasion the nigbl of the 23drciosed upon the greatest victory ol mod ern limes and beheld ibe strength of mexico broken her lasl hope destroyed tbe battles of the wth aud bth were esteemed wonderfbl — these were eclipsed by the storming of monte rev even this lasl inns pale before the haul fought hattie ot duma vista the paper yer •
Object Description
Title | Carolina Watchman |
Masthead | The Carolina Watchman |
Date | 1847-05-07 |
Month | 05 |
Day | 07 |
Year | 1847 |
Volume | 4 |
Issue | 1 |
Technical Metadata | Image was scanned by OCLC at the Preservation Service Center in Bethlehem, PA. Archivial image is an 8-bit greyscale tiff that was scanned from microfilm at 400 dpi. The original file size was |
Creator | Bruner and James "Editors and Proprietors" |
Date Digital | 2008-10-30 |
Publisher | Bruner and James |
Place | United States, North Carolina, Rowan County, Salisbury |
Type | Text |
Source | Microfilm |
Digital Format | JP2 |
Project Subject | State Archives of North Carolina Historic Newspaper Archive |
Description | The Friday, May 7, 1847 issue of the Carolina Watchman a weekly and semi weekly newspaper from Salisbury, North Carolina |
Rights | Public |
Language | eng |
OCLC number | 601551444 |
Description
Title | Carolina Watchman |
Masthead | The Carolina Watchman |
Date | 1847-05-07 |
Month | 05 |
Day | 07 |
Year | 1847 |
Volume | 4 |
Issue | 1 |
Sequence | 1 |
Page | 1 |
Technical Metadata | Image was scanned by OCLC at the Preservation Service Center in Bethlehem, PA. Archivial image is an 8-bit greyscale tiff that was scanned from microfilm at 400 dpi. The original file size was 4750843 Bytes |
FileName | sacw04_001_18470507-img00001.jp2 |
Creator | Bruner and James "Editors and Proprietors" |
Date Digital | 2008-10-30 |
Publisher | Bruner and James |
Place | United States, North Carolina, Rowan County, Salisbury |
Type | Text |
Source | Microfilm |
Digital Format | JP2 |
Project Subject | State Archives of North Carolina Historic Newspaper Archive |
Description | The Friday, May 7, 1847 issue of the Carolina Watchman a weekly and semi weekly newspaper from Salisbury, North Carolina |
Rights | Public |
Language | eng |
FullText | v p ;.,.-. ■-. - per annum in advance f''r - tfl per square for tle firet ii nt insertion court or i i 00 is general taylor b0 is gen taylor slightly asked was ascertained that that id hern selected by the adminis miliar 1 ofthe expedition nized to defend texas mexican invasion mi taylor nxiously asked • ll th ews arrived that the . ider his command was th di struction by an over : mexicans on the rio i taylor wonderingly and med millions nol only in \ try but europe when the glad x 1 thai with eonsum ; and ral!anfry he had pxtrica rmy from their perilous po . nemy beyond bio • a ol monterey esteemed . has paled before lhe achieved at buena vista jety to have answered tbe ques head of this article has at once fold increased and been to mi gratified much information elicited and yet not enongh to public mind one informs us . men tie man of wealth and fann ers the ** chances and chang life to an existence of idle .-... another that he is a mod itatious and meritorious is seen more service hard knocks than any of ii now living others have lies of the past a re . r.nd indistrict of servi idered by him in days past at in the black i lawk war cho-bee the army and iw him as " old zack — _', and ready — the hero of resaca dela palma monterey mi vista — one ofthe greal cap the age — '< hie with whose name er coupled — one who e nceives his campaigns and hem when conceived heir when executed i'he intry know him as * the never surrenders il zachary taylor was born in _ eounty \ irginia in the year 1 ?.)(>. he comes from an ancient virginia which emigrated from england of liberty atid settled rn part of virginia near two . i a familv wliich has since nguished in its branch tcted with or related to lies of virginia the . lees barbours pen vays taliaferros and nam their ornaments such names . richard henry lee 1 jaroline . indue pendleton ' iiip barbour gen gaines sas & •. richard ta or went to twky within a few months after ted the country ; and then foot proceeded through the then ieraess now constituting the states of an i louisiana to ' urn i by sea linted a colanel in the ■. he served with great j'i the revolution engaged iti many ofthe ■1 hayles of lhat period — ith washington at trenton on i day 1770 hi 1790 col tay i with cols croghan and bul ■i kentucky — zachary be lly a few months old — ' v ' at that time the hunting ndofthc indians their battle field mtui'inselve — scene ol iheir con excursions against ik n hence ii is called ken ■: in their language * the ound in the battles ui col taylor greatly dis '.. and gov grayson oi wn to have said if i ' attack the gates of h i i '■■'■■dick to lead the storm peacc was established col '■many honorable and respon i lc was one