The herald-advance., November 21, 1890, Image 1

About The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922

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lesdnyTliuredav and bat
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to(:vrv OHIU HS,
s st Dist,John Martens.
2d Dist., John lb-dmao.
3d Dit., VVm. Jennings Inn.
Douglass.
„t Deeds-IA" Martens.
ii,d Probate Judge- I'hos. Kouck.
•r-J-S. Parley.
!l. Heiiediet.
I'nnrt-.l. I-. l.ockhart
'boi.ls—tf, w I'revey.
Attorney —.1- H. Owen.
-Dr. K. Daniel*.
Surveyor— VV. S. Crowl.
(1TV OFFKDB*.
layor—Henry S. Volkmar.
Ilerk-J. W. Hell.
(freaMirer— Aug- Mittelstae.lt
jissessnr -James Berry
I'itv Justice—3. M. Pasco.
Kit* Attorney—J W H*11.
ThiiVrmeii-lst YVardI, Kaercher, Rich
ard M.,itelL v!d Ward—W Saunders,
M..«es lkird. 3d Ward—l" A Krhmdson,
K U I'lielPii.
City Marshal, Street Commissioner, Building
Inspvtw and Fire Warden—J K Siuxuiwus.
I pliceuiau—Charles Su'clitfe.
BOARD OF EDCCATION
jjion W Bell, S Jones, Eastman, 11
Bradtord, Irving Bath, O. W Antelmau
Tliwles lioehmuth.
FttATERNlTlES.
ROVAI.
ARCH MASONS, MILBANK
.'liajiUr No. 16. Stated convocations
nl and lourtli Thursday ul each mouth,
m. Visiting com pan ions cordially
|iu»itei. A. J. BLBBKK, High 1'nest.
JOHN Dotal,
ABS, Sec.
P. k A. M.-MILBANK L,OD»K No. 20.
ill Stated meetings at Schaler's Hall, on
Ithird. Thursday evening ol each month.
1 Visiting brethren are cordially invited U. at
•«nd. ,|. C. KNAI-P, W. M.
8. Taos. L. BOCCK, Secretary.
0. 0. P.-SYLVAN LODGE No. 54.
Meets every Tuesday evening at Scha
'«r*a Uall. Visiting brethren cordially tnvt
ed. KD. KMANCBIi, N. ti.
0. S. LUKBBBO,Sec.
GRAKO
ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC,
AJeets every second and fourth Satur
lay.at p. in. sharp, at the Court House.
All limn .uii's visiting our city are invited to
meet with us. W.DIOUH, Couiiuander.
THUS. FITCU, Adjutant.
4
0. IT. W Meets first and third Mon
i"IL» day eyftuings ol each month in Mason
ic uall. Visiting brethren cordially invited,
8. C\ JOKES, Recorder, C. K. (iuovEB, M. W,
BOFL.
K.—SKDdWICK DIVISION No,
3KI. Meets in Sehater's Hall, Mill'ank,
10 a. m. the first and third Sunday ol each
Month.
c.
ORDKLL
MATTHEWS, Chiet.
KeBTAcg Fobs, S«O
OF RAILWAY CONDUCTORS
Milliank Division N o. 99. Meets at Ma
souic Uall every second and fourth Sundays
*t2 111. All "members ol the order cordtal-
Jy
invited. F. A. JOIIXKON, Chiel Cond'r.
HOUSE, Sec. ami Treas.
I•0,O.
(}. T.—Meets every Friday eve
,M'ng at Masonic Hall, aud extends a
"oraial invitation to visiting members.
WK. RO^UEBS, C. T.
WCSSIE THOMAS, Rec. Sec.
CHURCHES.
UTHOLK .—(Service in St. Lawrence
/y Church every Sunday and holy day at
a. ui. RKV. Father Stephan, 1'riest.
IRST M. K. Church.—Preaching every
Sunday at Hk45 a. m. and 7: -50'p. iu
iipworth League 6:30 p. m. Sunday school
m. Prayer meeting Wednesdays at 7:30
P- m. HBV. J. (J. SUKLLANP, Pastor.
