The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-11-05
interesting War Intelligence.
GEN. SCOTS OPERATIONS IL MEXICO.
From the Washington Union Nov 81

furnished following extract
aettsr from officer Of distinction OF the staff Of Gen
Scott's army to friend In this city As is gives the
only methodcI account which we have seen Of the ops
hol conquest OF the city Of Mexico Is letter which
viii be- read at this time with profound interest The
xvyyer Ia an of high merit and enlarged expert
snce and in every way qualified to judge Of tho opera
ton. which he bas 80 graphically and beautifully de-
scYibed
Ny last letters from Jaapa informed you Of the ope
rt9ns Of the army and the duties of the officers Of the
oorpa topogr lpc engineers to include the battle
of C-rro 6ordo Since that time and after the army
left Jaapa there has not been single opportunity to
sommuncsts with the coast except by private express
which but rarely reached there; and II only now
through the influence Of friend have met here that
am enabled to send limited package
The army, leaving garrisons In Jaapa and Perote,
MARCHED on pusbla; where It remained several weeks
waiting for the new leves Leaving there on the sth Of
August en-, for this city, In four days march i,
reached Ayo, being ths p.ini a0psui from which the
on the right, and enter the city from the north by
Guadalupe IN front by the Penon, or to the left by
doubt OF the practicablity The route to the
right very long one that In front strongly
mrn The penon being an isolated hill. surrounded
by water cou only be approached by tn causeway.
sssa"ls witch would have cos. many lives On con
tinung the reconnaissance the route south of Chslco
moved on that line though II enemy had been
A. all enterprising they might have checked our pro-
gress very materially or even prevented it sltogshsr
the road lay along ths base of high range Of
tans times crossing rocky spurs of the mountains,
at others along the margin Of the lake, on very
row causeways, very much cut up. The hills the
left often pcecipitous and few sharp shooters
might have annoyed edingly by their fire, and
few enterprisng might have blocked the road
pletsly by rolling down rocks and yet they only at
tempted Il but once few shot soon dislodged them
aud two or three hours work cleared the road. The
head OF the column, being Gen Worhs division reach
ed san Augustn on the 18th August; the other divisions
TANGO On the 18Th the generalin chief arrived and
picket OF brigade and afterwards Worhs whole divi
ahanfO In tha San Apfo
MO immediately south Of the city, and within six miles
RECOMMENDING parties were also pressed forward and
only approach known ut the time by the road On
theefs immense field of lava called pedsgral on
was fred upon in the road where they came in
sight the enemys batteries and the of the
"ricocbetting' along the road, covered with mud
aud fragments of stone, one making slight bruise
the thigh After moving In the front for time the
periodical rain came on in the evening. Gen Worth
took possession of hacienda within reach Of the
my's guns, and held 1t for the night Reconnaissance
of san Angel aud small body Of the enemy routed
The next morning the enemy discovered in great
force the west about four miles distant on the San
Angel road Pillows aud Twigps divisions order
ed in that direction. The enemy found to be
trencsd and defended by several guns The approach
to them was this same pedregsl avs-amost i'm
passabs for let alone artillery; yet our boys
naged to accomplish the officers disnouuting and
sharp eosued which lasted till night set ia Our
people succeeded la getting possession OF village and
threstened in the by large body of cavalry
infintry, Q200O) commanded by Santa Anna in per-
son.
O'Clock next morning; but the night stormy and
our troops much exposed, 1t did not commence until
daylight. To guard against any reverse, the General
took with him, the next morning, Garland's btigade
from Worths division; but on their way from San Ar
gusta to Contreras he was met by messenger, saying
that the battery had been takenia hne style.
