Press enter after choosing selection

Miscellany: Sergeant Milton--thrilling Description

Miscellany: Sergeant Milton--thrilling Description image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
November
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We listened with the deepest interest, on Saturday last,to Sergeant Milton's description ofCapt. May 's charge u pon the Mcxican batte ry, and his own share in that glorious struggle. Each man engaged nitwas a liero, and perhaps none ofthem whosurvived passed through a grealer share of peril than the brave veteran in qucstion. His modest, unassuming manner, and plain relation of fact-, stamp them with the seal of truih, and the woundson his person bear ampie testimony to every word lie utters. 'At Palo Alto," says he, "I took my rank in the troop as Second Sergeaut, and while upon the field my horse was wounded in the jaw by a grape shot, which disabled him for service. While he was plunging in agony I dismounted, and the quick eye of Capt. May observed me as I al'ghted from my horse.' He inquired if I was hurt. I answered no- that my horse was the sufierer. "1 am glad itis not yourself," replied he ; "ihere is another,'Ypointing at the same time to a sleed without a rider, which was standing with dilated eye gazing at the strife) -"mouni him " I approuched the horse, and he stood still until I puf my hand pon his rein, and patted hisneck, when he rubbed his head alongside of me as if pleased that some human being was about fto become his companion in he affray. He was a noble bay, which had with a pumber of others, been purchased for the íroop in Sf Louis. I bestrode him, and jve passed through the first day unharmcd. 4Onthe second day, at Kesaca'de la Palma, our troons stood anxiouslying for the signal to be given ; and never had I looked upon men whose countenances more clearly expressed a, fixed determination to'win. The lips of some wcre pale with excitement which betokcns mischief ; others with shut lccth would quietly laugh and catch a tighter j-ein, or seat themselves with care and firmness in the saddle, while quietwords of confidence and encouragenient were .passed from each to his neighber. All at once Captain May rode to the front of his troop- every rein and sabre wos iigÚtly grasped. Raising himself and pointiag at the battery.he shörtd, "Men,folloio!" There was now a clatiering of hoofs and a rattling of sabre sheathes - tl)c fir; oftheenemy's guns was partly drawn by Lieut. Ridgely, and the 'next moment we were sweeping likc the wind up the ravine. I was in a squad of about nine men, who wcre separated by ashowerof grape from the batterv, and we were in advance, May leading. He turned his horse oppcsite the breastwork, in front of the guns, and with another shout to "follow !" leaped over them. Several ofthe horses did folllow, but mine, not being well trained, refused ; two others balked, and their riders started down the ravine to tu"n the breastwork where the rest of the troops had entered. 1 made another attempt to clear the guns with my horse ; turning him round - feeling all the time seure at thinking the guns discharged - I aut his head toward them and gave hirn spur, but he agnm balked ; so, turning lis head down the ravine, I too, started to ride round the breastwork. "As I carne down a lancer dashed at me with a lance in rest. With my sabre [ parried his thrust, only receiving a slight fle-h wound from its point in the nrm, which feit like a prick of a pin. - The lancer turned and fled ; at thatment a ball passed through my hrse on the left side and shattcrcd my right thigh. The shot killed the horse instantly, and he feil upon my lcft leg, fastening me by lis weiglit to the enrth. There I lay, right in the midst of the action, where car na ge wns riding riot, and every moment the shot, both from our own and the Mexicnn guns, tearing up the earth around me. I tried to raise my horse so as toextricate my leg, but I had already grown so weak with my wound that I was unnble, and fn-m the mere altempt, [ feil back exhausted. To add to my horror, a horse, vho was careering aboat, riderless, withina few yards of me, received a wound, and he comaienced struggling and rearing with pain. Two or three times he carne near falling on me, but at length, with n scream of agony and a bound. he fell dead - hishndy tuuching ny own fallen steed. VVhat I liad been in momentary dread of, from the hot firing in my neighborhood, now occurred - my wounded liml) which was lying across ihe horse, received another ball in the ankle. " I now feit disposed to give up, and, exhausted through pain and excitement, a film gathered over my eyes, which I thought was the precursor of dissolution. From this hopviess state I was aroused )y a wounded Mexican, calling out to me : "Bueno Americano," and turning my eyes toward the spot, I saw that he was holding a certifícate and calling to me. The tide of acM'on now rolled away from me, and hope again sprung up. - The Mexican udiforms began to disappear from the chapparal, and squadrons of our troops passed in sight, apparently in pursuit. While I was thus nursing the prospect of escape, l bcheld not far from me, a villainous looking rancheros, nrmed with an American sergeant's short sword, dispatching a wounded American soldier, whose body he robbed - the next he carne to was a Mexican, whom he served the same way, and thus I looked on while he murderously slew four.I drew an undischarged pistol from my íolsters, and laying myself along my íorse's neck, waíched hiño, and expecled o be the ncxt victim ; but something frightened him from his vulture-like busiíess, and he fled in another direction. I need not say-that had he visited me I should have token one shot at the enemy ind would have died content had I succeedcd in making such an assasin bite the dust. Two hours after, I had the pleasure ofshaking some of my comrades bv the hand, who we re picking up the wounded. They lifted my Mexican friend, too, and I am plcased to say he, as well as myself, live to fight over again the sanguine battle of Resaca de la Palma."