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the serried ranks, while the artillery kept wheeled on his steed and said to his followthundering on with such rapid and ceaseless ers-" Men, we must take that battery!" In explosions that, as the Mexican prisoners af- a moment those eighty-two stern riders were terward said, they thought we had fifty in- moving in a dark mass along the road, headstead of eight cannon. Shells and shot drove ed by their fearless commander. The next so like a storm of sleet in their faces, that the moment the bugles sounded the charge, and officers vainly endeavored to throw the entire the black and driving mass swept like a thunarmy forward in a desperate charge on our der-cloud to the shock. A cloud of dust markguns, but so certain and biting was the fire, ed their progress as they rode sternly and that they could not be induced to move a fiercely on. The attention of nearly the whole step, and fell in their tracks. On the right, army was directed to this desperate charge; our men, advancing through the chapporal, and you could hear their muffled tread as had outflanked the enemy, and were pouring they broke into a gallop and tore forward up in their well-directed volleys, while on the to the very muzzles of the guns. Two rods left, the incessant flash of musketry, drown- in advance was seen the commanding form of ed now and then by the roar of cannon May, as, mounted on his powerful charger, and shouts of the men, told how fierce was he rode fiercely on, with his long hair streamthe conflict. Our troops were steadily gain- ing in the wind, while behind shook the glitSing ground, but the murderous battery in the tering sabres of his followers. One discharge center of the road continued to vomit forth tore through them, stretching nearly a third death, and was worked with coolness and of his company and half of his horses on the Sheld with a tenacity that perfectly maddened ground, but when the smoke lifted, there was our men. Gen. Taylor was within its range, still seen the war-horse of May leaping the and when expostulated with for exposing ditch, breastwork and all, pressed closely af himself so openly, refused to move out of ter by his remaining followers, riding down danger except by moving forward. The regi- the artillery-men at their pieces, and passing ments got confused in the chapporal some-straight through the Mexican lines. A wild what, but fought just as well; and though the hurrah went up from our entire army as they (Infantry held their firm array, they seemed to saw those fierce dragoons clear the breastSfight in groups, each one directing its ener- work. The 5th and 8th Infantry followed gies on a single point. The battery of the close after, charging at a run along the road, gallant Ridgely kept steadily advancing like and swept over the breastwork just after the Sa moving volcano, and hurled such a storm dragoons were compelled to leave it, and took Sof iron on the guns that swept the road, that possession of the guns. Lieut. Duncan then the Infantry which protected them fell at took command of the advance, and soon every discharge like grass before the scythe. cleared the road with his deadly artillery, At length a body of lancers came charging while the Infantry, packed now in the nar furiously along the road, and rode up to the row road, with chapporal on each side. went very muzzle of his guns. Scattering them pouring onward with furious shouts, driving Slike a whirlwind with a discharge from one the enemy before them. The battle then beSof his pieces, he dashed in person among four came a rout, and rolled furiously toward the Sthat still kept hurrying on, and drove them river, whither the affrighted Mexicans were before him. flying to escape to Matamoros. The cavalry

"The Infantry fought with unparalleled first went galloping like a crowd of fugitives bravery, led on by as brave officers as ever to the ferry, while the Infantry, forced from trod a battle-field. Indeed, every officer seem- the chapporal at the point of the bayonet, foled to think it necessary he should show an lowed after.

example of daring to his men, while every "Ah! you should have heard the shouts) soldier fought as if he would outdo his leader that then arose from the little garrison of Fort (in heroic acts. Sometimes a few men, head- Brown. They had stood and listened, as the ed by an officer, would charge a gun and fight sound of the heavy cannonading of the first Slike desperadoes around it. In one instance, day's fight came riding by on the evening a soldier leaped astride of a piece he had air-filled with the deepest anxiety as to the captured, and boldly defended himself while issue-for on the success of the army rested his companions dragged him away with the their own fate. It was with inexpressible joy prize. From the outset our army steadily they heard, next day at noon, the Artillery advanced on every side, except along the again opened, and almost within sight of the road where the central battery kept playing. ramparts. All the morning the guns of the At length, goaded to madness by the galling enemy had been playing upon their intrenchfire kept up from these few pieces, and see-ments, and when at last the fierce firing be(ing that the whole battle rested there, Gen. gan in the distance, and the smoke of battle Taylor ordered Capt. May to chage the bat-rose over the tree-tops, telling them that their Stery with his dragoons. His words were, companions were advancing to their relief, "You must take it." The gallant May the excitement became intense. But the

cannonading advanced steadily nearer, and Churchill, and Inge, and Indon, and McInthe rapid volleys of musketry every moment tosh, and Chadbourne, and Cochrane, and grew clearer, saying in accents more thrilling Walker, and Browne, and last, though not than language, that our brave troops were least, Ringgold, and a host of others. Green victorious. be the grass over the fallen, and ever green