of the framers i of kentucky ; repre ii county and louisville city v . in both branches of the mic and was a member of oral colleges which voted for jef . madison monroe and clay a l_:-y politicians of kentucky he is as one of the few men oi the jrt party who could be elected phe excitement of the old court court question aylor died on his plantation near he leaving three sous his second . sons george and william hav ' previously hancock zachary and three daughters eliza 1 and emily ' an>es taylor of newport kv ' ml i col taylor and brother r as has been erroneously sta ock elizabeth and emily have ,! it father so that joseph and '* only brother and sister of . >' now living the descendants of 1 members ofthe family with 1 s live in and near louis tacky * he dangers and difficulties or ■•■'■■and the hardships and • i frontier life was general 1 and educated as a boy cha°une tnan 10 w;is ot,'cl for s ac*er-hisblunt,sturdystraight ; firmness of purpose — ms ulness his foresight and de - modest and retiring demean the carolmtwatchman bruner & james ) editor * proprietors \ " k"p * cmcs ™ 1l ""•* rulers do this nn liberty 5 series gen'l harrison number 1 of volume iv salisbury7n c friday may 7 18477 ™" r e i i _____ i _ —~~~^—^— - — _ ««• i.tii lamiiy and ncignnornoou an ecdotes are told of his feats aud hardihood and his adventures night after night was he in the habit of seeing the house barricaded and the arms prepared to repel any attack that might be made before the morning dawn ed scarcely a week passed that there was not an alarm or an actual incursion of indians amongst the settlements even on his way to school was he in danger of the tomahawk and scalping knife ( in one occasion some of his school mates were murdured and scalped by the indians within a hundred yards of the point where he and his bro'her had sep arated from them who.can say what effect a boyhood so passed had in the formation of the char acter which has so wonderfully displayed itself in mexico / amongst his intimates at school were his brother col jos p taylor who dis tinguished himself at the battle of okee cho bee and has now the control of the commissary departments in mexico and col geo croghan subsequently the « he ro of sandusky in 1808 after the affair of the chesa peake and leopard the subject of this sketch applied tor a commission in the army and was appointed by mr jeffer son then president ofthe united states a 1st lieutenant in the 7th infantry his career from that time to the breaking out of the hostilities between this country and england has but little interest for the public attending to the routine of his duties he but prepared himself for the more active service ofhis profession when opportunity should offer at the opening of the campaign in 1812 we lind him a captain in command of fort harrison a rude and weak stockade on the wabash with a small force not exceeding fifty men most of whom were like himself disabled by sickness from doing duty in this state a body of 400 british and indians endeavoured to get possession of his defences by stratagem in this they were foiled by his wariness and caution they then in the 5th sep tember 1812 a backed him and made most strenuous efforts to carry his works they succeeded in firing a block house which constituted one side of his defences and thus opened a way for their assaults in spile ol this his own sickness and the inefficiency of his command he succeeded in repulsing them with considerable loss they abandoned the undertaking for this gallant defence mr madison confer red upon him the brevet rank of major — the first brevet ever conferred in our ar my ln 1832 he commanded the regular troops in the black hawk war and en dured the hard hips and privations of that most vexatious campaign for several years alter thai he remained in command f fort crawford at prairie du chien built by him and kept in awe the indian tribes in that quarter by them he was called •' big chief in 1830 as colonel of the 1st infantry he went to florida — relinquishing fur lough we think to do so there he was placed in command of a seperate column composed ofthe 1st 4th and oth infantry — some artillery and the missouri volun teers on the 25th day of december 1837 christmas day with the above named troops amounting to about 500 men he attacked and deleated at okee-cho-bee seven hundred indians under the com mand of sam jones alligator and coa choo-chee the indians were strongly posted in a dense hammock perfectly con cealed and confident of victory the hammock crossed in front and partially banked on either side the only approach to their position tiiis approach was per fectly exposed and led through a swamp covered with saw-grass in the mire of which our men sunk to the knee at every step gen taylor then colonel was then as now not to be deterred bv difficul ties and dangers he attacked the ene my in