Where is there one whose eyes will not flash when the glorious 20th of August is mentioned; when that little army fought five distinct battles--among them Contreras, San Antonio, Churubusco, San Puebla. Then came the 8th of September, that proud but sorrowful day, when you lost 900 out of 4,000 engaged. Then came Chapultepec, and the crowning event--our flag waving over the National Palace. The cathedraled City of Mexico at our feet; Popocatépetl, with its venerable summit of eternal snows, 18,000 feet above the sea, looks down upon us as it did upon Cortez three hundred years before, only its breezes kiss the folds of the new flag of America in place of the old flag of Castile. These memories are dear to us all, and I can think of no happier way of passing one day in the year than the old veterans meeting together and fighting their battles over again. Now, allow me to turn to what occurred under General Taylor, who commanded the little army of occupation on the northern line of operations. I will only refer to the Battle of Buena Vista, which was a glorious victory, and the last general battle and crowning glory of this brave little army. It will be recollected that General Santa Anna was so certain of a victory that he wrote to General Taylor saying, “you are surrounded by 20,000 men, and cannot in any human probability avoid suffering a rout and being cut to pieces with your troops, but as you deserve consideration and particular esteem, I wish to save you from a catastrophe,” and gave one hour from the arrival of his flag of truce to General Taylor to surrender. Old “rough and ready” did not require all the hour to respond. He wrote his memorable, but brief dispatch, “I decline acceding to your request.” But think of the situation; an army of 20,000 veteran soldiers, Santa Anna at their head, General Alvarez Chief of Cavalry, Lombardine of Infantry, Requena of Artillery, Villarnil of Engineers, with Vasquez, Torrejou, Ampudia, Andrade, Minon, Pacheco, Garcia, Ortega, Mejia, Flores, Gusman, Mora, Romero, and other dashing general officers, and to resist all this less than 5,000 American regulars and volunteers, and of regulars less than 500.