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"At length, when the cavalry, plunging the laurels that twine the brows of the livwildly over the plain, emerged into view, ing. Noble men! Ye who sleep are not they mounted the ramparts, and under the dead-the brave and patriotic never dieSfolds of their flag, that still floated proudly in they live in the hearts of their countrymen. the breeze, sent up a huzza that was heard Not a recreant son was found on those battleeven in Matamoros-the shout of victory. fields; and all honor ought to be paid to our That was a joyful meeting, when our little army, every man of which was a hero. wearied but victorious army, amid loud huz- With such soldiers we can never be conzas, marched again into Fort Brown, and in-quered, nor our arms disgraced. Palo Alto to the arms of their brave companions. Three and Resaca de la Palma will be bright pages thousand five hundred shots had been fired in the biography of Gen. Taylor. All honor, Sinto that single fort, and yet but two men had we say, then, to our army and its officers. been killed. We toast the men, but not the cause; and

Gen. Taylor's victory was complete. The while a curse rests on our Capitol, a circle of Mexicans lost their whole Artillery-2,000 light surrounds our Army of Occupation. stand of arms, 600 mules, together with Gen. Our army has won enduring renown, but our Arista's private papers, and Gen. Vega him- Government enduring disgrace." self, whom May made prisoner in his desperate As may well be supposed, the Mexicans charge on and over the battery. Our loss in were panic-stricken, and fled in every direckilled, wounded and missing, in these two bat- tion. In their haste to escape our bayonets tles, was not far from 170; that of the enemy and bullets, many rushed to the Rio Grande, Sunknown-but it could not be much short of and in attempting to swim that stream, found $1,200. The battle of the 9th was much the a watery grave.

more severe, as is evident from the greater After the Battle of La Resaca de la Palma, or Smortality that attended it-our loss being the Palm Ravine, the right wing of our Army nearly double that of the day before. Gen. remained on the ground two days, occupied Taylor had thrown up hasty intrenchments in burying the dead and securing the trophies around his train, which had been left on the of the engagement. Among Gen. Arista's papfirst battle-field, guarded by four hundred ers were found his official correspondence with (men; so that he brought but about 1,600 men his Government, full plans of the campaign, into the fight, while the Mexicans, notwith- and instructions authorizing him to send Gen. standing their severe loss, had received such Taylor and his Army, when taken prisoners, Sheavy reinforcements, that they showed a to the city of Mexico; to treat the American Sthousand stronger than in the previous en- Commander and his officers with such attengagement. That the Mexicans fought well tion as become the magnanimity of the great is evident from their heavy loss-nearly one- Mexican nation, &c.

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third of their entire army disappeared from On the 18th of May, Gen. Taylor crossed the ranks before it broke and fled. The great the Rio Grande and took military possession disproportion between the killed and wound- of the City of Matamoros without encountering ed in the two armies was owing entirely to the least opposition. On the previous day, the greater precision of our fire, our soldiers of New-York, deeply impressed with the import(having hit or killed each his man. ance of the services rendered by Capt. JAMES DUN"The charge of May was one of the most CAN, of the United States Army, at the late Battle gallant deeds among the hundreds performed of Palo Alto on the Rio Grande, and entertaining a high respect for his character as a gentleman, and in these fierce-fought battles, and decided the his skill and bravery as an officer, do present to him victory. Had he not succeeded, we should a sword, and that the sum of Two Hundred dollars doubtless have gained the day; for from the be and the same hereby is appropriated for that purpose." outset, our troops never once fell back or

wavered, but steadily gained ground. The The Resolution was supported by Mr. McElrath conflict, however, wonld have been protract- on the ground that Capt. D. was a native of the ed, and our loss much greater, but for this State of New-York, a graduate of West Point, had successful charge.

