Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

TAYLOR OCCUPIES BUENA VISTA. 287
In garrison at Monterey, under General Marshall, were the
1st Kentucky and 1st Ohio regiments, mustering together an
effective force of 800 men. Below Monterey, at the posts of
Marin, Cerralvo, and Punta Aguada, was the 2d Ohio regiment, in detachments under its three field-officers. At Mier
and Camargo, were the 3d Ohio and 1st Indiana regiments.
Such were the positions of our troops on the 21st of
February, 1847, when General Taylor was induced, by the
information brought him by that trusty and accomplished
scout, Captain McCulloch, to change his ground from Agua
Nueva to the gorge of Buenca Vista. As my object is not
to write a history of the war, but simply to relate a few incidents of the campaign concerning which I have some personal knowledge,-introducing such others, as may be well
authenticated and necessary to form a connected narrative;I shall not presumptuously attempt to describe how 20,000
troops, the flower of the Mexican nation and assembled under
the banner of their most popular chief, were disgracefully
routed by the handful of men whom General Taylor set in
battle array on that memorable field. The story has been
often told at length, by the graphic and graceful pens of eyewitnesses and is yet fresh in the minds of American readers.
I propose here, to give some account of minor cotemporary
events, with which I claim to be more familiar.
General Santa Anna, well informed by his numerous spies,
and the intercepted dispatches, of all the movements that
had taken place on our line, did not, as many predicted he
would, hasten to succor the menaced city of Vera Cruz; but
anticipating an easy victory over Taylor, he issued a stirring