The Humors of Falconbridge: A Collection of Humorous and Every Day ScenesFalconbridge
General
The Humors of Falconbridge: A Collection of Humorous and Every Day Scenes
Falconbridge
American wit and humor
Gen. Lane, after the landing and organization of his troops at Vera
Cruz, with some 2500 men, started for Puebla, where it was understood
that Col. Childs required reinforcement. Lane left Jalapa on the 1st of
October, and hurried forward with Lally's command. At Perote, Lane
learned that Santa Anna would throw himself upon his muscle, and give
the advancing columns jessy at the pass of Pinal, and there was every
prospect of a very tight time. Col. Wynkoop was in command at Perote;
the men were anxious to be "in" at the fight in prospective, and Wynkoop
obtained permission to join the General with four companies of the
Pennsylvania Regiment; a small battery of the 3d Artillery, under
command of Capt. Taylor, with Capts. Walker, of the Texan Rangers, and
Lewis, of the Louisiana Cavalry. The column was now swelled to some
2800. They moved rapidly forward, and upon reaching Tamaris, Lane heard
that the old fox was off--Santa Anna had gone to Huamantla. Lane
determined to hunt him up with haste. The main force was left at
Tamaris. Troops were forwarded--advanced by Walker's Rangers and Lewis's
Cavalry--who approached to within sight, or nearly so, of Huamantla. The
orders to Walker were to advance to the town, and if the Mexicans were
in force, to wait for the Infantry to come up. Walker's command rated
about 200 men. Upon reaching the outskirts of Huamantla, the Mexican
Cavalry were seen dashing forward into the town, and the brave Walker
ordered a pursuit.
Santa Anna was evidently in the town. Capt. Walker, says his gallant
comrade Lewis, made up his mind to be the captor of the wily old chief.
The fair prospect of accomplishing the deed so excited Walker, that
danger and death were alike secondary considerations, and so the command
charged into the town. Some 500 lancers met the charge, but with
terrific impetuosity the Rangers and Cavalry dashed in among them,
cutting them down right and left, and soon sent them flying in all
directions! It was at this moment, says Capt. Lewis, that one of the
most heroic acts of bravery was performed, unsurpassed, perhaps, by any
act of personal daring during the whole war! A tremendous negro, a fine,
manly fellow, named Dave, belonging to Capt. Walker, with whom he was
brought up--boys together--being mounted, and armed with a heavy sabre,
dashed forward down a narrow street, (up which, a detached body of
lancers were striving to escape,) and throwing himself between three
poised lances and the person of Dr. Lamar, one of the surgeons, who
would have been most inevitably torn to atoms, Dave raised himself in
his saddle, and with a yell, and one fell swoop, the heroic fellow
"chopped down" a lancer, clean and clear to his saddle! Two lancers
pierced Dave's body, and he fell from his horse, dead!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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