124 Colonel BissclVs Retreat at Biiena Vista. [March, 



They moved off in comraon time. ' Quick time, march ! ' and the regi- 

 ment retired under circumstances which have never failed before, in thee 

 history of war, in causing a panic. The Mexicans considered themselves 

 certain of victory, and with 'vivas' and 'hurrahs,' on came their splen- 

 did cavalry, surging down in their green and scarlet, their plumes 

 waving, and their lances gleaming in the sun, with their thousand gay 

 streamers catching the glistening beams as every breath of the air flut- 

 tered them like leaves of a fairy forest, upon that apparently devoted 

 body of men. 



" Two hundred yards quickly passed, Bissell's men reached the spot 

 designed for them to hold. The lancers were preparing for the last 

 charge, which was to hurl our brave fellows into the ravine before them. 

 ' Halt ! ' ' dress ! ' Coolly, and calmly, as if on parade, did those • Suckers ' 

 obey the command, while the thunder of squadron after squadron, on 

 the slope they had just left, told that the enemy were upon them. 

 They could not see thera, but they could hear the horses' hoofs, the 

 jingle of sabers, and the clatter of lances, the inspiring charge of the 

 bugle, and the ' vivas ' of the men, as they rushed on to the seemingly 

 easy victory ; and no doubt many a heart fluttered, and many an eye 

 glanced involuntarily around — for it is a fearful thing to know that an 

 enemy is upon your back — but not ^ nerve swerved. 



"'About face!' 'make ready!' ' fire !' and a volley of musketry 

 rolled upon those huzzaing cavaliers, which silenced their cheering ; and 

 as column and rank went down before that deadly fire — as their num- 

 bers lessened and their chargers swerved from this serried line of men, 

 who knew no defeat — their column wavered, trembled, as it were, 

 slackened in speed, and broke in confusion. Rallying back in tumultu- 

 ous retreat upon the infantry, the whole Mexican division was involved 

 in inextricable confusion, and in disorder left the field. Thus w^as the 

 tide of battle turned on that eventful day, and less than half a full 

 ref^imcnt in numbers defeated ten thousand of the flower of Santa Anna's 

 army — and that too, when the enemy were rushing in, flushed with 

 victory, and encouraged by the flight of one regiment — saving the 

 credit of our arras, and the lives of the thousands that stood there with 

 them." 



It is estimated that there is now invested in the Ice business, in all 

 parts of the United States, between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000, and 

 that it gives employment, during the winter months, to 10,000 men. 



