Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-16
- .rcs On ,le surrender of lhose formidable de-

His second brigade (Col. Clarke's) condu .s
hy Can't Mason, engineer, assisleu W -
HaYdcas;le, typographical engineer, 'uIhesi INV INV
rioht. and By a wide sweep came out w"
HIGH road 10 Tic capital. Al this poinl me nsa
garrison g 600 men) in retreat was oy o ds;ysn
cut in The centre; one portion, the iedi, u, 'r,n
unon Dolores of 10 the right; ard Inc oIhsi ~"
Churubusco, in the direct line Of our 'Peaa.' a.;
The frsl brigade, IColonel Gar'and's same W.
vision. consisting Of the 2nd ar'iliTi5, u"o
Major Gall, The BID artillery under Ltu,elI ~"
Col Bolton, and The 4h infantry, cohin'anoeu -
Mai F.. Lee, with 1t Gel Duncan n&'u oa". ~
Temporarily followed in pursuit lhIeus %on '
town rakine one general prisoner, lhe aoahuoh hs
guns, five pieces, much ammnhi'on' aHu ''''-'
public property. ., tho se,oud
The forcing Of San Antonio was Inc se'0''"
brilliant event of The day. :,o, :, bo,
Wonh's division beirs soon Ieuhneu n ~ n"'
pursuit, he was Joined by MAJOR oeae ,a,ar;na
Thai San Antonio had been carried, immediately
mined 10 The left according 10 NY instructions,
and, though much impeted by d,iches .nu
swamns FASTENED 10 The attack oil Chul
The hamlet or scattered houses, bearing inns
name n,eseu,ed besides the fortified convent, a
strong hedwork (iete de poniI with regular oaS
,ons and curtains. at The head Of bridge over
which The road passes from San Rh'o 10 ''e
capital. - some
81 coo men-cavally, artillery AIN an'iy, col.
iecled rom every quartet were ~" II" w 'ne
banks. or within supporting distance Of those
works ard seemed resolved 10 make las! and
desperate stand for, il beaten here. the feeber de-
fences at The gates of the city miles OIL
conld mol. as was well known 10 both parties, de-
Law me victurs an hour. The Capital oi an An
Glen, Emnirc, now OF great Republic, OF an
early peace, The assailants were resoivea 10 WIN,
| MOI ar AmeIican-a and VIC were less IMAM d 'liiu
81 he enem,'s numbers-had doubt as 10 inc
resnt. ..,,. ,o,sea
The fortified church or convent, holly pfeaseG
by Twisgs, had already held out about an hoo,,
when Woflh and Pillow--lhe latter having WIN
him only Cadwa ader's brgade-oesaa 10 inan'
nnyre closely upon The tefc dc P0nt, with The con
vent al hall gun shcl, 10 their lett Garlands
brioads. (Worth's division,l 10 which had been
added The liehl battalion under Lieutenant Colo.
mel Smith continued 10 advance in front, ana
under The fire Of long line al infantry, oil on
the lei OF the bridge; and Clarke, OF The same d.
vision. directed his brigade along The road. or
cluse by its side. Two OF Pillows and Cadwa.
lader's regiments, The lllh and l4Ih, supported
ard par,icipaled in this direct movement the
c,her (he Volligeurs,) was left in reserve.
Mos, of these corps-parcularly Clarhs pris-
ade-advancing peTpendlculary, were mace 10
suf-r much by The fire OF the tetc dc po'u and they
would have suffered greatly more by flank attacks
from The convent, but Tor the pressure oil lW'gss
on The other side Of that work.
This wel-combinod and daring movement al
length reached the principal point OF Attack, and
The formidable teic de pOnt was al once assaulted
and carried by the bayoneI. LIS deep wei dilch
was first CALAMITY crossed by The S!h aud 9TH IN
lanlry, commanded respectively BY Major Waite
and Lieutenant Colon Scolt-foll0wed closely
by The 9Th infantry Same brisade) which had
been SO much exposed in The rosG-ihe I'm resi
meni under Lieutenant Colonel Graham, and The
18th, commanded by Colonel Trousdae, both o.
Cadwalader's brigade, Pillows division. Abou
The same time The enemy, in fonl OF Garland
alter no, conflict OF an hour and halt. gave
way in retreat towards The Capital.
The immediate results OF this third sigma
triumph OF The cay were: 3 field pieces. ~.
prisoners, much ammunition and TWO colois
laksn in the tete de po',t.
