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

pleasure in tb milking you in proper terms." Harney,
with the modesty of true valour, claimed the praise as
due to his officers and men. Thus did the division of
the gallant veteran Twiggs carry the main position
of the enemy, and occupy the fort which com-
manded the read. It was here the enemy received
their heaviest loss, and their general, Vasquez,
was killed. A little after, General Worth, having
by great exertions passed the steep and craggy
heights on the enemy's left, summoned a strong fort
on the rear of the Cerro to surrender. This fort was
manned by a large force. under General Pinzon, a
mulatto officer of considerable ability and courage,
who, seeing the Cerro carried, thought prudent to
surrender, which he did with all his force. General
Shields was not so fortunate in the battery which he
attacked, and which was commanded by General La
Vega. A heavy fire was opened on him, under which
the fort was carried with some loss by the gallant
Illinoisians, under Baker and Bennett, supported by
the New Yorkers, under Burnett. Among those
who fell under this fire was the gallant geneeral, who
received a grape shot through his lungs, by which he
was completely paralysed, and at the last accounts
was in a lingering state. On the enemy's right G-
eneral Pillow commenced the attack against the strong
forts near the river. The Tennesseans, under Has-
kill, led the column, and the other volunteerregiments
followed. The column unexpectedly encountered a
heavy fire from a masked battery, by which Has-kill's
regiment was nearly cut to pieces, and the other vo-
lunteer regiments were severely handled.
Pillow withdrew his men and was preparing for ano-
ther attack when, the operations at the other points
having proved successful, the enemy concluded to sur-
render.
Thus the victory was complete, and four generals
and about 6,000 men were taken prisoners by our
army, and one of their principal generals and a large
number of other officers killed. The Mexican force
on this occasion certainly exceeded our own. The
Mexican officers admitted that Santa Anna had
had 8,000 men in the lines, and 6,000, including
2,000 lancers, outside of the entrenchments. General
Scott's force was about 8,000, General Quitman's
brigade not having arrived in time to take part in the
engagement. General Ampudia was second in com-
mand of the Mexicans and superintended the opera-
tions of the enemy. When the Cerro was carried he
was seen retreating on a fine white charger, his hat
falling off as he galloped away. Many of the Mexi-
cans escaped by a bye path which runs off from the
main road between the Cerro and the fort carried by
General Worth. As to Santa Anna and Canalizo,
they retreated in time to escape by the main road.
Their conduct is regarded as most cowardly. Some
of the Mexican officers who were taken prisoners do
not hesitate to attribute their defeat to the cowardice of
Santa Anna. The force of the enemy was composed
of their best soldiers. The infantry that fought so well
at Buena Vista, all the regular artillerists of the Re-
public, including several able naval officers,were present.
Some of the officers whom General Scott rsleased at
the capitulation of Vera Cruz, without extorting the
parole on account of their gallantry, were found among
the killed and wounded. A gallant young officer,
named Flalzinger, a German by birth, who extorted
the admiration of our army in the bombardment of
Vera Cruz by seizing a flag which was cut down by
our balls and holding it up in his hands until a staff
could be prepared, had been released by General
Scott without a parole. He was found among th.,
desperately wounded at Cerro Gordo. The enemy's
loss (in killed and wounded) was about as large as our
own; but in addition to this the loss of some 6,000
prisoners and some of their best officers. Our army
captured about 30 pieces of beautiful brass cannon of
large calibre and mostly manufactured at the Royal
Foundry of Seville. A large quantity of fixed am-
munition of very superior quality was also taken.
The private baggage and money chest of Santa Anna,
containing 20,000 dollars, was also captured. The
latter was delivered over to the Pay department. The
volunteers who were employed in carrying the specie
into camp cracked many a joke over the prospect of
being so soon paid off in Mexican coin and free of ex
pease to Uncle Sam.
When our forces had carried the various position
of the enemy and the road was cleared, General
Twiggs started in hot pursuit of the fugitive Santa Anna, and pressed close upon his heels. A strong '
position, five miles west of Cerro Gordo,. ,
fortified
and defended by a battery of long brass guns, was
abandoned by the enemy and occupied by our troops.
General Twiggs bivouacked within three miles of the
lovely town of Jalapa.
In concluding our imperfect sketch of this brilliant
achievement, we cannot sufficiently express our ad-
miration of the extraordinary deeds of our gallant
army and able General. Scarcely a month has
elapsed since our troops under Scott landed on the
enemy's shores. In that time a strong walled city
has been captured, together with an
impregnable
fortress ; a pitched battle has been fought
under the
most unfavourable circumstances and against the
most formidable natural defences ; 12,000 prisoners
have been taken, including some half a dozen general
officers ; 500 splendid cannon and an immense amount
of munitions of war have been added to the national
trophies. Truly, such results are glorious testi-
anonials of the valour of our soldiers, and the perse-
verance of the accomplished General who led them.