Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-16
OFFICIAL DISPATCHES.
BATTLEs OF coNTRERAs AND CHURUBusCo.
REPORT OF MAJOR GENERAL SCOTT.
(Dapheats)
a. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, }
san Augus.in, acapulco Road,

9 miles from Mexico, August ~, 49,
Sin: Leaving competent garrison IN fucola'
this army advanced upon the Capi'ai' as iono"s.
Twisss' DIVISION preceded by tidfney +.."n
of cavalry, the 7,h; Quimans aivi 1r VI S,s,cs
900 ,y;ib = small detachment oil U aiied 0'a'es
800 ,he Sin. Worth's division, the YIN anu
p'l,.,.,s division, The l0ih-all in ms month Wv
81 overlook, and taen continued WIN Tue
,aad;no division. The corps were, al no 'iuIe'
hsvona five hours, or supporting distance, aran'
ana an descending into the basin OF Inc Cdp'.a''
@.s lies from Puebla, } they became more ciose-
H.. .nn.oy,maled about The head Of Lake Chai.o'
w;Ib AXE Tescuco lilse IN ilohs anu w M
r;ahr On The l2.h and 18Th we Pusheu 's.ua,
ne,ssauccs upon the fenon, an iSo.as. ha;ah,
,s;~h, miles from Mcxico) OF great heien',
Ns'renelv fortified to the Top Qhree tiers OF works.
su na aood.d around the base by the season OF
1 aHr and sluices from the lakes. This mouno,
cIose 10 The national road. commands the primer
n.i annroach 10 The city from The East. NO uoup
I, m;ebt have been carried, but al great anu us
nronorljonale loss, and was anxious 10 spa .,,o
he lives OF this gallant army for genera "@,Io
,rh;cb knew we had 10 win before ca pun 'po 'il'
city or obtaining the great object oil the cau'-
naien-a lust and honorable peace. l..,a,h,
Another reconnaissance was uifecleu l'"e 'o'
nnon Mexicalcingo, 10 the leil OF Inc renon, VI
laee al fortified bridge across Inc ou'.e. y, 10
49, Ave mile. from the laller. IL might nave
hssn sasv lmasking the Penon) 10 toIce The pas,
.sss. hnion The other side oil the bridge, we shou'a
hays ,onnd ourselves, four miles from tnis iodu,
IN rarrow causeway, hanked 10 Inc Iish. dnu
le by waller or DOGGY efounds. 1hose u u.a...
10 closely viewed, threw me back upon 'he pro-
;sc, LONG entertained, OF turning the strong east
ern drt.nces OF the city, BY passing aroun1 sou.n
n, Lakes Chalco and Jochimiico, a. ue wv,
The hills and mountains, SO as 10 reach 'l,'o 49,
and hence 10 mauGuyre, on marc si9uno, -, no
capiial, which has been more VI 1893 "-''S.
view since the 10Th instant. ,u..,
Accordingly. BY a sudden inversion or.hs
division. with HaIney's cavalry brigade, ieauihS
we marched on the 18Th insl. tliio"s auu
on;,man's divisions followed closely, aud Then
Twi. es' DIVISION which was left I'LL Inc ne21oay,
NJ Ayolla, in order 10 threaten he Penon anu
MeYicalcineo, and 10 deceive The enemy as ions
.rwige,. on the I6h, marching from Ayotla,
towards Chalco, (six milesJ me, corps OF more
Than double his enthusiastically ana lnianHy
under Gen. Valencia. Twisgs halted, deploy
"a into line and by few rounds from Captain
Taylor's field battery, dispersed The enemy, XII
mo or woupdins many men and horses. NO
other moles,aiion has been experienced except
few random shots from guereros, on the heiehls;
and The march of tweDty-seven miles, over
route deemed imprac,cable by the enemy, IS
NOW accomplished by all the corps-,hanks 10
their indomi,atle zeal and physical proves.
Arriving here, The 18th, Wor,h's division and
Harney's cavalry were pushed forward league
10 reconnoiIre aud 10 carry or To mask San An'u-
MO. ON the direct road 10 the capital Inns VII
lage was found strongly defended by neld-wofKs,
heavy guns, and numerous garrison. IL couid
- ,nta n
If volcanic rocks and lava; Tor, to our right, the
ground was 100 Doggy. 1t was soon ascetlained,
by The daring engineers, Cap. Mason and Lleuls.
Stevens and Tower, that the point could only be
approached, by the front. over narrow cause
way. fianked with wet bitches Of great depth
Worth was ordered not 10 attack, but 10 threaten
and to mask The place.
