Daniel E. Hungerford

“ The command of our column of attack on the enemy’s left was the post of honor, for it was the strongest point of his position, as it covered his only line of retreat. That command was assigned to Brigadier General James Shields, one of that warlike Irish race who have ever keenly felt the rapture of the fight wherever battle was to be done for a noble cause—a most knightly and heroic soldier, who would have worn with stainless honor the white plume of Henry of Navarre on the field of Ivry, and have worthily led the immortal Irish Brigade along the path of glory that it trod at Fontenoy. ”

“ Hence, to-day, all American citizens dwell together in loyal unity beneath the benign rule of our indestructible Union. And I can attest, as a Southerner, through five generations “native and to the manor born,” that if my comrades in arms of the Confederate army ever dream of future wars, it is with the sincere hope, that they may aid in bearing the flag of the Union among a people who have never looked upon its starry folds, and into lands that have never felt the power of its eagle’s beak. ”

“ There are veterans of Buena Vista, who, though in after years they still remained true to the flag of their country, and struck in its just defence on fields “shot-sown and bladed thick with steel,” do not feel that they sully their loyalty in respectfully saluting Jefferson Davis, as he was, recalling him to memory as with tall heroic form he so gallantly upheld the starry ensign of the Union upon the steady and blazing line that sheltered the brave but broken columns of Illinois and Indiana, from the uplifted sabres of a merciless foe. ”

“ The flames of no defenceless homestead lighted up our line of march, and no matin hymn or vesper bell was silenced by our coming. We were always merciful in the hour of victory, and our army, while vindicating the prowess of our country, also illustrated its civilisation. What have been the material results of that victorious war? It acquired for us the vast territories of California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, and Utah, thus adding one million square miles or 640,000,000 of acres to the United States, nearly doubling its area. ”

“ Our little army of less than 5,000 men for more than 12 hours sustained this terrible fight against 20,000 Mexican troops, and thus closed one of the most memorable battles of modern times.
Mexico has fallen, the Stars and Stripes fly above the “Halls of the Montezumas”—a nation has been conquered. History records no deeds of greater daring, no triumphs of arms more brilliant. Empire was added to empire, 1,000,000 square miles of territory were acquired—three and a half times the area of France—a dwelling place for 100,000,000 of freemen, won by half a hundred thousand. ”

“ Time, with its wide arch of forty years, has spanned many memorable events in our country, since we bore its flag in triumph over the smoking guns of hostile batteries on fields afar.
Within thirteen years after we had entered victoriously the capital of Mexico, the capital of the United States was itself menaced by a hostile army. ”

“ Differences may divide us on election day, but at all times, love and reverence for our institutions, and liberties animate us, the fires of patriotism, obliterating the petty distinctions of politics, burn as brightly to-night in the North, South, East and West, of a united and prosperous country, as well as in the breasts of those around this board this evening. ”

“ The dead, how beautiful is the memory of the dead, what a holy thing it is in the human heart, what a chastening influence it has upon human life, how it subdues all the harshness that grows up within us in the daily intercourse with the world, how it melts our hardness and softens our pride, kindles our deepest love, and waking our brightest aspirations in the camp and by the wayside, in solitude or among our comrades, think sadly and speak lovingly of the dead. ”

“ Although South Carolina and New York troops fought side by side in the same brigade under the gallant General Shields in Mexico, we found ourselves, unfortunately, arrayed against each other in later years in our own country, and no man who is a man will from political or personal motives keep alive the passions of the war, or by fanning the embers of sectional hatred for political or partisan effect, subject our people to the charge of vindictive malignity. ”

“ With them we exult in the proud consciousness that by doing our duty as American soldiers in the days of our youth, we not only gave renewed lustre to the martial annals of our country, but through the triumph of our arms we added greatly to the sum of human happiness, by widening the area of the world’s civilization. ”

“ I will only refer to the Battle of Buena Vista, which was a glorious victory, and the last general battle and crowning glory of this brave little army. It will be recollected that General Santa Anna was so certain of a victory that he wrote to General Taylor saying, “you are surrounded by 20,000 men, and cannot in any human probability avoid suffering a rout and being cut to pieces with your troops, but as you deserve consideration and particular esteem, I wish to save you from a catastrophe,” and gave one hour from the arrival of his flag of truce to General Taylor to surrender. ”

“ Larger gatherings this magnificent Hotel Continental has often had within its walls, for time has thinned the ranks of the Mexican veterans even more woefully than did Mexican shot and shell, but it may be doubted whether caravansary ever sheltered a party with more enthusiasm than is shown here to-night in Paris, the gay capital of France, by the few comrades gathered here to celebrate victories in which we were humble participants nearly 50 years ago. ”

“ He there briefly addressed the several commands, and expressed his firm conviction, that each man would do his duty as an American soldier, and thus assure victory to our arms.
That word “Duty,” a code of honor in itself, unknown in its full import, to every language but our own, has ever inspired the loftiest achievements of the English speaking race.
The battle opened at noon, by the attack of the Division of General Worth (the Marshal Ney of the Army) on the enemy’s left flank, and soon became general. ”

“ In visiting through the several states last summer, the brave men of the South vied with the men of the North, in giving him an enthusiastic welcome, and proving to the world that, when the occasion calls for it, the spirit of loyalty and patriotism, and naught else, will be found in every American heart. ”

“ It is a matter of patriotic pride to us all that the pages of history have never yet been sullied by the misdeeds of an American President, and the representatives for the highest office in the gift of a free people have always been honored at home and respected and admired abroad. ”

“ Whoever our chief magistrate may be, we may be as Americans, sure that the national honor is always secure, and that our flag, the glorious “Stars and Stripes” will always be among the foremost standards among the nations of the earth. It can be truly said that our President is at the head of a happy family. ”

