New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-05-17


We Gull from our rrespondence such items
aud incidents as have not altogether been anti
cipated, aud which may be interesting to the
public
The ~torming of Cerro Gordo.
Mr. Kendall 10 Of bis letters gives the following
account Of the siOning Of Cerr0 GordO But for the
Illness Of Gen smith the assault would have been led
by that gallant officer 10 his stead Col Harvey has
rcsped the laurels Of this glorious achievement and long
may be wear them. The mischance Of one chivalrous
spr, made way for the ysor Of another who approved
himself upon this As upon other occasions capable Of
the most daring iests OF gallsntry.
The storming and esquire of the strong works on
Cerro Gordo, by the brigade under Col Harvey may
be looked upon ~ one of the most brilliant achieve
nents Of the Mexican Wsr-ihe fate OF the battle
turned upon H. and here the enemy had placed over
wheming force Of his best troops The hill steep
and naturally difficult Of ascent but independent Of
this the ground covered with loose crsggy rocks
an underground of tangled chspporal, beside many
small trees. the tops OF which were cut of four
i've feet from the ground and turned down the hill
10 impede the progress Of the stormers To climb the
hight 81 all, even without arms Of any kind would
be an undertaking that few would care about essay.
ing what then must II have been to men encountered
with muskets and cartridge boxes and obliged % dis
pute every step OF the PERCEPTIONS and rugged ascent
MurderOus showers OF grape and canister greeted
our men Al the onset, and as they toed unfslterng
through tempest Of iron hail. heavy fire OF mus.
kerry opened upon them Not quaed-with
loud shouts they still pressed upward and onward
AT every step our rauks were thinned but forward
went the survivors. When within good musket ange
but not until then, the FIRE Of the enemy returned
and then commenced the dreadful carnage OF the
strife. The MeXicsns held 70 their guns with more
than their usual bravery but nothing could resist the
herce onset OF the stOrmers. Over the breastworks
with which the Mexicans had surrounded the crest Of
the hill they charged and shouting attacked the enemy
ia mis- very stronghold The latter now fed, panic
stricken, but still they were pursued and II not
until the si'righted fugtves had reached point with.
out the extreme range OF their cannon which had
been turned upon them in the onset that they ceased in
ttaa~ - q
suppaued the banner of the enemy the different regi.
mental asgs also planted on the crest and shouts
louder than from the victors upon the air,
struck into the very hearts Of the enemy in the
works still untsken for they knew that their strong pO
ons had been turned and that they at the
of the they had scofied at In the morning Never
victory complete, although purchased with
the blood of of our best Lieut. Ewel of the
Rifles among the first within the enemy's breast
works and ii here that he received his death wound
The interior of the work covered with the dead of
the enemy among them Gen. Vasquez Col Pslacio and
many of their officers while the hillside down which
they fed strewn well Near 200 were left
dead while the wounded would swell the number 70 al
least 500-some even put II down high as 700.
The regiment composing Col. Harney's command, and
which successfully storned the noted Cerro Gordo.
the LIST Artillery under Col Childs and Sd Infantry
under Capt f. B. Alexander the 18th Infantry under Col
Plympton, and portion of the Rifles under Maj Lorng
Many cases of individual bravery, performed by suba
tern officers, have been mentioned but cannot par
ticuary notice such have heard Of without perhaps
doing injustice to others equally mertorious shall for
bear writing until have more full information had
almost forgotten to state that four companies of the I'd
Infantry under Col Riley took active part in the
sault.