their position and alter a bloody and desperate engagement for three hours succeeded in driving them before him with great slaughter at the point of the bayonet some idea may be formed of the severity of the contest from the fact that gen taylor here lost col thompson col gentry capt van swearengen lts brooke and carter and 1 19 men — more than one-fourth his whole force major noel who was breveted for his gallantry in this action entered the swamp with a full company and had only seven men at the close ofthe battle this was the se verest battle and the last one in the flor ida war gen taylor as is his custom was every where in the thickest of the fight for this action he received the brevet rank of brigadier general and the command in florida after four or five years hard service amongst the swamps and diseases of florida gen taylor de sired to be recalled and was assigned the command ofthe 1st military department composed of louisiana mississippi ala bama arkansas c with his headquar ters at fort jesup there he remained waiting quietly until his country should require his more active services w hen it was determined by the admin istration to send an army to the frontiers of texas gen taylor was selected to command it he was we are informed requested by the war department to with draw an application for a furlough which he had previously filed and which from his uninterrupted services the courtesv and custom of the department could scarcely have denied him ever self-sa crificing and always scrupulously atten tive to even the shadow of duty he gave up his furlough as he had before done when ordered to florida and entered en ergetically upon the work assigned him with his career since that time — glorious and dazzling as it is — the country is fa : miliar yet few comparatively — strange as the statement may at first view appear appreciate gen taylor as he deserves the whole country rings with his fame the great and small rich and poor de light to do him honor — scarcely a breath of detraction mingles with the homage al ; most universally awarded him — yet we repeat but few appreciate him as lie de | serves caught and blinded by the splen i dour of his most astonishing victories how : few consider the labors the cares the anxieties tbe difficulties he experienced in preparing in organizing this expedi tion in a country unprepared by policy • and in fact for entering iuto-a campaign how few think of lhe obstacles to be over come in the embarkation — upon the march j — and in the camp how few consider | his feelings — his distress when in his camp he saw his men destitute of the com \ monest necessaries dying day after day from disease and exposure how few ap | preciate his extended views of policy his great military plans since disclosed to us in his despatches tothe war department wriiten about that time how few ap ( preciate the readiness and ability with ' which he accepted and carried out the views half military half political of the government from lhe moment he landed at corpus christi throughout the war but more especially in his march to matamo ; ros his conduct on the march — and his , course whilst at fort brown at the risk of his life and that thing dearer than life j his reputation lie swerved not in the i slightest degree from the spirit ofthe line j of policy marked out for him by his gov ernment who would envy him his feel ings whilst in lhe face of an enemy who ; he knew could make all preparations and strike him or remain friendly at their : own eleciion ar.d at whatever time and under whatever circumstances best suited them while lie must lay quiet and await the blow ? who can sufficiently praise him for his foresight forbearance and en durance when although his camp was ; almost in a state of mutiny he refrained lrom crushing as he could easily have done the small parties which first crossed | the llio grande had he done so he : would have had on his hands an endless vexatious guerilla war and the glorious battles of ihe 8th and 9th would have ne ' ver been fought as much as gen tay i lor deserves for those battles and who will say he does not deserve greatly .') he ■deserves ten-fold more for his conduct prior to the time when they were fought | the former showed him a general of skill : coolness gallantry — the latter proved him | not only a soulier but a man of energy ' and endurance one who could not only act but wait a man of strong mind capa ble of extending military and political views to follow gen taylor's course through the mexican campaign from the 7th of may isili to the present time would be a work of supererogation what man with american heart and feeling need be reminded of achievements which have done more to give us confidence in our selves to raise us in the estimation ofthe world than anything which has occurred since the gallant actions during the war of 1812 ? through city and