Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-19
REPORT OF GENERAL WORTH.
lHEADouARTEes lsT DIVISION,

lHEADouARTEes lsT DIVISION.
Tacutaya, September 10, i647.
SIR: Under the incouVeDent circumstances
incident 10 recent ballle, and arrangement lrCm
loss OF commanders-saf,c commissioned and
non -commissoned-and amid the active scenes
resulting iheretrom, proceed 10 make report, in
obedience 10 the orders OF the Generalin-chief Of
on The 9Th OF September, 1877, by The LIST division
reinforced a. follows:
Isl. Three squadrons of dragons, and ono
company of mounted rinemen-27O men, under
Major Sumner, ID dragons.
ID. Three pieces OF field artillery, under Capt.
Drum.
81. Two ba,lering guns, (2i-pounders) under
Captain Huger
4h. Cadwaladers brigade. 75i strong, con-
sisiing OF the yoliigeur regiment, The lth and
l4h regiments of infantry.
Having, in the course Of the Th, accompanied
the General.in chief on a reconnaissance OF The
formidable dispositions Of The enemy near ard
around the Castle Of Chapullerec, they were found
to exhibit an extended line Of cavalry and infan-
try, sustained By a field battery OF four guns-oc.
cupying directly, or sustaining, a system OF de-
fences collateral 10 the castle and summit. This
examination gave fair observation Of the confgu.
ration of the grounds, and The extent OF The ene-
my's force; but as appeared in the sequel, an in
adequate idea Of the nature oil his defences-lhey
being skillully masked
The General-in.chief ordered that my division
reinforced as before mentioned, should attack and
carry those lines and defences, capture The enc.
mys artillery, destroy the machinery and mate.
riel supposed to be 10 the foundry, Gel Moline del
Rey;) but Limiting the operations TO that extent
After which, nv command was 10 be Immediate
ly withdrawn 10 lis position in The village OF Ia
cubaya.
A close and daring reconnaissance, by Capt.
Mason of the engineers, made on the no ming Of
The 7,h represented The encmy's lines co'lalera TO
Chapullepec 10 be as follows: His left rested
upon and occupied group Of strong stone build.
ings called Ell Moline del Rey, adjoining the
grove at The foot Of the hill Of Chapultepec, and
directly under the guns OF The castle which crowns
its summit. The right OF his line rested upon
another stone building called Casa Mata, situated
atthe foo. Of the ridge that slopes gradually from
the heights above The village OF Tacubaya, TO the
plain below. Midway between these buildings was
the field battery and his infantry forces were dis.
pissed on either side 10 support il. This reconnoi-
saucc was verified by Capt. Mason and Col. Dun
can, on The afternoon OF The same day. The re-
suit indicated that the centre was The weak point
OF the cnemy's position; and that his tanks were
the strong points, his lett flank being the stronger.
As the enemy's system Of defence was con.
nected with the hill and castle of Chapultepec,
and as my operations were limited 10 a specific
object, il became necessary TO isolate The work 10
be accomplished, from The castle OF Chspullepec
and lis immediate defences. To effect this OBJ.
ject the following dispositions were ordered Col.
Garlaad's brigade TO take position on the right,
strengthened by two pieces of Capt. Drums bat
terry, 10 look to Ell Moline del Rey as well as any
support Of this position from Chapu,epec; and
also within sustaining distance of the assauling
parry and the baltering guns, which, under Capt.
Huger, were placed on the ridge, FIVE or six hum
bred yards from Ell Molno del Key, to batter and
loosen this position from Chapuliepec. An as
suliing party of FIVE hundred picked men and
officers, under command of Brevet Major Geo.
Wright 9Th infantry was also posted on the
ridge 10 the len of The bal,ering guns, TO force
the enemy's centre. The second (Clarke'sl bril-
gade, the command Of which devolved on
Colonel Mcintosh, (Colonsl Clarke being sick,)