Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-09-18

was rocky spaces of the mountains and in places
tiely obsuced by huge rocks rolled down by the enemy
but nothing seemed damp the ador the army-a obsa
ces vanished before them In two three days. when the
whole army in motion, they could be from the front
stretched out over distance of eight miles On the
18th the General reached small town called San Augustin
about twelve miles south of the city, the leading division hav
ing arrived there the day before Gen. Worth had placed his
pckes in advance for the arrival Of the General he ordered
the whole division advance and take of hace
da within striking distance Of strongly fortified place called
San Antonio and also that rcconnong parties should be
pressed forward still in advance the party was supported by
squadron of cavalry and battalion of infantry In passing
the front found that troop which had been placed as
picket had gone forward and, up with it, il made
the road which brought it full view of the enc
mys battery which opened upon them. The first fire killed
Capt Thornton, manging his body in the horrible
The ball, l6pounder, afterwards struck the road and
literally covered with mud and fragments of one one of
which made slight bruise my right thigh. guide
knocked from his horse, within five feet of me- with shock
ing wound in the head by piece of 1t thought he
will recover but with the loss of eye The reconnaissance
continued right and left with hopes of stormng the
battery that afternoon but night and the rain on, and
it given up. Very early the next morning discovered
from the top of the house in which quacred in San
Augustin large body of the enemy, twelve fifteen
raj had ordered econnosances in that direction San
Angel where reported to him. He Immediately ordered two
divisions forward under Pillow and Twiggs and followed
after himself The enemy found entrenchsd camp
at place called Contreros with twenty pieces of artillery,
of them very heavy The attack commenced
noon and the firing continued necessarily until dark when
ceased both Sides troops maintaining their ground
and occupying village by. Dung the afternoon
watched the different movements of troops with the most
fearful anxiety and could plainly of columns
st charge of large body Of cavalry and the enemy falling
from their saddles and taking their heels rather their
horses heels. During the whole Of the fight, could
the right body Of least ten thousand infantry and
valy reserve towards the city but they had the
age advance although Santa Anna himself was said to be
there The attack ordered be renewed o'clock
morning, and the General returned to San Augusin He
left at an early hour taking with him Gen. Worhs and one
half OF his division reinforcement but route he
by officer who reported that the batteries had been
carried by troops in most gallant style, Colonel Riley
leading the assault As he approached the of
ton, seemed most incredible how got the
ground to the attack was over immense masses OF lava
thrown up the oughet sharpes possible shapes and
cred with dense bushwood Streams had to be crossed and
deep ravines and most of them having passed the night
peng rain without shelter appears almost incredible that
they should be able to drive double their numbers from bat
terry of 23 heavy guns The of the arrival Of the
General most exciting The cheering of the troops left
to protect the property aken and their delight seeing him.
ed to siege train The amount of ammunition taken
ceeded by three times the whole which brought from Vera
Cruz, that well provided But the greatest
OF exultaon the recape of two Of guns brought
from Buena VISTA the last battle of General Taylor. When
the u s. them felt like dismounting and embracing
them What remarkable about their ecapture made
by the 4h artillery, to which regiment they formerly belong
ed They, with other small captured pieces, immed
aey fitted up light battery and the captain DUNN who
took them putin command oft The General when
the intelligence of this victory, sent General Worth back
make demonstration San Antonio whilst he, with por
ton of the army which pressing the enemy, should get
its will not stop to describe the the field of
battle On leaving it the road literally strewed with
dead Mexcans, arms broken carriages, &c. In passing
bridge looked and the bodies Of least twenty piled
the other, and the bank of the stream sewed with
them, and distance before got of sight
Going to a church, in which confined 700
prisoners. The General halted few minutes and addressed
the officers very kindly Amongst them four Generals.
He then hurried out TO join the pursuing army We
up with them at San Angel where they had halted As the
General passed along the line one continued shout.
After few minutes passed to village called Coyoa
can, where we heard firing right about two miles of,
in the direction Of San Antonio. The General Immediately
sent me- with Captain kearny troop TO ascertain the
OF affairs We galoped and, approaching the place.
found that Worth had turned the place by both ans and
driven the enemy from it, and in hot pursuit of them
returned to the General as quickly as had gone and
gaoped along heard brisk firing in 'front.' When reach
ed him found that he ecey engaged with the enemy
at another strongly enenched positon-San Pablo This
action lasted than hours, and the firing more
general and continuous than any had heard yet The
enemys grape and canister flew like hail. and the fire Of
Infantry continued voey Captain Taylors battery
was obliged TO retire. being sadly cppled-los two Off
GERS great many men, and left the field with only two horses
to gun; but the enemy although behind entertainments,
with heavy guns, could withstand the impetuosy and
vaor OF our troops The place carried by assaub and
the whole armament and great number of prisoners
TAKEN In the mean time WORTH having hotly pursued the
enemy, came up with him another fortified place in advance
OF San Pablo, called Churubuscu and, after obstinate
ssance carried it, made many prisoners, and drove the
my before him. The dragons pursued and followed him TO
the very gates Of the city, Two officers said TO have been
Killed inside OF the entertainments of the gateway. Thus
ended the day and think you will agree with that
was active one-four distinct battles having
been fought and and the enemy ounumberng each
least three to four times They acknowledge TO have had
thirty thousand men in the field that day and yet we
drove them on every occasion, and in the end, made
than twenyhree hundred prisoners, among them Of
their principal Generals and about forty pieces Of
Our loss am sorry say may be expected has been very
great 1t may possibly reach thousand killed and wound
but the returns not yet but enough is known to
satisfy that have lost many very valuable officers.
Among the prisoners taken mortified between fifty
and seventy deserters from army with the Mexican uni
form on court in session 10 try them, and trust
that many Of them will be punished II pretty well known
from their position in the battle San Pablo that voley
from them killed and wounded sixteen Of Of the
second infantry, including officer and leaving officer
(the Adjutant of the regimen) standing.
There many of friends, am sorry to say among
the killed and wounded but hardly enumerate them
now Young Captain Hanson, of Washington, killed.
Colonel Butler OF the South Carolina regiment, killed
Smith, badly wounded in the and thigh hopes
erfa ine1 his ko shot