Battle of Contreras. our troops stood the storm of iron and lead they hailed upon them, unmoved. At every discharge they laid flat down to avoid the storm, and then sprang up to serve the guns. At the end of that time, two of the guns were dismounted and we badly hurt; thirteen of the horses were killed and disabled, and fifteen of the cannoneers killed and wounded. The regiment was then recalled. The lancers had been repelled in three successive charges. The 3d infantry and 1st artillery had also engaged and successfully repelled the enemy's skirmishers without loss of either officers or men. The greatest loss has been at the batteries. Officers looked gloomy for the first day's fight, but the brigade was formed, and General Smith in person took command. All felt revived, and followed him with a yell, as creeping low to avoid the grape, which was coming very fast, we made a circuit in rear of the batteries, and passing off to the right we were soon lost to view in the chaparral and cactus. Passing over the path that we scrambled through, behold us, at almost six o'clock in the evening, tired, hungry, and sorrowful, emerging from the chaparral and crossing the road between it and Valencia. Here we found Cadwalader and his brigade already formed, and discovered Riley's brigade skirmishing in rear of the enemy's works. Valencia was ignorant of our approach, and we were as yet safe. In front of us was Valencia strongly intrenched on a hill-side and surrounded by a regular field-work concealed from us by an orchard in our rear. Mendoza with a column of six thousand was in the road, but thinking us to be friends. On our right was a large range of hills, whose continued crest was parallel to the road, and in which were formed Battle of Contreras. in line of battle five thousand of the best Mexican cavalry. On our left we were separated from our own forces by an almost impassable wilderness, and it was now twilight. Even Smith looked round for help. Suddenly a thousand vivas came across the hill-side, like the yells of prairie wolves in the dead of night, and the squadrons on our right formed for charging. Smith's himself again! Face to the rear!' 'Wait till you see their red caps, and then give it to them!' Furiously they came on a few yards, then changed their minds, and, disgusted at our cool reception, retired to their couches. * At last, just at daylight, General Smith, slowly walking up, asked if all was ready. A look answered him. 'Men, forward.' And we did 'forward.' Springing up at once, Riley's brigade opened, when the crack of a hundred rifles started the Mexicans from their astonishment, and they opened their fire. Useless fire, for we were so close that they overshot us, and before they could turn their pieces on us we were on them. Then such cheers arose as you never heard. The men rushed forward like demons, yelling and firing the while. The carnage was frightful, and though they fired sharply it was of no The earthen parapet was cleared in an instant, and the blows of the stocks could be plainly heard, mingled with the yells and groans around. Just before the charge was made, a large body of lancers came winding up the road, looking most splendidly in their brilliant uniforms. They never got to the work, but turned and fled. In an instant all was one mass of confusion, each trying to be foremost in the flight. The road was literally blocked up, and while many perished use. Battle of Contreras. by their own guns, it was almost impossible to fire on the mass, from the danger of killing our own men. Some fled up the ravine on the left, or on the right, and many of these were slain by turning their own guns on them. Toward the city the rifles and 2d infantry led off the pursuit. Seeing that a large crowd of the fugitives were jammed up in a pass in the road, some of our men ran through the corn-field, and by thus heading them off and firing down upon them, about thirty men took over five hundred prisoners, nearly a hundred of them officers. After disarming the prisoners, as the pursuit had ceased, we went back to the fort, where we found our troops in full possession, and the rout complete. Thus ended the glorious battle of Contreras, in which two thousand men, under General P. F. Smith, completely routed and destroyed an army of eight thousand men, under General Valencia, with Santa Anna and a force of twenty thousand men within five miles. Their army was so completely routed that not fifteen hundred men rejoined Santa Anna, and participated in the second battle |