Carlands brigade was W ordered to return TO San
Antonio aud General Worth to make denomination
having fallen, San Antonio could be turned The
affair of Contreras was extremely well aged Rleys
brigade was thrown in advances, and reached the
my's before daylight, without being discovered
The brigade to attack In flank Riley dsployed
his couaIn aud pounced upon the enemy b.fore Ia
sware of and carried tho work IN twenty minutes al
though ounumsered by at least four times The other
brig their retreat towards the city
The route was comp etc and the euenys loss very
great whilst was comparatively fmail We cap
tured twenty guns mostly large pieces amonv the num-
Der four large inch bronzs howzers But the greatet
prize was brass 6's taken from us at Angosura We
had also end eight hundred prisoners in
cluIpr several generals; and the amount OF ammunition
taken excpeded, by ope-half, the quantity which
brought from Vera Cruz The general sdiately fol-
lowed in pursuit passing San Angel and Ceyoacan Our
army AGAIN encountered the enemy Churubusco the
second line Of defencs-of which We knew nothing not
The enemy had church strongly fortified by entrench-
ments two sides, the other sides not being com
plaed and he had also the advantage Of us In heavy
guns But nothing seemed to stop the ardor OF
cur troops, and they went at Ii with will and
it he warmest aud the most continued fire have
witnessed In the meantime Worth advanced upon San
Antonio but the enemy having heard suppose, Of the
f,, Of Coutrerss. retired without much Resistance
Worth pursuing came upon another work-a iete d.
pm, advance of the church, which carried by
assault few minutes before the works at the church
The enemy pursued along the oauseway to the
gt Of he city BY cavalry and the defenders of the
gate get h-m fred upon their people retrsst
ing Captain Kearney charged the paraoet at the
gate md CALAMITY lost arm In doing Our loss at
Churubusco far greater than at Coutreras but the
euenys loss greater still In the works took ten
guns aud several hundred prisoners including many
more gen rsls. The day ended most goriously The
enemy acknowledged 30 600 men In the field and yet
and captured least 300 prisoner with 81 pieces of
artillery aud any quantity Of ammunition The next
rning (2rO the General with tho dragons marched,
Worth division following to take possession OF Tacubaya
e.. ronte at Coyoacau he was met by commissioners
from Santa Anna proposing armistce; the time ask
accrded to by tho General and, giving the
reply told the commissioners that he intanded steep
ing ia Tacurays that night and they very kindly offer
ed he would delay his march few hours that they
would send an order the fortress OF Chaputppec
to fire on him But the General did not delay his march
and we enter the village with the dragons alone early
10 the afternoons Worths division not arriving uu.
late ia tbs evening Upon arriving Mt the place AS wss
sent In vance, could not but feel thankful to the COM
missoners for their offer seeing the proximity Of the
two places; nearly ia poin-bleDk range OF the
guns OF Chspultepec yet We took quiet possession,
without n shot After our arrival the Mexican com
missioners came egsn and again, the next morning,
when commissioners were appointed by the gener. |,
and ustce OF his dictaton agreed upon and
missiouers appointed the part Of the Mexcans
to treat with our commissioner (Nr TrstI on the sub
jct peace The negotiations went for severaldsys
very amicahly, was believed but Santa Anna
daily violating the armstice by increasing his defences
and T. only the part of the enemy to gain
tna The commission was eventually dissolved by the
rjecLion of the terms of our commissioner, and the
general tho day declared the arms Ice at end
The day the enemy moved large force out from
Chapuitepsc the west. and occupied large building
containing u public foundry and mills The general,
although he had been men9uvsring with view to
al attack en- the south by the San Antonio road
changed his plans and determined to take Chapul-
tepsc st aud then approach the city by San Cosne.
To accomplish this, the fJrce on the left (west)
had TO be dislodged, and the duty assigoed to
Wortas division IL wss Intended to have been night
attack but, from other, the fight did
commences til Daylight, when rs opened upon the
buiiDg sbouid have mentioned that the enemy had
large force CT both infantry aud cavalry in advance
they had also Geld artillery With this force our troops
were engaged and q sharp fire was kept for
veral hours The enemy raduaiy retreated upon the
buding aud came the tug The building must be
carried or nothing gained It could only be done
by assault; aud that difficult matter, artl-
lery had made no impression breach made; yet
1t ordered and carried In gallant style in few MI
putes; number OF INSTRUMENTATION and the enemy
potey driven from the ed but not without great loss