Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-02
LETTER FROM GEN. SHIELDS. :,
~ MEXICO, Sept. %, l81!

myself oil your columns 10 nouct ah an .ra-
fist appeared in The New YORK l1erau, anu ano
wards obtained circulation 10 o'ne. nnnn
throughout The Union, rejecting severely upon
he medical department OF The army, ana re'er'
r;ou 10 Inc treatment, Of M first wound as an III.
s,snc. at The ignorance Of The surgeons VI 'na'
dsrarImcn,. The following is The article ~ WHO"
aMany members OF The medical department 0,
,hs .rmv are lamep.ab.y deficient in skil ana
eYr.r;cncc In proof OF this, would pclnl 70
/ The fact that The surgeons in attendance on uen
Shields did no. discover the exlen' oil Ms
,nr ,no,,h after he received his WOUNDS, oeins
~. 81 Ia, lime Ignorant that Two of his ribs
,cere injured Gen. Butler will, in all prooaoi'i-
~ he lame Tor life, through either The ignorance
~ ~ The neglect OF the surgeon who dressed ms
wouud. Many o'her instances oil like nature
are within ny knowledge. , =,
regard il as an acl Of simple justice 10 a.
,emn, Ia rcscre The character OF The surgeons VINO
amended me in nv lime OF uial and sunerins
from II. imnu,s,oas contained in his article i
rscc;ved The wound TO which allusion IS mace
on The 18Th of April, al Cerro Gurdo. wniie as,
saullins battery Of five guns, win por1'on VI
nv command in ffont-ano!her portion OF my
command having attacked II, d. Inc same '. rn
wound was made by leaden or iron grape
nearly three times the size OF muskeI-
BAH. Ii entered my right breast. Just I'M
der the nipple, and passed out oil my , PACK
within abaut halt an inch OF the spine. FROM
The snol where fell | was carried on me arms OF
snldiefs (uuder the direction Of my aids, Lieuis.
Hammond and Davis about Two miles 10 'he &C.
neral hospital During The whole OF ms iou'e'
my course might be tracked by Inc olooa Mnrch
streamed oul Of the wound. Inc agony lsunei,
ed was so intolerable that lonsed ior DEAN, ana
/ b,. sIrptcbp1
green spui, where might breathe my last within
| hearing of the victorious shouts OF my troops =
NV aids. however, demonstrated with me on lhIs,
| and had me borne EDWARDS 10 the hospital. Here
| my wound was dressed and The blood slaunched,
by DR.. Wright, oil The regular army, and Dr. NC
MILAN. then attached to one Of my regiments as
acting surgeon. =.
From he hospital was again borne on 1T
| ter. The same day. about TWO miles ana a nan 10
lite hut on he Jalapa road. Here was d.
Tended Tor several days by DIR. McMilian-eveiy
one expecting lha, every hour would DC my last.
From This place was borne in lew days on a
liter 10 Jalapa, where remained until my re-
coyery. was attended during The whole of my
illness by Or. Mcmillan, who exhibited during
that lime not only the most consummaie SIKH as
. SURGEON. bul such care, assiduily, and devotion
| ac 10 endear him 10 me lor lille. must not omil
10 mention that Dr.. VandeIinden, Surgeon Gen
eral OF the Mexican army, (who had been made
| prisoner By my commanu,) rendered efhcienl ala
| TO Or. Mcmillan during portion oil TINS lime.-
| The broken ribs 10 which alusion 10 mace IN Inc
article, we're not only known 10 Inc surgeons VINO
attended me, but 10 myself, the moment was
stripped and examined; but this was consiueieo
80 ,rhins a matter compared with the terrible
maine n nv wound that il excited but little IN
| easiness and attention. II becomes me 10 say
bere-what sincerely feel-lhat my recovery
has been providential; medical skill and surgical
talent couddo but lille for such terrible wound
| understand there is no instance RECORDED OF
such recovery. attribute therefore, with
grateful heart, my preservation and recovery
10 God alone: but next to God, my gratitude IS
due, and my recovery attributable, 10 inc sh'h
| and devotion of my attending surgeon, DOCTOR
Mcmillan, recently, am happy 10 say, per-
manenly appointed. But | will go iarlher
and assert that The medical department OF The re-
2ular army will compare, in professional skin
and intelligence with that OF any other medical
| body of equal size in The world. Some OF The
| more recent appointments know also 10 be excel
| lent. but-lhere are doubtless some who are con-
