Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-10-27
FROM THE SEAT OF WAR.
BATTLE OF MOLINo DEL REY.

my the nard l0ught battle Oh the Stn september,
which resulted in another brilliant victory for the
American arms. The writer says
Gen. Worth commenced the attack at early day
light and in less than two hours every point was
carried, all the cannon of the enemy were in
an immense quantity of ammunition
and nearly 600 men, among them SO
officers, taken prisoners.
For more than an hour tho battle ragged with a
violence not surpassed since the Mexican war COM
menc,d, and 50 great the odds opposed tina. for
some time the result was doubtful. The force of
the enemy has heen estimated at from 10000 to
$4,000, strongly posted behind breastworks, and to
attack them our small force of scarcely 5000 was
obliged to approach an open plain and without
the least cover but their daunless courage carried
them over every obstacle, and notwithstanding the
Mcxicans fought with valor for them, they
were finally routed from one point or another until
all were driven and dispersed. The defeat was
total.
But to gain this victory our own loss has been
uncommony severe--it has been purchased with
the blood of of the most gallant spirits of the
army.--The 9th Infantry has suffered the most
The regiment, along with the 9th and 9th, was
engaged in the attack upon strong work the
enemy's right. and was opposed to such superior
numbers that il was compelled to retire along with
the others. The celebrated Col. Martin Scott was
killed in this attack along with Lieus. Burwel and
Strong, while Col. Mcintosh and many other Off
GERS were badly wounded. The worse than savage
mscrean!s in the fort after our men retired set up
yell and came out and massacred such of our
wounded as were unable to get off. In this way
poor Burwell lost his life Fully were they aveng-
ed however; for within half an hour Duncan s
battery, aided by the fall of another of their works,
drove the dastardly wretches in full flight across
the fields. No one knew or even surmiSed the
strength of the place it was an old fort, construct
ed long since, and was one of the main deences of
the line of works.
On the enemy's left, and nearer Chaputepec,
our loss also great, although not as severe 1t
was here that Col. VIM Nj. Graham, as brave a
spirit as ever lived, killed; Captains Merrill
and Ayres also fell in this part nf the field The
wonder now is how any one could come out safe
under such terrible fire the enemy poured from
his entire line of works. Nothing but the daring
and impetuosty of our men, who rushed onward
while their comrades were falling thick around
them, gained the vctory-had they once faltered
all would have been lost.
The broken ground on The right of the enemy,
cut up by deep ravines, saved many of Santa An
mas troops in their flight yet, it was, our dra-
goons Killed and captured many of the fugitives.
Large bodies of the Mexican cavalry approached
the scene of strife several times but they were driv
en- like sheep by Duncan's battery.
The Mexican loss has been even more severe
than our own. Gen. Balderas, Gen. Leon, and
,
while the interior of their works, the tops of the
houses from which they fought, and the ground
over which they fled are strewn with lifelcss bo-
dies. Such the panic that many of our off
GERS say that few fresh troops might have taken
Chapulepec itself almost without struggle but
other than few shots fired at that point from some
of the captured cannon, no demonstration was
made.
A letter of the 9th September, contains the fol
lowing full list of all the killed and wounded off
GERS in General Worths division in the great battle
of the Moline del Rey, as also of those in Major
Summers command Of dragons, and in Gen. Cad
wallader's brigade. Its correctness, the writer
says, may be relied on:
GEN. WORMS Col. Mar
tin Scott. 9Th Inf. Capt: Merrill, 9Th Inf Capt.
&. w. Ayres, Sd Art. !; Lieut.. F.. b. Strong 5th
Inf; Lieut.. w. Armstrong, Sd Art Lieut.. w.
Il. Burwell, 9Th Inf. Lieut.. FAIRY, Sd Art
Wo,mded.-Col. Mcintosh, 9Th Inf, severely ;
Major G. A. Waite, 9Th Inf, badly Major G.
Wright, 9Th Inf, slightly; Capt. +. Smith, 9Th
Inf, severely; Capt. Cady, 9th Inf, slightly
Capt. Larkin Smith, 9Th Inf, severely Captain
Sd Art, severely; Asst. Surgeon w. Roberts,
dangerously Capt. J. l.. Mason, corps of engi-
neers, severely Lieut.. nj. l.. Shackelford End
Art, severely Lieut.. G.. d. Daniels, I'd Art, Sc
verely Lieut.. Ernst, 9th mfr, everey-ost RIGHT
hand; Lieut.. J. G. Burbank, 9Th Inf, MORALLY /;
Lieut.. j. ID. Clark, 9Th Inf, badly Lieut.. C. f.
Morris, 9Th Inf, severely,-lost right foot Lieut.
tth Inf, severely; Lieut.. III. j. Hunt, I'd Art,
slightly Lieut.. j. e. S. Smelling, 9Th Inf, severe
ly; Lieut.. III. +. Clarke, I'd Art, slightly Lieut.
}. u. Foster, corps of engineers, severely; Asst.
Surg. }. Simons, slightly; Lieut.. Dent, 9th Inf,
severely; Lieut.. ii. Prince 4th Inf, severely Lit.
A. b. Lincoln, 4th Inf, severely Lieut.. Herman
Thorne, Sd Dragoons-ai to Col. Garland, severe
L.. OF
Andrews, Sd Art, slightly; Lieut. G. S. Hamilton,
9TH Infantry, severely Lieut.. W. Hayes, I'd Art,
slightly.
MAJOR SUMMERS CoMMAND.-Capt. Croghan
ker, I'd Drogoons, severely; Lieut. Tree ID Ora
goons, severely Lieut. Walker, Mounted Rifles,
slightly; Lieut.. Williams, Sd Dragons, slightly
The above list is complete and perfect. There
has been much difficulty in obtaining it, nearly
all the orderly sergeants and executive officers
have been killed or wounded The conduct Of all
the non commissioned officers has been gallant and
most conspicuous, while several of them behaved
SO nobly that they have been recommended for i'm
mediate promotion to Gen. Scott Their names
are Sergcants Benson, Wilson and Robinson. of the
I'd Art; Sergeant Heck, of the Sd Art ; Sergeants
Updegraff, Farmer, Archer and Daily of the 9th
Inf; Sergeant Major Thompson of the 9th Inf. ;
Sergeant Major Fink of the 9Th Inf. | trust and
hope that Gen. Scott will at once promote these
brave fellows. More than half the officers in Gen
Worth's division have been struck down, either
killed or wounded, in the actions of Cburubusco
and Ell Moline del Rey, and many of the compa-
MES have absolutely one to command them.
Orour wounded officers, cannot learn that one
of them has received mortal injury, although three
or four are in dangerous situation The wound
of Maj. Waite, although severe, will not keep him
long from duty. The same may be said Of Capt.
Mason and Lieut.. Foster, of the Engineers Mai.
Wright was struck in the stomach by a partially
spent ball, while gallaudy leading the storming
party of 500 picked men; but is now recovering
from the effect.
The following list Of the officers killed and
wounded in Gen. Cadwaader's brigade. believe
to be nearly correct IF there is auy inaccuracv in