The first shot fred from San Antonio (he lSth)
killed Captain ). Thornton, ID dragons, gal
Ian, officer who was covering The operations with
his company.
The same day, reconnaissance was common
ced 10 the left OF San Auguslin, first over difficult
mounds. and farther on, over the same field oi
volcanic rocks and lava which extends 10 the
mountains, some FIVE miles, from San Antonio
towards Magdalena. This recanno,ssance was
continued, 10 day, by Capt. Lee, assisted by LIS.
Beauregard and Tower, all ct the engineers who
were Joined, in the afternoon, BY Major Smith OF
The same corps. Other divisions coming up, Pill
lows was advanced 10 make practicable road
for heavy artillery. and Twigss' thrown farther
in front, 10 cover LAt operation Tor, BY the par
tial reconnaissance Of yesterday, Capt. Lee DISCO
vered large corps OF observation in thai direr-
ton. with detachment OF which his supports Of
cavalry and loo, under Capt. kearney ami Lieut..
Col. Graho,n, reope c,iveiy, mad successful skir-
mish.
By three O'Clock, this afternoon, the advanced
divisions came 10 point where The new road
could only be continued under the direct fife OF
% piece. of the enemy's artillery (mos, oil them
OF large calibre) placed in strong enirenched
camp 10 oppose our operations, and surrounded
by every advantage OF ground, besides immense
hodies If cavalry and infantry hourly reinforced
from he ci.;. over an excellent road beyond The
volcauic field, and consequently entirely beyond
,hr reach oi cur cavalry and artillery.
Arriving on the ground, an hour later, found
that Pillows and Tw;gss' divisions had advan-
ced 10 dislodge the enemy, picking their way la!l
officers on ioo,) along his front, and extending
themselves towards the road, from the city and
the enemy's LETT Captain Magruders fed bat
terry, of l2and Founders, and Lieut.. Callcnders
baIery oil mounted howizers and rockets, had
also, with great difficulty, been advanced within
range Of The enlrenched camp. These batteries,
most eallan,y served. sufere,. much, in the
rior metal.
The battle, though mostly stationary, continu-
ed TO rage, With great violence, until nigh!all-
Brewer Big Gen. P. F. Smiths and Breves Col.
RiIcys bngodes (Twiggs' diyision) supported by
Brig. Generals piercr's and Cadwalader's bri-
eades (Potlow's division) were more Than three
hours under heavy fire oil artillery and muskeI-
~ along The almost impossible TaVine IN iron!
and 10 lie LETT OF the cnirenched camp BESIDES
The % pieces of artillery, The camp and !2sEe
were defended closely b. masses Of infantry, ana
,hese asain supported BY clouds OF cavalry a;
hand and lowering in flew. Consequently no
decided impression could be made by daylight
ON The euemY's most Formidable position, because,
independent of the difficulty OF the ravine, our
infantry, unaccompanied by cavalry and artillery,
could not advance IN column without being now
ed down by The grape and canister OF the bate
ries. nor advance in line without beEg ridden
over by The encmy's numerous cavalry. All our
corps. however, including MagTud-r's and Cal
lenders last batteries, not only maiGiained NE
exposed positions early gained, bu a! attempted
charses upon lhem respectively -ray,icn.a:y on
2iley twice closely engaged with eaTaiiy in
greatly superior numbers-were .epiised and
punished.
From an eminence, soon alter arriving near
the scene, observed The church and hamlet oil
Conueras Tor Ansada) on the road leading up
Gorn the capital, through the enlrencbed camp, 10
Masdalena, and seeing, al the same time, the
s,Ieam Of reiniorcements advancing by tha, road,
sro,n the city, ordered (throush Major General
Pillow Col. Morgan With bis regiment the 10Th,
ain then held in reserve by Pillow, 10 move for
ward, and /. occupy Con,reras Tor An'aIda)--be-
ing persuaded, il occupied il would arres. The
enemy's reintorcements and ultimately decide The
battle.
Riley was already on the encmys Jeff, in ad-
vance OF he hamlet. A lew minutes later, Brig.
Gen. Shields with his volunteer brigade New
York and Sou,h Carolina regiments Quilman's
divsion) coming up under my orders, from San
Auguslin, directed Shields 10 follow aud 10 sus
tain Morgan. These corps, oyer the extreme
difficulties OF ground partially covered with
low forest-before described, reached Conueras,
and found Cadwallader's brigade in position, OBJ
serving the formidable movement from The CAPT.
i, mo. alraadv 10 rk nd The cold rain had bs-