===================================================================== Match: Bowles Source: INLAWREN-L@rootsweb.com From: Diana S Flynn <diana937@juno.com> Subject: Indiana in the Mexican War - Part 1c In the first year of the war (1846) three regiments of volunteers were raised in Indiana to serve for twelve months. These regiments rendezvoused at New Albany in the summer of 1846 and Joseph LANE (then Colonel of the Second regiment) was chosen to command the brigade, and Wm. A. BOWLES was promoted to the colonelcy of the Second regiment. The Indiana brigade proceeded down the river to New Orleans, thence across the Gulf of Mexico to Brazos Santiago at the mouth of the Rio Grande. The Second and Third regiments were ordered to join Gen. TAYLOR's forces, then at Monterey. The 1st regiment with other troops remained on the lower Rio Grande to keep open communication with the mouth of the river. I present below a full roster of Capt. Henry DAVIS' company: CO. F. SECOND INDIANA Henry DAVIS, Captain. Lucian Q. HOGGATT, 1st Lieut. Josiah C. FOSTER, 2nd Lieut. Edmund W. RICE, 3rd Lieut. Davis HARRISON, 1st Sergeant. Isaac CAROTHERS, 1st Sergeant. Calvin R. FOX, 2d Sergeant. Wm. T. DOBBS, 3d Sergeant. Virgil VESTAL, 4th Sergeant. John BISHOP, 1st Corporal. Ambrose H. CARLTON, 2d Corporal. Eli H. ALEXANDER, 3d Corporal. N. B. STEVENS, 4th Corporal. James I. BROWN, Musician. James DUNCAN, Musician. ===================================================================== Match: Bowles Source: INLAWREN-L@rootsweb.com From: Diana S Flynn <diana937@juno.com> Subject: INDIANA IN THE MEXICAN WAR - PART 4 OF 6 The following is a complete roster of the field and staff officers of the five volunteer regiments from Indiana: FIELD AND STAFF 1ST IND. VOLS. James P. DRAKE, Colonel. Henry S. LANE, First Lieutenant- Colonel. C. C. NAVE, Second Lieutenant-Colonel. William DONALDSON, Major. William PEARSON, Adjutant. C. V. JONES, Surgeon. William FOSDICK, Assistant Surgeon. Delana R. ECKELS, Commissary. James WILSON, Quartermaster. William L. BROWN, Quartermaster. FIELD AND STAFF 2ND IND. VOLS. Joseph LANE, Fist Colonel. William A. BOWLES, Second Colonel. William R. HADDON, Lieutenant-Colonel. James A. CRAVESN, Major. David C. SHANKS, First Adjutant. L. Q. HOGATT, Second Adjutant. Daniel S. LANE, Surgeon. John F. WALKER, Assistant Surgeon. Robert MITCHELL, Quartermaster. FIELD AND STAFF 3RD IND. VOLS. James H. LANE, Colonel. William M. McCARTY, Lieutenant-Colonel. Willis A. GORMAN, Major. N. HAYDEN, commissary. Herman H. BARBOUR, Adjutant. Harrison DALLY, Adjutant. James S. ATHON, Surgeon. John G. DUNN, Assistant Surgeon. FIELD AND STAFF 4TH IND. VOLS. Willis A. GORMAN, Colonel. Ebenezer DUMONT, Lieutenant-Colonel. William W. McCOY, Major. Martin M. VanDUSEN, Adjutant. Noble HAMILTON, Quartermaster. FIELD AND STAFF 5TH REGT. VOLS. James H. LANE, Colonel. Allen MAY, Lieut.-Colonel. John M. MYERS, Major. James BAKER, Quartermaster. James S. ATHON, Surgeon. P. G. JONES, Asst. Surgeon. John M. LORD, Adjutant. THE BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. At the request of some of the descendants of the men who took part in the Mexican War from Lawrence County, which was occurred over half a century ago, the writer of this article has undertaken to lay before the readers of the MAIL, the facts of their service; and especially to compile from the most reliable authority and through personal interviews with men now living who participated in the battle of Buena Vista, the true facts concerning that battle. The reader will bear in mind that ever since that war much unfavorable comment has been indulged in relative to the conduct of the Second Indiana regiment. The persons interviewed are among the most intelligent, truthful and trustworthy survivors of that battle. In the first place, Gen. Zachary TAYLOR's report to the War Department relative to the said regiment, as well as Jefferson DAVIS' report, criticized their action in the severest terms. The officers and privates of both the 2d and 3d regiments, after failing to induce TAYLOR to revise and modify his official report, demanded a Court of Inquiry immediately after the battle. The said Court of Inquiry