The Weekly Minnesotian

AN INCIDENT AT THE BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. -The funeral oration pronounced at Salem, Mass., by Hon. C. W. Upham, contains an account of the celebrated flag of truce which during the battle of Buena Vista, was sent from Santa Anna to Gen. Taylor. The account was derived from the lips of the late President, and is as follows:

"As this incident of the battle may possibly, if the secret history of the war is ever fully revealed, be found to shed light upon it, I will here record the facts related to me by Gen. Taylor himself. During the height of the conflict a flag was seen approaching. The emergencies of the day, had so stripped him of his staff, that having no one to send he went himself to meet it. As the young officer who bore it could not speak English nor Spanish, the conference took place in French. The communication was this: (Gen. Santa Anna desires to know what Gen. Taylor wants?" Feeling somewhat indignant that a message so apparently impertinent should have been sent at such a moment and regarding it as perhaps a device merely to gain time, or some other illegitimate advantage, or at best, as a species of trifling, gave an answer dictated by the feelings of the moment--"What Gen. Taylor wants is Gen. Santa Anna's army."

Here the conference closed, and the Mexican officer withdrew. Upon a moment's reflection, he regretted that he had given an answer, so undiplomatic, and having so much the air of a repartee. He called to mind the fact that his government had advised him that they had favored the return of Santa Anna to Mexico, from a belief that he was disposed to promote and might have influence enough with his countrymen to effect a termination of the war, and it occurred to him as really designed to open the way for negotiation, and perhaps, a pacification --an object ever near to his heart. He rode over the fields in search of Gen. Wool, and made known the circumstance to him, and suggested, if not too great a personal exposure, the expediency of his carrying a flag to the Mexican lines to ask an explanation of the message. To send an officer of rank, character and position, would remove the indignity, if it should be so regarded, of his blunt and summary answer. Gen. Wool readily, and gallantly undertook the service, and rode forth to execute it, but the fire of the Mexican batteries could not again be stopped, and no further parley took place. The next morning, when Col. Bliss was sent with a flag to the Mexican head quarters, he was requested to ascertain what had been intended by the message of the previous day, but he found the state of things such as to render it vain to enter upon the subject. The import of the message remains unriddled to this day.-- Santa Anna can undoubtedly solve the enigma.