Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-11-24

norton OF IL Susdned lhs - no,manen,
in that advanced position; pu' o. ~ and the
- oh;sc, NJ The general operation had oecn e.
tac,cd the command, including sectioh VI oap
,s;n Ridcely's battery, which had lolneo' y MaS
Withdrawn 10 batery No. /. During Inc aosence
of his column. demonstration oil ca'a1y va
rcno.,-d in The direction Of the citadel. OaP'a'i,
Rr,eo who was a, hand, Immediately galioPeu
ur,,a bic ha,terv 10 a suitable position, ifo'i
which few discharges ciiecinaiy dispersed inc
enemy Capt Miller, Isl Infantry. was a,,n-
ed with mixed command, TO supror' '"s Ias.
~ on this service. The enemys lancefs nau fi.,
yiously charged upon the ONO any q p"'. d;s.
Mississippi regiment, near some telas d us.
rance from the edge Of The !"xn, and haa neen
renulsed with considerable loss. a demonslla-
100 Of cavalry on the opposite siae OF .he 'ne
was also dispersed in the course oil .he AFTERNOON,
nv Captain Ridsely's battery, and Inc squaoiohs
returned to the city. Al The approach OF eVenlns'
all the troops that had been engaged were oroei'
ed back TO camp, except Capt. Ridgelys oauely,
and The regular infantry OIL the Isl uif'sion "no
were detailed as guard Tor The works au,ih 'ne
NIGHT, under commant o! Lieut. Col. Garland
One battalion vi the Isl Kentucky regiment was
ordered 10 reinforce this command lhlrehcnlhs
lsels we're procured, and additional Strength was
given 10 The works, aud protection 10 lhe men, ~
working parties dulins the night, under 'he oiee'
lion OF Lieut.. Scauill, engineers.
The main object proposed IN Inc i'ornll,S nao
been effected. A powerful diversion haa peeh
made 10 favor the operall"ns OF inc - uls's'on'
onc Of the enemy's advanced works had been
carried. and we now had strong foo-hoid 10 inc
Town But this had no, been accomplished WIN
oul very heavy loss, embracing some OF C. our
most gallant ana promising officers. Capt; VIZ
Iiams ,opoeraphical engineers; Lieuts. Terrell
and DilworIh. lsl infantry; Lent. Woods, 2 in
ian fan, Cans Morris and Field; Bvt Maj. Ba'-
hnnr: I.ieu,s. Irwin aud Hazliit, 81 inianiryi
Lieut.. Hoskins, 4lh infantry, Lieut.. Col Wat
SON Baltimore battalion; Capt Allen and Lieut.
Pullman. Tennessee regiment; and Lieut. HELL
Ohio regiment, were killed, or have since uiea
ofwounds received in this engagement whhe the
number and rank OF the officers wounded gives
additional proof Of the obs,inacy oil me contest
and the good conduct OF our troops. The num-
Der OF killed and wounded incident TO The opera
lions in The lower parl OF the city on Inc 2is' IS
39i
Early in the morning of this day, (als) The adj
vanc. Of The ID division had encountered The en-
epy in force, and after brief but sharp conflict
repulsed him with heavy loss. Gen. Worm men
succeeded in gaining a position on The Salliiio
road. thus cutting the enemy's line OF communi-
cation. From this position the TWO heights SCUM
oflbe Salliln road were carried in succession,
and the gun taken in one OF them turned upon
The BISHOPS Palace. These important successes
were fortunately obtained with comparatively
small loss; Capt McKavet 9Th infantry, being
the only officer killed.
The 22d day Of September passed without any
active opera lions in The lower part oil the Guy
The citadel and other works continued 10 nre al
parties exposed 10 their range. and at Inc woIk
now occupied by our troops. The guard lelt ~
il the preceding night, except Captain RioseiyS
company, was relieved al midday by Gen. Gut
mans brigade. Capt, Braggs battery was'hrown
under cover in front OF the town TO repel any de-
rnons,ration OF cavalry in that quarter. Al dawn
OF day, the height above The Bishops Palace was
carried and soon after meridian, The Palace itself
was taken and It's guns turned upon Inc fugitive
garrison. The object for which The "a DIVISION
was detached had thus been completely accom-
plished and felt confident that with strong orce
occupying the road and heights in his rear, and
good position below the city in our possession, the
enemy could not possibly maintain the town.
