66

355

Feb. 22.

VISTA.

up the army for battle. The gorge was the key of TIV. the position. Here was placed Capt. Washington's DIII. battery. THIS WAS THE BIRTHDAY OF THE GREAT A. VIII WASHINGTON, and the battle-cry was to be, The memory of Washington!" From their positions the 847 troops looked out through the gorge to the south, BUENA and beheld, issuing from clouds of dust, the long Mexican array of the Mexican host,-glittering with burnished arms, and gorgeous with many-colored draperies. As they come nearer, their delicious music charms for a moment even the stern ear of war! But the shouts of the Americans rise louder, -as Gen. Taylor, whom they regard as invincible, appears upon the field.

army ap

pears.

3 o'clock

P. M..

battle

begins. Mexican

12. About noon the Mexicans pushed forward a party to the heights on the east, or American left. At three o'clock began the battle. Volunteer rifle. men, under Col. Marshall, met the advanced Mexicans. They made no impression upon the American lines, more while they suffered loss. Night came. The Ameri-Am. w.

cans remained under arms. Two hours after midnight the Mexicans commenced the second day's attack.

loss, k.

and w.

than 300

4, k.,

13. No language can depict the perilous condition of the comparatively few Americans who fought, and finally won the long and bloody battle of Buena Vista. Some of the volunteers fled in the early part of the day, and in endeavoring to rally them, Capt. Lincoln, aid to Gen. Wool, lost his valuable life. Once the Mexicans had turned the American left, and in that quarter were gaining the field, when they were met and repelled by Col. Jefferson Davis, with the unerring Col. Da rifles of the Mississippi volunteers. Repeatedly the the Misbattle had been lost, but for the flying-artillery, which changed rapidly from point to point as it was needed. Twice Lieut. O'Brien checked masses of the enemy with his small battery, remaining in their way so long that he could only save himself, leaving part of his ington.

12. What were the military operations of the afternoon of that day?-13. Relate some of the earlier incidents of the battle of Buena Vista

vis and

sissippi

ans.

O'Brien

Wush

3

PTIV. guns. Washington, though repeatedly attacked, con-
P'D III. stantly maintained his position.

CH. VIII.

14. Once Mexican cavalry found their way to the rear of the Americans, and attacked their camp; but attacked, they were repelled. Col. Yell here lost his life.

Camp

Anna's

trifling

flag of

Then

came a moment, in which several thousand Mexicans Santa were in danger, when Santa Anna relieved them, and base changed his batteries for a final assault, by the vile with a trick of sending a flag, as if for surrender. This last truce. assault was furiously made on the American centre, commanded by Taylor in person. For a few moments assault the volunteers were in danger of being overwhelmed Mexi by numbers. Colonels Hardin, Clay, and McKee, were killed. The batteries of Bragg and Sherman arrived, and by almost superhuman exertion, they saved the day.

Last

of the

cans.

152

Battle

BUENA

15. Santa Anna was obliged to draw back his field of much diminished forces. The second night came on. ISTA. Officers and men were on the alert, and horses in harness. The field was strewed with the lifeless victims of war. The American surgeons and their assistants administered to the wounded, whether friend or foe; and Mexican women were there, to soothe the dying, or wail the dead.

Sarta

Am. loss,

w. 450.

k. & w.

2500,

Feb.23-4. 16. The Americans were prepared to renew the Anna contest. Outposts had made astonishing marches, retreats, and had reached the camp. Gen. Marshall, with his 25 mounted Kentuckians, and Capt. Prentiss with his Mex.loss, artillery, had travelled from the Pass of Rinconada, -35 miles of bad road,-in one day. With the 4000. earliest dawn of the morning Gen. Wool, abroad to reconnoitre, discovered that the enemy were in full retreat. Hastening with the news to the tent of Taylor, they embraced and wept,-while the glad shouts of victory, rang over the battle-field.

missing

17. Santa Anna had promised his army, before the battle, the lives and property of their foes, and he

14. Of the later.-15. What was the position of things when night came on?-16. What preparation had the Americans made to renew the contest? What was discovered at dawn of day?

Chere's yout

CALIFORNIA

357

1847

prepara

had sent, besides regular troops, hordes of rancheros, P'TIV.
to fill the mountain passes, so that not an American P'D III.
should escape with his life. By a body of these CH. VIII.
troops a wagon-train was attacked at Ramas and 45 Santa
wagoners killed. On the day of the battle, Gen. Anna's
Minon, with 1800 cavalry, was driven from Saltillo by tions to
Capt. Webster and those under his command. Cols, the whole
Morgan and Irvin, defeated a party at Agua Frio on
the 26th of February; and Major Giddings was vic-
torious at Ceralvo on the 7th of March.

cut off

Am. army.

Feb. 26.

Agua Frio. Mex. loss

k. &w.

60. Am. 6.

March 7.

Mex.

18. The victory of Buena Vista, without which the guerilla warfare would have borne a different aspect, left the Americans after these affairs in quiet posses- Ceralvo. sion of the northern provinces of Mexico proper. force Active operations being here at an end, Gen. Taylor, Am. 200. after a few months, returned to receive high honors Mex.loss from his country;-and Gen. Wool was left at Mon- k. & w. terey to govern and protect the conquered region.