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All honor to Gen. Taylor, and May, been long stationed at Governor's Island, near and Page, and Duncan,* and Ridgely, and New-York City, was well-known and highly es* In the Common Council of the City of New teemed, and was truly a gallant officer. York, the following Resolution was offered by Mr. McElrath :

The Resolution was carried, and the sword will be presented whenever Capt. D. returns to New

"Resolved, That the Common Council of the City York.

as Gen. Taylor was preparing to cross and though it seems to be concentrating mostly at attack the city, a parley was sounded, and a Camargo, a Mexican town of about 3,000 inmessage received from the Mexican General, habitants, situated on the bank of the San proposing an armistice until he could hear from Juan River, three miles from its junction Mexico, expressing the opinion that the bound- with the Rio Grande. This is now Gen. Tayary could now be settled. This Gen. Taylor lor's Head Quarters, and is designed to be declined. He had proposed an armistice when his principal dépôt. It is understood that he was weak, and it was not accepted. He he is to advance with a large force upon should now dictate terms. The Mexicans then Monterey, a town 210 miles distant from Caproposed to surrender all the Public Property, margo, where the Mexicans are concentrating Ammunition, &c. provided Gen.Taylor would an army of such materials as they have. Here not cross the River; to which he replied that he will probably have to do some more fighthe should cross, that "the City must capitu- ing; possibly he will meet with resistance late. all Public Property, Ammunition, Pro- before reaching Monterey, as there are said 'visions, &c. must be given up, and then the to be defiles on the way which, if taken adArmy might march out and retire." The vantage of, may prove another Thermopyla Mexican Commander returned no reply to to those who attempt to pass. Garrisons will Gen. Taylor's last proposition; but during be left at Point Isabel, Burrita, Matamoros, the night evacuated the City with his Army, Mier. and other places now in our possession. and retired toward Monterey, taking what- While Gen. Taylor is moving toward Monever of munitions and public property he terey, Gen. Kearney, at the head of some could find means of transporting. 5,000 troops, is marching upon Santa Fé, the

Gen. Taylor has deemed it advisable not Capitol of New-Mexico, a town of about 5,000) to interfere with the municipal laws of the inhabitants, situated on the east bank of the Mexican people; and Matamoros, as well as Rio Grande, 1,000 miles from its mouth. Gen.) Camargo and other small towns in the vicini- K. will most likely take the town with little ty, which tendered their submission on the if any resistance-possibly he is even now in departure of the Mexican Army, looks as un- possession of it.

like a captured town as it well could. The Vera Cruz has been under a blockade ever people enjoy all the privileges, religious and since the 18th of May, and at the latest acotherwise, they have ever enjoyed, sell their counts our whole squadron under Com. Conproducts for cash at high prices, and buy ner, with the exception of the St. Mary's, their goods cheaper than ever; yet the mass [which is employed in blockading Tamof them cherish an implacable hatred of the pico,] was off Vera Cruz. This blockade, invaders. however, is of very little importance, as AlOn the 11th of May, after hearing of the first varado, Tobasco, and three or four other ports outbreaks on the Rio Grande, the President on the Gulf, are open to the ingress of foreign sent a special message to Congress, announc-vessels, and to the coasting trade. ing that a state of War existed between this On the 8th of June, the St. Mary's made an country and Mexico. The Message recom-attack on Tampico, but it did not amount to mended that the War be recognized by Con- anything in particular. On the 7th of August, gress, that the President be authorized to call Commodore Conner attacked Alvarado with a large body of Volunteers into the service of a view to the destruction of the Mexican the United States, and that liberal provision Navy stationed there; but the project was be made for supplies, &c. The President's abandoned after the firing had commenced. wishes were complied with. Congress re- Monterey, a seaport in California on the (cognized the existence of the War which he Pacific, (and quite another place from the had made; authorized the reception of 50,000 Monterey to which Gen. Taylor is bound,) Volunteers, about one-half to be immediately was taken possession of by Com. Sloat, commustered into the service, and the balance mander of the Pacific Squadron, on the 6th) kept as a reserve, and voted an appropria- of July. A few days previously, a detachment tion of $10,000,000 to commence operations from Col. Fremont's force took possession of with. The call for Volunteers was promptly a frontier post called Sonora, to the north of responded to, and the Government soon San Francisco. Gen. Castro made an attempt found that it would be under the necessity of to dislodge them, but retreated after a slight declining the services of thousands who were skirmish. anxious to enter the service.

