BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT AND HAND-DRAWN MAP.


Autograph Letter Signed of H. Daily, 4 pp recto and verso, 4to (conjoining leaves), Camp Taylor (Agua Nueva), February 28, 1847, to his father, describing battlefield events. WITH: "Plan of the Battlefield of Buena Vista," pen and ink on paper, 415 x 525 mm with additional 195 x 305 mm sheet attached to lower right corner continuing the path of the river and encampments, showing placement of troops and artillery along the valley between the foothills and the Agua Nueva river, not attribution or date, titled on the verso, creased with light thumbsoiling. A letter home from an Indiana volunteer present at the Battle of Buena Vista, where American troops were vastly outnumbered. The writer sets the scene, describing mild skirmishes until about 3 pm of the day of the battle, at which time "the whole energy of the Mexicans were put forth to anihilate us. They brought their artillery to bear on us and charged with their lancers backed by their Infantry, it was a fearful moment for the American Army at that time if the little band opposed to them had broke it would have been sorrowful times for us. But they stood like heroes ... Santa Anna admits his force at 20,000 or about 5 men to one & they had about the same number of field pieces but heavier than ours. It is a victory and such a one as will raise the value of Volunteer stocks as it was purely a volunteer fight, with the exception of the artillery and one squadron Dragoons, and Indiana has reason to be proud of her Volunteers ... The loss of our Regt was 9 killed & 56 wounded, only 2 wounded in our Company when Coombes & Martin Conaway who is severely wounded in leg below the knee, he will however recover in a short time without the loss of his leg. Coombes after suffering amputation of the leg died last night about 11 o'clock."The map may have been created by the author of the letter, but they were likely not mailed together, as they do not bear the same crease marks.