1,600.

45.

Am. 17.

CHAPTER IX.

Army of the West.-Conquest of New Mexico and California.

1840

1. A FLEET was already on the coast of California,
when the war commenced. Commodore Sloat, the
commander, was advised by the navy department,
that war with Mexico might occur, in which case he
was, without further notice, to employ his fleet for July 7.
hostile purposes. Having been led to believe that rey, i
war existed, Com. Sloat took Monterey on the 7th of C, ta-
July, 1846. On the 9th, Francisco, north of Monte-ken by

17. What had Santa Anna promised and prepared to do?
What occurred at Ramas? At Saltillo? At Aqua Frio? At
Ceralvo?-18. What is here said of Gen. Taylor? Of Gen.
Wool?

CHAPTER IX.-1. Of what was Com. Sloat advised? What
places in California were taken on the 7th and 9th of July, 1846?

Montein

nia,

Com.

Sloat

3

PTIV. rey, was taken by a part of the squadron, acting under
PDIII. the orders of Com. Montgomery. On the 15th, ar-
CH. IX. rived a frigate under Com. Stockton. On the 17th,
1846.
Com. Sloat dispatched a party to the mission of St.
Arrival John, to recover cannon and other munitions which
Stockton the enemy had there deposited.

15th,

of Com.

at Mon

June and

Fremont

can Cali

drive out

ish gov

tercy. 2. At this place the American flag had already July been planted by Col. Fremont,—who, with 63 men, and the had been sent out in 1845 by the government with - the ostensible object of making peaceful explorations. fornians Fremont being threatened with destruction by De the Span Castro, the Spanish commandant, went and aroused the ernment. American settlers in the neighborhood of Sonoma, and on the river Sacramento. They added to his Called the force, and he swept out the Mexican authorities from Revolu- around the Bay of San Francisco and north. from the American Californians, July 5th, declared their indeflag pendence, and placed Fremont at their head. A few adopted. days after, news came that war existed between the

Bear

tion

Com. S.

insti

vern

The

United States and Mexico; when the Californian colors were joyfully pulled down, and the American hoisted.

3. Gen. Castro went south to Los Angeles, the seat of civil government. Stockton and Fremont, with their Aug. 17. combined land and naval forces, followed. The Mexicans withdrawing, they took peaceable possession; and Com. tutes go- Stockton assumed, by proclamation, the style of goverHe and Fremont then going north, a Mexican Angeles. force under Gen. Flores retook Los Angeles, and the southern towns; driving out the American garrisons. Fremont increased his Californian battalion to 428, with which in December and January he assisted in the final conquest of California.

ment at nor.

Army

of the

1st rcg.

4. ARMY OF THE WEST.-Immediately after the West- opening of the war, orders were issued by the Exec856. utive for organizing an "Army of the West," to be Lt. Art. commanded by Gen. Kearny ;-for the object of ta, Drag.407. king, and placing under American laws, New Mexico

Inf. 145,

250,

16 pieces

of ord.)

2. Give some account of Col. Fremont and his military op erations in California.-3. What happened at Ciudad de los Angelos?—4. What was the object of the Army of the West

and California. This army began, June 5th, to appear ITIV.
at the rendezvous, which was Fort Leavenworth. Here PD IL
the volunteers chose their own officers. The men CH. IX.
elected by them had entered their ranks as privates. June 18.
1846.
Doniphan was chosen colonel of the first Missouri Doni-
regiment. All were for twenty days instructed by chosen.

phan

such of their officers as had been West-Point students; 3

and thus the military arts and sciences infused into
this celebrated school, by CoL. SYLVANUS THAYER and
his associates and successors, were rapidly transfused
into the capable volunteers of the West.

29.

5. Gen. Kearny, having sent forward his baggage,
and taken in convoy the annual train of merchants'
wagons, now numbering 414, (going to trade at Santa June 26-
Fé and Chihuahua,) set out with his army on the last Army
of June. They moved southwesterly across the river mor
Platte, the branches of the Kansas, -along the Ar-
kansas to Bent's Fort; thence south and southwesterly Kansa
to Santa Fé.

30th

Reach

the

the Ar-
kansas.

scenes

6. A great portion of the region moved over was
prairie ;-one wide, wild, unmeasured level, or gently
undulating field;-sometimes green, as far as the eye
could reach, with tall, rank grass, -and sometimes
gay with unnumbered flowers,-perhaps blushing, far Prairie
round with the varieties of the prairie rose,-or tinged
orange with the wild lily; and sometimes showing the
pale green and delicate white and red of the moccasin
flower, the "belle of the prairie." Along the Arkan-
sas the troops found great herds of buffalo; and
cheerily joined the hunt, and enjoyed the feast.

7. But they had many hardships. The ground was
often so soft and spongy, that the wagons sunk; and
the strength of the men must be added to that of the
horses to drag them forth. Again chasms must be
filled, and torrents bridged; and sometimes the vol-

4. What occurred with respect to election of officers and discipline, and where ?-5. What is said of a wagon-train which Gen. Kearny was to convoy? What course was taken by the army in their march to Santa Fé?-6. Describo the prairie scenery, and the chief pleasure of the army?-7. What disagreeable scenes had they to encounter?

From
June to

Pro
Aug. 19.

3