The Register from Santa Ana, California • Page 22

mn Last of the exican j- wntter, it can be reported in all accuracy ihat there are alive today but two of that first and only 100.000 who 80 years ago fought south of the Kio Grande in the war with Mexico. But as you read these lines, this statement that there are two survivors may be incorrect, for one of the K. Buckner of Paris, late of Company A. Missoim Volunteer a centenarian, and the other, Owen T. Edgar of Washington.

D. who was a seaman on the U. 5. .5. Potomac, and later detached to join Gen Winfield Scott armv on campaign from Vera to Mexico City, is 97.

Soon after Buckner enlisted, July 15, 1846, his regiment, under Col. Doniphan, was ordered to accompany Col. Phfl Kearney and 300 regular cavalry on a hazardous overland march to Santa Fe. in what is now New Mexico. This march carried through against long odds, was considered at the time one of the great exploits of the war.

Buckner was then 18 vears old. ere the Stories Of the Only Survivors From the I I 6,597 Who Fought in 1847 en The little force, some 1200 strong, started from Fort Leavenworth. following the Santa Fe trail. It reached Santa worm. Fe after a hard march, and encountered a strong detachment of Mexicans outside the town Cold weather bad come and Buckner recalls that before the battle they had to build bonhres to warm their hands so that they could use their trigger hngers.

Sweeping the enemy out of New Mexico. Doniphan and his men established themselves in Santa Fe while Kearney and h.s 300 regulars marched on to California. 1 hey reached pan Diego and helped materially in crushing the isolated Mexican army detachments between there and San Francisco. FEW months later Doniphan and his men marched south into old Mexico, eventually whipping a parelled brigade of Mexicans, who wore blue trousers, green coats faced with scarlet, and brass-bound hats, and seizing Chihuahua. In the 1 5 months that they saw service Doniphan men marched 3500 miles.

After the war ended Buckner went roving for a time. He went to California in the gold rush of faded to 1 make a fortune, came back to Missouri, bought a herd of 4000 cattle and drove them overland to San Francisco, where he sold them. Then he returned to Paris, entered business with the proceeds of this venture, and later became a hig.ily luccessfu! banker. He retired in 1912, but is still healthy, active and secured a substitute to serve for him in the Civil War because his sympathies were with the South. Owen T.

Edgar was 15 years old when he enlisted the navy for Mexican War service. That was in 1846 and the place of his enlistment was Philadelphia, his birthplace. He as seaman on the frigate Potomac, participated in the sieee of Vera Cruz and joined the forces of Gen. infield Scott in his attack on Mexico City. Edgar staved in the navy until 1850, when he settled Washington, D.

C. Poor health, the result of sickness incurred in Mexico, kept him out of the Civil War. He entered government service, and for years was connected wily the Buleau of Engraving and Printing. His health has failed recently, and he is now practically helpless. The U.

S. soldiers of 1847 dressed like IVesl Pointers today. Owen T. 97. When Scott marched for Mexico City, young i a a Edgar Was in his army.

Chapultepec, the fortified hill near Mexico City captured only after a bloody battle with the pick of Mexican regulars. 6000 men on the historic old city of Monterey. Monterey was a hotly contested battle, in which Jefferson Davis and his Mississippians won glory by attacking and taking a heavily-manned redoubt in the center of the Mexican line. In this battle, incidentally, a young lieutenant named U. S.

Grant won commendation by his bravery in carrying orders under fire. Centenarian William F. Buckner warmed his trigger finger before the battle. 12,000 young nobdy knows bow many Mexicans. liio.

a The American army of that day was a picturesque affair. The field uniform of the private was very much like the present 'THOSE two are all that remain. The rest of the American armv of 1 16,000 men has gone. In a short time these two, also, will be gone, and the Mexican War. overshadowed by the greater conflicts the country has entered since, will be forgotten by most Americans, while the old-time battle flags gather more and more dust in museum cases.

But, as wars go, it was exciting and colorful. Poets dashed oft odes about it. Novels were written in which the hero was a dashing American officer and the heroine was a black-haired senorita. Two men rose to the presidency largely because of their records in this conflict. And, in case curious, the war cost the lives of some dress uniform of the West Point cadets.

