Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-05-20
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,)
Plan del Rio, so miles from Vera Cruz, :
Anril 10 lRlz

SIR-The plan of attack, sketched in general
orders, No. iii, herewith, was finely executed by
this gallant army, before two o'clock p. NJ, YES
terday. We are quite embarrassed with the
results Of victory prisoners of war, heavy ord
nance, field batteries, small arms and accoulre.
ments.
About 5000 men laid down their arms with the
usual proportion Of field and company officers,
besides five generals, some of them of great dis.
tnction-Pinson, Jarrero, La Vega, Noriega 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 glorious results.
Our loss, though comparatively small in num-
Der, has been serious. Brgader General Shields.
commander of activity, zeal and talent is,
fear, if not dead MORALLY wounded. He is some
five miles from me at this moment. The field of
operations covered many miles, broken by noun
tans 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, is now at or near Xalapa,
and Worth's division is in route thither all pur-
suing with good results as learn, that part of
the Mexican army-perhaps six or seven thou
sand men, who fed 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 prisoners, and have time
only to get from him the names of LIST Licuten-
ant F. B. Nelson and Cd c. G. Gill, both of the
I'd Tennessee foot (flaskell's regimen,). among
the killed, and in the brigade, LOG, of all ranks,
| killed or wounded.
Among the latter, the gallant Brigadier Gen.
eral himself has a smart wound in the arm, but
not disabled and Major r. Farqueson, I'd Ten
nessee; Capt II. +. Murray, % Lieutenant G
Il. Sutherland, LIST Lieutenant w. P. Hale lad
jutant) all of the same regiment, severely; and
| LIST Lieutenant w. Yearwood MORALLY wounded
| And know, from personal obversaton on the
ground, that LIST Lieutenant Ewell, OF the rifles
| If not now dead, was mortally wounded in enter
| ing, sword in hand, the entertainments around
the captured tower.
Second Lieutenant Derby, typographical en-
| Eineers, also saw, at the same place, severely
wounded, and Captain Patten, I'd United States
| infantry, lost his right hand. Major Sumner, I'd
United States Dragons, was slightly wounded
the day before, and Captain Johnson, topograph-
zeal engineers (now lieutenant colonel of infant
ry) was very severely wounded some days earll-
er while accommodating.
| must not omit TO add that Captain Mason and
I'd Lieutenant Davis, both of the rifles, were a
mong the very severely wounded in storming the
same tower.
estimate our total loss, in killed and wound
ed, may be about $50, and that of the enemy
$50. In the pursuit towards Xalapa US miles
hence) learn we have added much to the enc
my's loss in prisoners, killed and wounded. In
fact, suppose his retreeting 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 no,
omit to say that Brgadier General Twiggs, in
passing the mountain range beyond Cerro Cor
do, crowned with the tower, detached from his
division, as suggested the day before, strong
force to carry that height, which commanded the
Xalapa road a. the foot, and could not fail, il
earned, to cut off the whole or any part of the
enemys forces from a retreat in any direction.
A portion Of the LIST artillery, under the often
distinguished breyet Col Childs; the Sd infant.
ry under Capt Alexander; tho 9Th Infantry I'M
der Lieut. Col. Plympton; and the rifles, under
Major Loring, all under the temporary command
Of Col. Harvey, I'd dragons, during the con-
finement to his bed of brevet Brig. Gen. T. +.
Smith, composed that detachment. The style Of
execution, which had the pleasure to witness,
was most brilliant and decisive.
The brigade assembled the long and difficult
slope Of Cerro Gordo without shelter, and I'M
der the tremendous fire of artillery and musket.
ny, with the utmost steadiness reached the breast