“ With colossal strides, our beloved country overtook the governments of the old world in the race for excellence, and to-day she proudly holds her place in the front rank, the youngest and the strongest, and the most hopeful of reaching the goal, and distancing the field, because of her illimitable resources as yet untouched. ”

“ The Mexican Governor of California having in May, 1846, ordered all American settlers to leave that province, and having raised a force to expel them, Colonel Fremont recruited a body of 400 men and defeated the Mexicans in several sharp engagements in the valley of the Sacramento, before he had even heard that war existed between the United States and Mexico. Under his able and enterprising leadership the Americans in California, united with many of the natives, declared the independence of the province of California on the 4th of July, 1845. ”

“ I must also not forget to mention the name of my old friend and fellow forty-niner of California, James Phelan, Esq., [Pg 39] of San Francisco to whose generosity we are mainly indebted for this splendid entertainment to-night, whose patriotic spirit and warm-hearted nature always come to the front on such occasions. May his shadow never grow less, and that he may never die till I kill him.
As allusion has been made to the war of the rebellion, in which comrade McKay took a most prominent part on the side of the South, and Colonel Hungerford and myself serving in the Union Army. ”

“ Neither the war of the Rebellion, (let its sad memories be for ever buried in the depths of oblivion, is my wish) , nor any other war of ancient or modern times has accomplished so much to promote the present and future prosperity of the civilized world, as did the brief conflict between the Republics of Mexico and the United States of the North in 1846 and 1848. ”

“ Our past has been glorious, and if we are true to our trust, we may look forward with optimism and faith to the future of our country, now the light of the world, and a beacon of hope to the oppressed of every land. ”

“ Colonel Murphy was called upon to respond to the last sentiment,—in memory of our dead comrades,—which he did, as follows:
I am called on to say a word to the memory of our dear departed comrades. Would that I had command of language to do justice to our dead heroes. Father Time has fearfully thinned our ranks, and few of us can point to the comrade who was his file leader and marched shoulder to shoulder [Pg 40] with us nearly 50 years ago, and the death roll since the Mexican War has been frightful among the distinguished men of that army who have been called to their final account. ”

“ When your attacking columns are shattered and repulsed, hurry up a flag of truce, and check the advance of your exultant enemy, and demand his surrender, and then, before he can recover from his astonishment at your sublime impudence reform your shattered lines and advance to further vantage ground, or retire in good order, under the shelter of the peaceful symbol. ”

“ We can justly claim that our Presidents form an unbroken line of wise and capable rulers, that leave indelible marks for good on the progress of civilization in the path of liberty, justice, and freedom. ”

“ Abounding with mountain ranges, and rocky hill-slopes, the true citadels of freedom, that commanded all practicable roads to the interior, while she had a formidable ally in the deadly climate of her coast, where the tropical sun, shining upon the ever-decaying masses of rank vegetation, breeds the fatal malaria which burns up the blood with fever, alternating with the icy “norther” that within an hour will often vary the temperature from summer’s heat to an almost Arctic cold. ”

“ Let us assimilate all we can of the art and learning of the world, we freely draw from the treasures of her historic past, but let us always cherish and strengthen those grand principles of liberty, which the Fathers of the Republic fought for, and for the successful working of which we pledge ourselves. ”

“ Blended with this patriotic reflection, we proudly recall the fact that we marched nearly three thousand miles through the country of an enemy, alien to us in race and language, and performed no act to wound the modesty of woman, or to sully the sanctity of her person. ”

“ There is no part of the globe where civilization prevails, or where Christianity is taught and respected, but has experienced the beneficial effects, moral, physical, and financial, resulting from the magnificent and surprising campaigns of that eventful period, in which our countrymen will ever feel a pardonable pride. ”

“ Childs occupying Fort Loretto, in the western suburb of Puebla, repelled four desperate assaults of the enemy, 5000 strong, and Santa Anna drew off his forces on the approach of General Joseph Lane who was advancing from the coast, with needed reinforcements for Scott’s army. The last engagement of the war was fought by Brig. General Sterling Price at Rosales, New Mexico, on March 15th, 1848. He there, with but 300 Missouri Volunteers, defeated a Mexican force of 1000, capturing their commanding General, and eleven pieces of artillery. ”

“ He is the youngest man now living who served in the Mexican War. In the War of the Rebellion he was one of the only two commissioned officers who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in the first general battle of the war, Bull Run, where 50,000 men were engaged on each side. The other officer was Major-General Adalbert Ames, of the 5th U. S. Artillery, now living at Lowell, Mass. He was one of the only two regimental staff officers of the same rank who won this distinction during the war. ”

“ As for the present occupant of the White House, none can gainsay his devotion to duty, his ability and character, and his conscientious endeavour to serve faithfully the interest of our common country at home and abroad. ”

“ The impetus given to the gigantic spirit of enterprise, by the acquisition of nearly a million square miles of territory, and the almost simultaneous discovery of vast fields of gold and silver, completely revolutionized all the channels of human industry, and quickened into life the dormant [Pg 28] energies and the inventive genius of the world. ”

“ You can imagine a small paddle-wheel river-steamboat of 600 tons loaded down with nearly 2,000 men, 16 pieces of brass cannon, and thousands of Mexican lances, besides the rotten pork, Rio coffee, and the hardest kind of tack. ”

“ It is a pleasing spectacle to us, and a source of surprise and admiration to foreigners, that our President comes and goes, as an ordinary citizen; respect for his office and person being as general among our 75 million inhabitants that we [Pg 26] need not even the slightest display of force to with-hold his authority or strengthen his public acts. ”