LTHI'IIAN—Service oocasional—in the
if. ^"rwegian language at the church at
LN
I^EV J| STOKLIK, Minister.
P^PISCOPAL—Service
7:{W
FIGHTING UP STEEPS.
ATTACK ON SPICHEREN HEIGHTS,
FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR.
The Twcntv-Heventh (irnnan Rrlgade'l
Hold Attack and Stubborn ItaHisUuxw.
looting tlie Leader, Von 1'ranciiis, and
IkiwUcd, They Charge Again.
[Copyright by American Press Assm-iatSon.]
N this series of ar
ticles, ilhuarai intc
the "I")M'ds if l)ar
iiii? Men," it is the
purpose of tl»' ed
itor to select in
8tani*s from the
whole world and
from all wars,
•mthen
ara
whe"'v"r
:Ui,h,M
7, tic records ai
I found, without
pranl t-o national i- 1
ty or to he merits
of the cause where
the valor is dis- I
played. Some rare
caws may lie selected because they art) fa
mous in history or htx-ai-M' they are inter
esting in comparison with less noted hut
equally daring deefi.*. treated in these col
unms. Except for variety and for eorrcpar
ison one neeil not ?o aside fnm the record
of our civil war for instances of the most
miblimo c^mratre and fortitude, and in that
school my standard was fonned. ljeavinx
out iMTsonal cxiH'ricncc.s in action I may
say that I witnessed much of the hardest
finhtimi that took place between the Army
of the Potomac and the Army of Nort hern
N irjiinia, arid the pafre-s of histAry do not
contain grander deeds than those per
formui under my eye. by the unpretentious
volunteers of America of 1HUI.
ljke many famous victories in battle,
the assault on Spicheren Height* (Franco-
When the French army marched to tl e
Hhenish frontier lruler tl.e orilers of Nu
|Nluou III Frossard's corns t.(Kk p»sition
near the S.iar. opposite the Lower Rhine
province, the most exposed portiou ol tier
man territory, and in front of the tier
man position. Oil toe A! of August, (l*-70)
the (jcrman armies were put in motion,
the llrst army, under Vou Sti'iiunelii, l«.ung
directe»l toward tin", Saar with the inten
tion of invading France. On this day
also the French treneral, Frossard, .'ut'oin
panied by the Prince Irnjierial, who wits
to receive his much talked of "baptism of
fire" 011 this occasion, seized the region
around the German trarrison town of S «ir
bruck, occupying it with a light force and
holding his main strength established on
Spicheren Heights, a little over a mile
from t.he town, and on French soil. Tho
Seventh German corps had orders to be oil
the Saar Aug. fi, and the Fourteenth divi
sion, under (Jen. Kameoke, was to send
over a strong advance guard and have out
pickets toward the French lines. The corps
commander intended to concentrate 011
the Otli and .attack the French on the 7th.
For some reason, however, Kamecke's
division was advancing independently, and
nt l'-i o'clock 011 the (»th, when its com
mander received orders from his corps
general to have his division move as far
iis the German side of the river only, he
had already crossed anil taken Saarbruck
from the French and sent on cavalry
toward Spicheren Heights. Xo doubt the
ami of the German officers and men led
them to hurry forward and precipitate a
tight.
Kamecke made dispositions to attack
the he-ights, and sent word to his chief ask
ing for
re-enforcements.
His own force
consisted of two brigruhw with cavalry and
artillery attached, less than L' i,0n) men.
