Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1847-12-15
OFFICIAL DISPATCHES,
or MOLINO DEL RAY
Report CT General Worth.
HEADQUARTERS, l>t DIVISION,
I',.p hayr tSc,t 10 jnIc

SIR: Under the snconsenlcnt cifcumstan
ces incident to recent battle, and dcrAnge
mcnt from loss of comtlsnders-staiI com
mssioned and non commlssioued-and Il
mid the active scenes resulting thereffom
proceed to make a report, in obedience tt
the orders of the Gencra-iu-c chief, of the
battle of FL Moino del Ray, fought unc
won on The sth Of September, lS47, by the
lst division, reinforced az follows:
lst' Three sQuadrons of dragons. and
one company of mounted rfiemen-21O mer
under Ma jor Summer. I'd dragons.
ID. Three pieces Of field artillery, unGsl
Capt. Drum.
3D.. Two bastering guns, ga FOUNDERS,
under Capt. Hugcr.
4th. CudwaIader's brigade. 1e4 strong
consisting of the voltIgcur egimcn., the lii
and I4th regiments ot.ininntry.
Having, in the course Of the 7th accom-
panied the Gcneral-in chief on 4 rcconnois
sance of the formidable di spositionS Of the
enemy near and around the castle of Cha.
pultepec. they we're found to exhibit an ex
! tended line OF cavalry and infantry. sustain
cd by field battery of four gupe--cccupy
ing directly, or sustaining, T. system OF de-
fences collateral to the castle and summit
This examination gave fair observation O
the confguraton OF the grounds, and the ex
tent Of the enemy's force; but, as appeared
in the sequel, an inadequate idea of the M
ture of his defences they being skilltully
masked.
The General in-chief ordered that my di.
visiun, reinforced as before mentioned
shoule attack and carry those lines End dc.
fences, capture the enemy,s artillery, de-
stroy the machinery and material supposed
to be in the boundary (El Molino del Rey;)
but limiting the operations to that extent
After which, my command was to he imme-
diate]y withdrawn to its position in the vii
age of Tacubaya. .-. ..... ........ .
A close and daring reconnaissance, by
Capt. Mason Of the engineers, made on the
morning OF the It'll, represented tile enemy 8
lines collateral to Chapultepec to be Us fol.
lows: His left rested upon, and occupied q
group of strong stone buildings, called FL
Mollno del Key. adjoining the grove at the
foot of the hill of Chapultepec, and directly
under the guns Of the caslle which crowns
its summit. The right of his line rested up
on another stone aiding, called Casa Ma
ia, situated at the foot Of the ridge that
slopes gradually from the heights above the
village OF T0cubaya to the plain below. Mid
way between these buildings was the cne-
my's field battery. and his infantry forces
were disposed on either side to support it.
This reconnaissance was Verified by Capt.
Mason and Col. Duncan, on the afternoon
the same day. The result indicated that
the centre was the weak point of the ene-
my's position; and that his TANKS were the
strong points, his left flank being the stron-
ger.
L AS the enemys system of defence wax
connected with the bill and castle Of Cha
pultepec and as my operations were limit
ed to specific object, it became necessary
to insolate the work 10 be accomplished,
from the castle Of Chapultepec and it's i'm
mediate defences. TO effect this object, the
following dispositions were ordered: Col.
Garland's brigade to take position on the
right, strengthened by two pieces Of Capt
Drums battery, to look to lei Moline del
hey, as well as any support Of this position
from Chapultepec: ard also within sustain
ing distance ofthe assaultng party and the
battcring guns, which, under Capt. Huger,
were placed on the ridge, five or six hun
dred yards from ii Molino del Rey. to bat
ter and loosen this position from Chapulte-
pee. An assaulting party Of FIVE hundred
picked men and officers, un,er command Of
Breyet Major George Wright, Stb infantry,
was also ported ON the ridge TO the left Of
the battering guns, to force the cneny's
centre. The I'd (Clark'4) brigade, lhs com
ipand Of which dcvo.yed on Colonel McIH-