Democratic banner., 1847-05-10
and little peace will the MeNic"ns have l'r
one twenty-four hours, at least
CAMP NEAR PLAN DEL Rio,
.4pril Is, 4o'ok0ch p. NJ. }

otlicr glorious and most brIiilant 'ic'ol!'
Outnumbering Gen. Scott's force material,
IL, and occupying positions which looked
impregnable as Gibraltar, one after amour
or of their works have been taken to-day;
five generals, colonies enough to
ten such armies as ours, and other oihcers
innumerable, have been taken prisoners to-
gether with 5000, and the rest OF their ar
nv driven and routed with the loss OF eve
nv thing, ammunition, cannon, G
train, all. Nothing but the impoSslh'hty OF
finding a road for the dragons to the rear
of the cnemy's works saved any part OF
Santa Annals grand army, including Ills
own illustrious person.
Ameng the prisoners is our old friend la
Vega, who fought with his accustomed gal
I~lantry. The other generals are Jose Maria
%.Ianero, Luis Pinson, Manuel Uoriaga, and
Jose Obando. The m of the colonies
II have not been able to gather. Nothing
lsaved. Santa Anna but the want of dra-
lroons on the other side Of their lines. AS
III is, his travelling coach, together with all
Ibis papers, valuables, and even his rcooaen
lee, have fallen into our hands, together
with all the money of his army. No one
anticipated, when they arose from thelr
lizard bivouack this morning, such a com
plete victory.
The loss on both sides has been heavy;
how could it have been otherwise: The
rough and rocky road, cut through rugged
defles and dense chaparal by our troops, is
now lined with our wounded. The Rifles.
ICol. Haskell's Tennessee volunteers, the
LIST Artillery, the 18th Infantry, and Capt
Williams company of Kentucky volunteers
have perhaps suffered most. Gen. Shields
was severely, and ] am fearful, mortally
wounded, while ~gallantly leading his hr;g-
ade to storm one of the encmv's faTthcst
works. Gen. Pillow was also wounded. al.
though slightly, while sterming a fortified.
ton on this side commanded by La Vega
All the field officers of Col. HaskelPs rcgi-
nent were wounded at the same time, save
Ihimsel. OF the Rifles, Capt. Mason has
lost a leg, Lieut.. Ewell has been badly
wounded, Lieut.. McLanc, slightly. Ihave
already mentioned the gallant Maj. Summer
and other officers wounded yesterday.
I have specified some regiments above
which signalized themselves; it happened
to be their fortune, in the disposition Of the
hattie, to fall upon what all good soldier:
may term pleasant places-the most diff
cult works to storm-and bravcly and with
out faltering did they execute the p~crilou:
duties assigned them. At l o'clock tli:
afternoon Gen. Twiggs, whose division ha:
been in the hardest of it, was pursuing thu
fl ing enemy towards Jalapa. Pierson
who commanded the forts nearest Plan dc
Trio, asked of Gen. Worth time to considc
:lbcfore he cap;tria:ed. DESTROYS TO come Il
terms, Gen Worth gave him fifteen minutes
and he surrendered Internationally. Hac
he not done so, the slaughter would hav'
been terrible.
| write in great ~laste, and have no tim
for particulars. The names of the kille'
sible. I think that five hundred will cove
our entire loss. Had it not been for Iii
positive co~wardice of Santa Anna and Ca
~nalizo, who ran, before the battlc-at leaf
lin brave mems haEds-waS half lost,
would have been far greater. No one, a
present, can estimate the loss Of the Mcxi
'cans-thcy are scattered on the hills, il
the roads, everywhere.
What disposition Gen. Scottis to make o
the prisoners is yet unknown. He ma
set them all at liberty on their paroles, fror
the difficulty of feeding them, end % &C
celerate his own advance movements. W
shall hear by tomorrow. | wish h" coul
! send the officers at least to the Unite
States, for there is a fine string of them.
1t is now impossible to name officers VIII
have distinguished themselves. cannc
2 however omit to mention Coils. Harvey, r
ley and Childs, of the regulars; Coils. Ba
vIker, Forman and Haskell. Of the volunteer
as every one is talking of them.
| write this in great haste, and with nois
: confusion and every thing else around mt
You cannot appreciate the victory. 7
: describe the ground and Notifications Of I'll
enemy the difficulty of turning their cute
, works, and the toll and the peril undcrgon
by the troops, were impossible.
No time to say another word. | sent ia
r off by an express. II is Gen. Scott's il
tertion, l know, to push On towards the cit
n of Mexico with all haste. Tomorrow
will write more fully, and send by Gel
l SCOTS express. Yours G. w. K.
CAMP AT PLAN DEL RIo,
April 18th, lS47-Fcrcnoon, {
Tho route of the McxicapS 1,ct evenir