In 1846 the Republic of Texas had been independent for a decade. Its citizens wanted to enter the union of states. Mexico, still reluctant to admit that Texas was independent at all, was sullen and suspicious. The abolitionist party in New land objected to the proposal, aring an extension of slave territories; the slave party, naturally, favored it. In between was a large body of American opinion that care greatly one way or the that there was talk to the effect that England would like nothing better than to take Texas under her wing, and hem in the infant republic on two sides.

President Polk was all for annexation. Eventually he got Congress around to his way of thinking, and Texas was formally annexed. Promptly there were rumblings below the Rio Grande. PEN. ZACHARY TAYLOR, with some 2000 regulars, 7 was sent to the border to stand guard and to be ready for action in case of trouble.

Mexico insisted that the Texan border was the Nueces river; Texas insisted that it was the Rio Grande. Taylor, adopting the Texan view, crossed the Nueces and on March 28, 1846, established himself where the city of Brownsville now stands. Facing him, across the river, was the Mexican general, Arista, with 4000 men. Trouble was bound to come sooner or later; and late in April it came. Captain Thornton, with 60 cavalrymen, went up the river to reconnoiter.

He was ambushed and his command was wiped out. The war was on. Taylor was ordered to advance into Mexico, and he did so without delay. On May 8 he crossed the Rio Grande and sailed into the Mexicans at Palo Alto, driving them back several miles to the hamlet of Resaca de Palma, where he again attacked them on the following day, routing them completely despite the fact that his army was outnumbered nearly two to one. On May 18 he went into camp at Matamoros, where he awaited reinforcements.

In September General Taylor led his army, now grown to A FTER the victory of Monterey, Taylor proceeded to Buena 1 Vista where Santa Anna, the Mexican generalissimo, had amassed 20,000 men. Here, after a stiff battle, the Americans won, but found their advance toward the Mexican capital halted by an all but impassable stretch of desert. A good part of troops were then withdrawn to become part of the army of Gen. Winfield Scott, who laid siege to Vera Cruz, which was promptly taken. Next Scott advanced to Cerro Gordo, wrested the place from the Mexicans and marched to Puebla, where the Americans took a three rest while unsuccessful peace negotiations were carried on.

With the failure of the parley, Scott made for Mexico City and was met at Churubusco by Santa Anna, who was in a very strong position. A two battle of extreme sharpness followed and Scott drove the Mexicans back to the outskirts of their capital only after he had lost a tenth of his men. There remained only to dislodge the Mexicans from Chapultepec, the strongly fortified hill near Mexico City, and from the several strongholds at the gates. Chapultepec fell only after a vigorous tilt with the pick of Mexican regulars. With the fall of Mexico City the war ended and the peace treaty which was not signed until a year later, gave the United States California, Texas.

New Mexico and Arizona in exchange for $15,000,000. Among Us Millions- SALESMANSHIP By George Clark INSURANCE SALESMAN, JUST SOL0 A HOPING ME HAS BROKEN) EVEN AFTEfc FIGURING iw the bills FOR lunches THEATRES, TAXIS' ANO SPEAKEASIES -MEHO, mr berry isn ITABOUT you VERB TRADING IN THIS OlO vJUNK HEAP FOR. A NEAO MODEL (Q ELL I (OOULONT ANY OF THE STUFF I HAVE ON HANO RIGHT IF YOU INSIST LET TOU HAUE A FElO CASES OUST EIGHT MONTHS AGO CALLED Ir A TEN YEAR CAR. "'Cant figure out my uohitpy 4OINE0 this Club Cue KNooofo HIM SEUERAL ANO HE hasn MENPONEO BUSINESS ne salesman (CO NT TAKfc NO Foe AN ANSlOFR IM IS A MOST EXCLUSIVE M0OEL- CEUTA(N THERE AtfOTHER THE COT ne une that (DONT ALCUAYS (Copyright. 1928, NEA Magasine) PUIIIIIIillllll i'i mill ill Minili mummia.