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

7 6 BRAGG S BATTERIES.
mutual friend, and through whom I at once became acquainted with other gentlemen of that gallant corps. He
politely proposed accompanying me to the quarters of General Worth, to whom I had been prevented by sickness
from reporting in person, on the previous evening. We
paused in our walk to witness the morning drill of Captain
Bragg's excellent company of artillery. The horses, as well
as men, seemed to understand their business perfectly; and
being of "' fine bone and blood," they whirled the guns and
caissons over the plain with wonderful rapidity and ease.
These light field batteries, in which the canoneers ride upon
the gun carriages, ready for action at any moment, are very
efficient for quick work; and with sufficient horse-power, are
certainly the most formidable auxiliaries that science has
ever given to war. Captain Bragg, a skillful and courageous officer, is, I understand, distinguished for his attention
to the minnutim of his profession; a merit to be esteemed no
less than heroic daring, when it is remembered what disasters
may result in critical moments from the most trifling casualties, such, for example, as the loss of a horse-shoe or linchpin. i He was in Fort Brown during its long bombardment.
There, his light pieces were of little service as battering guns.
So at Monterey. But in the open field of Buena Vista, our
horse-artillery exhibited its terrible power. There, in fact,
(as General Taylor states, in his report of the battle) it saved
the day. " Moving rapidly over the roughest ground, it was
Cmesar, whose great sagacity and conduct put success as much out of the power
of accident as human reason could well do, remarks in the third book of his Commentaries: " Fortuna quce pllrLimnun potest, curn in aliis rebus, turnm prcipue in bello
in parvis momentis magnas rerunm mutationes etficit."