etachment of artillery and infantry. Walker and a small
force of rangers was despatched to make a hazardous reconnoissance of
the road in front, while Lieutenant Plesanton, with a few of the second
dragoons, marched in rear of the columns of infantry.

After following the trail of the enemy for about two miles and a half
across the Llano Burro, and learning from Walker that the road was
clear, McCall pushed the rangers into the chapparal, within supporting
distance, and soon dislodged some parties of Mexicans. On reaching the
open ground near Resaca, the head of his column received three rounds of
canister from a masked battery, which forced his men to take cover,
after killing one private and wounding two sergeants. They rapidly
rallied however, and Captain Smith's detachment being brought to the
left of the road, it was proposed to attack by a flank movement, what,
at the moment, was supposed to be only the rear guard of the retiring
army. But after a quick examination of the field by Dobbins and McCoun,
who discovered large bodies of Mexicans in motion on our left, while the
road, in front, was held by lancers, McCall resolved to despatch three
dragoons to the commander in chief with the news and await his arrival.

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon that General Taylor came up
with the skirmishers and received an exact report of the enemy's
position. Lieutenant Ridgely, who, upon the Major's fall, had succeeded
to the command of Ringgold's battery, was immediately ordered to advance
on the highway, while the fifth infantry and one wing of the fourth
were thrown into the chapparal with McCall's command on the left, at the
same time that the third and the other wing of the fourth entered the
thicket on the right with Smith's detachment. These corps were employed
to cover the battery, to act as skirmishers, and engage the Mexican
infantry. The action, at once became general, spirited and bloody, for
although the enemy's infantry gave way before the steady fire and
resistless progress of our own, yet his artillery was still in position
to check our advance by means of the fatal pieces which commanded the
pass through the ravine.

This was the moment, however, when the centre was destined to be
penetrated and broken--Ridgely, as has been stated, had been ordered to
the road, and, after advancing cautiously for a short distance, he
descried the enemy about four hundred yards in advance. Pressing onward
until wit