The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-05-22
ARMY INTELLIGENCE.
OFFICIAL DESPATCH.

81
ID, HEADQUARTERS OF THE Army,
Plan del Rio, so miles from Vera Crua
April 10, ls47.
Sin: The plan Of attack, sketched il
General orders, No. III, herewith, wa
finely executed by this gallant army
before two O'Clock, p M, yesterday :
We are quite embarrassed with the re
suits Of victory---prisoners Of war
heavy ordnance, field batteries. smal
arms, and accoutremenls. About 5000
men laid down their arms with the usu
ahProportion Of field and company Of.
ficers, besides five generals, several ol
them Of great distinction. Pinson, Jar.
zero, La Vega, Norega, and Obando.
A sixth general, Vasquez, was killed in
defending the battery (tower) in the
rear OF the whole Mexican army, the
capture Of which gave US those glori.
GUS results.
Our loss. though comparatively small
in numbers, has been serious. Briga-
dier General Shields, commander of
activity, zeal, and talents, is, fear, if
not dead, morlally wounded He is
some FIVE miles from me at the moment.
The field operations covered many
miles, broken by mountains and deep
chasms. and | have not a report as yet,
from any division or brigade. Twigg's
division, followed by Shields (now Col.
Baker's) brigade, are now at, or near
xalapa, and Worth's division is en- route
thithsr, all pursuing, with good results,
learn, that part OF the Mexican army
perhaps, six or seven thousand men.
who fled before our right had carried
the tower, and gained the Xalapa road.
Pillows brigade alone is near me at
this depot of wounded, sick, and prison
srs, and have time only to give from
him the names of lst Lieut.. F. B. Mel
son, and Cd Lieut.. G. G. Gill, both OF
the Cd Tennessee foot (HaskelI's regi-
menD among the killed, and in the bri.
gade l06, OF all ranks, killed and wound.
ed. Among the latter, the gallant Bri-
gadier General himself has a smart
wound in the arm, but not disabled, and |
Major R. Farqueson, Cd Tennessee;
Capt H. F. Murray, Cd Lieut.. g. T.
Sutherland, lst Lieut.. w. p. Hale lad
jutanD all Of the same regiment, severe
ly, and list Lieut.. w. Yearwood, NOR.
tally wounded. And know, from per-
sonal observation on the ground, that
lst Lieut.. Ewell of the rifles, if not
dead, was mortaIly wounded, in enter
ing. sword in hand, the entertainments
around the captured tower. Cd Lieut..
Derby, Typographical! engineers, | also
saw, at the same place, severely wound
ed; and Capt. Patton, I'd United States
Dragons, was slightly wounded the
day before, and Capt. Johnston, topo-
graphical engineers, now Lieut.. Col. Of
infantry, y was severely wounded some
days earlier while accommodating.
must not omit to add that Capt. Mason
and I'd Lieut.. Davis, both Of the rifles,
were among the very severely wound
cd in storming the same tower. | es.
innate our totalloss, in killed and wound.
ed, to be about $50, and that of the enc
my $50. In the pursuit towards Xala-
pa (25 miles hence) ! learn we have
added mucI, to the enemy's loss, in pri-
soners, killed, and wounded. In fact,
1 suppose his retreating army to be
nearly disorganized, and hence my
haste to follow, in an hour or two, to
profit by events,
In this hurried and imperfect report
must not omit to say that Brigadier
General Twiggs, IN passing the noun
toin range beyond Cerro Gordo, crown.
ed with the tower, detached from his
division, as l suggested the day before,
a stronge force to carry that height,
which commanded the Xalapa road at
the foot, and could not fail, if carried,
to cut off the whole, or any part Of the
enemy from retreat IN any direc-
ton. A portion of the lst artillery un-
der the often-distinguished Brevet Col.
Childs, the Sd infantry, under Capt. AL. S
exander, the 7lh infantry, under Lieut.. c
Col. PIymton, and the rifles, under Maj. t
Loring, all under the temporary COM
mand Of Col. Harney, Cd Dragons. du- t
ring the confinement to his bed Of Bre- I
vet Brig. Gen. P. F. Smith, composed L
that detachment. The style Of execu
ion, which had the pleasure to wit. a
less, was most brilliant and decisive {
The brigade ascended the long and dif-
icult slope Of Cerro Gordo, without t
shelter, and under the tremendous fire {
Of artillery and musketry, with the ut o
most steadiness, reached the breast e
works, drove the enemy from them, and a
planted the colors Of the LIST artillery, C