In February, 1847, Mexican Colonel Santa Anna, who commanded the siege and fall of the Alamo in 1836, amassed forces near Buena Vista, Mexico. The United States Army deployed troops to counter the Mexican forces and drive them south. The Battle of Buena Vista began on February 22nd in a narrow valley pass between two plateaus. The 2nd Kentucky Infantry held a position high above the valley floor to protect the plateau and saw little action the first day.
The following day, the Mexican Army waged an assault on the left flank, where the First Kentucky, Second Indiana and Second Illinois Infantry were positioned. The engagement was fierce, but the Kentuckians held ground. Confusion set in, and the Second Indiana misunderstood their orders to advance and started a retreat, leaving a hole in the ranks. The 2nd Kentucky advanced toward the narrows to tighten up the ranks. Noticing that the Mexicans had succeeded in creating a diversionary attack to mask the main advance by Santa Anna, the 2nd Kentucky received orders to ascend down the plateau and support the 2nd Illinois. Shortly after, American artillery began pounding the Mexican advance, causing a turning point in favor of the United States.
The 2nd Kentucky rallied with the Illinois and Indiana troops and began another fierce fight against Santa Anna's troops. The Mexican lines began to break, and they started a retreat. The US troops gave chase, firing into the retreating lines, before realizing they were in range of the Mexican artillery. After falling back and holding their positions, the Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois infantrymen thwarted off occasional attacks while dodging artillery fire. The US artillery took positions and fired at the Mexican line, causing Santa Anna's army to retreat to the base of the mountain.
At around 1 p.m., February 23, 1847, Lt. Colonel McKee and Lt. Colonel Clay spotted a group of Mexican cavalry officers approaching. As the 2nd Kentucky prepared to fire upon the officers, Clay noticed a flag of truce. The Mexican officers were escorted to General Zachary Taylor's command tent to negotiate. General John Wood was send with a flag of truce to meet with Santa Anna, and the fighting halted; on the American side.
As General Wood galloped toward Santa Anna, Mexican Artillery began raining down around him, ending the false truce. During this ordeal, the Mexican army retreated to the safety of a plateau. By mid-afternoon, only a few sporadic troops were spotted along Santa Anna's line. The 2nd Kentucky, 1st and 2nd Illinois, numbering nearly a thousand men, were ordered to make a charge on the Mexicans. After charging nearly a half mile over rough terrain, the Kentucky and Illinois troops were finally within firing distance, when suddenly, a volley of cannon and rifle fire broke the air. The Americans had exposed themselves to a newly regrouped, refreshed and determined Mexican assault force that included several hundred reserve troops that had been hidden.
Facing a force ratio of nearly ten to one, the Americans were in the middle of an all out final assault charge by Santa Anna's army. As the Kentucky and Illinois men advanced, they suffered heavy casualties. Fearing full annihilation, the Americans were being flanked and surrounded. An escape route into the ravine was their only way out of an all out massacre. As the Americans retreated toward a highway, the Mexicans continued to barrage them with artillery and rifle fire. The Kentuckians were caught in the ravine, with Mexican forces along the ridges. The race to the American line at Angostura was on.
It was late afternoon and the battle had raged since early morning. Weary and exhausted, the 2nd Kentucky was desperate. Lt. Colonel McKee and Lt. Colonel Clay had fallen in the ravine. Captain Turpin's men of Company I were in the thick of the battle and fighting courageously under great depredations. As the Americans and Mexicans continued toward the highway, the artillery of Captain J.M. Washington's cannons exploded into the Mexican ranks. The battle had once again turned in the favor of the Americans. The Kentucky and Illinois men were able to regroup, and were rallied by the artillery barrage against the Mexican forces. From the vantage point of the Americans, they could clearly see retreating Mexican lancers stabbing and mutilating wounded and fallen soldiers in the ravine.
The 2nd Kentucky, 1st and 2nd Illinois infantry regiments suffered greatly during The Battle of Buena Vista; forty five percent of the total fatalities and 33 percent of battle injuries was the toll. The 2nd Kentucky Foot Soldiers gained the name, "The Bloody Second" and largely contributed to the eventual victory against Santa Anna's forces. Captain Wilkinson Turpin's men of Company I gained the name "The Bath-Montgomery Invincibles" due to their tenacity and courage in the battle.
Sources: Kentuckians at the Battle of Buena Vista, by Richard Salisbury
http://www.usgenwebsites.org/KYCampbell/mexicanwar.htm
History of the Kentucky National Guard