The French corps on the heights probably
numbered as many, but their elevatod
[xwition, crowned with numerous batteries,
gave an advantage equal to another army
of the same size. It was a piece of daring
for Kamecke to attack under the circum
stances. for he had no certainty of support
and only an accident could bring it to him
in the nick of time, anil of all things not
to lie forgiven in a leader in the German
army rashness is the chief. Fortunately
anotlter German army, the Second, was
also moving into the Saar valley by separ
ate routes, and the sound of battle, more
potent at times than formal designs and
orders, was to call up aid to Kamecke to
save tho day. The cavalry of this army,
under the personal direction of its com
mander, Gen. You Khcinbalxm, was rec
ounoitering in the valley, and it, was on
the streugth of their report that the French
were believed to be retreating that Kamecke
made his atUiek.
MOUNTING THK SLOI'K.
Seen from
in Library Ilall first
Sunday ol each month at 10:45 a. m.
P.m. RXY.J.M. MCBBIDIB official
the
direction of the German
approach namely. Saarbruck, the Spi
cheren Heights are like a natural fortifica
tion, one corner or nose jutting out sharp
ly to the north,, while 011 both sides are
steep and partly wooded slopes. The ap
proaches for the ossaiUnt* were reudenid
difficult by numwou.s lakes and ponds and
wooded elevations, giving the French a
chance to obstruct their enemy s move
ment. On the heights Frossard had placed
artificial defenses. Kamecke had' two
brigades, the Twenty-eighth, led by Von
Woyna. and the Twenty-seventh, by Vou
Francois. Woyna was sent along he road
between Saarbruck and the French posi
tion, while Francois, "one of a race of
soldiers," crossed the fields toward the
rwDse of the heights. The French skir
mishers were brushed out of the valley and
across the plains, but for a long distance
the Germans fc.lt the sharp tire from
chas.sepot, mitrailleuse aid field giin oiTtop
of the mountain.
Slowly and stividily, with true German
method and grit, Francois' Westphnlians
pressed en, leaving men on the plain at
every step. An eye witness not engaged,
but having a go«d place for observation,
says of the. spectacle: "As a shell crushed 1
thro igh a company or the mitrailleuse
opened a !..ue and strewed it with dead i
and wounded, the men Hanking the open
ing dosed in with a grim coolness which i
impressed me with tho conviction that
men who could act so could not be beaten.
When the fiKJt of the hill was re:whed the
pace quickened and the formation broke.
It was now like the forlorn hope, of a bo
sieging army storming a bre.*u:h rashly re
ported practicable. Men scrambled up
ward and forward anyhow. The oilicers
threw themselves from their horses and
took to climbing on foot.
"Their were little protected lie-bys here
and there, and under these shelters the
men packed as you may have seen sheep
huddle liefore a high wind with a snow
drift borne on it. Thither crept, too. the
wounded out of the fire that spared them
when wounded no more than when they
had been hale lighting men. Then when
the sound men had caught their wind
again, they would dash out and make an
other convulsive scramble upward, ever
upward. On the brink (alxrvc) you might
see the Frenchmen l»ending over the lip of
the crest to get more purchase with their
downward aim. A mitrailleuse was bal
anced on the edge by men clinging to the
wheels and the trail, while its honeycomb
like muzzle went down, pointing among
the struggling Germans, its breech end
high iu the air. Kamecke had asked his
men to do au impossibility. There are
parts of the Spicheren, notably hat part
just on the left of the extreme bluff near
est Saarbruck, which arc not to be sur
mounted without scaling ladders. Von
1
Prussian war), which cost the Germans
over 4,(XK kilie-d and wounded and a
brigade ctimmander killed, was an acci
denUil collision, not fiart of a campaign
plan. Fortunately it succeedal, or some
oflicial heads would have gone olT in
coiiseijueiice, for it was jout about this I
time that King William put his emphatic i
disapproval upon that methoil of warfarti.
Jn answer to he cjuery from Yon Moli ke,
"Your ma jest j, what would you say of a
general who would onhir au a-s ^uilt on
such a height as that?" (pointing U a pru
cipitous elevation) the king said{xwinptly, 1
"I would cashier him at once."