village — up on hill and plain — trom the highest tothe lowest the name of gen taylor has be come a household word — his victories and his despatches the theme of every tongue on the 8th and oth of may were fought the battles of palo alto and llesaca de la palma who has forgotten the anxiety which pervaded the country when the news arrived that our little army at mat amoras was surrounded by three or four times their number of lhe enemy and their communications cut off i some commen ced cavilling at the capacity of the gener al in command the many inquired anx iously a.s to his character and capacities the very few yet were some found know ing the man and recollecting his services in time past predicted that all would be done that skill and gallantry could effect even the most hopeful inquired the num ber of rations in his camp and calculated how long he could maintain fort brown and when reinforcements could reach him he however entertained no such ideas as these he decided upon and performs a coup de main which at once stamped him as a general and which we are informed is the same suggested by the duke of wellington in conversation upon the ar rival in england ofthe news ofthe posi tion of our forces leaving in fort brown a garrison with instructions '* to hold out to the last extremity he with the main body of his army moved down to point isabel put that post in a state of security obtained additional ammunitions and pro visions and commenced retracinghis steps to the relief of the gallant men he had left behind him and to the maintenance of thc position he had taken to the war department he wrote detailing his pro ceedings and saying " if the enemy ob struct my march in whatever force i will fight him at palo alto be found gen arista witb 60g0 men prepared to fight him his own force amounted to 2000 men en cumbered with a long train of wagons he could bring into the fight only 1700 men yet with these he drove the enemy lrom their position with great loss anil slept upon the battle field on the morn ; ing ofthe 9lh a council was called as to the expediency of proceeding — fortifying themselves and awaiting reinforcements or falling back to point isabel in the council there was a difference of opinion gen taylor's decision deserves to be re corded in history if i live i will sleep in fort brown to-night lie was as good as his word and thereby saved the noble garrison which had defended fort brown against the unremitting attacks of the mexicans for five days and nights lie resumed his march and continued it until he reached ihe resaca or de la pal ma here he found the enemy who hav ing been reinforced now amounted to 0000 men advantageously posted in a position of their own selection crossing the road along which he must pass having their front protected by the ravine and their hanks by the thick chapparal he did not hesitate to attack them and a most glorious and complete victory crowned his arms i'he enemy were driven be yond the rio grande and that night gen taylor slept in fort brown the loss of the mexicans in these battles amounting it is believed in killed and wounded to two thousand men though gen taylor's modesty estimates the number less in his despatches proves that they fought well there were collected there the choice troops of mexico bank after rank was mowed down and replaced — the guns were again and again captured retaken and manned and the victory was only complete when at least one seventh ofthe whole mexican army had been placed hors du combat the limits ofthis sketch will not allow us to speak fully gen tay lor's praises nor to recount the thousand acts of gallantry displayed in these two days the first mail which tended to relieve our anxieties brought us the news of the brilliant victories the country was electri lied the world astonished and gen taylor was at once and deservedly ranked amongst the great captains of the world his indifference to danger was attested by his being everywhere in the thickest ofthe fight and the perfect cool ness and calmness with which he survey ed the field and gave his orders ; when desired by his staff to retire from a posi tion where the balls fell thick he replied let us move a little nearer and they will pass over our heads we cannot retrain from telling otic anecdote illustra tive of his tact a huge body of mexi can cavalry was about charging a weak battalion which was thrown intosquare to repel if jt being imposible for gen tay lor iti the then stage of the light to detach any troops to its support be himself alone rode amongst them saying men ! place myself in your square the soldiers re cognised their gen gave him a cheer aud receiving the enemy with a well directed fire repulsed them with loss for these battles gen taylor received the brevet rank of major general the thanks of congress and a gold medal com memorative of the events thanks were