386 A VISIT TO THE SOUTHWARD. 



unscathed through, most of the late war with Mexico, and in this one hattlc received no less 

 than three wounds, one of which cost him his right arm. He claims to be of good family in 

 Connecticut ; to have been educated at West Point ; resigned ; commanded a volunteer com- 

 pany during the Mexican war; went to California gold-hunting, where his health broke down; 

 and, having taken passage for Concepcion to re-establish it, his countrymen there, then all 

 excitement about the revolution, persuaded him to volunteer in the struggle. As a strongly 

 supported body of cavalry advanced to charge his position, the Chilenos, constituting half his 

 company became excited and impatient, constantly soliciting orders to open their fire, and it 

 was with great difficulty he could restrain them. He ''wanted to see the whites of their eyes," 

 (as he told me), and to this end held on until the closed column was within 300 yards. Then 

 he opened his battery with an effect that cost Bulnes some of his best officers, and threw the 

 column into complete disorder. A part of them never drew rein until they were 70 miles from 

 the field of battle, and the Maule between them and cannon-balls. All his company had not 

 his cool, unflinching courage. They were driven from their posts ; he was captured soon after ; 

 was liberated in an hour or two ; and when made prisoner for the second time, was robbed of 

 everything except shirt and pantaloons ; in which destitute condition he was left to the skill of 

 such surgeons as could be improvised, and the mercies of a people no little exasperated 

 against North Americans, from the fabulous stories invented against them during the combat. 

 The artillery west of the road was also commanded by an American, of whom his brother in arms 

 speaks in not very flattering terms. The colonel of the battalion facing this last battery told 

 me, that, entertaining some doubt of the fidelity of his men to the government cause, he went 

 to their front, hoping their personal attachment would prevent treachery. He was ordered to 

 storm the guns, and his regiment drawn up in two lines followed him briskly, until a dis- 

 charge of grape broke the front line. This deployed right and left, and for full fifteen minutes 

 he was exposed not only to the grape and canister of the enemy, but also to incessant discharges 

 of musketry from his own rear line. How he had escaped uninjured remained inexplicable. 

 Poor fellow ! he soon met an equally sudden, if not so honorable a death ! 



In a little while the battle was raging from the shores of the Loncomilla to the eastern ex- 

 tremity of Cerro de Reyes men without officers, officers without troops ; for orders were never 

 given from Bulnes's head-quarters, or, if given, could not be delivered to the detachments 

 for whom they were intended. Pillage followed the fall of every individual, until the combat 

 seemed rather for plunder than for the decision of a political question. More than once, wounded 

 officers were murdered for the money and valuables supposed to be about their persons ; and 

 even a woman, whilst giving a drink of water to a disabled officer, was deliberately shot in 

 the back by two soldiers. She was known to have obtained several watches and some money 

 during the day, and the savages coveted her spoils. Of course the unfortunate victim whom 

 she was tending shared a like merciless fate. 



It was a sweltering day near midsummer. Besides having marched from Bobadilla through 

 the sand after daylight, the army of Bulnes had fought from 7 A. M. until near 3 p. M. A 

 part had fled across the Maule, carrying tidings of his defeat through Talca. Wherever his aids 

 penetrated, hundreds cumbered the field to rise no more; multitudes were gone, none could tell 

 where ; and only broken skeletons of regiments could be found maintaining the unholy butchery. 

 Though he had succeeded in firing the houses where his adversary was posted, the flames were 

 immediately extinguished with wine from the jars of Senor Urzua, no water being at hand; 

 and he was well aware that Cruz had too large and too well appointed a reserve under cover to 

 think of surrender. His own reserve had long since been ordered into action, and the only 

 chance for safety was by abandoning his position. Ordering a retreat, he became sensible of 

 his very critical condition by the smallness of the force that assembled at the call ; and he 

 pushed back to Bobadilla with less than a thousand men, haste compelling him to abandon the 

 wounded of the hospital established in the rear of head- quarters. A part of Cruz's force fol- 

 lowed in pursuit as far as the hospital, of which they took possession. But Bulnes had too much 



