Democratic banner., 1847-09-20

The fire having ceased, our
took up its quarters in the adjoin-
village of San Angel, for the rain fell
in such torrents that to have kept troops
out in the field would have been as much
as to insure their defeat.
Before this, however, l directed my aid
de-camp, Col. Ramiro, to go round the head
of the terrible barranca that lay in our
front, and by way of the skirt of a Distant
hill, guided by the deputy, D.. Jose Maria
del Rio, who was well acquainted with the
ground; to hasten at the top OF his speed toI
the camp of the said General, and give him
the most positive orders to spike his %artille-
~, which it was no longer possible to save,
and to fall back that very night upon San
Angle with his infantry and cavalry, by the
only road that was left to him. This my
aid-de-eamp did, communicating my orders
between ten and eleven o'clock at night
but instead of yielding implicit obedience,
the said General would hardly allow my aid
to speak, interrupting him with his wants,
which were 5000 men and munitions; and
finally he sent him away with two oticlal
reports, signed and sealed, in one of which
he states, that on the previous evening he
had beaten the manipulating him to a
shameful flight, and that, in consequence,
he had granted promotion to generals,
chiefs and officers.
On the following morning l again aP-
pcared in the same field, reinforced by a
brigade which / had ordered from the CAPT
tai, with the design Of forcing the Pass at
every hazard; but when was commencing
my operations the enemy made their attack.
1t lasted ten minutes; and l witnessed, in
the midst of despair, the defeat of those SOL
diers deserving Of a better fate, who were
unfortunately commanded by q general who
had cut himself off from assistance.
The consequences of this defeat,were to me
terrible; the enemy, by a rapid movement,
could now arrive at the capital before 1t
could be possibly %succored; he could, by a
flank movement, cut off my detachments;
The could, from the result Of his victory,
bring the whole mass Of his forces to bear
upon a part of mine; and, in fine, from the
insubordination and want of skill of a sin.
gle general, he turned to his W account
all the advantages of my position.
The strong advance work Of San Anto-
MO could not be defended because our line
had been cut; and l directed that the gar
rison should withdraw while ] was covering
the fort and tcte dc pont Of Churubusco.
The enemy advanced, aud, cutting of q
part of the troops that were in retreat, pre-
scented himself in front of our most advanc
ed entertainments. Here I again put my
self at the head of our soldiers, and my ef'
forts cost the enemy the loss of no little
blood. Our, losses, although lamcntable
were the natural consequence Of a sudder
retreat, occasioned by surprise, and embar
raised by the trains which were passing
lIalong the narrow causeway, flanket
throughput its whole extent. The defencs
was from line to line, until arriving at the
third line, where l, in person, checked the
enemy and thus saved the Capitol, which
had beer so Unexpectedly exposed to dan
, ger. While l was occupying myself on thu
,i22d, with the reorganization Of the force!
and 1.-THE manning of the batteries, again
. personally at the head of a column which
E could defend the Capital to the last ex
f IRENE, I received a communication from TIM
a chief of the enemy, proposing t.
: me an armistice that might give time to taxi
into consideration the propositions which
D the Commissioner on the part Of the Gov
ernment of the United States Of Americi
may take with the view of terminating tn
; contest between the two nations. l con
sidered: and after consulting with my cabi
: net, I resolved that the said proposition
1 shall be taken into consideration.
t The suspension of hostilities must Away
be regarded as a good, because war is al
. ways an evil, and especially so when grea
combinations have been frustrated. To FREE
e the Capital from its horrors, or at least t
delay them, was an exigency which it wa
: not lawfulfor me to evade, and still more s.
when it presented itself as a means for tn
arriving at an honorable peace.