While we are pushing the War in all diGen. Taylor has now some 20,000 troops un-rections, our Government has sent a messender his command, about 5,000 of whom are Re-ger to Mexico with overtures of Peace. gulars, and the balance Volunteers, who have Meanwhile, the expatriated chief (and only) enlisted for one year or during the War. This hero) of Mexico, Santa Ana, and his friends, Army is so dispersed in different encamp- have returned to that country, and are now ments. and so much on the move, that it would unquestionably in possession of the reins of be difficult to state its precise whereabouts, Government. What effect Santa Ana's

restoration to power will have on the pros-[1824 to be reëstablished under the guaranty pects of an amicable settlement of our difficul- of the United States; so that, in case of future ties, it is impossible to tell, though the general pronunciamentos, the United States Governimpression is that it will be favorable. In- ment shall have a right to interfere in supdeed, a letter from Havana asserts on res-port of the Constitutional Government. The (pectable authority that previous to Santa Rio Grande to be the boundary line, and the Ana's departure from Havana, an agree- Californias to be organized as a distinct ment had been entered into between that Territory, under the protection of the United) Schieftain and certain British and American States, but not governed by Americans unagents for the settlement of all difficulties be-til the inhabitants shall think fit to annex tween Mexico and the United States The themselves, to favor which purpose the counarrangement is said, in the correspondent's try will be allowed to carry on a free trade own language, to be as follows: with both Republics, and admit colonists from

The Mexican Federal Government of all countries, and of all religions and creeds.'

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BY HON. MRS. NORTON.

A SOLDIER of the Legion lay dying in Algiers,

There was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth of woman's tears; But a comrade stood beside him, while his life-blood ebbed away,

And bent, with pitying glances, to hear what he might say.

The dying soldier faltered as he took that comrade's hand,

And he said, "I never more shall see my own, my native land;
Take a message, and a token, to some distant friends of mine,
For I was born at Bingen,-at Bingen on the Rhine.

Tell my brothers and companions, when they meet and crowd around,
To hear my mournful story, in the pleasant vineyard ground,
That we fought the battle bravely.-and when the day was done,
Full many a corse lay ghastly pale beneath the setting sun.
And midst the dead and dying were some grown old in wars,-
The death-wound on their gallant breasts, the last of many scars;
But some were young,-and suddenly beheld life's morn decline,-
And one had come from Bingen,—fair Bingen on the Rhine!
"Tell my Mother, that her other sons shall comfort her old age,
And I was aye a truant bird, that thought his home a cage:
For my father was a soldier, and even as a child

My heart leaped forth to hear him tell of struggles fierce and wild;
And when he died, and left us to divide his scanty hoard,

I let them take whate'er they would-but kept my father's sword;
And with boyish love I hung it where the bright light used to shine,
On the cottage-wall at Bingen,-calm Bingen on the Rhine.

"Tell my Sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head,
When the troops are marching home again, with glad and gallant tread,
But to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast eye,
For her brother was a soldier, too, and not afraid to die.

And if a comrade seek her love, I ask her in my name

To listen to him kindly, without regret or shame;

And to hang the old sword in its place, (my father's sword and mine,, For the honor of old Bingen,-dear Bingen on the Rhine!

"There's another-not a sister;-in the happy days gone by,

You'd have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye;

Too innocent for coquetry-too fond for idle scorning,

Oh! friend, I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes heaviest mourning! Tell her the last night of my life-(for ere this moon be risen,

My body will be out of pain-my soul be out of prison,)

I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine
On the vine-clad hills of Bingen,-fair Bingen on the Rhine!

'I saw the blue Rhine sweep along-I heard, or seemed to hear,
The German songs we used to sing, in chorus sweet and clear;
And down the pleasant river, and up the slanting hill,
The echoing chorus sounded, through the evening calm and still;
And her glad blue eyes were on me, as we passed with friendly talk,
Down many a path beloved of yore, and well-remembered walk;
And her little hand lay lightly, confidingly in mine,

But we'll meet no more at Bingen,-loved Bingen on the Rhine."
His voice grew faint and hoarser,-his grasp was childish weak,-
His eyes put on a dying look,-he sighed and ceased to speak:
His comrade bent to lift him, but the spark of life had fled,-
The Soldier of the Legion in a foreign land was dead!
And the soft moon rose up slowly, and calmly she looked down
On the red sand of the battle-field, with bloody corpses strown;
Yea, calmly on that dreadful scene her pale light seemed to shine,
As it shone on distant Bingen,-fair Bingen on the Rhine!

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