During The night Of The 22i, the enemy evacn-
a,ed nearly all his deences in the lower part oil
The city. This was reported to me early in The
morning of the 23d by Gen. Quilman, who had
already medilatel an assault upon those WORKS.
Immediately sent instructions 10 that oflcer,
leaving il TO his discretion 10 enter The city, cover
ing his men by the houses and walls, and ad-
vance carefully as far as he might deem Pruden'
After ordering the remainder OF the troops as a
reserve, uncer the orders OF Brisadier General
rwiggs, repaired 10 The abandoned works, and
discovered that a portion OF Gen. Qui'mans
brigade had entered the town, and were success
full; forcing their way towards the principal
plaza. Then ordered up the 2iresiment OF lex
as mounted volunteers who entered the city, dis
mounted, and, under the immediate orders oil
Gen. Henderson, co-operaied with Gen. Quit
mans brigade. Capt Brage's battery was also
ordered up supported by The Sd infantry; and al
ter firing ior some time al the cathedral portion
OF il was Likewise thrown into the city Our
troops advanced from house 10 house, and from
square TO square, until they reached a street but
one square in rear of the principal plaza, in and
near which the enemy's force was NANNY con-
centrated. This advance was conducted vieo1-
ousy bu! with due caution, and although ce'
slruc,ive 10 The enemy was attended WIN nu'
small loss on our part. Captain Ridgely, in the
meantime, had served captured piece in battery
No. against the city, until the advance OF our
men rendered il imprudent 10 fire in the direction
Of the cathedral was now satisfied that we
could operate successfully in The city, and thai
the enemy had retired from the lower portion Of
il 10 make stand behind his barricades. As
Gen. Qui,mans brigade had been on culy the
previous night, determined to withdraw the
troops 10 the evacuated works and concert with
Gen. Worth a combined attack upon The town -
The troops accordingly fell back deliberately, IN
cool or ;er, and assumed their original positions,
General Quilman's brigade being relieved ai'er
nishlfal by that OF Gen Hamer. On my re-
turn 10 camp, | met an officer with the inleiii-
sence that Gen. Worth induced by The firing in
n fhp a
attack al The upper extremity, which had also
been evacuated bv the enemy TO a considerable
distance. regretted that this information had
not reached me before leaving the CITY, bnl sill
deemed il nexpedient TO change my orders, and
accordingly returned 10 camp. A mole from Zen.
Worth, written al eleven o'clock, P. NJ, inform
ed me tina, he had advanced 10 within short DIS
lance of the prncipal plaza, and that The mortar
(Which had been sent 10 his division in The morn
ine) was doing good execution within effective
range Of The enemys position.
Desiring 10 make no further attempt upon the
CITY without complete concert as TO the lines ana
mode OF approach, instructed that officer 10 sns-
pend his advance until could have an interview
with him on the following morning al his head
quarters.
Early on the morning Of the 24lh, | received,
through Col Moreno, a communication from Gen.
with The answer, were forwarded with my iir>l
despatch. arranged with Col. Moreno cessa-
ton of FIRE until II o'clock, al which hour would
receive The answer OF The Mexican General al
Gen. Wouhs headquarters, TO which soon re-.
paired In the meantime, General AmPudia had
sisni6ed to Gen. Worth his desire for personal
interview with me, 10 which acceded, and which
finally resulted in capitulation, placing the
town and the materie OF war; with certain e1cep.
tons, in our possession. A copy OF that capllu-
la,on was transmitted with my first despatch.
Upon occupying the city, it was discovered to
be OF great strength in ITSELF, and 10 have lis ap
proaches carefully and strongly fortified. The
Town and works were armed with iorty-lwo pieces
OF cannon, well supplied with ammunition, and
manned with force oil al leas, 1000 troops Of The
line, and from 1000 10 5000 irregulars. The
force under my orders before Monterey, as exhi-
tiled by the accompanying return, was 425 Off
GERS aud 6,22O men. Oar artillery consisted OF
one lO-inch mortar, two 2t.pounder howilzsrs,
and four light field batteries Of four guns each
The mortar being the only piece suitable To The
operations Of siege.
Our loss is twelve officers and one hundred and
eight men killed. thirty one officers and three hun
dren and thiry-scven men wounded That OF The
enemy is not known but is believed considerably