in the teeth of every established precedent of warfare; they were owing to a singular combination of military qualities in the men themselves.  Without discipline or a spirit of subordination, they knew how to keep their ranks and act as one man.  Doniphan’s regiment marched through New Mexico more like a band of free companions than like the paid soldiers of a modern government.  When General Taylor complimented Doniphan on his success at Sacramento and elsewhere, the colonel’s reply very well illustrates the relations which subsisted between the officers and men of his command: 

“I don’t know anything of the maneuvers.  The boys kept coming to me, to let them charge; and when I saw a good opportunity, I told them they might go.  They were off like a shot, and that’s all I know about it.”

The backwoods lawyer was better fitted to conciliate the good-will than to command the obedience of his men.  There were many serving under him, who both from character and education could better have held command than he.

At the battle of Sacramento his frontiersmen fought under every possible disadvantage.  The Mexicans had chosen their own position; they were drawn up across the valley that led to their native city of Chihuahua; their whole front was covered by intrenchments and defended by batteries of heavy cannon; they outnumbered the invaders five to one.  An eagle flew over the Americans, and a deep murmur rose along their lines.  The enemy’s batteries opened; long they remained under fire, but when at length the word was given, they shouted and ran forward.  In one of the divisions, when midway to the enemy, a drunken officer ordered a halt; the exasperated men hesitated to obey.

“Forward, boys!” cried a private from the ranks; and the Americans, rushing like tigers upon the enemy, bounded over the breastwork.  Four hundred Mexicans were slain upon the spot and the rest fled, scattering over the plain like sheep.  The standards, cannon, and baggage were taken, and among the rest a wagon laden with cords, which the Mexicans, in the fullness of their confidence, had made ready for tying the American prisoners.

Doniphan’s volunteers, who gained this victory, passed up with the main army; but Price’s soldiers, whom we now met, were men from the same neighborhood, precisely similar in character, manner, and appearance.  One forenoon, as we were descending upon a very wide meadow, where we meant to rest for an hour or two, we saw a dark body of horsemen approaching at a distance.  In order to find water, we were obliged to turn aside to the river bank, a full half mile from the trail.  Here we put up a kind of awning, and spreading buffalo robes on the ground, Shaw and I sat down to smoke beneath it.

“We are going to catch it now,” said Shaw; “look at those fellows, there’ll be no peace for us here.”

And in good truth about half the volunteers had straggled away from the line of march, and were riding over the meadow toward us.