The Patriot cavalry were just retiring over the verge of the hill,
when the order to wheel from column and charge them was given. To
effect this manæuvre, it was necessary for the rear of our column to
take the lead, as we had to gallop round a garden to gain the field.—
This placed me in the very front platoon with only my trooper's broad
back between me and the enemy. Our detachment consisted of about
half the cavalry, the remainder led on by the General himself moving
forward at a hard gallop to endeavor to intercept the Patriots at a shallow
stream they would have to cross, not far ahead at the foot of the
hill. The Colonel who had commanded the party which had been cut
to pieces, and whom I have said I had seen in the shop, now rode to
the head of our column, and led it conjointly with his own commander.
His helmet was cloven nearly through to the head, his cheek was
partly cut away, and the calf of his leg badly cut by a sabre. He did
not seem to mind his wounds. His fine eyes flashed as he spurred on
and waved his sword. He hoped yet to retrieve the ill-fortune of the
day and avenge his honor upon his foes; for he had been overthrown
by a force scarcely one third as large as that he had commanded.

His eye fell upon me. He recognized me, and falling back near
me, he regarded me an instant with surprise, and then said in tolerable
English,

`What do you here, senor? How is this, Pedro?' he sternly asked
of the trooper in Portuguese.

`I don't hardly know, senor Colonel,' answered the man stammering.
`He was by the gate—I dropped my helmet. He was so kind
as to pick it up. He asked me if he might mount behind me. I had
seen him at my friend Saul Americano's and thinking he might like to
see a skirmish, I bade him mount.'

`You have done wrong. Ride out of the column and return at
once to the city. He is too young, and is unarmed.'

`Senor,' I said in English,' if you will let me remain now that I
am here, I should be very glad. Pedro ought not to be disgraced on
my account.'

`Well, well, but you should be mounted better than that,' he said
smiling as well as he could for the wound in his cheek. As he spoke,

[figure description] Page 009.[end figure description]

he pointed to a horse which had belonged to some of the slain dragoons,
and which was cantering along parallel with our column, as if
desirous of again mingling in the exciting scenes of war. `Pedro,'
he said, `ride up and secure that horse for the young Americano!'

Pedro glad to escape censure, galloped out of the ranks and coming
along side of the animal seized him by the rein.

`Now into the saddle,' he cried, and without hesitation I sprang into
the deep, well secured seat, between the high back and higher pummel.
The reins were upon his neck. I grasped them and gathered
them up, and at the command of the Colonel galloped up by his side,
and went dashing along with him at the head of the column. I could
hardly realize my own identity as I thus found myself thundering
along one of a body of three hundred horse pressing forward to engage
in battle. It was useless to wish myself in the city or at my father's
quiet fire-side. I had run the risk with my eyes open, and there remained
nothing for me but to make the best of it. Had I been on the
right side in the affair, I should have felt much better; but as it was I
had to spur whither fortune pushed me.

`You did wrong to come out with the troop, young man,' said the
Colonel after looking at me a moment or two in silence as I galloped
by his rein, `but you look as if you could look out for yourself. Keep
close to me whatever happens!'

`I will try to,' I answered.

At the same moment we came in sight of the Quacho horsemen who
were crossing a level field about a third of a mile distant. They did
not seem to be in hurry, but bore themselves with that bold air of defiance
and contempt of their enemies which always characterized them.
They drove before them a number of mounted prisoners quite equal to
their own. They were easily distinguished from them by the flowing
skirts of their scarlet ponchas, their white, fringed, short trowsers, and
broad somberos, as well as by their superior horsemanship.

`Forward!' shouted our commander, pointing at them with his
sword.

`Forward!' responded the whole cavalry, and setting spurs dashed
onward.

`Forward and charge, and give no quarter!' again shouted the officer
as we drew near them.

The Quacho horse instead of trying to escape, suddenly wheeled to
the right and left and retiring swiftly behind their body of prisoners
turned about and faced us, placing the prisoners directly between them;
selves and our advancing column. It was a masterly manæuvre. The
head of our detachment instinctly drew rein. The Quachos fired a
volley over the heads of the prisoners at us, the shot whistling about
our ears and knocking here and there a trooper from his saddle. The
bold fellows then put spurs to their horses and winding a lively air upon
their bugles, went off like the wind, mocking pursuit by our heavy
cavalry. The next moment we came up with the prisoners, and to
prevent running them down had to halt so suddenly as to throw us into
confusion. Before we could form again, and get a passage open
through the prisoners nothing could be seen of the Patriots but the

[figure description] Page 010.[end figure description]

waving of their pennons as they descended into a hollow of the country
about half a mile distant.

At the same moment, General Torres with the other division of Brazilian
cavalry came up on the flank, having been unable to get ahead
of the Rancheros on account of a ravine which he had to enfilade to
its extremity. This delay saved the Patriots, and almost maddened
the Brazilian officers. Torres rode up and consulted a few moments
with the two colonels. I could not make out their words as they spoke
rapidly in Portugues; but I learned that Colonel De Silvia (my friend)
was desirous of pursuing with the whole body, while Torres and the
other Colonel remonstrated, fearing that they might fall in with Llavelleja's
main body, and thus be cut off from the city.

I had seen Llavelleja himself, the hero of my imagination. I have
said that he placed himself in command of the hundred horse which
had been to reconnoitre the old convent, and there is no doubt their
masterly escape was wholly owing to his skill and presence I got a
full sight of him when he placed the prisoners between our fire. He
rode at the head of his little party, which was diminished to about
eighty men, mounted upon an iron-gray charger without the usual gay
trappings with which his men covered their horses. He was dressed
in a blue frock closely buttoned to his chin, and scarlet trowsers with
Wellington boots reaching above his knees. Upon his head was a
laced chapeau with a snow white plume covering it like a cloud. He
was tall and finely made, and sat his horse like an Arabian chief, firmly,
gracefully, and without thought. He did not hold the reins which lay
upon his horse's mane, but guided him by the pressure of his knees
and voice. He had holster's to his saddle; and in his hand was the
sword which he waved as he gave his orders. His voice I heard plainly
two or three times. It was deep, rich and manly, and struck me as
calm as if he had been giving orders at a review.

