Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-10-22
Mr.. KENDALL'S LETTERS FROM THE
ARMY.

[Editmial Correspondent of he Picayunc.
TAcrg.YA, Sep. s, 1917.
Forenoon, 10 o'cioes.-l have ju>t returned from
| another battle Ge!I-onc en- which the victory Of
The American arms was complete, and on which
! our troops coniended against an enemy immense-
IL superior in number and strongly posted. ten.
Worth commenced the attack al early daylight,
and in less than two hours every point was car
risd, all the cannon OF The enemy were in our
| possession, an imm.nse quantity Of ammunition
captured, and nearly eco men, among them 81
officers, taken rgiSuucis.
For more ,lian III honr The ba, lie ragged with a
! violence not surpassed since ttc Mexican wal
! commenced, and - airai the odds opposed, that
for some tife 'hr rrsGlI "as donhliui. The force
of The enemy nas h,ca q. imaisd al liom 10000
to Is 600, strongly pu,iet /" hind treastworks, aud
10 attack them eur small :uGcc Of scarcely 1000
was Obliged TO approach on an open plain, and
without the least cover; but their daunilcss cou-
rage carried them over every obstacle, and, not
wiihstanding the Me1icans fought with a valor
rare for them, they were finally routed from one
point or another until all were driven and dis
persed. The defeat was total.
Bul TO gain this victory our own loss has been
uncommonly severe-it has been purchased with
The blood OF some OF The most gallant spifiis Of the
army. The 5h Infantry has suffered The most.
| This regiment. along with the 9Th and Sih, was
| engaged in The attack uron a strong work on the
creny's right, and was opposed 10 such superior
numbers, that ii was compelled 10 retire along
with the Others. The celebrated Col. Martin
Scott was killed in This attack, along with Lieu
tenants Burwell and Strong, while Col. Mcln.
tosh and many ether officers were badly wound
cd. The worse than savage miscrcants in the
fort, after our men retired, sci up a yell and came
out and massacrcd such oi our wounded as were
unable to gel off In This way poor Burwell lost
his life. Fully were hey avenged, however; for
within half an hour Duncan's battery, aided by
The TALL Of another OF their works, drove The das-
tardly wrelches in full flight across The fields. no
one knew or even surmised the strength Of The
place; il was an old fort, constructed long since,
and was one Of the main deienceS OF The line OF
works.
On The enemy's len, and nearer Chapuliepcc,
our loss was also great, although not as severe.
/; was here that Col. William NJ. Graham, as
brave a spirit as ever lived, was killed. Captains
Merrill and Ayrss also fell 10 this part OF the field.
The wonder now is, how any one couid come out
safe under such a terrible FIRE as the enemy pour.
ed from his entire line of works. Nothing but
the daring aud imreluosily Of our men, who rush.
ed onward while their comrades were falling ihick
around them, gained the victory. Had they once
faltered, all would have been lost.
The broken ground Oh The right OF the enemy,
cut up BY deep t%avineS, saved many Of Santa An
mas troops in their flight; yet as il was our dra-
goons killed and captured many Of The ~fugiIives.
Large bodies OF The Mexican cavalry approached
The scene Of strife several times, but they were
driven like sheep by Duncan's Battery. The
Mexican. loss has been even more severe than our
own. Gen. Balderas, Gen Leon, and many other
officers ar numbered smnng The dead, while The
inrclio r Of their. works, he tops of The houses
from which they fought, and The giound over
which They He'd are stsewh with %lifelcss bodies
Such was he panic thar many Of our officers
say that s'!ew fresh troops nigh! have taken Cha