composed of officers of the various regiments which took part in the battle, concluded their verdict with the following finding, in substance: They acquitted the men and officers of the charge of cowardice, but severely criticized Col. Wm. A. BOWLES, the official Colonel of the regiment but who was not on duty that day, for want of knowledge of military maneuvers, which resulted in the rout and precipitate retreat of the regiment. Gen. TAYLOR refused to sign the report of the Court of Inquiry, justifying his action on the report of Jefferson DAVIS, the Colonel of the Mississippi Rifles. DAVIS' official report to Gen. TAYLOR was in the following words relative to the 2d Indiana: "At a critical moment in the action in the afternoon of the 23d, the 2d Indiana regiment ingloriously fled and took no further part in the action, excepting a handful, who under the gallant Colonel BOWLES, joined my regiment and fought gallantly during the remainder of the day." This report went into history as the true facts of the conduct of this regiment. The historians of the war, sticking to Gen. TAYLOR's and Col. Jefferson DAVIS' reports, and totally ignoring the action of the Court of Inquiry, have placed a stigma upon Indiana which half a century of time has scarcely effaced. As an elucidation of the unfavorable character of the historians' comments, the writer hereof will be pardoned for the statement of a fact which all well informed people know to be correct, namely, that the writers of nearly all our school histories were residents of New England, a section which has always entertained a strong prejudice against the West, and Indiana in particular. Besides, another fact is well known, that New England has never been over loyal to the constituted authorities in any war which the United States has been engaged in, save one. I have recently interviewed four survivors of the battle of Buena Vista for the purpose of obtaining correct information concerning the part taken by the 2d Indiana regiment, namely, Capt. Isaac CAROTHERS, (then first sergeant of Capt. DAVIS' Co.), Judge A. B. CARLTON of the same company, now living in Terre Haute, Major James R. MULKY, then a private in Capt. SANDERSON's company of the 2d Indiana, and Gen. Lew WALLACE, who also belonged to the second regiment. These gentlemen all agree to the following facts: A few days before the battle Gen. TAYLOR's army numbering about 4500 men, nearly all volunteers, moved forward from Saltillo in the direction of San Luis Potosi. The army reached a small village about 25 miles from Saltillo, called Agua Nueva. Gen. TAYLOR having previously sent forward a small reconnoitering cavalry force under Majors GAINES and BOLAND. This force comprised about 60 men, Kentuckians and Arkansans. This force was surrounded at Encarnacion, by a vastly superior force, the advance guard of SANTA ANNA's army of 23,000 men; were captured and taken to the city of Mexico. One man (Capt. HENRIE) escaped from the Mexicans and brought the word to Gen. TAYLOR that the reconnoitering party had been captured. Capt. Ben. McCOLLOUGH, of the Texas Rangers, was dispatched to get definite information of the approach of SANTA ANNA. His company returned, and Gen. TAYLOR fell back and took position on the plateau of the village of Buena Vista, to the north of the pass of Angostura on the afternoon of the 21st of February. ===================================================================== Match: Bowles Source: INLAWREN-L@rootsweb.com From: Diana S Flynn <diana937@juno.com> Subject: INDIANA IN THE MEXICAN WAR - PART 5 OF 6 On the 22nd Gen. TAYLOR disposed of his forces in the following manner: Col. McKEE's Kentucky regiment and Col. HARDIN's Illinois regiment were placed on the right wing supporting Washington's battery. Col. YELL's Arkansas cavalry, supporting SHERMAN's battery, was placed next the Kentuckians. Jack HAY's Texas Rangers occupied the center and somewhat to the rear, BRAGG's battery held the left of the center; while the Mississippi Rifles under Col. Jefferson DAVIS and the 3rd Indiana under Col. James H. LANE, with the 2nd Indiana was placed on the extreme left of the line supporting O'BRIEN's battery of