array. The order of battle was formed in Taylor's army as follows: "The right wing, under Col. Twiggs, was composed of the fifth infantry, under Col. McIntosh; Ringgold's artil lery; third infantry, under Capt. Manis; two eighteen pounders, under Lieut. Churchill; fourth infantry, under Major Allen; two squadrons of dragoons under Capts. Kerr and May. The left wing, under Col. Belknap, was formed of a battalion of artillery, under Col. Childs; Duncan's light artillery, and the eighth infantry, under Capt. Montgomery.

In this order the army marched forward to battle. When within seven hundred yards of the Mexican force, its right opened with a tremendous discharge of artillery. "Then," says an able writer, "Gen. Taylor was seen hurrying along his van, deploying it into line, and exhorting the soldiers to be firm. Order was given to return the fire, and immediately all other sounds were drowned in the fearful roar of artillery. Resigning the battle to this terrible engine, the infantry and rifle corps leaned upon their pieces, and watched the opposing columns as they swayed to and fro under the constant fire. At every discharge, whole ranks of the enemy were mowed down, and scores of horses and horsemen flung into one undistinguishable mass."

At length the Mexican infantry began to give way, and Gen. Arista ordered a charge with the cavalry. "Pouring down in two columns, the lancers came towards the American line, with a grace and rapidity peculiar to the Mexicans. But before they reached their object, Ridgley and Ringgold opened the artillery. At the first blast they staggered-again and again with stern energy, the cannon broke forth; huge gaps opened among the horsemen, and scores sunk down beneath the tramp of their companions. Fear succeeded enthusiasm. Every exertion withered before the dreadful prospect around. They turned and fled precipitately, leaving behind them at every step victims to the iron storm that pursued them." The battle now became general, and raged for some time with fearful destruction. Suddenly, from the discharge of the cannon, the grass of the prairie was ignited, which rolled up volumes of smoke and for a while screened the army from view. The

battle ceased, and both armies formed new lines. Two thousand Mexicans attempted a flank movement, but a slight breeze dispersed the smoke, and they were discovered. Capt. Duncan gallantly led his troops against them, and arrested their progress. "The Mexican infantry retired to some neighboring chaparral, but the lancers stood firm before a fire which cut deep gaps into their solid masses." But now the infantry again appeared, and moved slowly in the very face of the storm from which they had previously fled. But their effort was productive only of their ruin. At every step they were mowed down with frightful slaughter, and they were compelled to retreat in confusion. The cavalry soon followed, for it had been literally cut to pieces. As night closed in upon the battlefield of Palo Alto, six hundred Mexicans, dead and wounded, lay upon the ground, while the loss of the Americans was but nine killed and forty-four wounded.

On the following morning, the Mexicans were seen in the distance retreating, and Gen. Taylor, expecting to encounter them again during the day, advanced in battle order. His army proceeded uninterrupted until about three o'clock in the afternoon, when information was brought in that the Mexicans were posted near the road in full force. The position which they had taken was most admirably adapted to defensive action, and, by the Mexicans was called Resaca de la Palma. In this sort of ditch, and amid the dense thicket on its banks, the Mexicans were entrenched, with their artillery in such a position as to sweep the road.

CHAPTER LVIII.

THE BATTLE OF RESACA DE LA PALMA-A DESPERATE STRUGGLEBRAVERY OF THE MEXICANS - THE DEAD AND DYING-GEN. TAYLOR'S VICTORY-MATAMORAS TAKEN-GEN. TAYLOR'S DIFFICULTIES -THE SIEGE OF MONTEREY-THE VICTORY.

