Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-05-19
- HEADQUARTERS. OF THR Amir.
Plan del Rio, 80 miles from Vera Cruz,

Z ss Plan del Rio, SO miles from Vera Cruz,
szs;sa fs.sa sao .sass a.s.ts1s April 18th l845.
SIR-The plan of attack sketc,ed in genefss
al orders, No. III, published in last evenings
Unior,) herewith, was finally executed BY ti,sp
gallant army, before o'clock p. NJ. yesterday.
We were quite embarrassed with the result of
the victory-prlsoners of war, heavy ordnance,
field batteries, small arms and accoutrernent>.s
About 5000 men laid down their arms, with the
usual proportion of field and company Officers,
besides five Generals, several of them of great
distinction. Pinson, Jarrero. La Vega. Nori-s
ego, and Obando. a sixth General, Vasqu. z,
was killed in defending the battery (tower) in
rear OF the whole Mexican army, and the cap
ture of which gave It's those glorious results. =
Our loss, though comparatively small in num-
bers, has been serious. Brigader Shields. a
commander OF great activity, zeal, and talent,
is l fear if not dead, MORALLY wounded. He is,
some five miles from me at this moment The
field OF operations covered many miles, broken
by mountains and deep ehasms. and have Bots
report as yet, from any division or Brigade
Twiggs' division, followed by Shields lnow,
Col. Baker's,) brigade, are now at or near Xa-.
lara. and Worth's division is in route fIther,
all pursuing. with good results, as learn that
part OF the Mexican arfnyA-perffaps six or sew
en- thousand men, who fled before our right had
carried the tower, and gained the XaIapa road
Pillows brigade only, is near me at the depot
of wounded sick, and prisoners, and ha re time
only to give from him the names of lst I.iehf.
F. b. Nelson. and I'd G.. &. Gill both of the
I'd Tennessee foot, TaskeII's regiment a,nongs
the killed: and in the brigade JOG, of all the
Killed or wounded. Among the latter the ral-s
liant brIgadier general himself, has severe
wound In the arm, but not disabled, and Major
IL. Farques0n, I'd. Tennessee : Capt. H. r.
Murray, I'd Lieut. G. T.. Sutherland, LIST Id.s
W. p. Hale, {adlufant} all of the sumo reyiss
meat severely, aud LIST Lieut.. w : Yearwood.
MORALLY wounded. And know from person-s
al observation, on the ground, that lst Lieut..
Ewell, of the rifles, if not dead. was mortality
wounded in entering sword in hand the intrencl,s
Tents around the captured tower. I'd Lieu.
Derby, Typographical engineers ] also saw nj
the same pla-e, severely wounded, and Carr.
Patien, I'd United States infantry. lost b;s ,iah,
hand. 8 -A3,si'ei'tsA' 7af -" q f'sees
Major Sumner, Cd United States FRA croonn..Iss
was slightly wounded the day bofore. andf am. -
Johnston, Typographical engineer, now Lieuten-,
ant Col. of the Infantry, was severely wout,Jed
some DAYS earlier. s.'' , - - 's''T'-s''f
Capt. Mason and Lienf. Davis. boil, Of the, >
rifles. Acre Very seperAr ablT
wounded, may be about $50, and that of the en-.
envy 800. In the pursuit towards Xalapa Us
miles hence,) we have added much to the enc
my loss in prisoners, killed and wounded. Il
suppose his refreatihg army TO be discyganizesl,
and hence my haste to follow, in an hour or two
to profit Nv eveHts.
Brig. Gen. Twieg, in passing tire rr,,,"rfain r.
range beyond Cerro Gordo crowned Nth the
tower. detached from his division. as ! s,,gecs-
ted the day before, strong force 10 carry that
height. which commanded the Xal&ps read AZ
the foot and could not fail if carried 70 c,rf off
the whole or any part of the effemy's forces
from retreat In any direction. = ~, safseh sH
The brigade assembled the long and dir cnIt -
slope of the Cerro Gordo, without shelter, and :.
under the tremendous fire of the artillery and
with the utmost steadiness. reached
the hreastworks, drove the enemy from, ti,rm.-
phnted the cOlors OF the LIST artillery 81 aml =
18th intantry-the eiiemy's flag still fyiao-aud
after some minutes of sharp firing, finished the
conquest Nth the bayonet la;'S' e',ssi Eilsa2 -
1t is a most pleasing duty TO say that tb.;E
highest praise is due to Harvey, CbiiIs. Pluo.-se
ton, Loring. Alexander, their officers and m..n.
tor this brilliant service, independent of IN.
great results which soon followed.
Worth's division of regulars cofniffr nm RI
this time, he detached Brevet Lieut.. Col. (tF.
Smith, with his light battalion to support IT,.
assaults but not instime. The Gen. reacbinv I'D
u ~. fHM1lP-
Wing white flag Displayed from ffe nearest
portion of the enemy towards the BATTERIES he -
low, sent out COTS. Harnev and Cbik1s. IN hold
a parley. The surrender followed in an hour
or two. iFe3 sFL3 $3.50 Ss4lf2l
Maj. Gen. Patterson left sick led 70 share
in the dangers and fatignes Of The dav: and ar
ter the surrender went forward to command tho -
force towards Xalapa. % ee.sass SIS
Brig. Gen. Pillow and his br9ades, twice as
saulted, with good daring, the enemies line of :,
on our left: and though without sur !
cess, tley contributed much to DISTRICT and dis
may their immediate opponents. 3. ,isls 9l'ia
President Santa Anna, with Generals Cara -
lIzo and Almonte, and some six or eight tIbnu-
sand men, escaped towards Xalapa, just before =.
Zero Gordo was carried, and before Twiss'
division reached the national road above.
have determined to parole fhe prisoners go
officers and men-as have not the. means Of =
feeding them here beyond to-day. AMI Gamma
afford to detach heavy body of horse and E,,s
with wagons TO accompany them to Vera Cruz-
Our baggage train. though increasing, is not vet.
halt large enough TO give an assured progress
to the army. Besides a great number of psix-
oners would probably escape fromthe escort, in a
the long and deep sandy road. without ssrbsls- J.
tence-ten to one-that we shall find again. ri
the same body of men. in the ranks opposed to
us Not one Of the Vera Cruz prisoners is be-
leved to have. been in the lines of Cerro Gorio.
Some SIX of the officers, highest in rank, refu-
sed to give their paroles, except to go 10 fVera
Cruz and thence perhaps to the United States
The small arms and their accontrements. be-
ing Of no valne here or at home, | have ordered !.
them to be DESTROYED: for we have NOT means
cftranspoiting them. ] am also somewhat pa 3
barrassed with the heavy pieces of srtilIerv-- i
all bronze. which we have captured. il would
take a brigade and half the mules of this army.
to transport them fifty miles, A field hsttery
| shalltake for service with the armv. hns the Z
heavy metal must he collected and lefs here for
the present. We have onr own siege tram &, y
the proper carriages with US. : =
Being mnch occupied withthe prisoners. and
All the details of a forward movement, besides