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

THE FORCE CONCENTRATED. 317
having an hour's truce in which to spread their nets, " they
reckoned without their host." Captain Bradley possessed
an intrepid spirit, united with a rare combination of prudence
and promptness, which, I take occasion to remark, rendered
him eminently worthy of this dangerous and honorable disitinction. Captain Keneally having notified Colonel Langberg of the termination of the truce, courteously advised
him to move his troops, as they were in a dangerous position
and might get hurt if they persisted in remaining. Upon
rejoining his company, he was informed by Lieutenant McCarter commanding the artillery, that during his absence
some squadrons of the enemy had moved to a new position
within short range of the piece. These were immediately
fired upon. Bradley, who had advanced rapidly on the main
road, was enabled at almost the samie moment to pour the
whole weight of his fire upon other bodies of cavalry, who,
taken by surprise at these sudden offensive movements on
our part, gave way on all sides and suffered the rear-guard to
be re-inforced. Among the foremost in Captain Bradley's
command, marched the gallant old New Englander,-R-*':,
who had learned from Keneally the melancholy fate of his
friend, and the joyful tidings of the safety of his wife and
children. His meeting with these, after such sanguinary
scenes as all of them had witnessed, I leave to the imagination of the kindly affectioned reader. The now united commands of Captains ]Keneally and Bradley, had but little difficulty in bringing up the remainder of the train: and thus,
in less than two hours after the first attack, we had the satisfaction of seeing our little force again concentrated, and with
14l