Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-10-08

tons have not the same weight in the mind of
your Excellency, the responsibility before the
world, who can easily distinguish on whose
side is moderation anG justice, will fall upon
you.
fiatter myself that your Excellencv will
be convinced, on calm reflection, of the weight
OF my reasons. But, if by misfortune, YOU
should seek only pretext to deprive the first
city OF the American continent Of an opportu-
NIFTY TO tree the unarmed population of the
horrors OF war, there will be left me no other
means OF salvation, but to repel force by force,
with the decision and energy which nv hioh
obligations impose upon me.
have the honor to be, your Excellencvs'
humble servant,
ANTONIO LOPEZ DE SANTA ANNA
On the 7th, Gen. Herrera, as commandment Of
the city Of Mexico, addressed the clergy. ey-
hortIng them 10 exert all their influence 10 in
cite the people 10 arm themselves and prepare
TO resist the American army
Following up events-as closely as the
somewhat disconnected accounts will permit
in the order in which they occurred, we
hnd that on the 9Th, General Scott attack ed
the Mill del Rey, or Kings Mill, in the imme-
date vicinity OF Chaputepec, and according
/.
published at Atlisco, our army was repulsed
after a severe conflict, in which we lost about
400 IN killed, and from 600 TO 700 in wound
ed, and fell back upon Tacubaya We give
below a translation of the BoIetin's descrip-
ton OF the engagement; promising, that the
reader will bear in mind it is Mexican, and
Is, IN all probability, a great exaggeraton, if
not an entire misrepresentation. 1t is from
| an oS-tr of fhn Oto IL ut
instant:
At half-past this morning 1.-THE Still the
ire commenced on the two fanks of Chapul-
tepec. The left was resting on the mill of Ell
Rey, close TO the forest of ChapuItepec This
point was commanded by Gen Leon, and un-
der his order were the battalion of Nina,
whose Colonel was the patriotic and valiant
Balderas, and the battalions Union and La Pa
trIa, Oaxaca, in one of which We're included
the companies of Pueba, also body from
| Queretaro and some other-all composing the
National Guard. The right flank rested on
the house of Mata, at the distance of a quarter
of d league from Chapulteptc, and occupied
by 1900 of the regular army, commanded by
Gen Perez, The enemy in two columns, with
his usual daring, attacked these points-first
with artillery, and at quarter to with a IA
/ L
the fire very we'll for about half an hour,
when. Tor causes at present unknown, he reti-
red with his forces, although he had not lost
ten men. The retreat must have been fatal
| for Mexico, if, fortunately. Gen. Leon and his
brigade had not shown prodigies OF vaor.-
! Twice he repnlsed the column that attacked
| him, and in the second he sailed from his po-
siton to recover the artillery Gen. Perez had
! nCf lint @ IIaI
and a few moments afterwards the valiant
BaIderas was also wounded, and died on the
| field The enemy with additional forces again
| charged and took possession OF the mill Twice
! he was dislodged, but on his retaking it the
third time it was found impossible TO bring our
troops to the charge.
In spite of these two advantages which they
had gainel in their endeavors to attack Cha
! pultepec, they could not effect farther ad-
! vance, which may be owing to their being in
| Inundated by the resistance of our forces and
the considerable loss they had suffered. The
result was that at o'clock in the morning the
fire of small arms hal nearly ceased, and they
were seen employe in collecting their killed
and wounded AT l ] O'Clock the enemy com
menced a rettrogaie movement, and by 2 in the
afternoon he Withdrew all his forces to Tacu-
baya, abandoning the two points he had occu
pied and blowing up the house of Mata, al
though some say it was set on fire by a bomt
fired from Chaputepec. 1t is beieved tina
Gems IWIggs and Pierce directed the attack
and that they put IN motion about 5000 men
1t is certain that the fire was more intense ant
brisk than at ChuTubuscO 1t is Impossible
TO ascertain the loss on either side. Ours doe
not amount to 100 killed and $50 wounded
There are few missing nearly all not klilet
or wounded retiring to Chapultepec. The enc
my, according 10 the confession of an Irish
man who came over 10 us in the evening, car
ried off 100 dead, and 600 or 700 wounded
We have to lament the loss of General Leon
since dead that of Col Balderas, of the val
liant Coils Huerta and Of the determined Capt
MateOs, of Puebla, who conducted hmSel
like hero, telling his soldiers, on the poin
of death, that they must never forget they wer
Puebianos, and to fight valiantly to the death
We will take care that he shall be buried il
the Pantheon, and that his unfortunate widow
} shall receive pension.
; If the cavalry hal taken the position as
t signed to them at O'Clock in the morning, b.
order of Gen. Santa Anna, AMI if, above all
r they had made the charge which was Orlere
at the moment that the enemy attacked tn
mill of Ell Rey, instead of flying precipitately
/ the action WOul have terminated early an
the triumph would have been complete. Blu
they did not take the position to which the
} were ordered, much less make the charge a
= commanded. Gen. Alvarez being obliged f
state officially through his adjutant that he di
: not make the charge, because his subordlnat
2 officers refused on account of the ground be
ing too uneven and broken for cavalry, as
+ it were not the same for the cavalry of the er
2 envy.
1t is believed that the enemy will renew tn
I attack to -morrow by another route-either b
] that of La Piedad, or by that of San Antonio
E May God protect our cause on this occasion.
= Ono OF the enemy's guerrillas, who cam
e with Scott, was made prisoner and shot o
the spot.
From the Diario del Gobierno
At half-past O'Clock this morning, tn
Americans attacked the position of the mill {
: Ell Rev, close to the fortress of Chapultepe
S His numerous and brave columns were, how
e ever, repulsed three times by our valiant so
e diers, who this day gave brilliant proofs
e their patriotism and bravery. More than
d thousand of the enemy remained on the ne
S of battle. and on our side the loss has bee
: less than one-haf the number, having to /;
i ment the death of the gallant Col. Don Luc'
d Balderas, and Gen. Don Antonio de Leon b.
e ing wounded, together with several other dl
y tingushed chiefs and officers.
o The i" traitor Santa Anna, commanded
: person the column which forced the Anne:
C cans to retreat, taking with them. wltho
e doubt the conviction that it is only throug