Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-10-15
The Battles Of Contreras and Chu.
ruhusco,


of the march and achievements of the American
Army, under General Scott, from the day Of its
leaving Puebla, says the New York Courier &
Enquirer, will be read with universal interest;
SAN ANGELO, Mo-, August 81, iS4H
We left Pucbla on the morning Of the 9TH,
and entered upon a beautiful rolling country Of
great fertility supplying with its gardens the in.
habitants of Puebla with food, aud surrounded
by lofty mountains, some Of which were covered
with snow. Our read was gradually ascending
and so good that on hooking back from the head
of the column, our train could be seen for miles
In rear, dotting with its snow white tops the ma
ruey covered plain. On our left was Popocaia-
ijetl and Iscatafet the snow on their not distant
tops rendering the air quite chilly. Cen Scott
did not leave with us but came on the next day
with Capt Kcarney's dragons
The second days march was ike the first,
gradually ascending, passing through deiles, mar
row passes snd ever deep ckasns, where a more
determined enemy might have seriously annoyed
us by merely making use of the obstacles nature
everywhere presented. Thick woods OF the I'm,
est forest trees we're abundant and the ragged
nature of the country would readily carry one
back to the Northern parts of New England or
the passes of the "Notch" Here and there
beautiful little lakes were iRterspersed in the
deep vallies, and the clearncss and GOODNESS Of
their waters were almost incredible.
The third day we were to encounter the much
Wanted pass Of "Rio FRO" and also the passage
of the mountain which was to lead us to the FL
Dorado of our hopes, the great plain of Mexico.
Our march was to be long and difficult, and
three o'clock saw us under way with hearts and
hopes full Of the prospect before us The much
dreaded pass is reached and passed. The noun
tains which skirt the road the left, here close
upon it for about a mile, cvcrhnnging and enf-
lading it completely, and afiording with their
crests most excellent covering for an enemy's
marksmen. The newly cut trees and long range
of breast works thrown up on the crest, showed
us that preparations had been made, while nu-
merous parapets with embrasures in the logs
taught US what might have been done. But no
men were thcre,--the muskets and cannon were
gone. Valencia, with 5000 Mexicans, was full a
days march ahead, making for Mexico with
speed which betrayed home-sickness. Rio FRO
was found to be little stream pouring down
from the Snow mountain, of icy coldness and
crystal purity. After slight pause for refresh
ment we commenced our ascent Of tie ridge
which separates the plains of Pueba and Mexi-
co, the former Of which it had hitherto skirted.
For several long miles we toiled up the hill, on
Iy recompensed for our labor by what we hoped
to attain at last. When all were pretty nearly |
worn out sudden turn in the road brought to |
our view sight which none can ever forget
The whole vast plain Of Mexico was before US |
The GOODNESS of the air, which was most sensibly |
felt at this great height, our fatigue and danger
were forgotten, and our eyes we're the only sense |
that thought eff enjoyment Mexico, with its
lofty steeples and its chequered denes, its bright
reality, and its former flame, its modern SPLEEN
dor and its ancient magnifcence, was before us
while around on every side its thousand lakes
seemed like silver stars on a velvet mantle.
We encamped that night at the base of the
mountain, with the enemy's scouts on every side
Of us. The next day we reached Ayetla, only
fifteen miles from Mexico, by the National Road,
which we had hitherto been following. Here
we halted until Generals Quitman, Pillow and
Werth with their divisions should come up. We
were separated from the city by the marshes
which surround Lake Tezcuco and by the Lake
ITSELF The road is a causeway running through
the marsh and is commanded BY a steep md lofty
hill called Ell Pinnol. This hill completely emf
ladies' and commands the National Road, aud had
been fortified and repaired with the greatest care
by Santa Anna One side was rendered mac
cessible by nature, the rest had been made so by |
art Batteries in all mounting so guns of DIFF |
terent calbre:, had been placed on its sides, and
deep ditch, "a feet wide and 10 deep, filed |
with water, had been cut connecting the parts |
already surrounded by marshes. On this side |
Santa Anna had $4,000 men against our force |
of little over 1900 all told
On the 22d, we made a reconnaissance of the |
work, which was pronounced mprdcticablc, rs |
the lives Of 5000 men would be lost before the
ditch could be crossed. We continued our
search and found another road which went round |
on the left, but when within FIVE miles of the |
city, were halted by coming suddenly upon five |
strong batteries on the hill, which commanded |
NJ MIA Mo
soon countermarched and then saw cur danger |
With one regiment and three companies Of cav
airy, in all about 400 men, we saw that FL Pin
mol lay directly between US and our camp, dis
tant full fifteen miles. Every eye was fixed on
the hill with expectation of an approaching col
umn, which Should drive us back into a Mexican
prison. while we stepped of with the speed and
endurance of 400 Capt Barclays At about
midnight we arrived safely at camp, and Gen
Scott did us the honor of calling it ''the boldest
reconnaissance Of the war; Gen. Worth was
encamped about five miles of, that il in a straight
line, across the Lake Chalco, at place of the |
same name, but about ten miles by the road
The Mexicans had foundry in the mountains
at which we were getting some shells snade and
on returning from which, Lieutenant SCHUYLER
Hamilton was badly wounded.
by means OF his scouts, Gen. Worth had found |
path round the left of Lake Chdlco, which led |
MS to the Western gate of the city, and which, |
up to that time, had net been fortified. On the |
18th, the other divisions commenced their march.
while we brought up the train and the rear. In
the morning, the train was sent in advance,
while Smiths brigade acted as rear guard Ii
was composed Of the Rifles, LIST Artillery, and
the Sd Infantry, with Taylors battery. As the
rear guard, marching slowly along, came up with
the train, word came to General Twiggs that
force OF about FIVE thousand men were trying TO
cross the road between them and the train in or
der to cut it of. We were then passing through
small village which, by curious coincidence,
was called Buena VISTA. On our left were large
fields of halfgrVwn barley, through which was
seen advancing in splendid order, the enemy's
column. 1t was the most splendid sight had
ever seen. The yellow cloals, red caps and
Jackets OF the lancers, and the bright blue and
white uniforms Of the infantry, were most beau
tlfnlly contrasted with the green Of the barley
field Our line of battle was soon formed. and
we dcployed through the grain to turn their left
and cut them off from the mountains. A few
shots, however, from the battery, soon showed
them that they we're observed, and countermarch-
ing in haste, they left their dead on the field
Thus ended our fight of Buena Vista. The next
night we staid at Chalco. The next day we
made long and toilsome march over a horri.
Bile road, through which, with the utmost difficult
" Ira A..t II. q