Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/433

Rh grape and canister, playing havoc in our ranks at every discharge. Lieut. Reid was slightly wounded, but kept on waving his sword in the air, shouting to his men "Come on, we will carry the day," and when near the front wall Lieut. Reid was wounded through the thigh, Lieut. Cochran of the Voltiguers regiment and Lieut. H. Dardonvill, a young French officer (called by his men Dare Devil), passed Lieut. Reid, who cheered the men on, telling them not to mind him and not to leave the wall. Lieut. Dare Devil, with his men, now mounted the scaling ladders, a rush was made and the castle fell, and Lieut. Dardonvill was the first to pull down the Mexican flag from its staff, and not Lieut. Col. Thomas Seymour, as the papers have it.

But by recent investigation, it has been proven that the first American flag on the Castle of Chapultepec was unfurled by Capt. Moses Barnard, of the Voltigeurs. He hails from Philadelphia, Pa. So Pennsylvania can claim the honor for one of her sons for this brilliant achievement.

Lieut. Mayne Reid, mentioned above, it will be remembered killed a private soldier at Puebla City, July 22, 1847, by running him through the heart with his sword; but in honor of that gallant young officer he (Reid) was fully exonerated by a court of inquiry. It appears that the unfortunate man who was slain was a prisoner in the guard-house. Lieut. Reid was Officer of the Day, and on entering the guard-house the prisoner sprang to his feet and rushed upon him (Reid) with his iron shackels uplifted in the act to strike, when the Lieutenant killed him in self-defence.

(Col. Riley, mentioned several times, after the war with Mexico returned to the United States and entered suit in the United States District Court of Cincinnati, Ohio, for $50,000 damages, for flogging and branding him in Mexico. After a week's trial, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and put the cost of the suit on Col. Riley. So ended one of the most singular suits that has ever been brought