Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-10-23
The Last Great Battle.
Full and Interesting Particulars.
GEN. sCeTT In MEXICO.
FURTHER FROM MEXICO.

The battle at the ff5f-oecup"''0'' y
CAPITAL Jy the .4ulerican .foTees--o"'
pultepee, &c. SC.
W. L.va been favored with the following
sIat;aa of ! letter from Spanish hieAi-
u' ,1f The c;tv of Mexico to Spanish mouse
:an IL !; o;tv The letter came wa Orlsapa
III 1n.a s,er m MIR. Dinond, American ooi-
I u',aor 81 the mort of Vera Cruz. ne news
49, ie;,.os i more full than we have received
-, onv other quarter, but 1t bears a Mex
aan face far which allowance must pe Iiiaue'
Ian :. h,,,o,or sufficiently proves that Mexico
i,.nJ,'ced 70 the last extremity.-N. r. Sun.
Cry or MExlco, 18th Sept, ls47.
p.ae.tod Friends IL have an opporlu-
nity to send 10y the courier VINO ieas "a. ~
ny this letter. in which shall briefly at
,n9,nf TO describe TO you the horrors we nave
;ust exnerienced On the 7th inst our COM
yn,;ss;oners rejected the treaty propositions
e tho American Government, and deciued
On res,,n,ing the war, Gen. Herrera, iiVi-
tino and urging the clergy to rouse the ci'i-
IONS To the utmost resistance. On the same
dav Gen. Scott the American Chef, charged
Santa Anna with breaking the armistice. ns
forbidding his Commissioners to OBTAIN ioou
in the city. and threatened unless PREPARATION
was made. to commence hostliltes anu po,ii-
hard Inc city. Santa Anna replied severely,
cbargino Scott with breaking the armlstlce
Inv sacrificing our villages, and expressed his
nerfect willingness to renew the war.
On the 18th inst, the Americans made
demonstration on Chapultepec and the Mlii
of Ell Rev, but our Generals were prepared
for them. Anticipating breach OF the az,
mistice. Santa Anna for several days had
caused to be conveyed IN every posslple
manner so as not to excite Suspicion, arms
munitions and food to the fortress OF Una
pultepec. Our citizens carried under thelf
napties. and on mules, great quantity OF
nowder halls and provisions without being
once discovered, so great was the feeling OF
secnr;tv and confidence among the Ameri-
cans. Gen. Scott was not a little surprised
TO find on attacking Chaputepec, such obstl-
nate resistance. Chapultepec you know IS
situated between Tacubaya and the CITY,
within cannon shot of the former and some
three miles from the latter. Ii is bold hill
overlooking vast range of country, which
Grabbed our soldiers to watch every man
enuvre of the enemy. 1t also commands the
road from Tacubaya to the City, which runs
close bv its base, and it can only be assembled
nv A circuitous paved way, which, after turn
inc a certain angle, is exposed to the full
range of the fortress guns.
As the Americans assembled the hill, per-
feet storm of musket balls and grape shot
drove them back with heavy loss. They
recovered and advanced again, but were re-
pulsed Our troops fought with desperate
valor, worthy the character of Mexlcans.-
The enemy also fought bravely, his men
seemed like so many devils whom 1t was
impossible to defeat without annihlatlon.-
He made a third charge with fresh force
Il Han fsnn IA
ing exhausted their grape shot, were forced
very unwilinglv to retreat and yield up the
fortress of which the enemy took possess
sion. Our soldiers retreated towards the
Citv. but were unfortunately cut off by de-
tachment of the eneny's cavalry, and about
100 were made prisoners, but were soon re-
leased, as the enemy had not men TO guard
them. The enemy then opened his batteries
on the Mill Ell Rey, (King's Mill,) close
upon Chapultepec, which after. obstinate
fighting and great loss to the Americans, we
were obliged to abandon.
The two actions continued over nine
hours, and were the severest, considering
our small number of soldiers and the enc
my's large force, that have been fought
Our loss in killed and wounded was not
more than 500 while the enemy lost over
400, or at least such was the report OF de-
serters from the American camp who came
to us in the evening. Seeing that the city
would inevitably be attacked, Gen. Santa
Anna, during the actions, caused number
of trenches 10 be cut across the road, lead
ing to the CITY, which were flooded with
water. On the morning of the 18th, before
daylight, the enemy, with part of his force,
commenced his march upon the city. Our
soldiers posted behind the arches of the
aqueducts and several breast-works which
had been hastily thrown up, annoyed him so
severely, together with the trenches which
he had TO bridge over, that he did not ar
rive at the gates until late in the afternoon.
Here he halted and attempted to lombard
the city, which he did during the balance OF
the day and the day following, doing ma
mense damage.
In some cases whole blocks were destroy
ed, and a great number of men, women and
children killed and wounded. The picture
was awful. One deafening roar filled our
ears, one cloud of smoke met our eyes, now
and then mixed with flame, and amid il all,
we could hear the various shrieis of the
wounded and dying. But the city bravely
resisted the hundreds of flying shells. Ii
hurled back defiance to the blood thirsty
Yankee and convinced him that his bombs
could not reduce the Mexican Capital
The enemy then changed his plan, and de-
termined to enter the city, where we were
prepared to meet him, having barricaded
! the streets with sand bags, and provided on
s the house tops, at the windows, all who
4 could afford to bear arms, or hurl missiles,
4 stones, bricks, SC. on the heads of the enc
my. Before Gen. Scott had fairly passed
4 the gates, he found the difficulty ofhis posi-
ton. A perfect torrent of balls and stones
rained upon his troops. Many were killed
and more wounded. Still he kept advancing
un.;l h. ,.asrsd The as,.rancss of two streets