only three guns. Two rifle companies of the 2nd Ind. and two of the 3rd Ind. under Major GORMAN, were placed on the mountains on the left of the 2nd Ind. The riflemen under GORMAN did gallant service by holding in check a very large force of Mexicans which climbed the mountains, to the left of the pass. A remarkable fact is stated by survivors of that battle that the 2nd Ind. was without any supporting force, either in their rear or on their right, nearer than 1,500 yard. Skirmishing took place on the evening of the 22nd. Early in the day of the 23rd SANTA ANNA's army came pouring through the pass and over the mountains and spread themselves over the plateau. The 2nd Ind. received the first onslaught of the attack, by a large force of infantry, about 8000 in number, and about 2000 cavalry (lanciers), two Mexican batteries, one on the left and one on the right, enfilading the second regiment. Notwithstanding this overwhelming disparity the regiment delivered 21 rounds before retreating, 35 men of the regiment having been killed. At this juncture Gen. Joe LANE, who was in immediate command of the regiment, undertook to move O'BRIEN's battery further to the right and front with the intention as he claimed of moving the regiment up to a point where it would be less exposed to the guns of the Mexican batteries. On LANE's departure, in charge of O'BRIEN's battery, and seeing that the men were being slaughtered, Col. BOWLES, who had been deprived by Gen. LANE of the command, but who chose to shoulder a musket and was actually fighting in the ranks, assumed command of his own accord and passed the word down the line to "cease firing and retreat." In the retreat and while passing near the 3rd Indiana and the Mississippi regiment quite a number rallied and joined those regiments. The others continued the retreat to the rear and rallied at the hacienda where they did excellent service in repelling an assault by the Mexican lanciers. O'BRIEN's battery, after the retreat, was captured by the Mexicans, his horses having been all killed. The most effective arm of the U. S. army in that battle was the three batteries of flying artillery of BRAGG, SHERMAN and WASHINGTON. Those batteries could be moved from point to point with great rapidity by horses attached. The Mexican batteries were hauled up to their positions with oxen. After being once planted in a chosen position they were not moved during the day. The battle raged nearly all day of the 23rd and during the night, SANTAT ANNA gathered his forces and material of war and retraced his steps toward San Luis Potosi, 200 miles from the battleground. I have been furnished with many interesting facts connected with the arduous and difficult service of the Indianians in the battle of Buena Vista by the survivors referred to, but want of space precludes any further comment. In conclusion I append hereto a single statement from Mr. Edward F. DICKEY, who was a member of the 3rd Indiana regiment. "As soon as the Mexicans gave way, the Third crossed the ravine and were joined by three or four pieces of artillery under Captain BRAGG, and perhaps WEBB or SHERMAN. I am not certain who had charge of the other guns, or whether there were three or four. The guns that were there engaged were the battery of 18-pounders at the foot of the mountain the Third Indiana being drawn up in line to protect our guns. This battery duel was kept up until the Mexican battery was silenced, and this was the end of the fight. It was then late in the afternoon. The general officers present during the cannonading were General WOOL and Gen. LANE, and then was the first time the Third Indiana Regiment saw General LANE that day. It is proper to say here that the weather was perfectly clear during the entire day, except for about half an hour when a cloud seemed to gather immediately over the field, and a gentle shower fell sufficient to dampen our clothing. This as I remember, occurred about the time of the truce. There was no growth of any kind on the table land to obstruct the view, and all parts of the field could be distinctly seen from any point of the general surface of the table land. =============================================