General Taylor to the Adjutant-General of the Army.
Head-Quarters, Army of Occupation,
Camp near Matamoros, May 16, 1846.
To
The Adjutant-General of the Army,
Washington, D. C.
"Sir: The main body of the Army of Occupation marched under my immediate orders from Point Isabel on the evening of the 7th of May, and bivouacked seven miles from that place.
"Our march was resumed the following morning. About noon, when our advance of cavalry had reached the water-hole of 'Palo Alto,' the Mexican troops were reported in our front, and were soon discovered occupying the road in force. I ordered a halt upon reaching the water, with a view to rest and refresh the men, and to form deliberately our line of battle. The Mexican line was now plainly visible across the prairie, and about three-quarters of a mile distant. Their left, which was composed of a heavy force of cavalry, occupied the road, resting upon a thicket of chapparal, while masses of infantry were discovered in succession on the right, greatly outnumbering our own force.
"Our line of battle was now formed in the following order, commencing on the extreme right: 5th Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel M'Intosh; Major Ringgold's Artillery; 3d Infantry, commanded by Captain L. N. Morris; two eighteen-pounders, commanded by Lieutenant Churchill, 3d Artillery; 4th Infantry, commanded by Major G. W. Allen; the 3d and 4th regiments composed the Third Brigade, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Garland; and all the above corps, together with two squadrons of dragoons, under Captains Ker and May, composed the right wing, under the orders of Colonel Twiggs. The left was formed by the battalion of artillery, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Childs, Captain Duncan's Light Artillery, and the Eighth Infantry, under Captain Montgomery; all forming the First Brigade, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Belknap. The train was parked near the water, under direction of Captains Grossman and Myers, and protected by Captain Ker's squadron.
"About 2 o'clock, we took up the march, by heads of columns, in the direction of the enemy, the eighteen-pounder battery following the road. While the columns were advancing, Lieutenant Blake, Topographical Engineer, volunteered a reconnoissance of the enemy's line, which was handsomely performed, and resulted in the discovery of at least tyro batteries of artillery in the intervals of their cavalry and infantry. These batteries were soon opened upon us, when I ordered the columns halted and deployed into line, and the fire to be returned by all our artillery. The Eighth Infantry, on our extreme left, was thrown back to secure that flank. The first fires of the enemy did little execution, while our eighteen-pounders and Major Ringgold's artillery soon dispersed the cavalry which formed his left. Captain Duncan's battery, thrown forward in advance of the line, was doing good execution at this time. Captain May's squadron was now detached to support that battery and the left of our position. The Mexican cavalry with two pieces of artillery were now reported to be moving through the chapparal to our right to threaten that flank, or make a demonstration against the train. The Fifth Infantry was immediately detached to check this movement, and, supported by Lieutenant Ridgely, with a section of Major Ringgold's battery and Captain Walker's company of volunteers, effectually repulsed the enemy, the Fifth Infantry repelling a charge of lancers, and the artillery doing great execution in their ranks. The Third Infantry was now detached to the right as a still further security to that flank, yet threatened by the enemy. Major Ringgold, with the remaining section, kept up his fire from an advanced position, and was supported by the Fourth Infantry.
"The grass of the prairie had been accidentally fired by our artillery, and the volumes of smoke now partially concealed the armies from each other. As the enemy's left had evidently been driven back, and left the road free, the cannonade having been suspended, I ordered forward the eighteen-pounders on the road nearly to the position first occupied by the Mexican cavalry, and caused the First Brigade to take up a new position still on the left of the eighteen-pounder battery. The Fifth was advanced from its former position and occupied a point on the extreme right of the new line. The enemy made a change of position corresponding to our own, and after suspension of nearly an hour the action was resumed.
"The fire of artillery was now most destructive; openings were constantly made through the enemy's ranks by our fire, and the constancy with which the Mexican infantry sustained this severe cannonade was a theme of universal remark and admiration. Captain May's squadron was detached to make a demonstration on the left of the enemy's position, and suffered severely from the fire of artillery to which it was for some time exposed.
"The Fourth Infantry, which had been ordered to support the eighteen-pounder battery, was exposed to a most galling fire of artillery, by which several men were killed, and Captain Page dangerously wounded. The enemy's fire was directed against our eighteen-pounder battery, and the guns under Major Ringgold in its vicinity. The major himself, while coolly directing the fire of his pieces, was struck by a cannon ball and mortally wounded.
"In the mean time, the Battalion of Artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Childs, had been brought up to support the artillery on our right. A strong demonstration of cavalry was now made by the enemy against this part of our line, and the column continued to advance under a severe fire from the eighteen-pounders. The battalion was instantly formed in square, and held ready to receive the charge of cavalry, but when the advancing squadrons were within close range, a deadly fire of canister from the eighteen-pounders dispersed them. A brisk fire of small-arms was now opened upon the square, by which one officer, Lieutenant Luther, 2d Artillery, was slightly wounded, but a well directed volley from the front of the square silenced all further firing from the enemy in this quarter. It was now nearly dark, and the action was closed on the right of our line, the enemy having been completely driven back from his position, and foiled in every attempt against our line.