Francois' men were brought to a stand
1 still. There was no alternative but to fall
back
Some distance in the rear of the brigade
Ka ••ke's artillery occupied a series of
knoiu. when? tliev were doing their t« st to
aid the charging columu by a tiro rained
upon the mountain, liehind these knolls
the infantry took refuge. The French ful
lowed down the declivity and out onto tho
I plain, but a couple of Rheinbaln-n's hussar
regiments galloped through MIHI around
Francois' gallant men and lieatt he \eniur
Rome pursuers back to the hill and in their
fury attempted to charge whee tiie infan
try had failed. Madly they rode ou, here
0
M1LBANK, S. P., FRIDAY, NOV. 21, ixiio.
a
A
»V
A
mm®
l~NIKTf THE CUKST.
and there descrying a track that looked
practicable. The next day a dead huswir
and a dead horse wen' fouin'l in a ravine
thnt--fourths of the way to the crest. So
far had they climbed in their valorous ride.
Meanwhile Francois' men had reformed,
and the German artillery strengthened its
fire upon the hill. What remained of the
companies that had fallen back ami rallied
went forward again, the French standing
to their trenches to receive them. Some
of the Germans staggered up through tho
shot to the shelter of a rock supporting the
plateau aliove, and not being able to go
further remained there, wit.liin a few feet
of their foes, but out of reach. Francois
himself was killed and also many other
oilicers, but the brigade refused to give up,
and so seeking shelter wherever it offered
the men fixed themselves to stay, alive or
dead. Now was the decisive moment, and
fortunately for Kamecke, not his worded
appeals for aid but the cannon thunder
had borne to distant ears the tidings of
battle,
1
he general of the Eighth corps of the
same army with Kamecke came dashing
to the front with the Fortieth fusileers,
and being superior in rank to Kamecke
assumed command and put the regiment
in support of Francois' men on the slope.
About this time a brigade of the Second
army, under Doring, also attracted by the
firing, reached the field and formed on the
left of he Fortieth. With these re-enforco
tnents the Twenty-seventh brigade went
forward again, and three charges were
made to carry a wood at the left of the
nose of the height where Francois had
fought so gallantly but so vainly. An en
trance was made in the wood, and here the
men held 011 stubbornly. Tho Fortieth
1 1-Ioheiizollerns were famous for storming.
and after passing up the height and into
th v nod it became only a piest ion of time
1 and patience, for they were within a pace
of the French intrenchment. Awaiting
their time, with one lunge the Fortieth
I regiment and Boring's brigade went for
1 ward, aud by main force rather than by
weapons hurled the Frenchmen back.
These in turn rallied and drove the
Germans back, ami so the wood was won
and lost JUUI won again many times. Very
soon some batteries belonging t-o tho Third
German corps were taken up the hill with
great (iilliculty, and then for once during
the struggle of several hours the Germans
were a match for the French. The flght
iug coutinued here until dark, the French
refusing to acknowledge cleleat, aud at
times in their mad haste tiring upon their
own men. liy
'J
o'clock all wrvs over. The
nrsult on other partsof the field, where the
difficulties seemed less, hud not been bet- i
ter than «t the height. Kamecke's Twen
ty-eighth brigade, under Woyna, fought its
way along the road from Saarbruck, driv
ing the French at this point back to a pro
longation of Spicheren Heights, where
they held on, strengthened by a timely re
enforcement sent from Marshal Busutine.
MAY'S IIEROIC CIIAKGrE
1
it turned the tide
of battle and
donbtless deter
mined the result
of the whole cam
pugii. When Gen. Zachary Ta lor took up
ids bold stand on the Rio Grande and opened
the Mexican war, telling the Mexican com
mander that be should maintain a block
ade the river until his government or
dered him to quit that if the Mexican au
thorities could not control their ferocious
followers he would cross over aud do it,
and iu brief announced to friend and foe
that he was "to carry the war into Africa,"
he knew the temper of the soldiers of his
army who were to make these promises
good. In the very first skirmish a cavalry
leader, Capt. Thornton, led a gallant charge
and after being unhorsed fought to the
death with a Mexican officer. A lieutenant
and two sergeants were killed while emu
lating their captain. In his first battle
order Taylor assumed that his men were
heroes, lie said: "The commanding gen
eral has every confidence in his
oilicers and
men. If his orders are carried out. he has
no doubt of the result, let the enemy meet
hint in whatnumbers they may. lie wishes
to enjoin upon the battalions of infantry
that their main dependence must be the
bayonet!"
