Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/142

136 know from Gen. Pillow when he should make the charge, and was ordered distinctly to take his ground and remain there until he received the signal, or an order from Gen. Pillow through an officer. The signal was to be a single bugle note. He took the position designated. Our right extending into the low brushwood, skirting the chaparrals, was not distant from the enemy's batteries more than seventy-five yards, when a crashing fire of musketry, canister and grape was opened upon us whilst filing into place; and the only reason by which I explain the fact that our loss was only twelve men wounded, and of these but two mortal, was the elevation of the enemy's cannons, the grape almost entirely passed over our heads. The men had received orders not to fire, and not a trigger was pulled. In this position we remained two hours; our men glaring upon the faces of the enemy, and not permitted to move. We received neither the signal nor the orders to charge, and were compelled to stand there like stones, cursing and impatient. I know that Col. Wynkoop sent several officers to ask whether he might not charge, and every man in the regiment knows that all the officers, from the Colonel down, were chafing at the delay. The first intimation we received was an order to retire, and when we reached the ranch at the main road we there learned, for the first time, that Col. Haskell had charged and been repulsed. Our regiment obeyed orders to the letter. The Generals will, I am sure, testify to that fact. It was the last to leave its position, remained firm under the fire, and did not (as some might suppose from the statement in your paper) retreat; perhaps had we charged we might also have been repulsed, but, as that privilege was denied us, we think it unjust to imagine for us such an event. 3em

Also a statement from the Second Tennesseeans stating that they thought that the word of charge was given when Col. Haskell's command dashed with loud cheers into the space in front of the entrenchments, but, unfortunately, the entire siurface of the ground for three hundred yards being covered with chaparral, which was suffered to remain where it was cut down, formed an insurmountable obstacle to a rapid advance. By this time six or seven guns, with eighteen hundred muskets, opened on them with grape and canister, when they had to retreat.

Monday, April 19, 1847.—This morning there was a detail of ten men from each company of our regiment, to take down the cannons from the heights of Cerro Gordo; the