The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1847-07-01
NUMBER 80.

tie, after his field officers were cut down,
: and his regiment beat back in confusion
c aud disorder, left his command and follow.
y ed IAe--neafly 10 Major Cooper's position
10 report IA person lis condition; and
= that immediately ordered him to return TO
: his command. ! did not pass upon this
= conduct OF Col Haskell, m precipi,ately
: fetreaIing from he field Of action without
bis cap and in advance Of every officer and
private Of his regiments and | passed i,
} over 10 my report, by barely speaking of
the fact, without any remark or obsefya.
Iion-and did so from desire 10 spare
, his reputation; aud regret iha. as he and
these other officers have voluntarily borne
public testimony "to my personal courage
aud gallant bearing on the field of battle"
that cannot accord the same 10 him.
The question Is distinctly asked" Why
| assaulted battery No. !--aby did 80
before was ready, and slIh so small
force r As al answer to these questions,
refer TO the following portion of my de.
tailed report.
Upon arriving a, my position fo' as.
saut, | commenced the formation of my
assaultng forces, without the. los" "f mo-
meuI's time. | had ."J sell placed Col.
nask4lI'- SiInens n position for assault,
fdpon the LETT side Of the snge-had placed
Co Roberts regiment Che supporting force
OF Haskell's reglmen) 10 position. short
distance IN the rear. Had ordered Wyu.
{ Hoops reglment-tbe advance of the other
assautsng torce-to its position; (ond i,
vas on lis way TO lis position, with Col.
impbeI. regiment asls supporting force,l
when the enemy, discovering our position,
directed most gaIiiug fro into the CON.
mand. Tins fire was SO destructive, that
u would nave swept AWAY my entire com.
maud, had II remained in il, position even
long enough to have completed the lorma.
non OF the forces for The assault. Owing
10 the lmpenetrable chapparral which GOV.
cred The whole face Of the country, il was
equally impossible 10 fall back aud complete
the movement, even ii such movement
would not have thrown the force entirely
out Of position. Seeing that no alternative
was Ielt me but to retreat, with the whole
command in the face Of the enemy's fire,
aud break up the order Of battle, and ylo.
late the orders Of the General.in. Chief,
end thus bring disgrace upon the whole
brlgsde, OF to dash rapidly forward upon
The wofks of the enemy with the forces
which we're in position, INSTANTLY sen,
my AID de.Camp, Lieutenant Rains. with
orders TO bring Colonel Robertss regi.
ment as q4ick as possible TO the support of
Col. Haskell, and directed this last regi-
ment TO charge the enemy's works. | also
sent my Abide Camp, Lieut.. Anderson, TO
Cob Nynkoop, with orders for sim!lsr
movement upon the works in front Of his
position, being on the opposite side of the
angie. HaskeI's regimen, dashed forward
With shout Of enthusiasm. Hence i,
Will be seen that the course which took Of
charging he works was the only one left me.
1t IS manifest, therefore, that the effort
10 throw on me the responsibility Of the
failure TO carry the work assaulted AZ Ger.
70 Gofdo IS altogether Urjust The alleged
errors IN my orders and dispositions OF the
assauluug forces have shown we're not er.
rors, but that they were, on the contrary,
the proper orders aud dlspusluoGs for that
purpose,
A most vigorous and determined effort
vas made 10 carry them BY Col HaskelPs
regiment. 1t was not successful, because
OF the strength of the work assalled, and the
most !usutmounable obstacles and barriers
10 It's approach Though Col, Roberts was
10 close supporting distance of Col. Hask.
elI-beIng within $50 or 200 yards-and
was ordered to charge, yet he did not gel
up IN time 10 sustain the assault made by
Haskelt's regiment before Il was cut down
and forced 10 retire. Upon the report OF
the fact TO me, although al the time was
entirely disabled IN the use Of my right arm
by canister shot, Immediately formed
the whol. command to renew the attack,
and had ordered the charge, when the enc.
my ran up the white flag aud surrendered.
While ain not disposed TO charge the
fault of this failure to the misconduct Of
any officer or portion Of my command, but
10 the G,bfalar.l,ke strength Of the works
themselves; yet, if any body was partlcu.
arIy al fault, it was Col. Haskell, for pre-.
clPiiately retrea'ing from The field, leaving
his regiment cut to pieces, scattered and in
confusion, without any field officer TO CON.
mand it, Instead of remaining with his reg.
lmenl, aud reporting by an officer.
The Colonel says enjoy the reputation
Of leading his command in this charge at
Cerro Gordo. was not aware that | en-.
Iloyed the reputation Of dong wba. no.
where claimed to have done. In my off.
cal repor, distinctly state that | was at
the head of the co!umn-in person placed
his regiment IN posulon-oTdered COZ. Ro.
berls TO his unprecedented Col. Wyu.
koop to his position and that, after having
( (for reasons which are fully explained 10 nv
detailed report) ordered the charge of his
regiment, that then moved across the line
Of the enemy's fire, intending 10 lead in
person the storming party Of whicn Col.
Wynkoop's regimen, consitG;ed Tho ad.
vance, but was prevented from doing SO by
wound received, III had led the charge
OF Haskel's Command think should have
led 1t d serenity, aud with different results;