Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-10-20
VOLUME XLIH.-NUMBER so.

great disparity 0l loss between inc oi'ieions y,
Gen. Taylor and Gen. Worth. Weare inclined
10 attribute this 10 the difference between The WORK
which they had to do respectively, 10 any greater
prudence or care on the part Of Gen. Worth, or
any rashness or indifference 10 The loss OF life on
the part OF Gen. Taylor. Taylor gave to Worth
that which 10 the latter was, under The circum-
stances, tine greatest boon he could receiye-a Sc
parate command, where the glory ne might win
might be his own exclusively, and IN which he
has in truth won sufficient 10 satisfy even has dar
ing and chivarous temper. That Worth, in the
use OF his troops, did mol spare them, is evident
from one OF the accounts, which states that the
storming part of the battery commanding the
Bishops Palace was looked upon as, in truth, a
"torlorn hope" But batteries, like those around
Monterey, upon heights SO s'eeP, that their as
sailanls had 10 Chamber up preclpices TO reach
them, and constructed temporarily, Tor one Of
these, al least, seems 10 have been built OF sand
bags, are less dangerous TO attack than would, at
first sight, appear. Cannon cannot be sufficient
ly depressed TO sweep The face OF steep ascent.
The hill itself is cover for the storming party;
and il is only when the summit is reached that
grape and canister and muskery can be used
with effect; and, even then, but for single dis
CHARGE for no time is given 10 re-loa- before the
bayonet becomes busy, and flight, or hand to
hand contest. are the alternatives for the deien'
ders OF the fort What is here stated is proved to
be probable, al least by the fact, that, in carrying
the heights about Monterey, Gen. Wor,h's loss
was so small. Whatever The loss the heights had
10 be carried, and Worth was just the man, and
we knew him we'll OF old, TO carry them.
Gen. Worth began BY carrying the fort which
commanded the Bishops Palace, which we in
fer 10 have been on the same ridge, though per-
haps on different elevations Of it, and lower down;
- So. lal IL
to have been The city. The taking Of these forts
came untenable, and when that fell into Wonh's
hands, he had below him still, and at his mercy,
the Western part OF the city, into which he pene-
ralcd as far on his side as Taylor did on his
Like row Of bricks set on end by boys, the up
setting Of The first causes The fall in succession, OF
the others. Consummale judgment seems TO have
marked every part Of Worth's conduct.
Gen. Taylor would seem 10 have kept hard
work for himself, TOO; and hence the greatness OF
his loss. The main battle, which he had 10 fight,
was in The streets of the city, and is so well de-
scrbed in the accounts that have been received,
that il is only necessary now TO refer TO them.
So far as can be inferred from The accounts in
the papers, we should not be surprised il the i'm
patience OF The army on the South OF Monterey
had led 10 IN attempt 10 carry the town by coup
de main from the Camargo road. But Monte
rev was not to be taken at rush Ii is eviden.
that il was rom the Camarso, and not from the
Sallillo road that The Me1icans expected 10 be
attacked. Here their preparations were evident
ly The most perfect, and here their defence was
The most thorough and obstinate. There can be
no doubt that here brave men met brave men;
and although the Me1icans had walls in front OF
Them il is idle 10 do otherwise than admit that
they stood firmly and manfully at bay, and that
our loss was as great as il was because they did
so.
This carrying Of city, house by house. and
street by street, is bloody work, against Toe as
determined as the Mexicans were; and we could
not help being reminded, ty the description OF 1t,
Of the contests Of Cortes in another part OF the
same country for the halls OF the Monlezumas
narrated in the History Of the Conquest. While
cannon cauno, be broush, 10 bear on men climb
ing precipice, they no where act with more Ia
Ia efficiency than when sweeping with their hire
the narrow streets OF a city filled with columns
Of infantry Still street after street was taken
and The enemy forced into The plaza, by The perse'
vering courage of our soldiers.
The taking Of fortified place BY regular ap.
proaches, opening parallel after parallel, until a
breach is made, is The only mode OF warfare Of
which The present campaign has furnished no ex-
ample. II there is such place in Mexico and
the war CONTINUES, we are almost led To believe
from what has occurred already, that Taylor VIII
find il out and take il, il only 10 prove that there
is nothing in warfare to which his army is mo-
competent. IL