Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-11-24

brigade, advancing perpendicularly,-were
made to suffer much by the tete de pont,
and they would have suffered greatly more
by flank attacks from the convent, but for.
the pressure Of fTwiggs on the other'side of
that work.
This we'll combined and daring move
ment, ut length reached the principal point
Of attack, and the formidable feie de pont,
was Mt once assaulted and carried at the
point Of the bayonet. Its deep, wet ditch,
was first gallnntly crossed by the 9Th and
sih infantry, commanded respectively by
NJ ,ior w aite and Lieutenant Colonel Scott
followed cl ,sely by the 9th infantry,
| (same brigade) which had been exposed so
much in the road the llth regiment, un-
der Lieutenant Colonel Graham, and the
18th, commanded by Colonel Trousdale,
both of Cadwallader's brigade, Pillows di-
vision. About the same time, the enemy
in front Of Garland, after a hot conflict of
IN hour and half, gave way, in retreat
towards the capital.
The immediate results Of this third sig
n,l triumph Of the day, were field-Pieces,
| 1872 prisoners, much ammunition, and two
colors, taken in the tete de pont-
AS the concurrent attack upon the con-
vent favored physically and morally, the
assault upon the tete de pont, so, reci ipro-
cally, no doubt the fall of the latter contrib
uted to the capture of the former. The
two works were only some $50 yards apart;
and as soon as we were in possession OF
the teie de pont, q captured FOUNDER was
turned and fired-Grst by Captain Larkin
Smith, and next by Lieut.. Smelling, both oil
/ the 9th infantry several times upon the
convent. In the same brief interval, Lieut.
Col Duncan, {also OF Worth's division,
gallantly brought two Of his guns to bear,
at short range, from the San Antonio
road, upon the principal face Of the work
ana on the tower of the church, which in
the obstinate contest had been often re6lled
with some of the best sharp-shooters Of the
/ enemy.
Finally, twenty minutes after the tets de
pont had been carried by Worth and Pillow,
/ and at the end of desperate conflict OF
/ two hours and half, the church or convent
the citadel of the strong line Of defence
along the rivulet of Churubusco-yieldeo
to Twigg's division, and threw out, on al
sides, signals of surrender. The white
l-fags, however, were not exhibited unit
the moment when the Sd infantry, under
Capt. Alexander. had cleared the way by
fire and bayonet, and had entered the work
i Capt. J. M. Smith and Lieut.. O. l.. SheF
4 herd, both Of that regiment with their com.
panies, had the glory of leading the assault
The former received the surrender, ane
Capt. Alexander instantly hung out, from
balcony, the colors Of the gallant Sd
, Major Dunick, with part of the lst artil
lery, serving as infantry, entered nearly
abreast with the leading troops.
!. Lieut.. J. E. Irons, lst artillery, aid-de
camp to Brigadier General Cadwallader
, young officer Of great merit and .conspic
uous in battle, on several previous occa
sions, received, in front of the work, NOR
} tai wound. (Since dead }
Captain Tavlor's field battery, attached
to Twiggs' division, opened its effective fire
at an early moment, upon the out-works
the convent and the tower Of its church
; Exposed to the severest fire of the enemy
!, the captain, his officers and men, won uni
versaf admiration; but at length, much dis
!, abled in men and horses, the battery was
by superior orders, withdrawn from the &C
ton, thirty minutes before the surrender o
the convent.
These corps, excepting Taylor's bate
ry, belonged to the brigade Of Brig. Gen
Smith, who closely directed the whole at
tack in front, with his habitual coolnes
and ability; while Riley's brigade-the 3
and 7th infantry, under Capt. T. Morri
and Lieut.. Col. Plytnpton, respectively
: vigorously engaged the right and left of.h
work and part Of its rear. At the moment
]. the rifles, belonging to Smiths, were de
D tached in support Of B ig. Gen. Shield.
e on our extreme left, and the 4th artillery
D acting as infantry, under Major GardneI
! belonging to Riley's brigade, had been le
r in charge of the camp, trophies, &c, {
: Contreras Twigg's division, at Chur,
bnsce, had thus been deprived of the sery
:, ces oftwo of its most gallant and -effectiv
= regiments.
b The immediate results Of this victor
= were:-the capture Of field pieces, som
e ammunition, one color, three generals On
9 1851 prisoners, including other officers.
i. Captains E. A. Capron and NJ. j. Burk
and Lieut. S. Hoffman, all of the 1st arti
e lery, and Capt. J. w Anderson and Lieu
Thos Easly, both Of the I'd infantry-fv
n officers of great mert-fell gallantly b.
i fore this work.
!, The capture Of the enemy's citadel va
d the fourth great achievement of our arm
g in the same day.
d It has been stated that some two. houl
d and half before Pierce's, followed clos
J. ly by the volunteer brigade; both under til
command of Brig. Gen. Shields; had bee
e detached to our left to turn the enemy
d works;-to prevent the escape Of the garr
) sons, and to oppose the extension ofthe en-
10 my's numerous corps, from the rear, upo
IS and around our left. ssa
Considering the inferior numbers Of tt
% two brigndes, the objects of the movemel
{, were difficult to accomplish. Hence IL
# reinforcement (the rifles, DC. sent TO
n ward little later S=s a. - -
i'd In winding march of a mile around,
ID the right, this temporary division found
E self on the edge of an open wet meado'
4 near ihe road from San Antonio to the ca
TO .ital, and in the presence of some 1000
r. the enemy's infantry, little in the rear
-l On f1,af road EsfahliShir