voted him and swords presented him by louisiana and other states lie was subsequently appointed a full majorgen eral under the supplement war bill a few days after these 1 attics gen taylor crossed the bio grande aud took posses sion of matamoras from that time to the early part of september he wns en gaged in receiving organizing disciplin ing his reinforcements principally volun teers ; establishing depots — collecting pro visions and munitions of war — procuring means of transporting his army into the interior of mexico these duties always much more vexatious and laborious than lighting and at the same time less appre ciated after making ever effort in his power he found in the early part of september that he had early transpora tion sufficient for the provisions munitions and material for 0000 troops with this number however he determined to move forward to monterey the capital city of the stale of the nuevo leon this he found admirably fortified as well by na ture as by art and defended by 10.000 troops.besides the armed inhabitants the situation of this citv rendered it defensi ble there were strong works upon the right and left of the town extending to the rear in the city there is the black fort — almost impregnable when properly man ned besides till this their streets were barricaded and every house constituted a fortress being looped for musketry no thing hiunted gen taylor attacked this gibralter and after three days hard fighting compelled gen ampudia the commandant to capitulate that he should have succeeded against such odds and un der such disadvantages is as he himself ingeniously remarks one of the unac countable events of the age it was ac knowledged to be an achievement more brilliant than the victories of the palo al to and resaca and has been character ised as an instance of daring and suc cess which has few if any parallels in mo dern warfare — never was more consum mate generalship displayed than there was by gen taylor on this occasion it had been his plan originally to send gen worth's division to the right of the town j-*en butler's to the left and rear and to have retained gen twigg'sin front these positions were lo have been taken on the 2 1st on the night ofthe 21st he with rwiggs divisions would have carried the citadel on the morning ofthe 22nd the three divisions wp,-e to have moved simul taneously to the attack from their various position and the city must have fallen un der this well digested plan man pro poses but ood disposes h was a part ol the original plan of gen t to create on the morning of ihc 21st a diversion in the favor of gen worth who had on the 20i h been ordered to take up the position contemplated as above described on lhe night ofthe 20th gen worth bavin dis covered thatthe opposition offerred him would be most formidable wrote a note to len taylor urging him to make the diversion a strong one in affecting this on the morning ofthe 21st garland's di vision became involved to save if gen taylor found it would be necessary to move up the whole volunteer division on the instant he changed his entire pro conceived plan of operations and deter mined to make the light then lie order ed up all the troops with the exception of his reserve — pressed the enemy so in iheir fortifications as to force them to con centrate their forces upon that part of the town and thus left to worth a compar atively easy task in accomplishing the works intrusted to his division this worth did gallantly as gallantly as a man could do but the heko of monterey is t.ie commanding general he who planned the attack and ordered the details he who where balls hew thickest and death was rifest bore the brunt of the battle the hard lighting at monterey was on the left of lown the first shot fired at monterey was from one ofthe long culverins aimed al gen tay lor himself whilst reconnoilering it struck a short distant in front oi liim and bounded over his head there ! i knew it would fall short i me he camly remarked one anecdote of gen taylor at monterey told by his staff has never appeared in print in traversing the field of bailie it was neces sary to cross a bridge which was constantly ' sweptby the mexican artillery when approach ing it.it was agreed lhal ihey ihe general and his stall should cs iss ;! singly at a gallop four had crossed thus when it came to be the general's turn just as he reached the mid dle of the bridge and when the hails were showering around him something going wron in another part ut the field attracted ids atten ' ion stopping his horse much in tiie discom fiture of those following him he deliberately took out and arranged his spy-glass satislied himself and then closeing it rode on in tin street oi tiie town where there wis not a foot cl ground which was not riddled by bails he was seen walking deliberately to anil fro direcling his men in their attacks upon the barricades atid houses any eulogium we could pass on the storm ing oi monterey would fall lar short of the re ality barely to state the fact as we have hastily and imperfectly done causes it to sound like romance yet was it real — a reality a most too rea — :>.