Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-11-27

I Hr.nor.RTrRs On DIVISION A ARMY OF OCCUPATION,
Monterey, Mexico, Sept. %, lSao.
Sir-I have honor 10 report that IN ooeaience
TO The verbal orders OF The General-ln-Cnie'. III.
division under my command, composed Oh LIEU.
| Col Duncan's battery oil horse artillery dI'ii'e!
battalion, (Lieut. Col. Childs,) and eisn,n IT,
ment, (Capr. Scfven,) constituting me Is, w,
| pade. under Lieut. Col. Stanford; Lieut.. MACK
airs battery horse artillery 9Th infantry, (MaJor
Sco;l nh, (Capt Miles;) and one company
Louisiana volunteers, (Capt. Blanchard "a oIi'
! eade. under Brig Gen. Persiler +. Smith, lColo-
mel Of rifles and Col. Hays's regiment OF leAan
mounted rifiemen, moved from The man camp,
Al III Bosquc DE- 81 Domingo, al 2, r. NJ. Oh 'ie
both. :a.,
My instructions were by deionr 10 me r'sn,'
10 endeayor 10 find and reach the Sallio ROAD,
e(fec, thorough reconnaissance OF The approaches
10 The civ from that direction, TO cot OF supplies
and renforcements, and, if practicable, carry Inc
| heights.
Owing to the difficulties of the ground aiier
| leayipp The Marin and before striking the fIes-
ouina Grande road the division had reacneo on
" sir miles in consequence oflhe delay IN max
ing The route practicable for artillery, which ser
vice was executed by Capt. Sanders-at o. Z.
NJ, and was halted just without the range o. a
| called Lonia de Iadepcndencia, midway on the
| ascent OF which was the Bishops Palace. Thence
| reconnaissance was made, under cover oil de-
! tachmen,s of HAYS Texans TO the intersection
| OF the Presquina Grande route, then in our pos
session. with The Sallio road This examina-
lion resulted in the conviction that the grounds
in our front and on our left, in advance, consi-
lued al the same lime the weak and Inc strong
points Of the enemys position, and entered main
y into the deiences of The city-lhe weak point,
because commanding the only lines OF retreat
-. in ha
controlling that in direction TO Presquna Grande;
The strong point, because OF the peculiarly de-
ensive character of the hills and gorges, and OF
The very careful and skiliul manner with which
they had been fortified and guarded. II was also
clearly indicated that our further advance would
be strenuously resisted.
On The morning O. The Dist, The division was
put in motion, and with such formation as 10
present the readiest order Of battle on any point
OF assault. At s, the advance, consisting ol
| Hays's Texans, supported by The light companies
Isl brigade under Captain e. F. Smith, iho'h e1-
tended as the valley widened or cnnlrac'ed,)
closely followed by Duncan's light artillery, and
| battalion, heafs oil columns, on turning an angle
Of the mountain, al hacienda called San Jero-
! nlmo, came upon strong force OF cavalry and
| infantry, mostly the former. A conflict imme-
| !iarey ensued The Texans received the heavy
| charge of cavalry with their unening rifles, and
usual sallanlfy; The light companies opened
| rapid and well.direclei FIRE; puncan's battery
was in action in one minute, (promp'ly supported
By section OF Mackalps, delivering us fire over
| me heads our men, Ere The close oil the com.
oat. winch laslsd bu. fifteen minutes, the first
,ngade had formed TO the ftonl, On The right and
lei. and delivered ils fire. The second brigade
vas held in reserve, he ground not admitting Of
| IFS deploy ,nenl The enemy retired IN disnrcef,
| Leaving on the ground one hundred killed and
! wounded; among The former, Don Juan n. NaJ'-
| ra, colonel ol the permanent regiment ol lancers ]
| upon the Salil!o road and was CLOSELY pursued
| anil we 90, possession Of The jrse where ali
| he deJouct.s from Monterey unite, whereby the
| force iusl defeated, as also reLforcemenis and
| supplies from hat direction, were excluded from
n,e!ing The city. At this important point The III.
| vision was hailed, and attention directed toward
the mountain forts, which envelope The city on It's
western and south western faces Soon discover
} ing. however that our position brought US within
effective range Of The batteries, The troops were
| advanced some eight hundred yards farther on
| the Sal,lo road.