I was so absorbed in gazing upon him, that I was nearly over-run
by the troopers behind me. How I wished that I could safely gallop
across the space that separated us and place myself by his side I
even calculated the chances, but my di-cretion got the better part of
my thoughtless wish, and I stuck by the side of my Colonel. All this
cogitations within my breast occurred while the Patriots were galloping
round to the van of their prisoners to check our charge. The next
moment, as I have said, they were pouring in the volley from their carbines,
and scouring away towards their camp.

As I was directly in the van of our column and open to their shot
(not having the friendly back of my dragoon Pedro as a shield) I
woundered then and wonder now that I escaped; for a score of men
examine back were killed in their saddles. I had to feel my face and
examine my body very suspiciously all over with my eyes to see if I
was bleeding any where, before I felt sure that I had not been hit by
someone of the whistling balls. The shot were a quarter as large as
billiard balls, being discharged from their carbines, which looked like
iron trumpets set in short gun stocks.

After a brief purley between the officers, the command was given
for the column to counter-march at a rapid trot towards the city from

[figure description] Page 011.[end figure description]

which we were nearly a league; a bold distance for Brazilian soldiers
to adventure from the cover of their walls, with six thousand Ranchero
riders within two or three miles. The prisoners whom we had
rescued, or rather whom the Patriots had resigned to us, though mounted,
were without arms. They were ordered to the front, and in this
manner we retraced our way to the city gates. As we came up to the
bridge we disturbed vast flocks of vultures that were already feeding
upon the dead bodies. They waited stubbornly and impudently until
we were within pistol shot, when they would either hop away to the
road-side, dragging reeking entrails after them, or soar slowly and
heavily a few feet into the air, and hover as if reluctant to quit their
prey, and fearful lest it should be snatched from them. Colonel De
Silvia, to whose detachment the dead men had belonged when living,
here stopped with a sufficiently large force detailed from the troop, to
bury the torn and disfigured bodies. As I rode by them I saw that
those bodies which were not otherwise torn had their eyes picked out.
It was a horrible sight and one which will never be effaced from my
memory. Colonel De Silva desired me to stay until the bodies were
buried; but the scene was so revolting that I was about to say that I
had rather go back into the city, when it occured to me that I might
have an opportunity of effecting my escape while they were engaged
in inhuming the slain, and gallop to Llavellaja's camp. It was a bold
suggestion and altogether a mad one; and one that could only have
been hatched in the brain of an impulsive, thoughtless lad of eighteen,
for I was no more than a lad, manly as I thought myself; and I trust
that the reader will put down all my follies that he may find here recorded
`to the indiscretion of youth;' a charitable veil that every generation
finds it more or less in need of.

So I remained with him, letting the main body gallop on towards
the city, the walls of which as well as the roofs and towers I could see
covered with anxious spectators of the sortie of General Torres and
his cavalry.

As I had nothing particular to do, while the soldier were excavating
a natural cavity somewhat deeper to contain the bodies, I sat in my
saddle aloof from the melancholy spectacle which my eyes refused to
rest upon after the first look, and watched the vultures. They are
large, dark brown birds, taller and longer in body than the wild turkey,
and covered with very coarse feathers. They appear immensely strong
and evinced their strength; for when we first disturbed them on the
bridge three of them having their talons and bills fastened into a body
dragged it two feet before they would release their hold; which they
did at last only when the hoofs of the advancing horses threatened
them.

They have a small but fierce sharp eye, and are slow in their motions,
especially when full to repletion after gorging. Then they will
scarcely move from the way side. They looked to me more like beasts
than birds—a sort of feathered wolf. Some of them, now sat upon
the walls and ruins of an old mill near watching vigilantly the soldiers,
while others more boldly at every opportunity would light upon a body
and tear flesh from it. About a score of them circled about in the

[figure description] Page 012.[end figure description]

air, sometimes swooping so low that I more than once waved a sabre
that I had picked up from the ground, which was strewn with the
arms of the fallen, to keep them off; for as I was light, and they were
about to be robbed of the dead, I was not sure but they would carry
me off out of my saddle bodily, by way of reprisal. My sabre, however,
kept them off; while the Portuguese soldiers laughed at my apprehensions.
Having pistols, sabre and horse, the reader will see that
I only needed helmet and cuirass to make a very respectable looking
Brazilian trooper. These I could have had for the picking them up,
as they lay around in any quantity, but although I had as it were, taken
part in a charge against the Patriots with a body of Imperial cavalry,
I had no idea, with my patriotic predilections and sympathies, to
identify myself with them more fully. I felt already that as an American,
I had sufficiently disgraced myself.

Which I was watching the voracious vultures, who were also as intently
watching the work of burying the dead, with a certain air of
dogged silence as if they privately resolved to scratch them up after
the soldiers should finish their work and retire, I was startled by a
low howling on the left, as if a borde of wolves were advancing.—
Looking in the direction, I beheld what was little better, a pack of full
two hundred gaunt dogs. They came on in a body each striving to
outstrip his fellow, and the whole band howling with savage vehemence.
They came up to within a hundred rods of the bridge and there stopped,
snuffing the air, and yelping and yelling. Some of them then
trotted forward, the rest followed at first with hesitation, for they did
not much relish the presence of the soldiers, and the whole legion
swept past me within a few yards and dashed towards the dead bodies
on the bridge.