CAPTAIN MAY’S RECONNAISSANCE
David.Gettman December 28th, 2008
General Taylor had concentrated his force of about 4,600 men at the hacienda of Agua Nueva, about twenty miles south of Saltillo. In order to determine the movements of the enemy, he decided to send out a strong reconnaissance force. This consisted of Companies D and E, Second Dragoons, two companies of the First Dragoons, some volunteer cavalry, and a section of the Fourth Artillery, in all about 400 men, under Captain May. They left camp February 20 and marched east, arriving at the hacienda of La Hedionda that afternoon. Captain May sent out patrols in all directions and, leaving his horses saddled, prepared for a defense of the ranch by placing bales of cotton around. It was noticed that signal fires were kindled on the hills, and he assumed his movements were watched by the Mexican cavalry. By ten o’clock all the patrols were back except one, and Captain May had information from a Mexican deserter that not only was the hostile cavalry in that vicinity but Santa Anna was only a short distance away with the main army of over 22,000. With this information Captain May left the ranch at once and returned to the general headquarters at Agua Nueva.
CAPTAIN MAY’S RECONNAISSANCE BEFORE THE BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA
From The Battle of Buena Vista, by James Henry Carleton.
Colonel May was ordered not to attack the enemy, but to avoid him, if possible; the purpose of this march being solely that of observation. At the same time that he was sent in this direction, Major Benjamin McCulloch, with a small party of Texas spies, was ordered toward La Encarnacion, for a similar object. Continue Reading »
