through both legs, carrying away the flesh and integuments, lingered until the 11th; when, with great composure, he closed a life which had been faithfully devoted to his country.

About sunrise General Taylor formed his troops in line of battle, and marched forward to meet the enemy; but the dragoons and Captain Walker's men, who were in advance, reported the chaparral free, and the enemy rapidly retiring along the road, upon which the general halted his army.

The commanding-general now rode back to the train, for the purpose of despatching his first bulletin, which had been prepared the preceding night. While here, an unfortunate occurrence took place. Lieutenant Blake, of the Topographical Engineers, whom we have mentioned as making the bold reconnoissance of the enemy's line, accidentally shot himself. On entering the tent in which General Taylor was sitting, he threw down his holsters, when the cap of one of his pistols exploded, discharging the contents into his body.

The despatch of General Taylor was brief and unpretending. In a subsequent communication he dwelt upon the details of the fight.

"HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION,
Camp at Palo Alto, Texas, May 9, 1846.

"SIR: I have the honour to report that I was met near this place yesterday, on my march from Point Isabel, by the Mexican forces, and after an action of about five hours, dislodged them from their position and encamped upon the field. Our artillery, consisting of two 18-pounders and two light batteries, was the arm chiefly engaged, and to the excellent manner in which it was manœuvred and served is our success mainly due.

"The strength of the enemy is believed to have been about 6000 men, with seven pieces of artillery, and 800 cavalry. His loss is probably at least one hundred killed. Our strength did not exceed, all told, twenty-three hundred, while our loss was

comparatively trifling-four men killed, three officers and thirtyseven men wounded, several of the latter mortally. I regret to say that Major Ringgold, 2d artillery, and Captain Page, 4th infantry, are severely wounded. Lieutenant Luther, 2d artillery, slightly so.

"The enemy has fallen back, and it is believed, has repassed the river. I have advanced parties now thrown forward in his direction, and shall move the main body immediately.

"In the haste of this report, I can only say that the officers and men behaved in the most admirable manner throughout the action. I shall have the pleasure of making a more detailed report when those of the different commanders shall be received.

"I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Z. TAYLOR,

Brevet Brig. Gen. U. S. A., commanding.

The Adjutant-General of the Army, Washington, D. C."

In striking contrast with this plain statement is the account of the vanquished Arista, addressed to the Mexican Minister of War and Marine, and dated, "In sight of the enemy, May 8." Though in sight of the enemy, the Mexican commander was at the time in retreat. This omission, however, is of little moment, when we consider the many misstatements of his despatch.

"Constant in my purpose of preventing General Taylor from uniting the forces which he brought from the Fronton of Santa Isabel, with those which he left opposite Matamoros, I moved this day from the Fanques del Raminero, whence I despatched my last extraordinary courier, and took the direction of Palo Alto, as soon as my spies informed me that the enemy had left Fronton, with the determination of introducing into his fort wagons loaded with provisions and heavy artillery.

"I arrived opposite Palo Alto about one o'clock, and observed that the enemy was entering that position.

"With all my forces, I established the line of battle in a great plain, my right resting upon an elevation, and my left on a slough of difficult passage.

"Scarcely was the first cannon fired, when there arrived General D. Pedro de Ampudia, second in command, whom I had ordered to join me after having covered the points which might serve to besiege the enemy in the forts opposite Matamoros.

"The forces under my orders amounted to three thousand men, and twelve pieces of artillery; those of the invaders were three thousand, rather less than more, and were superior in artillery, since they had twenty pieces of the calibre of sixteen and eighteen pounds.

"The battle commenced so ardently, that the fire of cannon did not cease a single moment. In the course of it, the enemy wished to follow the road to Matamoros, to raise the siege of his troops; with which object he fired the grass, and formed in front of his line of battle a smoke so thick, that he succeeded in covering himself from our view, but by means of manœuvres this was twice embarrassed.

"General Taylor maintained his attack rather defensively than offensively, employing his best arm, which is artillery, protected by half of the infantry, and all of his cavalry, keeping the remainder fortified in the ravine, about two thousand yards from the field of battle.

"I was anxious for the charge, because the fire of cannon did much damage in our ranks; and I instructed General D. Anastasio Torrejon to execute it with the greater part of the cavalry, by our left flank, with some columns of infantry, and the remainder of the cavalry.

"I was waiting the moment when that general should execute the charge, and the effect of it should begin to be seen, in order to give the impulse on the right; but he was checked by a fire of the enemy, which defended a slough that embarrassed the attack.

"Some battalions, becoming impatient by the loss which they suffered, fell into disorder, demanding to advance or fall back. I immediately caused them to charge with a column of cavalry, under the command of Colonel D. Cayetano Montero; the result of this operation being that the dispersed corps repaired their fault as far as possible, marching towards the enemy, who, in consequence of his distance, was enabled to fall back upon his reserve; and night coming on, the battle was concluded, the field remaining for our arms.

"Every suitable measure was then adopted, and the division took up a more concentrated curve in the same scene of action.

"The combat was long and bloody, which may be estimated from the calculations made by the commandant-general of artillery, General D. Thomas Requena, who assures me that the enemy threw about three thousand cannon-shots from two in the afternoon, when the battle commenced, until seven at night, when it terminated, — six hundred and fifty being fired on our side.

"The national arms shone forth, since they did not yield a hand's-breadth of ground, notwithstanding the superiority in artillery of the enemy, who suffered much damage.

"Our troops have to lament the loss of two hundred and fiftytwo men dispersed, wounded, and killed, -the last worthy of national recollection and gratitude for the intrepidity with which they died fighting for the most sacred of causes.

"Will your Excellency please with his note to report to his Excellency the President, representing to him that I will take care to give a circumstantial account of this deed of arms; and recommending to him the good conduct of all the generals, chiefs, officers and soldiers under my orders, for sustaining so bloody a combat, which does honour to our arms, and exhibits their discipline."