fessedly deficient in all The attributes OF surgical
| skill and experience. This could scarcely he
avoided under The circumstances, and considering
the hurried manner in which the appointments
| had 10 be made. regret 10 say that am again
ceiyed at the sormipg Of Chapullepec. The
wound is from muskel ball. received in the LETT
arm, which has occasioned me much pam,
bu, nv surgeons assure me the arm is safe. So
entire has been my recovery from The effects OF
The former wound, that al Pueba assumed COM
mand of brigade, consisting oil The New YORK
and South Carolina volunteers, and The marine
corps under Lieut.. Col. Watson. We marched
from Puebla and entered the valley Of Mexico
with an army amounting IN all 10 ten 'housanu
two hundred men. Our march was one OF e4,
,reme difficulty-over roads broken up and lilled
with rocks We reached San Augusn on lne
18th of August, from whence we could see Inc
enemy's troops and works al Contreras. On The
10Th led two fegimenis-lhe New Workers and
Palmeuos-across route that was deemed I'M
passablc by Mcxicans tor everything Out goals
ioined The other forces in The night remained
mos Of The night without shelter or covering, un-
der incessant rain; and joined in the attack IN
The morning which carried The posiion, aha
cut VaIencia's whole force 10 pieces. All Inns
encountered wi;hou, suffering any INJURY rom
the effects OF ny former wound. From Conlreras
Joined in pursuit OF the enemy towards mexico
We came up with the main body OF his army at
Churubusco. The enemy's force was about lhir-
" thousand The position was most formidable
| The Notifications we're not only exceedingly
strong, but their infantry was posted under cover
OF embankmenls, which afforded them such pro-
lection as TO enable them 10 fire on US with secu-
rity. The battle at this place was not only
bloody but terrible one. The Me1icans deter
mined 10 make il their last grea! struggle, and The
Americans fought with desperalion; knowing
| that nothing was left Tor them but success. Here
| los; over ha II my command in killed and wound
| ed Some OF The MODEST officers and bravest men
that ever marched 10 battle fell on that bloody
| field. Ye, we routed the whole Mexican army,
and drove it, panic-sruck, into the CITY and mad
| |, who happened 10 be in The advance, only been
permitted 10 continue The pursuit into the city, l
| doubt no from what we have since heard oil their
| fright that they would have run through Inc Guy,
and sought shelter in the mountains Peace now
ever being the great object, II was hoped thal
The moment was favorable for that purpose. San
IA Anna, however, whose whole being is compo-
sion of talsehood and lreachery, employed the
time in preparation for defence, and imposed upon
us the further necessity OF carrying ChapnlIepec
and taking The city. This was all done, loo, in The
| most glorious manner. The whole American force
| on the ground, exclusive OF killed and wounded,
when Mexico was taken, was less Than S,O00
The whole force employed was little more than
5000. So my dear friend, you may Tell the world
that an army OF between G0OO and 7000 Ameri-
cars has taken The city OF Mexico, strongly Tor
| tilted, with an army OF between twenty and thlr-
" thousand men within il walls. True, we have
suffered and suffered severely. Many noble
spirit has bleahed his last in The valley OF Mex
| leo; hu, the glorious results have proved to The
world the nvincibilily Of The American arms.
have been thus diTusivc TO show that my recov
cry has been tested by every species OF tia and
endurance 10 which the human system can be sub
jecled. Its hard case, therefore, that the Phy-
ss;cans who contributed so much to this recovery
should be accused oil incapacly, and that my re.
coyery in itself so wonderful, should be vouched
as an instance 10 prove this incapacy. trust
those journals that give place, inconsiderately to
The article 10 which alude, will do me the ia
vor, in Justice to my physician and the medical
department. OF The army TO insert this letter.
have the honor 10 be your friend and obed-
eul servant. JAS. SHIELDS.
RETURN OF THE MACEDONIAN
Com. De Kay, Uhe Union saysl presented 10
:. L.