The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-07
CURIOUS Hl9TORY
OF THE
WAR IN THE MEXICAN VALLEY,
THE
INTERCEPTED LHTTERS
CAPTURED By THE
A M e r Q A NJ a u AR %,
AT TACUBAYA, AUG. %, Is47;
INTRODUCTORY.

Major General Scott entered the village of
Tacnbaya, and established his headquarters there
on the 2lst of August, 1877. Tacubaya is one
mile from Chapultspec, "a fortified hill,) which
10 itself about mile and half from one of the
gates Of the city of Mexico. On the morning
Of the 22d of August, Mexican mail was inter-
cepted By. the American guards, containing two
parcels Of letters, one addressed to Toluca, the
capital Of The State Of Mexico, and the other to
Morelia. These letters are now in the posses
TRANSACTIONS of them, carefully prepared by. a
capable hand, are here offered to the public, for
reasons which will be manifest to the consde-
rate reader To make them Ineligible, some
the letters were written, and few, also; which
transpred after the capture of the letters but
we wish it understood that it is not our purpose
to give history of the operations of the Ameri-
we speak only Of what the army has done as an
army. No attempt is made to do Justice to in
divlduals, and we select this course for two rea-
sons-we wish only to make the letters intelli-
glble, and with our Information and means, we
cannot hope to award what is due to all. We,
therefore, omit names, and deal only with events.
Impartial history will in due time do Justice to
all, The distinguished Judgment, ability and
then stand out in broad relief and the providence
and skill of our ordnance officers will also be
conspicuous, and justly SO, as they not con-
tent vi it'll service under cover in the arsenals,
to the feel their heavy ordnance, and under the
the fire OF the enemy, give practical proof of it's
excellence and power. In like manner justice
will be done to the judlcious arrangements and
abundant supplies of the quartermaster and
commissary departments, without which the
army could neither move nor remain in position.
Justice will also be done to the talents, skill and
humanity OF our admirable corps of medical Off
hibit to the world its great excellence Of per.
s0neI, in officers and men, in all the different
regiments and corps. Then, too. will be made
manifest the extraordinary ability of the COM
mander of this army, in all respects worthy of
il, as he has given the most abundant proofs, by
the directness and greatness OF his objects, and
the certainty and comparative ease with which
ne has accomplished them. Such splendid re-
gifted with the highest powers of combination,
capable OF the clearest views, and endowed with
the most unwavering Lfirmness and steadiness
OF purpose.
were written on the 2lst of August, and refer
principally to the events of the few preceding
days, especially to those of the Goth Of August
The letters were written by Mexicans to Next
of friends to friends, when all motives for con-
cealment and Misrepresentation seem to have
been entirely out of the question. These letters,
therefore, furnish valuable testimony on the
points within the knowledge OF the writers,
though they contain some unintentional errors
when statements are made respecting facts not
personally known. Thus, when these letters,
state, as they do, that the aggregate strength OF
the army concentrated by Gen. Santa Anna for
the defence of Mexico, exceeded thirty thousand
men, there is every reason for relying upon this
statement; and thus, in the same manner, we
have UNIQUE stiOnable evidence that not fewer
than twenty-six thousand men were engaged in
battle on the Mexican side on the Goth Of Au-
gust But the evidence is not equally good
when the letters refer to the strength of the
American army Tor the fact could not be equally
x1yoII lr hno n IN trina urb 81
in some of these letters, that the American army
was twelve thousand strong but ii happens to
be true, as stated in others, that the American
force was about ten thousand though not al Of
this force was at any one time engaged In bat
tie. Valencia's entrenched camp at Contreras
was taken in seventeen minutes, by the watch
by about fifteen hundred men, without artillery,
and without cavalry-hc having five thousand
covered with about two thousand cavalry The
fruits of this brilliant surprise, ia the immediate
vicinity OF Contreras, in prisoners, &c, were Sc
cured by other troops, besides the assaulting
defeat and almost annihilation OF Valenca's d.
vision, so often referred to in the following let
tiers, was accomplished, as stated, IN seventeen
minutes, instead of two hours, as stated in
several of the letters.
These letters also furnish ample evidence tn at
the M xican army was most abundantly sup
Piled with munitions OF war of all kinds, espe-
cially with ammunition, In all its forms Of prepa-
ton; most OF which is now in the hands OF the
Americans.
One OF the chief points OF value in the evil
dence furnished by these letters, has been super
seeded by the events of the 18th, 18th and l4th Of
September; we refer to the fact that the Amerl-
can army, by the victories of the 10Th of August,
had entirely defeated the Mexican army, and
could have entered the capital, had il been the
pleasure OF the general, on the evening of that
day TACT which no one can now dispute, since
the Mexcans were unable TO prevent the occupa-
ton OF the capital by the Americans after having
had from the 10th of August to the II h of Sen.
tember TO recuperate and recover from the blow
inflicted on the first of these dates-over twenty
days-during which time the fragments of the
Mexican army were brought together and reor-
ganized into force Of about twenty thousand
men, having been reduced to about eight thou
sand as the letters testify. The for ihcatons had
also been imme nsely increased between the goth
Of August and 12tn of September, on the side OF
the city threatened by the Americans and thu
same time enab. d the Mexicans to Withdraw
all their artillery from the Penon aud other points,
not in danger, and dispose it on the southern and
southwestern side of the city, where they knew
the attack was to be made. All this did not
avail. The American army effected a lodgment
In the CITY at two points on the evening OF the
18th Of September and on the l4th, entered the
grand plaza, the headquarters of the army being
es abished in the National Palace, over which
waved the star-spangled banner-what remained
OF the Mexican army on the evening OF the 18th,
having been Withdrawn during the night. AT
than eight thousand men.
A few words on the subject of the armistice
may not be amiss IL is very generally believed
that before the army left Puebla, intercourse Of
some kind, looking towards peace, had been
partially established between the Americans and
Mexlcans, but it was said that the Mexican au-
thorliies were restrained by public opinion,
which was unable conceive it possible that the
immense preparations in Mexico could fail in 81
curing The city but as the object of General
Scott, in the whole OF his operations IN thi,
country, has been to bring about an honorable
peace, he gave out, IN advance, before he left
Puebla, precisely what he would do before he
would, by force OF arms, enter the Capital
The Mexican army being large, and it's ap-
pointments 80 complete, while the Notifications
which astonish all who see them, were con-
structed with scientific skill-all these facts
made II necessary for Gen. Scott to move from
Puebla and strike severe blow near the capital,