two armies occupied nearly the same positions which they had held in the morning, the Mexicans having gained possession of a point at the upper part of the plateau where their heavy battery was planted.
During the day Miñon had been hovering about Saltillo, having occupied the road to Buena Vista, and intercepted several fugitives from the field of battle. Captain Shover, however, in charge of the headquarter camp at Saltillo, moved his piece, supported by a gun from Captain Webster's battery, against him, and after a few effective shots compelled Miñon to abandon the pass and take refuge in the ravines.
Every preparation was made by Taylor during the night for a renewal of the conflict in the morning, but when daylight broke it was discovered that Santa Anna had abandoned the field and retreated to Agua Nueva, leaving great numbers of his wounded. He could no longer continue the contest with his faint and famished troops.[1] Both sides claimed a victory. As to the engagement itself, it consisted of a succession of alternate successes and repulses, and at the close of the day the attitude of neither army was one of triumph. But the necessity which compelled Santa Anna to withdraw turned the scale of advantage immensely in favor of the Americans, and the horrors attending the retreat crushed the morale of his army.
On both sides the loss was severe. That of the Americans was 267 killed, 456 wounded, and 23 missing, a total of 746 out of 4,769 officers and men engaged in the action.[2] The Mexican loss was ad-
- ↑ In his despatch written that night on the battle-field he says: 'Lo único que aflige en estos momentos mi situacion es no tener ni una galleta ni un poco de arroz siquiera para alimentar á tanto herido.' El Iris Españ., Mar. 2, 147.
- ↑ U. S. Govt Doc., ut sup., p. 138. The report of Inspector Churchill, made later, reduces the American loss to a total of 666. This is explained by the fact that in Taylor's list many only slightly wounded were comprised, and some of the missing were present for duty at a subsequent muster. Carleton's Battle of Buena Vista, 191-212. I cannot omit to mention the exaggerated reports of the loss sustained by the Americans published on the Mexican