< many a saddened heart and vacant seat round the firesides in our country can testify to follow gen taylor from the capitulation at monterey and do him justice is tin most dif ficull pari ol the duly we have undertaken — v etc it not lhat all who read tiiis have suffi cient information to eke ont that in wliich v.e may be at loss or sufficent enthusiasm in lhe subject to excuse it wc would abandon ihe at tempt gen taylor from a deficiency in means of transportation had been able to take with him to monterey so little provisions and so few mu nitions of war and his little army was so cut up in the battle and worn out by its fatigues that when tic administration directed him to terminate ihc armistice which constituted one of the provisions of the capitluation he was unable to move onward to move up men and munitions — to establish depots and extend properly his base of operations — to dispose of liis lureos so as to secure the country which had fallen into his power with taking of monterey required time and labor — the administration about this time concluded to change in some degree the plan ofthe cam paign and for lhe first time asked gen tay lor's views upon the subject lie gave tbem fully clearly and sufficiently — in a manner to challenge lim admiration of lhe civilian as well as the soldier any one to rightly appreciate gen taylor must read carefully and thought i fully his despatches to the war department from the time he entered mexico to tiie present — especially ihese written subsequently to the taking of monterey they show him the man as well as tbe general — the civillian as weil as the soldier their great merit conciseness and tlie aptitude and pert inancey of every word and expression — though in these they are mod el — bul in the extendedness of tlieir views of civil policy — tho graveness of their concep tions of military operations the administration not approving what cen taylor had done and proposed doing oi for some cause not known to us determined to take from him the control of tiie campaign and to commit it to gen scott of this gen i ay lor was ol course ignorant he first threw for ward jen worth with his division to occupy sallillo — a point commanding the great pass through which alone an army of any size with artillerv c could make a demonstration up on his position and lines of communication and operation he next ordered gen wool to oc cupy parras a position where he commanded the approaches from the state of chihuahua ; and which would enable him to attack on the flank any force marching from san luis potosi upon saltillo his intention was moreover and in chief that in the event ofan expedition j into the interior of mexico < ;. .„ nv " , __] . . hold he pa,os pass a p tsltss thrown throug|kthat upon i e r„mil * in his rear wi.h iheml e gen l^r.hat hernial oceop;',;.:!j;;r':x erroad through the mountains the tula nil lett a garrison in monterey and in perw moved down with lhe remainder of hia force to victoria he at the same time ordered gen tatierson to move with his forces along tbe coast hy that means protecting his gen taj r s thmk and concentrating the fines al vic ona witbtampico in our possession tbis plan "• operation would have secured la us beyond ne possibility of redemption the states of xew jeo,,ahd r»mnulipas and the , would have most effectually prevented e ene my trom penelrmhng into the conquered errito '}• with the passes bus in our possess and o„r whole line defended bv 10,000 men the new levies in vow measun supplying the p«ace ofa portion ofthe regulars and more ex p*ripnced volunteers wbo might have been with drawn from p.,i,lt isabel matamoras cam r go and even partly from monterey an exoe on might wisely have been organized gainst yeracro gen taylor however was at this point checked in his operations t victoria he received from gen scotl informa tion that he had assumed the c mmand a re quisition for all his regulars with the exception of aboul 1000 artillery and dragoons and all i f the volunteers who had seen anv servic ■with the exception of ihe 2d mississippi r.ginwnt and directions to return lo and remain at m ■■[ terey j'he scene here presented to lhe mind mighl louch lhe heart of ihe roost callous a general who had organized and trained his troops — suffered with them the hardships and privations ofthe mosl anions portion ofthe ca n paign — and fought three battles which bad h vated the character ofthe country and shed an enduring halo around the merican anas — parting from his armv with a mere escort to go into a retiracy which differed from banish ment only in name who has not his sympa lines aroused ihr