Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-16
pArrLEs OF coNrRERos AND cHURuBusco

Thp fOlIOWINg u
he march and achievements of the American Army,
nnder Gen. ScorT, from the day of its leaving Pue-
ii. until il became master OF the city OF Mexico,
will be read with universal interest,"
san AxeELo MEXICO, AueusT 81, ls47.
We left Pueba on the morning of the 7th and entered
mon beautiful rolling country Of great fertility, supplying
b ~ Gardens the inhabitants of Pueba with food and
nrdea ~ LOFTY mountains, Of which covered with
snow Our road gradually ascending, and good that
on looking the head Of the column train could
he seen for miles rear dong with its snowwhe tops the
plain. On left Popocatapet and s7
catae the their not distant tops rendering the air
quite chilly. Gen. Scott did not leave with Us, but
the next day with Capt Kearny's Dragons
The second days march like the first, gradually
cending passing through defes passes and over
deep chasns, where more determined enemy might have
seriously annoyed by merely making of the obstacles
Nature every where presented Thick woods of the finest
forest trees abundant and the rugged nature of the
y would readily carry back 10 the northern parts of New
England or the passes of the "Notch" Here and there
beautiful little lakes inerspersed in the deep valleys, and
the earness and GOODNESS Of their waters almost in
credible.
The third day to encounter the much-vaunted
pass of Rio Frio and also the passage Of the mountain
which was to lead US the FL Dorado of our hopes the great
pain of Mexico Our march to be long and difficult,
and three clock under with heart and hopes full
of the prospect before The pass is reached
and passed The mountains which skirt the road the left
here close upon for about me overhangng and en6lad
ing completely and aordng with their cres most excel
lent coverings for an enemys marksmen. The newly cut
trees and long range OF breastwoks thrown up the crest
showed that preparations had been made while numerous
payapets with embrasures in the logs taught what might
have been done. But there the muskets and
gone. Valencia, with 1000 Mexican full
day. march ahead making for Mexico with speed which
BETRAYED home sickness. Rio FRO found TO be little
pouring down from the Snow mountain of ccold
and crystal purity After slight pause for refreshments
we of the ridge which separates the
of and
iherto sked For several long miles we toled up the hi
Ony ecompensed for labor by what hoped
last When all pretty nearly worn out, sudden turn
in the road brought view sight which
forget The whole plain OF Mexico before The
codness Of the air. which most sensby felt this great
height fatigue and danger forgotten and eyes
were the only that thought Of enjoyment Mexico, with
lis lofty steeples and its chequered domes its reality and
lis former fame, It's modern spendor and its ancient magnif-
cence before while around every side its thousand
lakes seemed like silver stars velvet mantle.
We encamped that night the base of the mountain with
the enemys every side of Us. The day
reached Ayt only fifteen miles from Mexico by the Ma
tonal Road which bad hitherto been following Here
halted until Generals Quitman, Pillow and Worth, with
their divisions, should come up We were separated from
by the marshes which surround Lake Iezcuc0, and
by the lake itself The road causeway running through
the marsh and commanded by steep and lofty hill called
FL Pn This hill completely enfades and commands the
National Road and had been fortified and repaired with the
greatest by Santa Anna One side inaccessible by
the had been made by art Batteries, in all
mounting
Sides and deep ditch "a feet wide and 10 Deep filed
with water had been cut connecting the parts already
rounded by marshes On this side Santa Anna had % 900
against our force of little over 5000, all told.
On the 22d made reconnaissance of the work, which
pronounced prdcficabe, the lives of 900 men
would be lost before the ditch could be crossed We conn-
ued Search and found another road which round
the left but when within five miles Of the city halted by
coming suddenly upon five strong batteries the hill which
commanded this road, al a place called Nericnfing6 We
countermarched and then danger. With
regiment and three companies OF cavalry in all about 400
We that FL Pol lay directly between US and camp
distant fun Is miles Every fixed on the hill with
expectation of approaching column which should drive
back into Mexican prison, while we stepped oil with the
speed and endurance Of 400 Capt Barclays At about
night arrived safely camp, and Gen. Scott did the
honor Of calling the bodes reconnaissance of the
Gen. Worth encamped about five miles o-hai is,
straight neacoss the Lake ChGe0 at place OF the
name but about miles by the road The Mexcans had
foundry in the mountains, at which getting som,
shells made, and returning from which Lieut.. Schuyler
Hamilton badly wounded
Bv of his scouts, Gen. Worth had found patti
round the left Of Lake Chalco which led the
Of the city, and which, up TO that time had beer
fortified. On the l4th the other divisions commenced the
march, while brought up the train and the In the
morning, the train in advance while Smiths br
gade acted guard. II composed of the rifles
artillery, and the Sd infantry, with Taylos battery As the
guard marching slowly along, up with the train
word 10 Gen. Twiggs that force of about five thou
sand trying the road between them and the
in order it Off We then passing through
small village which, by curious coincidence, called
Buend Vista On left large fields of ha-grown
barley, through which advancing in splendid order
the encmys column. II the splendid sight had
The yellow cloaks, red caps and jackets Of the
ancer and the bright blue and white uniforms of the nan
try most beautifully contasted with the green of the
barley field. Our line Of battle formed, and we de-
pcyed through the grain their left and them of
from the mountains few Shots however, from the bate
~ soon showed them that they observed, and
marching IN haste they left their dead on the field Thus
ended our fight OF Buena Vista. That night we stad al
Chaco. The next day made long and tosome march
horrible road, through which, with the utmost difficult
dragged by the both men and
mules The nearly the same except that the road
was. il possible, than before the Mexicans had
blocked up with large stones, rolled down from the neigh
boring hills. This night encamped a beautiful
olive grove of size and accommodating al once boF
divisions In the town, well in Chaco, there are sl
standing the churches of the Indians where the fire worship
assembled before Cortez had introduced new religion
They large and sombe edGces, differing but little iron
the churches Of this country, and being the city,
said 10 have been formerly resorted by the ancient kings
The next day arrived in sight Of the Of the army
and heard the guns with which Worth preaching tn
walls Of San Antonio That night the Of the death
Capt Thornton Of the second Dragons, reached II
brave officer and thorough gentleman, but AWAY
unfortunate in his military career.
On the morning OF the 9Th left the little village whe
we had heard this sad and took the road San Juan
about miles 10 the west and only about miles
the city. When arrived here we heard the sound of Gen
tlfau NIB,