Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-10-31
From the Rio Grande.
The following letter gives some interesting
particulars Of the battle at Monterey. We copy
from the New Orleans Delta:

MATAMoRAs, Oct. ID, lS46.
To the editors Of the Delta-Gentemen-t
presume yon have before thi. received intel.
gence Of the most obstinately contested battle re
corded in our annals-the capture ef Montery,
| after three days siege and assault On the
morning Of the 2lst ult., Gen. Taylor having ar.
rived before the city, Major Mansfield and
Captain williams, Of the Typographical Eng.
lneers, were sent forward TO reconnoitre, and
found but one point where they deemed an i'm.
preston might be made Col Garland in com.
mand Of the I'd Brigade composed Of the Sd and
4th Infantry, was accordingly sent forward, and,
exposed to a murderous fire, dashed directly into
the city. In the mean time Gen. Worth's divi.
sion commenced the attack, at the same mo-
ment, upon the Notifications in opposite quar-
ter of the town. Worth's had been intended for
the real or principal assault, while Twiggs d.
vision was intended merely to effect diversion
in bis favor by feigned attack. But it so hap
pened that the false attack led by Col Garland
| resulted in being converted into the principal
one-whie Worth's division, although it per
formed everything in the most gallant style, met
with comparatively little opposition The od
Diisauc huNinS duNdHCcu luto tHe CltE, tHe ZEN
nessee, Mississippi, Baltimore and Ohio volun.
teers were ordered TO take a very strong fortif.
| cation, the advanced post of the enemy, called
the Horse Shoe Fort They advanced, the Ten
nesseeans in front, under cover of some corn
! fields, notwithstanding tremendous fire from
the tops of the houses. and from the Cathedr,
Fort or Citadel, committed terrific havoc arsore
fhapo Nothir1 S,up al 81.
on and stormed the fort with such iripetuosity
that the enemy, exposed also tc fire in the
rear from the Sd Infantry, were forced 10 aban.
| don the place with the utmost precipitation By
this time Worth's division had made considera.
BILE progress, although their loss wa, small On
the second day Worth had reached the Cemetry,
a very strongly fortified position, surrounded by
a high WALL this was taken, and a mortar plan,
| ted there, frcm which shells were thrown inte
| the Plaza.
| The Americans had fnnnd the street, NJ the
city barricaded with stone walls hu, no chs;a.
cles, no d ficuilies were found insurrno.u,6hle
| by American valnr The enemy thought ID
have Monterey recorded in history as the Saras
! gossa of Mexico. and 10 win nnfading iaures in
\ 'Hc tVpu'SN "uiIH hHey "SIC W upon tUG
American forces.
The fercest Of the fg gh; was in the very streets
of the city. and there the desdliness of Tcxat
retribution found no obstruction to lis revenge
in the walls of stone which had been reared to
oppose its advance. The Texans acting as light
infantry. actually made their way from house 10
house with sxes md spades. A, the end of
the fight they had TO moorn the loss @ Captain
Gillespie.
: On the evening of the 23i ou- forces had en-.
tered the city at all poipts--every important po-
siton excepting the citadel had been captured
but 50 desperate was the contest, that on at:
tempting to form the 81 Infantry but II men
could be collected. commanded by Capt. Hen
~. the youngest Captain in the Regiment, On
the morning Of the Oath, the attack was again
commenced, bu: during the day the enemy ca.
pi,ulated The American force engaged was
six thousand. the Mcxicans from nine to twelve.
The loss Of the enemy is estimated at 1900 in
killecnnd wounded-ours will reach 600. Lieut..
Col. McClurg, Of the Mississippi Volunteers,
has died Of his wounds. For the first time sin6e
| tne commencement OF tne war, our volunteer
forces have hpd an opportunity OF proving that
the aspersions 81 frequently heared upon ,hem'
are unfounded: they have covered Themselves
with glory
The principal loss fell upon the Mississippi
and Tennessee Regiments, and 81 and 4th In
fan,rv They were forced TO fight their way
. inch by inch into the city: their advances were
made over the bodies of their fallen comrades
but the aln,os, insurmountab'e obstacles which
they encountered, served only 10 add fresh fuel
to the fire of their enthusiasm. When the
srmis,ice was entered into. they had made their
way into the very mids, of the enemy. and were
in such position that, had the fight lasted one
day longer. the slaughter among tho Mexicans
would have been tremendous
In addtlon to the regular Mexican forces, the
Amerlcsns were compelled to encounter The
whole mass Of the population, who fired upois
them from the tops CT tie houses, doors, ard
. windows.
THIS, against the most fearful odds, and III
the face OF vastly superior nunbers, was Monte
rey captured and, believe you will sgree
with me, tha, II was glorious vcl9'y., d.
NEw ANTHRAcirE FURStess.-Fhe- two
hrgc Anthracite Iron Faruace.. recently erecti,
. ed at Allenlowo. Leh,gh equity; by Messrsi
Bevan, Humphreys 4 Co, OF Philadelphia, were
successfully blown 10 last week, by Mr.. Benja"
min Perry, the Iron King, and continue ID
| WORK prosbeyo,sly