The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-11-03

letter from an officer of distinction OF the staff OF Gene
raj SCOTS army 10 friend in this city AS gives the
only methodica account which we have seen of the ope
rations Of our army from the day it left Pueba to the
final conquest OF the city OF Mexico, it is letter which
will be read at this time with profound interest The writer
officer OF high merit and enlarged experience, and in
every way qualified to Judge of the operations which he
has so graphically and beautifully described:
CRY OF MExIco, Sept DC, 1917.
My last letters from Jaapa informed you of the opera
tons OF the army, and the duties OF the officers OF the
corps OF Typographical engineers to include the battle of
Cerro Gordo Since that tme and after the army left
Jaapa there has not been single opportunity to COM
muncae with the coast, except by private EXPRESS which
but rarely reached there; and it is only now, through
the influence of friend have met here that
bled to send limited package
The army, leaving garrisons in Jaapa and Peroe,
marched Puebla, where it remained several weeks,
waiting for the levies Leaving there on the Sth of
August route for this city, in four days march it
reached Ayoa, being the point ddppu from which the
General would select his attack-whether by Tezcuco
on the right and the city from the north BY Guada
upe or in front by the Penon or TO the left by the route
south of Lake Chaco OF which, at first there was some
doubt Of the practcability The route to the right
avery long one; that in front strongly fortified and
seemed defended with large body of men. The Penon
being isolated hill surrounded by water, could only be
approached by the causeway. II could not be turned,
and necessarily only taken by assault which would have
cost many lives. On continuing the reconnaissance the
route south of Chaco asceaned to be practicable
one and the army moved that line though, if our
enemy had been at all enterprsing, they might have
checked our progress very materially or even prevented
it altogether. After reaching the southern shore OF Lake
Chalco, the road lay along the base of high range of
mountains, at times crossing rocky spurs of the noun
tans, at others along the margin OF the lake, very
causeways, very much cut up The hills on the left
often precipious and few sharp shooters might
have annoyed exceedingly by their fire, and few en-
terprising might have blocked the road completely
by rolling down rocks and yet they only attempted it
but few shot soon dislodged them, and two or
three hours work cleared the road The head of the
column being Gen. Worth's division, reached San Angus
tin on the nth August; the other divisions follow
ing at intervals of few hours, in supporting dis
lance On the 18th the General inchief arrived, and
picket OF brigade, and afterwards Worth's whole
division, pushed forward in the direction of San An
ono Immediately south OF the city, and within miles
Recommending parties were also pressed forward, and
San Antonio found to be strongly fortified. The
only approach known at the time by the road On
the left was immense field of lava, called pedregal
the right wet and marshy. The advance of the party
was fired upon at turn in the road where they
sight OF the enemys batteries; and the commander of the
escort Capt Thornton) was killed instany-the ball
''rcochetting" along the road, covered me with mud
and fragments of stone one making slight bruse on the
thigh Alter moving in the front tor some time the pc
riodical rain came on in the evening Gen. Worth took
possession of hacienda within reach of the enemys
guns and held it or the night Reconnaissance had also
been pushed towards the west, in the direction of San
Angel and small body OF the enemy routed. The next
morning the enemy were discovered great force the
west, about four miles distant, the San Angel road
Pillows and Twiggs's divisions ordered in that d.
rechon The enemy were found to be entrenched, and
defended by several guns. The approach to them was
over this same pedregal or ava-almos impossible for
men, let alone artillery; yet our boys managed to ac
compsh 1.-THE officers dismounting; and sharp conflict
enslied, which lasted Till night set in. Our people
ceeded in getting possession of village and hacienda on
the flank of the enemy, although they were threatened
in the rear by large body OF cavalry and infantry,
Q2 ,oOo,) commanded by Santa Anna in person.
The General ordered the attack TO be renewed at
o'clock next morning butas the night was stormy, and
our troops much exposed, it did not commence until day
light TO guard against any reverse the General took
with him, the next morning, Garland's brigade from
Worths division; but on their way from San Aqsustn
to Conreras he met by messenger saying that the
battery had been taken in fine style.
Garlands brigade was now ordered to return to San
Antonio, and General Worth to make demonstration
on it., while the General advanced by San Angel Con-
eras having fallen, San Antonio could be turned The
affair of Contreras extremely well managed. Rley's
brigade was thrown in advance, and reached the enc
my's rear before daylight without being discovered
The other brigade was to attack in flank Riley deployed
his column and pounced upon the enemy before he was
of it, and carried the work in twenty minutes, al
though outnumbered by at least four times The other
brigade intercepted them on their retreat towards the city
The rou complete, and the enemys loss was very
great, whilst comparatively small. We cap
ured twenty guns mostly large pieces; among the num-
Der four large snch bronze howzers But the greatest
prize two brass Gs taken from at Angosua. We
had also between seven and eight hundred prisoners in
Guiding several generals; and the amount of ammunition
taken exceeded by one-half the quantity which we
brought from Vera Cruz. The General Immediately fol-
lowed in pursuit, passing San Angel and Coyoacan Our
army again encountered the enemy at Churubusco the
second line of defenceof which we knew nothing not
being able to make any recOnnolssances whilst In pursuit
The enemy had church strongly fortified by entrench-
ments on two sides, the other sides not being
pleed; and he had also the advantage OF us in heavy
guns. But nothing seemed to stop the ardor Of
our troops, and they went at it with will and
il was the warmes and the most continued fire have
witnessed. In the meantime Worth advanced upon San
Antonio but the enemy having heard, suppose, of the
Worth pursuing, came upon another work-a tete de
pont-in advance of the church, which was carried by
assault few minutes before the works at the church
The enemy pursued along the causeway to the very
gate OF the city by cavalry and the defenders of the
gate TO get at Them fired upon their people retreat
gate and galanty lost an arm in doing So Our loss
at Churubsco far greater than at CQntreras; but
the enemys loss greater sill. In the works we
took 10 guns and several hundred prisoners. including
many more generals. The day ended most glorously.
The enemy acknowledged 10000 men in the led and
vet we with less than 5000, beat them in four separate
battles, and captured at least 1890 prisoners with 81
pieces of artillery and any quantity of ammunition The
next morning (2lsf the General with the Dragons
marched, Worths division following, to take pos
was met by commissioners from Santa Anna pro-
posing armistlee the time asked was not &C
ceded to by the General, and, giving the reply he
told the commissioners that he inten ied sleeping in
Tacubaya that night. and they very kindly offered, if
he would delay his march few hours, that they would
him But the General did not delay his march, and
entered tho village with the Dragons alone early in the
afternoon; Wots division not arriving until late in the
evening Upon arriving at the place, as was sent IN
advance could not but feel thankful to the commits
sioners for their Offer seeing the proximity OF the two
Al, in npInt. n