THE EAGLE OF SACRAMENTO
This poem is founded upon an incident in Colonel Doniphan’s campaign with the Army of the West in 1846-47. The battle of Sacramento was fought Feb. 28, 1847; the Mexican army, accompanied by the governor and leading citizens of Chihuahua, had taken a strong position in the rocky foothills of the Sierra de Victoriano, and there awaited Colonel Doniphan who had about nine hundred men. The Mexican army numbered 2200 men, with heavy artillery and entrenched. They expected to rout the Americans at the first fire, and amused themselves with feasting and sports while awaiting their approach.Colonel Doniphan was compelled to make his attack across a small plain in full range of the artillery and cut by a deep gulch which offered a serious stay to the charge. Just as the column halted on its brink some of the men saw a bald eagle hovering over the plain and set up a shout of “Victory! The eagle!” They charged up the hill, sweeping the Mexican army before them, with the loss of but one man, Major Owens, who was shot from his horse.The Chihuahuan army lost 1100 men and all stores, sheep, cattle, hard bread, and much silver coin. Several wagons were found filled with ropes cut in lengths with which to tie the captured Americans. The governor, citizens, and army fled in confusion back to the city of Chihuahua, which was occupied by Doniphan’s troops and held for some weeks.
This poem is founded upon an incident in Colonel Doniphan’s campaign with the Army of the West in 1846-47. The battle of Sacramento was fought Feb. 28, 1847; the Mexican army, accompanied by the governor and leading citizens of Chihuahua, had taken a strong position in the rocky foothills of the Sierra de Victoriano, and there awaited Colonel Doniphan who had about nine hundred men. The Mexican army numbered 2200 men, with heavy artillery and entrenched. They expected to rout the Americans at the first fire, and amused themselves with feasting and sports while awaiting their approach.
Colonel Doniphan was compelled to make his attack across a small plain in full range of the artillery and cut by a deep gulch which offered a serious stay to the charge. Just as the column halted on its brink some of the men saw a bald eagle hovering over the plain and set up a shout of “Victory! The eagle!” They charged up the hill, sweeping the Mexican army before them, with the loss of but one man, Major Owens, who was shot from his horse.
The Chihuahuan army lost 1100 men and all stores, sheep, cattle, hard bread, and much silver coin. Several wagons were found filled with ropes cut in lengths with which to tie the captured Americans. The governor, citizens, and army fled in confusion back to the city of Chihuahua, which was occupied by Doniphan’s troops and held for some weeks.
The Hills of Victoriano were gay that winter morning;Chihuahuan gentlemen looked down tricked out in brave array;When Trial with the ebon flag rode forth to give us warning.“Your leader”—“Come and take him—and luck be yours the day!”“No quarter to the Gringo”! the skull and cross-bones fluttered;Four thousand throats took up the yell, the echoes flung it back;How boastfully, exultantly, the taunting threat they uttered—As coyotes bold with number yelp round a gray wolf’s pack.Nine hundred men in buckskin, in patches and in tatters;Lean and hungry as the deserts we had traversed wearily;But little versed in pipe clay, in gold lace and such matters—Only our bare brown rifles to match their pageantry.There on the hills above us the proud senores gatheredAs for some rare fiesta, laughed with their men below;“Now by the flag they jest at they’ll pray they ne’er were fathered;Their jaunty coats shall sit awry ere this day’s sun is low.”Their peons manned the cannon, their rabble filled the trenches—We were too mean a crew to soil the hands of gentlemen;Their mocking words they fling at us, till Mitchell fiercely clenchesHis fist and shouts: “Now, rangers! Sweep the vermin from their den!”Barred with a rain-washed gulley the hill sloped up before us;A deep-worn trench too wide to leap and like to cost us dear;Just on its edge we halted—broad wings were hovering o’er us—“An omen! Look! the eagle!” uprose a mighty cheer.With one wild charge we crossed the gulch, half on our comrades’ shoulders,And, the great bald eagle leading, stormed up the rocky hill;Their grape went wide below us, or crashed among the bowlders,And when our rifles spoke them back the beaten guns were still:We scared them from their cover, we sent the peons flying;We turned on them the cannon they had not wit to fire;What way the battle led us was strewn with dead and dying,And we heaped their gaudy trappings to feed the funeral pyre.One knee around the saddle horn, half lounging in his saddle,Sat Doniphan, and whistled as he whittled carelessly,Shaping a cedar splinter to a rough-turned wooden paddle:—“With my compliments to Trial for his pirate flag,” said he.The flag was torn and trampled and the throats that cried “No quarter!”Were silent on the bloody field or sullen in defeat;The ropes they’d cut to bind our hands we cut again still shorter,And we bound the fleeing stragglers as we caught them in retreat.Back on the road where late they came with pomp and jest and laughter,They fled, the governor leading, to Chihuahua’s very gate;And in their gay-decked carriages our rangers followed after,Or on their prancing horses rode down in martial state.What spoil was ours for taking—bread and corn and sheep and cattle!How the “Gringo beggars” feasted on the feast the Dons had spread!And the priest Ortiz who cursed us and reviled us through the battle,Was left to scare the vultures and say masses for the dead.We had three score captured cannon, guns and gun mules all together;Our saddle bags were heavy with peso and doubloon;We had bridles silver-studded and carved of Spanish leather—Ah! well we turned the tale of them that boasted all too soon!And well we cheered the eagle till the hills above us thundered;We set the old cathedral bells to peal triumphantly—And in the gray old plaza, while our prisoners scoffed and wondered,We shamed our sullen foemen when we gave them amnesty.