Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXI, No. 1, July 1847Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXI, No. 1, July 1847
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
extraordinary conflict was 267 killed, and 456 wounded; that of the
enemy was from 1500 to 2000. A distinguished officer present, thus
describes the demeanor of Gen. Taylor during the battle:
“During the day an officer approached our lines with a flag of truce,
and requested to be shown to General Taylor. The brave old man was
sitting quietly on his white charger, with his leg over the pommel of
the saddle, watching the movements of the enemy, when the Mexican
officer was presented. In a very courteous and graceful manner the
officer stated that ‘he had been sent by his excellency General Santa
Anna to his excellency General Taylor, to inquire, in the most
respectful manner, what he (General Taylor) was waiting for?’ From the
silence of General Taylor’s batteries, and the quiet manner in which he
received Santa Anna’s terrific cannonading, the Mexican supposed he was
asking a very proper question; to which, however, old Rough and Ready
gave the very pertinent reply that ‘he was only waiting for General
Santa Anna to surrender.’ The Mexican returned hastily to his lines.
This message proved to be a _ruse_ to ascertain where General Taylor’s
position was, for after the return of the Mexican officer to his own
ranks, the whole Mexican battery seemed to open upon Gen. Taylor’s
position, and the balls flew over and about him like hail. Utterly
indifferent to the perils of his situation, there sat the old chief on
his conspicuous white horse, peering through his spy-glass at the long
lines of Mexican troops that could be seen at a great distance on the
march. The persuasion of his aids could not induce him to abandon his
favorite point of observation, nor to give up his old white horse. To
the suggestions of his staff that ‘old whitey’ was rather too
conspicuous a charger for the commander, he replied, that ‘the old
fellow had missed the fun at Monterey, on account of a sore foot, and he
was determined he should have his share this time.’”
The victory of Buena Vista closed the war in that quarter of Mexico.
Since that period Gen. Taylor has found no enemy willing or able to
encounter him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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