Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-09-17

| which had just commenced falling. Generals
Twiggs and Pillow came in about II O'Clock,
wet and completely exhausted. 1t was impos-
sible 10 use horses on the rough and exceed
ingfy broken ground on which they had oeen
operating Tor nearly twelve hours MOI an
tlcipating the immense strength OF Inc "o,Ss
of the enemy, or the almost insurmountabie
| difficulties of reaching them. 1t had Oeen a'
first thought that the batteries would De laKen
at a dash. and that the troops would be all
comfortably ouarfered in San Angel for the
night; instead of this, a large portion of them
were compelled to bivouac without blankets
in the midst of a ptiless rain, and on ground
where they could not even stretch themselves
out. Add to this the prospects of the morrow,
were far from hatterlng-were enough to dis
may any but the stoutest hearts-that the en-
envy would doubtless reinforce and strengthen
his works during the night, having every su-
periofity in knowledge OF the ground-add a.
gain to this that the men were weakened by
long exertIons, want of food, and chilled by
the continuous night rain, and it is not saying
too much to assert that the brouac of the 18th
of August was gloomy in the extreme
Early on the morning Of the Goth, General
Worth was ordered 20 move with part OF his
divisiorf-GarIand's brigade--towards the
tack upon Valencia, for to force this position
was deemed indispensable. A few discharges
of cannon were heard about 7 O'Clock, and a
heavy rafting of musketry, and some even
said that in the distance they had seen large
masses of Mexcans in foil flight towards the
city yet few dreamed that the batteries at
Coutreras had been stormed and carried. Yet
so it was Gen'l Scott himself, accompanied
. | hJ-C nth for Of
ton, when they were met by Captain Mason,
with the joyful intelligence that Valencia had
been completely routed after short but terri
bic struggle. The attack upon his works was
planned by Gen'l Smith, and resulted in the
capture of fifteen pieces of artillery, some l >
p 500 prisoners-among them Generals BIancO
f Garcia, Mendoza, and the notorious Salas; all
the ammunition and camp equipage, while the
road along which those who escaped fled, was
strewed with muskets No less than 700 oil
= the enemy, among them many officers, were
o left dead on the field--the number of wounded
e was undoubtedly far greater | have no time
+ now to enlarge or comment upon this well
# planned and brilliant achievement, but reSer
q wing more full description Tor some Othe
!. time, must pass on TO other exciting events -
The works at Coutreras completed y in the pow
: er of the American army, Gen'l Scott al once
i ordered Genl Worth to fall back upon Sal
o. Antonio, to turn and capture that work
a and then to push on towards the capital by
: the main road, while the main body OF the al
a my, under Generals Twiggs, Pillow, Smith
: Pierce, and Cadwallader, moved on towards
It San Angel and Cohoycan. Scarcely had th
n advance of Genl Twiggs got half a mile be
= yond the latter village, before Iattling fire O
4 musketry announced that it was actively en-
4 gagged with the outposts of the enemy, and tn
v heavy booming OF cannon now gave tokel
o. that the noted I'd division had fallen upol
s another strong work. But a few minutes NOR
n and tremendous firing from the right, and i'm
Is medlately in the main road from San Angus
q tin to the capital, made it evident that Genera
II WOrth's division was actively engaged. II
. had completely turned the strong works O
= San Antonio, but while doing so the enem
had abandoned the place with the loss of thei
% heavy guns, and had fallen back upon his sec
II ond and stronger line of works. 1t was nov
, at the commencement of the battle, about
If O'Clock In the afternoon, and sure such rat
- Ting OF fire arms has seldom or never bee
v heard on the continent of America, accompa
4 MED with such booming of artillery; and thi
h was continued over two hours, and until tn
V enemy was fully routed from every point, an
10 until those who were not killed or taken pris
e. oners, were in full flight for the city. Ii
ut me endeavor in words to give the reader a
nj idea of the position and works of the enemy
y. As you come along the road leading f.oI
IS San Augustln to the capital, and immediateI
this side the Puente del Rosana, the Mexican
te had thrown up strong and exceedingly we
IS built battery, commanding the road complete
D. ly. On the right as you faced the city
n, stretching for long distance was a contnI
q. Gus ditch, behind the bank of which an in
at mense number Of Mexican infantry were pos
le ed. On the left of the tete de pont, or wor
IN at the bridge, and about three hundred yard
to distant, was the church OF Chumbusco. {
h, San Pablo, strong y fortified with works fc
infantry, and also having a we'll constructe
th battery containing number of guns of heav
IS calIbre. This work was little advanced fro
O, the tete de pont, and nearly in line betwee
H. II and the village of Cohoycan. Further OF
nd on the other side of the work at the bridg
lir and about three hundred yards from the roa
a was large building, we'll adapted for the pre
OF lection of infantry, and in which the enem
to had also posted an immense body II
lid ground In the vicinity of all these points WI
ck completely covered with corn, and other fiel(
gs cut up In every direction by wide and dee
of bitches, presented obstacles innumerable to II
in advance of our troops. No reconnaissance
h. the position of the enemy had been mad
of and consequently its strength could only
H. ascertained by hard blows and knocks.
lat The division of Gems. Twiggs and Wor
ge were at once engaged, the former with Il
ad church the stronghold of Churubusco, and Il
e. latter with the batteries at the bridge; and
I'M the meantime Gen. Shields briga,les- the Ne
as York and South Carolina vounteers--toget
nd er with the 9th, 18th and 18th Regiment
ng infantry. under Gen Pierce, were hurryil
ny onward from Cohoysan to attack the hacie
lp- ia Soon they too were engaged, and no
it'll the battle became general. The enemy hi
IN over twenty pieces of cannon, all in admir-
by Bile position, and served with more than orc
n nary skill, while but few of our guns cou
on be brought to bear The battery of Ca,
ere Frank Taylor, it is true, opened well -dire
ms ted fire upon Churubusco, but so exposed w
IN, its situation that it suffered most terribly, BIO
IL IN officers and men.
lie 10 describe the fierce conflict, even now tn
in two days have elapsed or to give an account
en-. the part taken by the different regiments, we
oil. impossible. From the opening of the stri
on up to the time the Mexicans were eutire
es routed and in full flight for the city, was o
he continual rear of cannon and musketry, a
IN |companied by the loud shouts Of the victc
ut as some new vantage ground was gained; a
Gle high above the din rose a dense column
t smoke, at times completely shrouding the col
m batents. The strength of the enemy al Il