The examination, lhus far, had manifested, be-
sides The importance oI the positions The imprac-
icability of an effective operations against The
city, until possessed of the exterior forts and bat
teres. Independent, however, OF Interior objects,
the OCCUPATION Of these heights became indispen-
| sable to The restoration Of our line OF communi-
| cation with headquarters necessarily abandoned
l Tor the moment, in order 10 secure the sorges oil
The SaliIlo road. AT II NJ, force was detach-
ed under Capt. c. F.. Smith, with. orders 10 storm
The batteries on hr crest OF The nearest hill, call
| ed Federation. ant a.ler taking that 10 carry the
| tort called So'9ad0, IN The ridge Of The same
| height. rr,i:et about 6j0 yan,. The two elec-
tuay guarded: ,hr slopes and fua!> IN either val
| ley. AMI consequently The approaches 10 the city.
This command consisted oi four companies, TX
81. B 81, and G and II, 1 b ar'illery,) OF The ar
| ,iery battalion. and Gre, rs, McGowau's, Z A.
Gilespie's, Chantsis, Balowe's, and McCul-
! locis companies If Texan riflemrn under Maj.
| Ch.rar acting in cr-pperalion-ln all about
| three hundred electives. l. Was Impossible 10
| mask ll- movement IL the st"tmin. rai!y On
1 appruacain. ihr base oi the mountain, The guns
ii both batteries "pened plugging IRE, and nu-
| merous light troops were seen de cendins ana ar
ranging themselves al favorable points on the
slopes. PcIceiving these indications OF deter
| mined resistance, Capt Miles was detached with
the eth, 10 support and Cooperate with the INST
party In short time the fire became general,
he enemy gradually yielding and retiring up the
| rugged ACTIVITY, and our men as steadily pursu-
inc The appearance Of heavy reintorcemeDts
| on The summit, and the cardinal importance OF
| The operation demanding further support, the 5ih,
under Major Scott and Blanchard's company oil
volunteers, were Immediately detached, accompa-
| MED by Brig. Gen Smith, who was instructed 10
| take direction in that quarter On reaching the
| advance parties, Gen. Smith discovered that un-
| Ter favor OF The ground, he could, by diverIing
| portion OF the force TO the right, and moving II
obliquely up the hill, carry Soldada simullane-
| ously with The Federation. He accordingly very
| udciously pointed and accompanied The 9Th, TN,
and Blanchard's company in that direction
| Capt. Smiths command having most CALAMITY
carried The first object OF attack, promptly turned
The captured gun-a nine-po under-upon The Sc
copd and moved on with his main body, 10 pahi-
cipale in the assault upon Soldoda-which was
carried in gallant style by the forces under Scott
Miles, Blanchard and Hays, (who had been de-
lached on special service, but who returned IN
time TO share with fifty Of his men in The FIRST as
sault and 10 take prominent part in The secondD
the whole directed by Gen. Smith.
All this point we secured another 9-ponnder,
| md Immediately both pieces were brought 10
bear upon The Bishops Palace, situated upon AMI
midway The southern slope OF The hill Independent
c,a, valley OF only six hundred yards inlerven-
! ing We had now secured an important advan-
| age, and YET bn. halt the work was done. The
possession OF these heights cny made the more
| apparent the controlling importance OF those op-
posite, and the necessity o! occupying the palace.
! A violent storm ensued, and night closing in,
operations Tor The day ceased. The troops had
! now been thirly-sx hours without, food, and con-
SANITY taxed to the utmost physical exerlions.-
Such as could be permitted slep, with arms in
hand subject 10 a pelting Storm and without cover
ing Till 8. A. M, when they were aroused 10 car
ny the hill lndependsncia
Lieut. Col. Childs was assigned 10 lead this
slorming party, consisting Of three companies,
and G 4lh, and A 80, (artillery baualion;) three
companies 9Th infantry, "a, B and D. under Capt
Scriven, with Two hundred Texan ril.men, under
Col. Hays and Lieut.. COL Walker Captain OF
riaes,) aching in cooperation. The conman4
moved at g. conducted 10 its point Of ascent by
Capt. Sanders, military and Lieal. Meade, topo-
graphical engineers. Favored by The weather, il
reached by dawn OF day within abont one hun
dret yards of The crest, in which position among
The cefts of rocks, body OF the enemy had been
stationed the previous evening in apparent ami
cipalion OF attack. The cnemy's re,realng iee
\ al ,rt,t ~