Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-10-07


considerations have not the same weight IN
the mind Of your ExceIIency, all response
bility before the world, who can easily disun-
taguish on whose side are moderation and
justice, will fall upon you.
latler myself that your Excelency VIII
+ be convinced on calm reflection Of the weight
of my reasons. But, If by misfortune, YOU
should seek only pretext to deprive the first
city OF the American continent OF an oPponu
nifty TO free the unarmed population OF the
horrors of war. there viii be lei me no other
means Of salvation, but to repel force BY force
with the decision and energy which my high
obligations impose upon me.
| have the honor to be your Excellency's
humble servant,
ANTONIO LOPEZ DE Santa Anna.
i On the 9Th, Gen Herrera, as commaDdant
/ Of the city Of Mexico, addressed the clergy,
exhorting them to exert their influence to in
cite the people to arm themselves and pre-
+ pare TO resist the American army.
/ Following up events as closely as the some
what disconnected accounts will permit, in
the order in which they occurred, we find that
on the 9Th, Gen. Scott attacked the Mill del
Rey, or Kings Mill, in the immediate vicini-
ty of Chapultepec, and according TO the Diario
del Gobierno and Boletas, published at Atlisco,
our army was repulsed after severe conflict
/ in which we lost about 400 in killed, and from
GOO to 700 in wounded, and fell back upon
Tacubaya We giro below a translation Of
the Bolctin's description Of the engagement !;
promising, that the reader will bear in mind
il is, in all probability, great exageraton, if
not an entire misrepresentation. II is from an
extra of the Boletin, issued on the 9th inst:
At half past this morning, (the eth) the
I fire commenced on the two TANKS OF Chapul-
tepec. The left was resting on the null of Ell
/ Rcy, close to the forest of Chapultepec. This
/ point was commanded BY Gen. Leon, and
under his command was the battalion of Mi
ma, whose colonel was the patriotic Balderas,
and the battalIons Union and La Patria, Of
/ Oaxaca, in one of which were included the
companies of Puebla, also body from Que
retaro and some others-all composing the
National Guard. The right flank rested on
/ the house of Mata, al q distance of quarter Of
league from Chapultepec, and occupied by
/ 1900 of the regular army, commanded by
Gen Perez The enemy, in two columns,
with his usual daring, attacked these points
first with artillery, and at quarter 10 with
rapid fire OF musketry.
Gen. Perez sustained the fire very well for
about half on hour, when for causes at present
unknown, he retired with his forces, although
he had not lost ten men. The retreat must
have been fatal to Mexico, if fortunately, Gen.
Leon and his brigade had not shown prodi-
gies of valor. Twice he repulsed the column
| that attacked him, and in the second he sailed
1 he
Perez had lost; but then he received mortal
wound, and few moments afterwards the
valiant Balderas was also wounded, and died
on the field. The enemy with additional for
ces again charged and took possession OF the
mill. Twice he was dslodged, but on his re-
taking ii the third time, it was found impossi
bic TO bring our troops TO the charge.
In spite OF these two advantages which they
| had gained in their endeavors to attack Chap
ultepec, they could not effect farther advance,
which may be owing to their being inllmida-
ted by the resistance OF our forces and the con-
siderable loss they had suffered. The result
was, tina; at 9 O'Clock in the morning the fire
of small arms had nearly ceased, and they
were seen employed collecting their killed and
wounded At O'Clock, the enemy announ-
ced a retrogade rnoyGsaent, and by 2 in the af-
ternoon he Withdrew all his forces to Tacaba-
va, abandoning the two points he had occu-
/ pied, and blowing up the house of Malta, al
though some say it was set on fire by a bomb
| fired from Chapultepec. Ii is believed that
Generals Twiggs and Pierce directed the at
tack, and that they put in motion about 5000
men.
1t is certain that the fire was more intense
and brisk tkan at Churubusco. Ii is impossi-
| bic to ascertain the loss on either side Ours
does not amount 10 100 killed and $50 woun-
ded. There are few missing-nearly all not
killed or wounded retiring TO Chapultepec
The enemy, according TO the confession OF an
lrishman who came over TO us in the evening,
carried off 400 dead and 600 or 700 wounded
We have TO lament the loss Of Gen. Leon,
since dead that Of Col. Baderas, of the val
liant Coils. Huerta and Gelati, and ofthe deter
mined Capt. Mateos, of Puebla, who conduc-
ted himself like a hero, telling his soldiers, on
the point of death, that they must never forget
they were Pueblanos, and TO fight valiantly to
the DEATH
1.-THE cavalry had taken the position assign
ed 10 them at A O'Clock in the morning. by Or
der Of Gen Santa Anna, and if, above all, they
had made the charge which was ordered at the
moment that the enemy attacked the mill Ell
Key, instead OF flying preclpiately, the ac-
ton would have terminated early and the tri-
umph would have been complete But they
did not take the position TO which they were
ordered, much less make the charge, as COM
manded, Gen. Alvarez being obliged to state
officially or through his adjulant that he did
not make the charge, because his subordinate
officers refused on account Of the ground
being too uneven and broken for cavalry, as if
ii Were not the same for the cavalry of the en-
envy.
Ii is believed that the enemy will renew the
attack TO morrow by another route-eiher BY
that oil La Piedad, or by that Of San Antonio.
May God protect our cause on this occasion.
One OF the enemy's guerillas who came
with Scott, was made prisoner and shot on
the spot.
From The Dinio del Gobieno.
AT half part O'Clock this morning. the A
merlcans attacked the position of the mill of
III Rey, close to tho fortress of Chapultepec.
His numerous and biave columns Were, how
ever, repulsed three times by our valiant sol
dlers, who this day gave brilliant proofs OF
their patriotism and bravery. More than a
thousand OF the enemy remained on the field
OF battle, and on our side the loss has been less
tnan one-hali the number, having 10 lament
the death Of the gallant Col. Don Lucas Bal
deras, and Gen. Don Antonio de Leon being
wounded, together with several other distin-
gulshed chiefs and officers.