The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-10
Capture Of the City Of Mexico.
Gen. SCOTT'S RErORT.
HEADQUARTERS on am Army
Nat. Pal. Of Mex, Sep. Is, 1917. \

than iorty-cght hours continuance, tins Slo-
nous army hoisted, on the morning oi the
fourteenth, the colOrs Of the United States
ON the walls of tins palace.
The victory OF the Sth, at the Molinos del
Rcy, was followed by daring RECONNAISSANCE
ccs ON the part of onr distinguished cngi-
nccrS Capt. Lee, Lcu,s. Beaurcgarl. Ste
venS, and Iowcr-Mai. Smith, senior. be
ing sick, and Capt Mason, third in rank,
wounded. Their operations were directed
principally TO the sOuth-towards the gates
of the Piedad, San Angel, NinO Pcrdldo.l
San Antonio. and the paSco de Ia Vega.
This city stands on a slight elevation OF
ground, near the centre OF an irregular ba-
sin, and is girjled with ditch in its crea
ter extent a navigablc canal of great
breadth and depth--very difficult to bridge
in the presence of an enemy, and serving at
once for drainage, custom-house purposes,
aud military defence; leaving eight en-
frances or gates, over archcs-cach Of
which we found defended by system of
strong works, that seemed TO require moth
inging but some men and guns TO be i'm
pregnablc.
Outside and within the ross-ircs of those
gates, We found at the south other obstacles
but little less formidable. All the npproa-
chcs near the city are over elevated cause
ways, cut in many places TO oppose US, and
fanked, on both sides, by bitches, also, of
unusual dimensions. The numerous cross
roads are ilankod, in a like manner, having
bridges ut the intersections, recently bro
ken. The meadows thus chcckercd, are
moreover, III many spots, under water or
marShy, for, il will be remembered, we
were in the midst Of the wet season, though
with less rain than usual, and we could not
wait till the fall of the Ciglhurimg lakes
and the consequent drainage Of the wet
grounds at the edge Of the city-thc lowest
Of the whole basin.
After close personal survey Of the south
crn gates, covered by Pillows division aud
Rilcy'S brigade Of TwiggS'-wth four
times our numbers concentrated in our inn
mediate 'front.' determined. on the llth,
to avoid that network Of obstacles, and TO
seek, by sudden inversion TO the south
west and wcst, less uniavolablc approaches.
To economist the lives Of our gallant Of
fcCrS and mcu, as well aSto insure success,
1t became indispensable that this resolution
should be long masked from Tie enemy +;
and again, that the new movement. when
discovered, should be mistaken for faint,
and the old MS indicating cur true and ulii-
mate point Of attack.
Accordingly. ON the spot, the llth. | or
dcrcd Quitman'S division from Coyoacan,
to join Pillow, by dcg'igit, before the south
ern gates and then that the two major gen.
erals, with their divisions, should by might,
proceed 1.-TWO miles to join ne at Tacnbaya.
where ] was CHARTERED with Wurth'S divi-
sion. TwigCs, with Rilcy's brigade and
Captains 'iaylor's aud Steptoc's field bat
| teries-.thc latter Of II poundcrS-was left
IN the front OF those gates, to manwuvic, to
threaten, or make false attacks, in order to
occupy and deceive rhe enemy. IwiggS'
other brigade (Smith's) was left at support
Ing distance, in the rear, at San Angel, til
the morning of the 18th also to support our
general depot al Misccac. The s'ra,agcm
against the south was admirably executed
throughout the 18th and aud down 10 the
afternoon Of the 18Th, when il was loo late
for the enemy TO recover from the effect Of
his deluSion.
The first step in the new movement was
TO carry ChapuItcpCc, natural and isolated
mound, of great elevation, strongly fortified
AT lis base, on its activities and heights.
Besides numerous garrison, here was the
military college Of the republic. with large
number Of Spb-leuienan's and other stu
dents. Those works were within direc,
gun-Shot of the village of Tacubaya. and.
until carried we could not approach the city
on the west. without making circuit too
wide and too hazardous.
! In the course Of the same nigh, (that Of
/ the llth) heavy batteries within easy
range were established. No. J.. on our right
under the command of Captain Drum, It'll
artillery, (relIcved late next day, for some
hours, by Lieut.. Andrews Of the I'd, and
No. !, commanded by Lieut.. llagncr, ord.
uancc-both supported by Quitman'S divi-
sion. Nos. and I, on the opposite side
supported by Pillows division. were com
mandcd, the former 10y Capt, Brooks and
Lieut.. S. S. Anderson, ID artillery. alter.
na;oIy. aud the latter by Capt IIugcr and
Capt. Lee, engineer, and constructed by
them, with able assistance Of the Young Of.
flccrS OF those corps and the artillery.
To prepare for an assault, it was fore.
seen that the play Of the batteries might
run into the second day; but recent cnp-
lures had not only trchled our siege pieces
but also our ammunition; and We knew
that we should greatly augment both. by
carrying the place. | was therefore in nc
Taste in ordering an assault before the
works were well crippled by our missiles.
The bombarlment and cannonadc. under
the direction of Capt. lIugcr, were com.
mcnccd early in the morning Of the 18th
Before nightfall, which necessarily stopped
our batteries. we perceived that q good i'm.
prcSSiur had been made on the castle ant
its on,wOrks, and that large body Of Tho
enemy had remained outside, towards the
city, from an early hour, to avoid our FIRE
and to be Mt hand on its cessation. in ordc
10 reinforce the garrison against an assault
The same outside force was discovered tn,
next morning, after our batteries had re-
opened upon the castle, by which we again
reduced It's garrison TO miRiWitm needed fo
the guns.
Pillow and Quitman had been in poSisiol
since early in the night of the Nth, Maio
General Worth was now ordered TO hold Iii
division in reserve near the foundry, I,
support Pillow: and Brig. Gen. Smith. q
IwiggN' division, had lust arrived with hi
brigade Eom Picdpd. G. miles. TO supper
tluitmNn. Twiggs' guns, before the south
crn gates, again reminded us, as the do,
before, that he, with Rlcy's BRIGADE an,
Iaylor'S and Steptoo'S batteries, was in &c
'ivity threatening the southern gates, an,