American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-11-25
OFFICIAL DISPATCHES.
FROM GEN. TAYLOR.
Headquarters 2nd Division .4rmy Of Occupation.
Monterev Mexico Sept 28 1886

Monterey, Mexico, Sept. %, 1886.
Sir: have the honor to report that, in obe
# dieDce to the verbal orders Of the general-n-
chief, the division under my command, compos-
Jed of Lieutenant Colonel Duncan's battery of
horse artillery, artillery bat alion, (Leutenant
! Colonel Chlds,) and eighth regiment, (Capt.
Scriven, constituting the LIST brigade, under
Lieutenant Colonel Stamford; Lieutenant Mac
kall's battery horse artillery, fifth infantry,
4 (Major Scott;) seventh, Captain Mles1 and
one company Louisiana volunteers, Captain
Blanchard,) second brigade, under Brigadier
General Persifer F. Smith, Colonel Of RI
fles, and Colonel Hays's regiment of Texan
mounted IiHemen, moved from the main camp
at II Bosque dc ST. Domingo, at p. IN, Oh
the goth.
NV instructions were, by deietir to the
right, TO endeavor to find and reach the Saltil-
10 road, effect thorough reconnaissance of the
approaches to the city from that direction, to
cut off supplies and renforcements, and, if
practicable, carry the heights.
Owing TO the difficulties of the ground after
leaving the Marin, and before striking the Pres
Quina Grande road, the division had reached
only six miles-in consequence the delay in
making the route practicable for artillery
which service was executed by Captain San
ders-at p. m, and was halted just without
the range Of gun-battery upon the summit Of
an isolated hill, called Iona de Independence,
midway on the ascent of which was the Bish-
ops Palace. Thence a reconnaissance was
made, under cover of detachmons of Hays's
Texans, to the intersection Of the Presguina
Grande route, then i'll our possession, with the
SaltiIlo road. This examination resulted in
the conviction that the grounds in our front
and on our left, in advance, constituted at the
same time the weak and the stroag points of
the eDemy's position, and entered mainly into
the defences of the cty-the weak point, be-
cause commanding the only lines of retreat and
ofsupply in the direction Of SaltIo, and con
trolling that in direction of Pres9una Grande;
the strong point, because of the peculiarly de-
fensive character of tho hills and gorges, and Of
the very careful and skilful manner with which
they had been fortified and guarded. 1t was al
so clearly indicated that our further advance
would be strenuously resisted.
On the morning Of the 2lst, the division was
put in motion, and with suclI information as to
present the readiest order Of battle on any
point of assault AT g. the advance, consist
ing of Hays Texans, supported by the Light
companies LIST brigade, under Capt. c. F.
Smith, (both extended, as the valley wdened
or cencentrated,) closely followed by Dncan's
light artillery, and battalion, heads of columns,
on turning an angle of the mountain, at ha-
strong force Of cavalry and infantry, mostly the
forner. A conflict Immediately ensued. The
Texans received the heavy charge of cavalry
with their unerIing rifles, and usual galantry;
the light companies oped rapid and Wel-di-
rected fire; Duncan's battery was in action in one
minute, promptly supported by 4 section of
Macksll's,) delivered its fire over the heads of
our men, Ere the close of the combat, which
lasted but fifteen minutes, the first brigade had
formed TO the front, on the right and left, and
delived it's fire. The second brigade vas held
in reserve, the ground not admitting of its de-
pleyment. The enemy retired in disorder,
(leavng on the ground one hundred killed and
wounded; among the former, Don Juan N
Nalira, colonel Of the permanent regiment oil
lancers,) upon the Saltillo road, and was close
ly pursued until we got possession Of the gorge,
where all the deboaches from Monterey unite,
whereby the force just defeated, as also rein.
forcements and supplies fiom that direction,
were excluded from entering the city. At this
important point the division was halted, and
attention directed toward the mountain forts
which envelope the city on it's western and
southwestern faces. Soon discovering, how
ever, tn, y,our position brought US within eff.
fective Inge OF the batter les, the troops were
,adpdnce some eight hundred yards farther on
ahe Salt,io road.
besides the importance of the positions, the i'm
psactlcablity Of any effective operations against
the city, until possessed of the exterior forts
and batteries. Independent, however, Of ute
TiOT objects, the occupation of these heights
became indispensable to the restoration of our
line of communication with headquarters, ne
cessasi abandoned for the moment, ia order
secure the gorges of the Saltlp road. At IL,
M, drce was detached und er Capt. G. F.
Smith, with orders to storm tn batteries on
the Gre; the nearest hill, calleC! Federation,
and aftst taking that to carry the fort called
Soldao.s en- the ridge of the same height, re-
guarded the slopes and roads in either va LEY,
and consequently the approaches to the city
This c1mmand consisted of four companies,
II I'd, B Sd, and G and II, 4th artlery,) of
the a. lery battalion, and Green's, Meow
an .s5+-. A. Gillespe's, Chambers, Ballowe's
ant sitCalloch's companies of Texan rifle
men, Under Major Chevalier, acting in CO.
oper nn-in all about three hundred effec-
tiv ' 1t was impossible 10 mask the move
40 eft the storming party. On approaching
the base of the mountain, the guns of both
batteries opened plunging fire, and numerous
light troops were seen descending and arrang-
ing themselves at favorable points on the
slopes. Perceiving these indications Of deter
mined resistance, Capt. Miles was detached
with the 7th, to support and cooperate with
the first party. Ina short time the fire be-
came general, the enemy gradually yielded and
retired up the rugged ACTIVITY, and our men
as steadily pursuing. The appearance OF heavy
Ielnforcenents on the summit, and the cardinal
importance of the operation demanding further
support-the 9th under Major Scott, and
Wlanchard's company OF volunteers were i'm.
medately detached, accompanied by Brgadier
General Smith, who was instructed to take d.