The occasion of this was on the march
from Point Isabel, his supply depot, back
to the hostile front at Matairoras. He
was dealing with largely superior num
bers, and t«ie Mexicans in order to divide
his forces had threatened his base of sup
plies. Leaving a garrison for his new
field works opposite Matauioras, Taylor
went to the relief of Point Isabel, and
there the sound of cannon firing at the
front warned him to return. He set out
May 7 with about 2,000 men aud ten can
non, and tho next day met over 0,000
Mexicans drawn up across his route, at
Palo Alto. The Americans attacked boldly
and drove off the Mexicans, passing the
night on the battlefield. The artillery had
won tho light and gave this battle its
hero, Maj. Samuel Ringold. Ringold
turned the Mexican left by a bold ad
vance of his battery, and foil with a terri
bly painful wound which proved to be
mortal. When his brother officers-gat h
ered around to offer aid and condolence
he said, "Leave me alone, you are wanted
forward."
IJu Palo Alto did uotdecide he
struggle,
for the Mexicans simply fell back toward
Matamorus, and took up one of the strong
est positions that can he conceived of for
the purpose in view to dispute the passage
of the road. The Mexicans had fresh
troops, and thus every advantage was w'tli
tla-m. Their line was drawn up behind a
ratine sixty yards wide, and curved con
cave toward the American approach. I he
road crossed the ravine near the center,
and wits exposed to un enfilading and a
cross lire from Mexican Imtteries. A thick
and almost imj enet rable chaparral cov
ered the ground on Loth sides of the road,
and upon every opening through the thicket
the enemy's eanuon were trained.
The sound of heavy tiling at Mntamoras,
only three miles distant, where 300 Ameri
cans momentarily expecting succor were
behind uitreachmeuts heading a large force
at bay, showed Taylor that there v.as no
time to »}arc! if he wished to save bis posi
tion at that point. A hundred picked men
under Capt. McC'all were
advanced through
the chaparral to draw tho Mexican fin?.
The American cavalry consisted of two
squadrons dragoons under Capt. May
as chief. Owing to the nature of tho coun
try, the thicket, grown up with cacti
bushes that had Us bo hewn away with
•words before the horses could pass, and
the fact that the enemy had strong bodies
of luucers to o[,erate wh .rever the ground
was favorable, this little body of mounted
men had been used as escort and for recon
naissance thus far in the campaign. Twice
('apt. May had taken his command post
haste between the American lines opposite
Matamoras and Point Isabel, rendering
valiant service. At Palo Alto the dragoous
supported tho artillery, and now at Itosaca
de la Pal ma took position well to the
front for similar service.
As soon aa JilcC'all's advance had drawn
the Merican fire Taylor moved up hi* ar
tiller/, which had done such execution
the day liefore, but the formation of t.ne
enemy's line did not admit
1
A THRILLING EXPLOIT AT RE3ACA
DE LA PALMA.
'•Taylor'* Men, Fighting Ilravely but Out
numbered, f*ived by a Forlorn Hope.
A Cavalry Charge Forward and Rack,
llrilliant Daring at the Cannon'sMouth.
