The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-11-06
NEW YORK. FRIDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER G. 1916
The Siege OF Monterey.

SAhr MEAN Mo sTERES, sept q, 1886
once more am spared, through dangers Incredible,
saved as by miracle to write you again The Resaca
and Palo Alto victories nothing in comparison with
the conflict in which army has for three
days, been engaged. No battle has ever taken
place on either continent, where troops commended
against such fearful oddswhere they called up
on to perform such feats have, and in which
have been literally moved down-murdered dread to
the recital and viii at my leisure endeavor
to complete my journal, and will relate the outline of
our doings with some of my personal adventures We
arrived at this spot about miles from the city of
Monterey the 10Th At all Of the small towns on our
march from Seralvo, we have, rather our advance
guard has upon detachmens of the enemy that
We were all prepared for fight As the main body Of
staff was about mile in advance. At this moment they
fired four five IL pound shots at him; one Of them
passing rather CLOSE to his person, he returned We
camped out of reach of their shot In order that you
may have better idea Of what we had before win
describe the position of the towns their works forca
tons, sc.
Monterey is a city of about 90 80 inhabnants-the
houses nearly all Of stone few Of those in the
burbs of species Of burnt clay these will resist
The town is at the base of high msuntain On one
of the hills in its is the Bish-ps Palace, work
strongly fortified, and commanded by two other smaller
works on higher adjacent hills The road into the
town is directly in front and is protected by one Of the
% pieces Of artillery regularly Fashioned and anked,
and which the French and Spanish armies separately
carried by storm-only by regular approaches We,
going towards town, were subjected to the well directed
fire Of this work. as matter of course At the south
extremity Of the town. and on our left hand as we
approached it, two good sized forts; one very
fine one, eddy artillery and musketry. In addition
to these and in their immediate vicinity, three
four saller works; here also the tops of Of the
houses taken off, and converted with sand bags in
to regular forts In addition to this every house
loopholed the stone .brdgss of heavy thick masonry,
defended by artillery. At the end Of the streets
were thick heavy barricades, seven feet thick, with
dChea front and manned with tn
rake the streets we came into them. To
sum up this end of the town. as well as the other,
was nothing but an entire fort; no town in the world
could ever have been SO strong. You could imagine
nothing so, and had known of the traps they
had laid for what place of death it was question
the stoutest heart would not have hrunk from it. The
whole town, works and ALL contained 40 pieces of arl
lery and about $4,000 troops man, behind stone
wall equivalent in military point Of view to at least
six unprotected which would really make their force,
in comparison with ours as six times $4,000 to 5000,
which number we had On the Goth, General Worth's
division sent around along the mountains, to the
of the town. to take the Bishops Palace. The
gneers gave their opinion that that must be the
first point of attack About dark, on the same day my
regiment was called under arms. l commanded Major
wards the TOWN. Where the sd and t Baltimore baons
had shortly before been placed. We in cannon
range, and preserved the utmost silence. All sent
back but my regiment who ordered 10 remain and
support the - pound howitzers, and mortar to be
placed in position under of the darkness open
intervals during the night We passed horrible night
About daylight we heard General Worth engaged
the Bishops Palace about o'clock fred the
first gum and they opened their fire upon from the
large fort in front Of the town. which have spoken of
Being behind the crest Of small RISE our men were
almost perfectly protected from the effects of their shot
which were beautifully directed. We continued this
for about three hours but man. serving at the how
my story would fain shrink from cannot do justice
to it. An aid de camp at full tilt with order for
the 4h infantry to advance with all despatch and storm
OF the forts Some Of the regiments were already
engaged in town. Two of our companies, who were
upon the extreme right of position did hear the
order and quickly was the regiment under way that
they did not know the remainder were off until We had
arrived at the fort Immediately formed my company
at the head Of the regiment one company having been
unteers fell in behind us; my company led the
whole placed myself at the head of it, and
by the road to the firing" By this time the
of cannon and musketry had become very loud push
ed onin moment the big fort opened its fire upon
and we had to go nearly mile under its FIRE before
up to the place. was ordered to lead several
cannon balls passed close to me when got to within
their fire upon carry ing off six seven, sometimes
more, a shot We in their hornets nest just
turned to my men, cheered them on and led at double
quick time. In q moment We caught it. carried them
into US the fire Of its artillery and with that the one on
the right, Of suppose thousand musketslthe big fort,
in our rear playing upon our rear with cannon balls
Lieut. Graham rushed to the 'front.' saying Men, follow
me" cheered fhom on. He was instantly struck with
three halls turned in second and found my self alone
with man. all around me had fallen and left
it were, in their centre unhurt Major Allen again
dered to retire, and fell back. All this but the
about 95 laid low. Their cries and groans the
rble Kissing Of the and musket balls which fill
ed the air added to the OF artillery in every drec
'ion m adj impression that could describe
The balls several times burnt the sides of my cheeks
they grazed SO closely; every one around shot
with u.s. two were killed simultaneously and one NOR
tally wounded was in front of all, and saved. We i'm
medately formed again. in the rear the road By the
way, while retiring, my sword was knocked out OF my
hand by cannon ball, and pretty we'll covered
with dirt It made little impression however,
upon at the time; the danger had escaped previous
ly much the greater.
Remnants of different regiments formed with u.s. and
back sgain Capt Backus of LIST infantry, had
sa The hi. so
the bank and entered it. The. other forts in
WIZ vicinity ssnS still n. s1ann s s fire ,Esn
In about two minutes an aid says "Gen. Taylor has
something for the Sd and 4th to do We ordered
support Rdgeleys artillery and advance int town. Into
II again went, through most terrible fire. We
Row getting into place where they fired upon from
their houses from behind their stone fences and walls
and from every place they could cover themselves.
Artillery still playing upon u.s. we pushed the street
a small bank Of ditch the left hand side OF it, enabled
us, by pushing along at stoop, to diminish chances
of being shot Here the order was changed, and
ordered possible to take tort u.s. that
was halt in front they came to cross
sreet-a continued fire Of muskety kept up
death to cross the street We afterwards calsd this snot
the Gauntlet" By running across one two men at
a time but lew were shot Il sosn my turn to
cross, and the way made my legs fly that short
space of about 40 feet singular The balls flew like
hail. occasionally you would hear the sound (zipl and
cry, as more unlucky fellow would fall. On we
pushed until had got pretty well into the town. and
in the very heart Of all their works here they poured
scorchng fire upon uswe left The street, and protect
ing ourselves well could behind trees walls,
fences &c worked our way in towsrds the fort here
they shot down from the tops Of the houses that
We could not see where the shot from-we would
have to run the open uncovered spaces finally,
got SO work with sand bsgs that could 70
no further We got into the houses and opened fire
uncovered himself he would have the balls whzzng
around him. Here we sent back for q piece of artillery,
but it never came. Al this place they picked of
officers in uniform Lieut. Hazlt of my class I'D nfan-
try was struck in the breast four feet from me- We
fought here until the ammunition of the men was almost
out and then ordered retire to the place we rst
started from Going back, along the street. the fire ap
peared than at first The Mexicans found out osr
position, and took all the way down. stopping coca.
sonally behind pile Of stones house. TO blow We
came to the Gauntlet again; the fire was still
.haro Iunf over hafo in snCaf