the old veteran when with the small troop ihat was to accompany him a waiting his leave-taking he addressed those with whom he conquered on tbe rio grande and at monterey in the feeling and stirring words whicb have heretofore appearrd in this paper _ gen taylor retired to monterey but a rem nant of an army was left wiih him and he was directed to remain on lhe defensive the coun try supposed that he would eiiher retire from tho armv or necessarily remain in inglorious in activity he did neither his country could not spare his services and he telt it his du ly to give them whenever required whether they were appreciated or not it was moreover not his disposition to remain idle however small the means at his command might lw here he displayed over again most conspicuously at once ihe noble generosity ofhis character tho unadulterated patriotism and the greal military sagacity which have become synonymous witb his name scott was about attacking yera cruz — he knew ihat any demonstration towards san luis would aid in the success ofthe under taking ji himself had noi been well treated — yel the best interests of lhe count \ mighl bn served and he smothered all personal consider ations lie at once perceived that monterey was not the point at which his maud even oil lhe defensive should l.e made — l.e took thc rr sponsibilify instead of remaining in security and shielding himself behind his orders a his mighl hive done and marched to sallillo at that point he found the volunteers who con>ii!;!»":l the mass i f his forces flurried t having the regulars withdrawn from ihem and disheartened by the inactivity ol a camp ii . wiihout any prospcel of action hi presenee restored their confidence a i alw lys has tha remarkable power of d ling nch is ill i un bounded confidence of ll rs in his kill gallantry and resource i'oi -... en com aging his men an i ci pond • icy incident to *. . he removed his camp lo a rua sue i — . mi advance of :-' iltillo thu next i ! ave are that his small armv of 1000 regulars and 4000 volunteers nn i • ; whom had never hern in battle are aboul being overwhelmed by 21,000 mexican led bj s mta ann i in pei on gen urrea with 6000 cavalrj bad thrown him self in his rear bj way of victoria llfus demon strating gen taylor's wisd m in desiring lhe tula pass occupied for more than a week he whole country was kepi in a state of lhe most intense anxiety for his fate and lhal ol his small yet gallant army report foi i re port — now that he was defeated — igain lhat with greal loss he had ucceedc i in makin his retreat to monterey .'!; - besl frien is and those who had the greatesl reliance ii n hia great capacity and readiness br evi ry emergency en tertained gloomy i'm and dared not hope more than tbat he would by greater exer tious be able to < icujh with ihr remnant of his army into lhe black i oil at monterey again as had been the case in may were calculations made as to the number of rations iti that place and tbe length of lime his army there cooped up \\ ould be able to subsist did he think of defeat and retreat no he had weighed well every circumstance he had chosen bis hattie field he 1 new that tbe pro per dace to fight was in front of sallillo — lie knew that should the mexican army once ret him iti monterey they would with part of their force threaten him and hold him in c\.x't whilst the rest would pounce down upon bis de pots at camargo and matamoras cut of his communications and destroy his base line of op erations lie knew that they would occupy the rincnnada pass the pass " de los mscrtos and thence be able with impunity continually to annoy id forces he had moreover plant ed himself at agua nueva — the position suited his fancy — and he was not disposed to re.'in quish it without gome hard knocks will santa anna attack you general .' " inquired <>>• . ofhis officers l«'t him come was the reply with a shrug of die shoulders " be will go back faster than he came to 1 wood hi son in-law tie wrote " i wiil fail back to a position proper for the manoeuvring of mv artillery and ben il santa anna wishes to distinguish him self 1 will give him a chance he retired to ihe battle field le had chosen — buen vista santa anna approai ifed an i de manded an unconditional surrender tberepiy was come and take me on lhe 2£d of february lhe hattie commenced bettveen j 1 000 regulars picked troop under their favorite lea de lhe napoleon of iln west fgbling in their own country f»r their horn s their families their very existence and 5000 raw vdlunteers . carrying on a war of invasion the nigbl of the 23drciosed upon the greatest victory ol mod ern limes and beheld ibe strength of mexico broken her lasl hope destroyed tbe battles of the wth aud bth were esteemed wonderfbl — these were eclipsed by the storming of monte rev even this lasl inns pale before the haul fought hattie ot duma vista the paper yer • |