[Cop i ight by American Press Association.
vs^' APT. CHAIILES
MAY'S caval
s ry charge on the
»Mexican batteries
W'"'
at
if
Sri-%
w
i
i
de la
y%"Y S''/ Palm a holds a con
spicuous place
nmont?
deeds of
Kl/ "'1 /'i\ daring. It was not
a
^'raiul
-J*'.
ty
R'iuTi'
C' movement, but
-Vf v)
was l,oru of 11
cri"
Yt-v.') sis, was thought
''j£y of in a twinkling
a n e e u e w i
i* sudden dash. Yet
& Wil/f-'r
of
raking
then in masses, as had hei-n done on the
field of Palo Alto the day before. The
Mexican infantry was strung out iu
fro
of and behind the ravine. Those iu front
of the ravins were assailed by the Amen
cans as 1-iipidJy as they could get to them
through tlK- dense thicket, and Ta\ lor's
injunction to depend upon the bayonet i
was Zealouslv Tl'.' Mexicans
1
at .Vet/., to Frossard. I
When the re enforcements from the Sev-
1
euth and Fighth German corps arrived 011
the field to sup!«)iL Kamecke, the com
niandcr of the Seventh corps marie a for
inal attempt to carry thin prjsition, but
failed. Afterward fresh German t.-oops
Were put in and the left flank of the French i
wa±, forced Imck about the time the storm
ing columns were established on Spi
chereii Height*. The (icrmans lost 4,800
men killed aud wounded, and the French
had also a severe less. The battle was
won by German valor and stubbornness 1
aud the fortunate ci
nil instance that the 1
only available supports, and those totally
unexpected, came up unbidden jutit as
Kamecke had made a lodgment 011 the
Lei h:-. GKOUOK L. KlL&n:u
-5-^
DOT.I) ON, CHARI.IK."
were literally forced back inch by im li. for
they ga\e ground slowly, bv the pressure
of the cold steel. The Mexicans hud one
section of a battery in advance of the ravine
sweeping the road, and here there was des
perate fighting bet ween the American in
fa£t-ry and the Mexican supports. Rio
gold's American battery, now led by
Lieut. Kidgely, was opposite these Mex
ican guns, and, rcpeatirg the tactics of
his fallen leader, Ridgely worked his way
forward piece by piece, 1 imbei itig up and
advancing one, while another in position
fired as a cover for the movement,.
In an interval when Itidgely had but
one gun in action u body of Mexican lan
cere swooped down the road, threatening
todestroy the battery. The single gun had a
shell in it intended for the Mexican artillery
far up the road, but a load of canister was
quickly rammed in on top of it. and he ven
turesome Mexican horsemen were annihi
lated. At this time Capt. May was well up
to the front supporting Uidglcy's guns.
Taylor was near, also, as w:is his custom
to be where the need w is greatest. It wn.s
here that he remarked to a friend who
warned him that he was exposing his per
son too much in the heavy lire then raging,
"Let us ride a little nearer ami the
balls will fall behind us." It W LS evident,
notwithstanding the hard fighting of he
Americans, that the battle wits going
against them. The Mexicans had eight can
non well posted,whileTaylor bad only those
under Kidgely that could reply to them, and
these were much exposed. Taylor's in
faotry pressed up to the ravine rt. points
on the right and left of the road, but could
make no headway at he place where M-e
road crossed, for here tl.e Mexican ns
literally cooilied the surface of the uroio. i
with grape and canister. Hi Igel)'s spe n
did firing had at last driven buck the ad
vance Mexican guns, and their artillery,
wns massed in and liehiud the pass over
the ravine. Taylordetermined to havet.ho-e
batteries carried at any cost, and ordi n 1
May to charge with his dragoons.
It was a most desperate piece of work,
and such as is usually assigned to volun
teers. Some accounts of he nlfair have it
that the daring cavalryman sought the
honor, riding from his position near Ridge
ly's pieces to the general and asking if lie
should charge the guns on the opposite
side of the ravine. The reply ouoted from
old "Rough and Ready" is, "Charge, cap
tain, nolens volens." But in his report
Taylor states as follows: "Perceiving that
no decisive advantage could be gained until
the artillery was silenced I ordered ('apt.
May to charge tho batteries with his
squad
ron of dragoons."
