The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-31 00:00:00

CALIFORNIA.

BATTLES AT SAN PASQUAI AND SACRAMENTO BE-
TWEEN GENERAL KEARNEY AND COLONEL DONT-
PHAN AND THE MEXICANS I CHIHUAHUA IN POS-
SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES.

While the army in Mexico Proper has been
covering itself with glory, our forces in California
have followed their example. General Kearney and
Colonel Doniphan, with a volunteer force of 2,000
men, after an exhausting march of 2,000 miles, from
Missouri, defeated a greatly superior Mexican force
under General Pico at San Pasquel, captured Chi-
huahua, and won a brilliant victory over 4,000 Mex-
icans at Sacramento. The Mexicans fortified the
Pass of Sacramento and had 1,200 cavalry, 1,200
infantry, 300 artillery, and 1,400 Rancheros, all of
whom were routed, leaving 300 killed and as many
wounded on the field. Their entire cannon,
train,baggage-
and provisions fell into our hands. American
loss, four killed, and less than a dozen wounded.
General Kearney, after the battle took formal pos-
session of Chihuahua in the name of the United
States. We have now full possession of California.
St. Louis had been visited by a destructive fire.
The finances of Pennsylvania were in a promising
condition.

Our Canadian advices are uninteresting. The Earl
of Cathcart had left the province. The first vessel
for sea, the St. Andrew, for London, had reached
Quebec on the Bth inst.

THE BATTLE OF CERRO GORDO.
(From the New Orleans Delta.)
We are indebted to Captain Hughes, of the Topo-
graphical Corps, for much valuable and interesting
information relating to the late glorious victory or
Cerra Gordo.
On the arrival of the other divisions of the army
at the encampment of General Twiggs, on the 16th
Of April, General Scott, after taking a reconnoissance
of the enemy's works, determined to storm them.
The position occupied by the enemy was regarded by
them as impregnable, and, truly, to any other than
American soldiers it !Rust have appeared an insur-
mountable and impracticable undertaking to carry it
by storm, or turn it by strategy.
The road from Vera Cruz, as it passes the Plan del
Rio, which is a wide rocky bed of a once large stream,
is commanded by a series of high cliffs, rising one
above the other, and extending several miles, all well
fortified. The road then debouches to the right, and
curving around the ridge passes over a high cliff,
which is completely enfiled by forts and batteries.
This ridge is the commencement of the Terra Tem-
plada, the upper or mountainous country—the right
flank of the position—and a series of most abrupt
and apparently impassable mountains and ridges
covered their left. Between these points, run
Ding a distance of two or three miles, a suc-
cession of strongly fortified forts bristled at every
turn, and seemed to defy all bravery and skill. The
Cerro Gordo commanded the road on a gentle decli-
nation like a glacis for nearly a mile. An approach
in that direction would have been the most entire an-
nihilation of our army. But the enemy expected
such an attack, calculating upon the desperate valour
of our men, and believing that it was impossible to
turn their position to the right or left. General
Scott, however, with the eye of a skilful general, per-
ceived the trap set for him, and determined to avoid
it. He therefore had a road cut to the right, so as to
escape the front fire from the Cerro, and to turn his
position to the left flank. This movement was made
known to the enemy by a deserter from our camp,
and 'consequently a large increase of force under
General Vega was sent to the forts on their left.
General Scott, to cover his flank movements, on the
17th of April ordered forward General Twiggs
against the steep ascent in front and a little to the left
of the Cerro. Colonel Harney commanded this ex-
pedition, and. at the head of the rifles and some de-
tachments of infantry and artillery carried this posi-
tion in front and near the enemy's strongest fortifica-
tions ; and having, by incredible labour, elevated one
of our large guns to the top of the fort, General
Scott prepared to follow up his advantages. A de-
monstration was made from this position against
another strong fort in the rear and near the Cerro, but
the enemy were considered too strong, and the ult•
dertaking was abandoned. A like demonstration was
made by the enemy.
On the next day, the 18th, General Twiggs was
ordered forward from the position he had already
captured against the fort which commanded the Cerro.
Simultaneously an attack on the fortifications on the
enemy's left was to be made by General Shield's and
Worth's division, who moved in separate columns,
whilst General Pillow advanced against the strong
forts and difficult ascents on the right of the enemy's
position. The enemy, fully acquainted with General
Scott's intended movement, had thrown large bodies
of men into the various positions to be attacked. The
most serious enterprise was that of Twiggs, who ad-
vanced against the main fort that commanded the
Cerro. Nothing can be conceived more difficult than
this undertaking. The steep and rough character of
the ground, the constant fire of the enemy in front,
and the cross fire of the forts and batteries, which en-
filated our lines, made the duty assigned to General
Twiggs one of surpassing difficulty. Nothing pre-
vented our men from being utterly destroyed but the
steepness of the ascent under which they could shel-
ter. But they sought no shelter, and onward rushed
against a hailstorm of balls and musket shot, led
by the gallant Harney, whose noble bearing eli-
cited the applause of the whole army. His
conspicuous and stalwart frame at the head of
the brigade, his long arm waving his men on to
the charge, his sturdy voice ringing above the clash
of arms and din of conflict, attracted the attention and
admiration alike of the enemy and the army. On,
on he led the columns, whose front lines melted before
the enemy's fire like snow flakes. in a torrent, and
stayed not their course
. until, leaping over the rocky
barriers and bayoneting their gunners,. they drove the
enemy pell-mell from the front, delivering a deadly
fire into their ranks from their own guns as they
hastily retired. This was truly a gallant deed, worthy
of the Chevalier Bayard of our army, as the intrepid
Harney is well styled. General Scott, between v.hoin
and Colonel Harney there had existed some coolness,
rode up to the Colonel after this achievement and
remarked to him, "m olonel Harney, I cannot now
adequately express y admiration of your gallant.
achievement; but at the proper time I shall take great