BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 209 "HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, } "SIR: In reply to your note of this date, summoning me to surrender my forces at discretion, I beg leave to say that I decline acceding to your request. "With high respect, I am, sir, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Major-Gen. U. S. A. commanding. Senor Gen. D. ANTONIO LOPEZ DE SANTA ANNA, Soon after this the whole Mexican army had come up, and was arranged as follows: On the second ridge, in front of the American army, the enemy stationed the first and second divisions of infantry, one behind the other. On the right of this, upon a higher point, was stationed a battery of 16-pounders, supported by the regiment of engineers. Upon their left, and near the road, were two other batteries of 12 and 8-pounders and a large howitzer. In rear of the two wings was the cavalry; in rear of the centre was the head-quarters of Santa Anna, and the regiment of hussars, his body-guard. In the rear of all was the general park, protected by the brigade of General Andrade. The first movement of the enemy was an attempt to get possession of one or two gradual slopes of the mountain upon the left of the plateau, occupied by the American reserve. To check this, Colonel Marshall was sent up the other slope with a battalion from the Indiana brigade under Major Gorman, and a portion of the Arkansas and Kentucky volunteers, dismounted. While these hostile bodies approached each other, both with the design of outflanking, General Taylor sent Captain Bragg's battery and the 2d Kentucky regiment of volunteers under Colonel McKee, to occupy the slope of the eminence on the right of Washington's battery at Angostura, and a little in advance of it, for the purpose of checking a demonstration made upon the enemy's left. Three pieces of artillery had also been detached by Captain Washington up to the left of the plateau and placed under Lieutenant O'Brien, who was supported by the 2d Indiana regiment. These dispositions being made, the Americans calmly awaited the attack of the enemy. The signal for the opening strife was given at three o'clock by a shell from the enemy's howitzer, and soon after the light division under Ampudia was hotly engaged with the American riflemen. The former fired with rapidity and in continuous vollies; the latter with cool deliberation and terrible effect, while they sheltered themselves from the fire of the enemy behind the crest of the ridge, which they occupied. This and an occasional cannonade directed at our troops on the plateau, comprised the action of the 22d, which was suspended about dark by a signal shell thrown into the air by the enemy. The American loss was but four men wounded, while that of the enemy in killed and wounded was over three hundred; so deadly was the aim of the American rifle! * During the day, the 1st regiment of Illinois volunteers had formed a parapet along its front, and, directed by the engineers, had dug a ditch, and thrown up an epaulement with a traverse, before Washington's battery at Angostura, to occupy which Colonel Hardin detached a supporting force of two companies of his regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Weatherford. At sunset, General Taylor left General Wool in command of the forces, and proceeded to Saltillo, with May's dragoons and the Mississippi regiment, to complete arrangements for its defence, and prepare for the reception of his wounded after the main attack by Santa Anna, expected on the morrow. The defences were arranged as follows: Two companies of the 1st Illinois volunteers, * Santa Anna's account. BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 211 under Captains Morgan and Prentiss, and two companies of the 2d Illinois volunteers, under Captains Hacker and Wheeler, the whole commanded by Major Warren, occupied the town. The field-work commanding its approaches was garrisoned by Captain Webster's company, 1st artillery, with two 24-pound howitzers; while the train and head-quarters camp was defended by a 6-pounder from Bragg's battery under Lieutenant Shover, supported by two companies of Mississippi riflemen under Captain Rogers. After the close of the battle, Santa Anna made a spirited address to his troops, which was received with enthusiastic cries, distinctly heard in the American lines. After this the band of the Mexican chief struck up, and strains of surpassing sweetness floated down the mountain sides, and died away in faint echoes along the narrow gorge. Silence and darkness now succeeded, and amid the gloom, the troops in general sank down to slumber on their arms, without covering and without fires, exposed to the chill night-winds and occasional gusts of rain; but on the mountains, where the cold was extreme, the light troops of both armies gathered the trunks of dwarfish trees, and the stalks of shrubs, and kindled fires, around which they gathered in shivering groups during the night. 29 CHAPTER XIII. Action of the 23d-Commencement on the American left-Enemy's Columns of Attack-Advance of Lombardini's and Pachecho's Divisions-O'Brien, with his Artillery and 2d Indiana Regiment, ordered to repulse them-Retreat of the 2d Indiana Regiment-American Reserve ordered up-Second Column of Attack repulsed at Angostura-Troops on the Plateau reinforced by Artillery and Infantry-Arrival of General Taylor on the Field-Confidence restored-The gallant Mississippi Regiment-The Enemy driven back on the American left-The contest on the Plateau-Movement of the Cavalry on the Enemy's right checkedBatteries of Sherman and Bragg-Baggage-train threatened by Cavalry-Dangerous Position of the Enemy's Cavalry-Ruse of Santa Anna - Mexican Reserve ordered up-Terrible Service of O'Brien's Artillery-Slaughter of the Illinois and Kentucky Regiments-Deaths of Colonels Hardin, McKee, and Clay -Washington's Battery-Gallantry of Lieutenant O'Brien-Repulse of Minon's Cavalry-Close of the Battle-American and Mexican Losses. Ar two o'clock on the morning of the 23d, the advanced pickets of the American army were driven in by those of Ampudia, whose light division was reinforced towards day-break by two thousand men from the divisions of Lombardini and Pachecho, with the view of gaining the American left and rear upon the mountains. Here the action commenced at dawn on the 23d, and was maintained with great spirit by Colonel Marshall's command, holding themselves under cover, and contending against nearly eight to one, until reinforced by Major Trail, 2d Illinois volunteers, with three companies of riflemen, including Captain Conner's Texas volunteers. About sunrise, Lieutenant O'Brien, who was stationed at the upper edge of the plateau with a 12-pound howitzer, and two guns-one a 6-pounder, the other a 4-pounder-came to their aid, and advancing his howitzer, threw with great accuracy and terrible effect six or eight shells among the troops of Ampudia, now pouring down the |