His achievements at Monterey. He was collected, calm, and cool, and bore himself with that proud, resolute and commanding mien, giving his orders with promptness and decision which inspired men and officer alike with confidence. He never appeared better than on that day; and all felt that with WORTH they were sure of victory." OHN E. WOOL was born in Orange county, volunteer corps. He was, soon after, appointed to a captaincy in the 13th infantry. At the battle of Queenstown he bore a conspicuous part. The destruction of the American officers by the terrible fire of the enemy, caused the duty of charging their battery to devolve upon Captain Wool, and it could not have been committed to better hands. Rallied by General Brock, the defeated British advanced to retake the battery, but Captain Wool tearing down with his own hands a white flag raised by one of his men, charged them a second Battle of Plattsburg. time, and defeated them again, with the loss of their brave commander, General Brock. His gallantry won for him the rank of Major, conferred during the campaign of 1813. In this capacity he participated in the battle of Plattsburg, the official account of which, given by General Macomb, contains the following. "The column on the Beekmantown road proceeded most rapidly; the militia skirmished with his advanced parties, and, except a few brave men, fell back most precipitately in the greatest disorder, notwithstanding the British troops did not deign to fire on them, except by their flankers and advanced patroles. The night previous I ordered Major Wool to advance with a detachment of two hundred and fifty men to support the militia, and set them an example of firmness. Also Captain Leonard, of the light artillery, was directed to proceed with two pieces to be on the ground before day, yet he did not make his appearance until eight o'clock, when the enemy had approached within two miles of the village. With his conduct, therefore, I am not well pleased. Major Wool, with his party, disputed the road with great obstinacy, but the militia could not be prevailed upon to stand, notwithstanding the exertions of their general and staff officers; although the fields were divided by strong stone walls, and they were told that the enemy could not possibly cut them off. The state dragoons of New York wear red coats, and they being on the heights to watch the enemy, gave constant alarm to the militia, who mistook them for the enemy, and feared his getting in their rear. Finding the enemy's columns had penetrated within a mile of Plattsburg, I despatched my aid-de-camp, Lieutenant Root, to bring Battle of Plattsburg. off the detachment at Dead Creek, and to inform Lieu tenant Appling that I wished him to fall on the enemy's right flank. The colonel fortunately arrived just in time to save his retreat, and to fall in with the head of a column debouching from the woods. Here he poured in a destructive fire from his riflemen at rest, and continued to annoy the column until he formed a junction with Major Wool. The field-pieces did considerable execution among the enemy's columns. So undaunted, however, was the enemy, that he never deployed in his whole march, always pressing on in column. Finding that every road was full of troops crowding on us on all sides, I ordered the field-pieces to retire across the bridge and form a battery for its protection, and to cover the retreat of the iniantry, which was accordingly done, and the parties of Appling and Wool, as well as that of Sproul, retired alternately, keeping up a brisk fire until they got under cover of the works. The enemy's light troops occupied the houses near the bridge, and kept up a constant firing from the windows and balconies, and annoyed us much. I ordered them to be driven. out with hot shot, which soon put the houses in flames, and obliged these sharp-shooters to retire. The whole day, until it was too late to see, the enemy's light troops endeavoured to drive our guards from the bridge, but they suffered dearly for their perseverance. An attempt was also made to cross the upper bridge, where the militia handsomely drove them back." The conclusion of the official despatch contains a handsome notice of the most distinguished officers, Appling, Wool, Totten, and others. President Madison conferred on Major Wool the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel Marches to Monclova. by brevet; the letter by which he was apprized of the honour stating in complimentary terms that it was for his bravery at Plattsburg. After the close of the war he served in various capacities, gradually rising in his profession, until June, 1841, when he received his commission as brigadier-general. At the beginning of the Mexican war, it was determined to direct an expedition against the provinces of Mexico, and General Wool was selected to command it. The mass of this army was composed of volunteers, mostly commanded by regular officers. He led his command over a long and toilsome march to the city of Monclova, where the governor came out to meet him as a friend, and surrendered the city without a word. Reports of the movement made upon Chihuahua by Colonel Doniphan under the orders of General Kearny, determined General Wool not to advance against that city, and he soon after received orders from General Taylor to capture the city of Parras. He arrived there on the 6th of December, 1846, where the people became so much attached to him that when he left the city to march to Saltillo, the ladies besought him to commit his sick to their care. He did so, and they proved their sincerity by the most anxious and tender nursing. His movements after joining General Taylor have already been recorded. At Buena Vista, the details of the battle were committed to him by General Taylor, and the whole account of the victory shows how fully he justified the confidence of his commander. |