Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-05-19


highest praise is due to Harvey, Childs, |
Plymton, Loring, Alexander, their gallant
officers and men, for this brilliant service,
independent of the great result which soon
followed.
Worth's division Of regulars coming up
at this time, he detached Brevet Lieutenant
Colonel C. F. Smith, with his light battal-
ion, to support the assault, but not in time.
The General, reaching the tower few
minutes before me, and observing.a white
flag displayed from the nearest portion OF
the enemy towards the batteries below, sent
Colonels Harney and Childs to hold par
ley. The surrender followed in an hour
or two. e..
MAJOR. General Patterson left sick bed
to share in the dangers and .fatigues of the
day; and after the surrender went forward
to command the advanced forces towards
Xalapa.
Brigadier General Pillow and his brig
ade twice assaulted with great daring the
enemy's line Of batteries on our left; and
though without success they contributed
much to distract and dismay their immedi-
ate opponents.
President Santa Anna, with Generals
Canalizo, and Almonte, and some six or
eight thousand men, escaped towards Xa-
lapa just before Cerro Gordo was carried,
and before Twigg's division reached the
national road above.
have determined to parole the prison
ers-officers and men-as have not the
means Of feeding them here. beyond to-day,
and cannot afford to detach heavy body
Of horse and foot, with wagons, to accom-
pany them to Vera Cruz. Our baggage
train, though increasing, is not half large
enough to give an assured progress to this
army. Besides, greater number Of pris-
oners would, probably, escape from the es-
cort in the long and deep sandy road, with.
out subsistence-ten to one-that we shall
find again, out of the same body mon, in
the ranks opposed to US. Not one Of the
Vera Cruz prisoners is believed to have
been in the lines of Cerro Gordo. Some six
Of the officers, highest in rank, refuse to
give their parole, except to 60 to Vera
Cruz, and thence, perhapse, to the United
States.
The small arms and their accoutrements,
being of no value to our army here or at
home, have ordered them to be destroyed;
for we have not the means Of transporting
them. am somewhat embarrassed with
the - pieces CT artillery-all bronze
which we have captured. 1t would take a
brigade, and half the mules in this army to
transport them fifty miles. A field battery
/ shall take for service with the army; but
the heavy metal must be collected and left
here for the present. We have our own
seige-train and the proper carriages with
us.
Being much occupied with the prisoners,
and all the details ofa forward movement,
besides looking to the supplies which are to
follow from Vera Cruz, | have time to add
no more-intending to be at Xalapa to-mor-
row. We shall not, probably, again meet
with serious opposition this side of Perote
certainly not, unless delayed by the want
ofthe means Of transportation.
have the honor to remain, sir, with
high respect, your most obedient servant.
WINFIELD SCOTT.
P. s. invite attention to the accompa-
nying letter Of President Santa Anna, TAX
en- in his carriage yesterday; also, to his
proclamation, issued on hearing that we had
captured Vera Cruz, &C., in which he says:
"Ifthe enemy advance one step more, the
national independence will be buried in
the abyss Of the past" We have taken
that step. W. 3.
make second postscript, to say that
there is some hope, | am happy to learn,
that Gen. Shields may survive his wounds.
One Of the principal motives for paroling
the prisoners Of war, is to diminish the re-
sisiance Of other garrisons in our march.
w. 8.
Hon. WIN. MARCY, Secretary Of War.
Cry OF ST.. DoMlNeo.-The following