THE BATTLE of Resaca de la Palma was opened by the artillery. Ridgley pushed guns to within less than one hundred yards of the Mexicans, and then sent a shower of iron hail against the enemy. At the same time the infantry was coming up, and in a few minutes the rifle corps lent valuable aid to the artillery. And now the struggle was fierce and desperate. The Mexicans seemed determined to conquer, and took no heed to those who were falling thick and fast around them, but sent volley after volley into the American ranks. At length, however, the enemy retreated to a place of security behind a chaparral hedge, and the Americans pushed forward to complete the victory by a charge, but the position was guarded with artillery, and the men who stood by the batteries held out with commendable energy. The effect upon the troops in Gen. Taylor's army was shocking. In this extremity, the general ordered Capt. May to charge them with his dragoons. "May shouted to his men, and the next instant they were dashing headlong down the narrow road towards the cannon's mouth. Pausing till Ridgley drew the enemy's fire, they again drove on, and almost before the eye had time to trace their course, they were within a few yards of the fatal guns. May's horse was far ahead of his troops; and as he turned to wave them on, only the impetuous Inge was near him. Yet that squadron was not faltering. Fast as their steaming steeds could fly, they were hastening on, while the flinty ground rocked and echoed beneath their tread. Suddenly a volley from the higher

battery swept fearfully upon their column, crushing seven men and eight horses to death. But the living paused not. One leap, and May was upon the battery. His men followed, and the Mexicans were driven back. But the heroic La Vega rallied them to the charge, and once more seized their pieces. Thus charge after charge was made until only the Mexican general was left at the guns. Surrounded with piles of dead, grim with powder and smoke, he rallied his troops to duty, and faced his fierce enemies unmoved. In the act of discharging a piece, May ordered him to surrender, and finding further resistance vain, he complied." But the struggle did not end here. The battalion under Tampico, made a charge for the purpose of retaking their artillery, and at the same time the contest raged along the whole line. The Mexicans, from the chaparral hedges, were pouring an effective fire upon the Americans, and in the wild effort to rout the enemy from this position, the artillery ceased. And now the brave soldiers rushed forward to the charge. The fight became desperate, and Americans and Mexicans were mixed in thrilling disorder. The bayonet was freely used, and from this the enemy turned slowly, and stubbornly away. Gen. Arista's camp and headquarters had been taken, but the Tampico battalion still defied the march of the Americans. The brave men in this force held out until they were literally cut down. The standardbearer tore the flag from the staff, and fled, but even this last man was taken prisoner, and his flag carried away by the victors. The retreat of the Mexicans now became general, and the artillery having advanced to the action, it opened upon the fleeing ranks with shocking effect.

Six thousand Mexicans opposed seventeen hundred Americans in this battle, yet after all, so brave and superior were our men that the six thousand were completely routed, and everything in their camp was captured. One thousand Mexicans were killed, while the loss of the Americans did not exceed one hundred.

But who shall describe the scene on this battlefield on the night of the ninth? When darkness gathered over Resaca do la Palma, hundreds of wounded, dying, and dead, pale and stiff,

or howling in the agonies of mortality, lay upon the ground. In the awful struggle and flight hundreds had been crushed down beneath the feet of the confused artillery, and men were writhing in a most horrible condition. But such are the results of war, and such were the results of General Taylor's second victory over the Mexicans.

The American army now returned to the river fort, opposite Matamoras, and thence to Point Isabel, where arrangements were soon completed for an attack upon Matamoras. On the eighteenth he summoned the city to surrender, and received for an answer that he might enter Matamoras without opposition. Gen. Taylor accordingly took possession of the city, and appointed Col. Twiggs to the office of its Military Governor. Gen. Arista, with his army, had retired on the previous night. The small town of Barita, near the mouth of the Rio Grande, was also occupied by the Americans.

But no sooner had Gen. Taylor achieved this victory than he seemed to be visited by a series of troubles. Although he had unfurled the flag of the United States on the left bank of the Rio Grande, yet his forces and military stores were so small that he was obliged to remain inactive during nearly the whole summer. When re-enforcements were sent him, they were entirely without means of transportation, and being inexperienced volunteers, many of them were unfit for important duty. During this inactivity of the Americans, the Mexicans were recruiting their strength for another struggle.

Gen. Taylor was compelled to remain quiet until the fifth of September, when, with a large army, he marched for the interior. Previous to this date, however, the towns of Mier, Camargo, Seralvo, and Reynosa had been occupied by American troops. Taylor had not proceeded far when he received intelligence from Gen. Worth that large re-enforcements of the enemy were daily arriving at Monterey, the capital city of the northern division of Mexico. He therefore set out for that place without delay, leaving Gen. Patterson in command on the Rio Grande. Taylor's first aim was to join Worth at Seralvo. He reached this place in due time, where he rested his army