It is highly probable that on receipt of
this order by haudsof an aide-de-camp May
rode back for definite instructions, wishing
to know if Taylor really meant to send a
pitiful squadron along a narrow roadway
lined with the enemy's infantry aud swept
with artillery fire to charge several cannon
in position in fact, to attack the Mexi
can stronghold. The Mexican general who
directed the artillery. Gen. Ijh V.'g i, is re
ported to have said that "if I had had any
sum of money in camp I would have con
sidered i? assafetis if at the City of Mexico
I would have bet any amount that no 10.000
men could have driven us."
Such W.-LS he confidence of the Mexicans
in their position and their superiority of
numbers, and up to the decisive moment
when May charged, the U-Jiof was well
founded. May's unexcelled daring and
the forethought and courage of Lieut.
Ridgely in this cri.-.is made up for all the
inequalities of the situation. When
May returned to Ridgely's position and
reported Taylor's ultimatum tho latter
had his guns shifted and masked, and he
exclaimed to his comrade, who came on at
the head of his devoted baud, "Hold on.
r/A,.
i'onsolidiilcd April 11, ly?)
rush arm xo numerous the enemy that
the whole squ.-wlron swept on past the
gifus and were momentarily swallowed up
in the tide of excited men that rallied ti
the defense of their pieces like bees around
heir stolen treasure.
May's lieutenant, Inge, had fallen, and
many of the saddles of the dragoons were
empty, but the gaihint leader would not
yield his purpose, (lathering a handful
around him he reformed and faced about
in he guns he had ridden past .and charged
again, sabering gunners right and left. A
regiivnt of American infantry had fol
lowed May's path along the road into th*
pass,
and the .Me.vic.-tas, n*coveret|. partially
'I mi their MtrprUe at the whirlwind tear
by, were at the guns again -eiidy to
ei'i\e 'die
seo el
attack with murderous
barges of grap*. (Jen. La Vega, bravely
-Mnding his gn und, had his hand on a
.-uiyard in he r.ct of firing on May's tap
prts, wh: M.iv i'''eon to him, forceil
»i: in to-dr.-p roe la. ml ami give up hh»
.word.
Followed by a mob if iuftiriav«d Mexi
cans May hewed his way toward the Ameri
can re enforcements, leaving he guns
again
to their owners, bit'.dragging Gen. La Vega
along to aptnity iw a trophy of his gallant
deed. But his exploit and the loss ol their
load«r had dumiounded th* Mexican ar
tillerymen. The onrushiug infantry of
Taylor quickly seized the pieces stid drove
off tJievr defeid"r» Behind the b.-t$t«Tio»
the Mexican fi oops- were preparing shelf
night viiufw, cor.kiug and arranging their
bivouacs, and the Americans charg'id
them on a ruiv with deafening horrahrr,
routing the eoUv« army The pursuit con
tinued until the Mexican guns at MatHr
Uioras were reached, and the routed- sol
diers driven into the river.
Taylor's intrenchmeut* at Matamoras
were found intact, but bad sustained a
heavy bombardment, and the command
ant, Maj. Brown, was prostrate with
mortal wound. Relief had come in "nick
o' time."
Capt. May was the grandson of one of tHe
party that tossed the English tea into Bow
ton harbor. He was commissioned in the
Second Dragoous at 1M years of age. cap
tured King Philip iu the Seminole war,
and when he made this daring charge wax
29 years old. Resaca tie la Palrna gave hint
the brevet of lieutenant colonel.
Giiouui L. KILMER.
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MAT'S Kirrt'UN- CMAW?K.
Charlie, till 1 draw their fire.*' Ridgely
fired and soon came thw reply from th«
whole Mcxioan array, and the gallant
horsemen «p:.-d !ik.» lightning down to the
raviuo, in iu:i! r.-t-oss, leaping tho enemy's
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their guo.i to sueo- the onslaught. The
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at
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q/
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J. KNKY SCHAFBR,
Proprietor of the
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All kinds of
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ho choicest quality to bejohtained, alw*j»
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I i^Cash jiaid tor hidet.
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