Lieut.. ]. F. Irons, Isl artillery, aid-de.camp IL
Brig adler General Cadwalader, young officer o
great merit, and conspicuous in battle on seveIa
previous occasions, received in front Of The woTt
a mortal wound. (Since dead)
As the concurrent attack upon The convent ia
vorsd physically and morally, The assault upor
the tete dc po,t, so, reciplocay no doubt, The fal
of the la,eI contributed 10 The capture OF The Tor
mer The two works were only some $50 yards
apart. and as soon as We were in possession o
The tcle de po,lt captured FOUNDER was turned
and fifed-tirst by Capt. Larkin Smith and mex
by Lieut.. Smelling, both of The 9Th intanlry-sc
vera times upon the convent. In The same brie
interval, Lieut.. Col Duncan (also of WoiIh's dI
vision) CALAMITY brought TWO OF his guns 10 bear
al short range, from The San Antonio road, up
on the principal face OF the work, and on the CIV
cr oil tie church, which, in the obstinate contest
had been often rehlled with some OF The hes
sharp.ahoolers OF The enemy.
Finally, twenty minutes after The fete he pom
had been carried by Worth and Pillow, and al III,
end OF a desperate conflict Of two hours and Z
halt, the church or e"nycn-'he ciind"i - -.
s,rong lin, ul defence along the Tivulet OF Chuiu
busco-yielded 10 Twiggs' division, ard threw
oul, on all sides, signals OF surrender. The whi't
aa.s, however were not exhibited until The mo
menl when the Sd Infantry, under Capt. Alexan
der, had cleared The way by fire and nayonei, anc
had entered the work. Capt. j. M. Smith anl
Lieut. o, L. Shepherd, both of that reg menl, viii
their con panies, had The glory OF leading The as
ssul,. The former received The surrender, anc
Cant. Alexander Instantly hung out. from bal
cony The co!ors Of The gallant Sd. Maj. Dimick
win parl Of the Isl artillery, serving as inian
try entered nearly abreast with the leading troops
Captain TayloI's field battery, attached Il
Twigg s' DIVISION opened its effective fire, al al
ca rly moment, upon The oul. works oil The conven
and The tower of lis church. Exposed 10 the SC
velest fire OF The enemy, The captain, his officers
and men, won universal admiration; but al Length
much disabled, in men and horses, the baIlerl
; was, by superior orders, Withdrawn tiom The &C
. lion thirty minutes before the surrender oil I'M
convent.
Those corps, excepting Taylor's battery, be
; loneed 10 The brigade OF Brigadier Gen. Smith
who closely directed The whole allrack in fronl
with his habiua GOODNESS and ability; whi
Riey's brigade the Cd and 7lh infantry, unde
CAPT. It. Morris and Lieut.. Col. Plympton, It
I spectively-ysorously engaged The right OF TIT
work and part Of its rear. Al The moment, TIT
rifles, belonging 10 Smiths were detached 10 sup
port Of Brig Gen. Shields on our extreme lef,
and The An artillery, acting as infantry, unde
Major Gardner, belonging 10 Riley's brigade, hac
been left in charge oil The camp, trophies, &c, a
Conlreras. Twisgs' division, al Churubusco
had thus been deprived OF TWO Of lis most eallan
and effective regiments.
The immediate results of this victory were =
The capture OF ield-pleces some ammunition
one color, three generals, and ,26l prisoners, in
GLIDING other officers.
Captains E. A. Capron and M. J. Burke. ant
and Lieut.. S. Hoffman, all Of The Isl artillery
aud Captain J. w Anderson and Lieut.. Thomas
Easley, both Of The 81 infantry-five officers o.
great meri,-fcll CALAMITY before This work.
The capture Of The enemy's citadel was the
fourth great achievement Of ourarms in The same
day.
il has been stated that, some two hours and a
half before, Pie.ce's, followed closely by tie vo
luulcer bIi sade- both under The command d
Brig. Gen. Shields-had been detached 10 oul
left 10 turn The enemy's works. 10 prevent the es
cape Of The garrscns, and 10 oppose The extension
OF the enemys numerous corps, from The rear
upon and around our left.
Considering The inferior numbers Of The Two
brgades, the objects OF The movements were diff
cult 10 accomplish. Hence The leinforceme n
Qhe rifles, &C., Sent forward liule la'er.
la a winding march Of mile around 10 The
right, this temporary division found itself on The
edge OF an open wei meadow, near The road from
San AnioDio 10 The CapiIal and in the nIeSence