The Arkansas banner., 1848-01-03
Thr late BattIrs.

The late Battles. The Union publishes from the Pttsburg Post extra. the following account of the battles of Con- treras and Churubnsco, which 1t says is compiled ''from letters written by two of the most talented and distinguished officers of the army The count is rapid and very graphic. One or two pas- sages will forcibly challenge the readers attention. We make no apology for publishing much 10 throw light on ticsc gaiant floats of arms. IL Is proper to express belief that the author then possessed the information which our army obtained few days after.
 TAcusAYA. Mexico, Aug. P, tSi7. The whole force which moved from PuebIa, amounted to ten thousand men more or tess march, ing in four columns successive days in the fc- lowing order, viz: Twiggs, Quitman, Worth and Pillow. In approaching the city of Mexico by the main highway, you go directly on to the height of el Penon, which is strong position and excessively fortified Before leaving Puebla 1t had been con sidered whether the main road could not be avoided and el Penon turned by pas. ing round to the south and left of lakes ChalcO and Jochmilco. The engi- neer officer serving immediately at general head quarters had questioned large number of persons, (including spies and agents sent especially to anime the ro1te,) and the mass of testimony was entire to the boggy. mucky, and perfectly imprac. ticabse character for wagons and artillery of the road leading in that direction. It was therefore tn contemplation to turn el Penon by forcing the ene- my's line ut Mexicalcingo, although the ground was OfHCuIt anu tne DdttcFleS knOWH tO D0 nufnc- rous This route, you will observe, is to the north and right of those lak The reconnoisences of the engineers consequently directed to this end. In the meantime Gen. Worth, whose dvis- ion had been left ut Chaco, (whie Gen. Scott with Twiggs' division had gone on Co Ayotla,1 sent Col. Duncan with large party to examine the de- nounced route. Col. Duncan found it jast tine reverse of what it had been pronounced to be i; it was firm, rocky, and quite practicable, requiring, to be sure, little labor here and there. General Worth instantly sent Col Duncan with this infor- nation to Gen. Scott and urged the movement of the whole army to tho left of lake ChaIco. The direct attack was abandoned and tho next morning the whole army was in motion.
 Worth's division in the rear (now by the change of the line of operations became the front took the lead, and the whole mass filed to the left of the lakes of (*) san Augustin, which is the great l Acapulco highway 10 the city of Mexico. and about nine miles fromit. This is the history of the strategy of the business. We arrived at San Au- gustn the evsaing of the l7th. The first po- stiou of the enemy was at San Antonio, two and a half miles in advance. Gen. Worth sent an engi-
 officer to reconoitre, Capt Thornton of the dra- goo,is escortng him. He went to about 1000 yards
 of the enemy's battery, leaving the company hundred yaIds in the rear. When the engineer of i ficer began 10 examine the battery with his spy 1 glass, gun fired al him. The ball. passing l over him, struck Capt. Thornton from his horse, tearing away his whole breast and ribs. Poor fcl-
 low, he had not ten days to lives he was so feeble
 that he could scarcely sit in his saddle Physicians and friends had remonsrated against his going out | but he had, no doubt not, made up his mind that
 nothing but death himself should take him from his saddle. He had been troubled and pestered in many | ways, but he was as pure and honorable man as ever lived. This reconnaissance resulted in the in
 eiligence that the position of San Antonio could be | turned by the right left. Another recon
 niossance directed by Gen. Scott, to ascertain
 whether. by branching off at San Augustn, and ' t.tse u-s- Iaf
 the Tacnbaya road and turn all the enemy's works. l The engineer officer went about league on this ! road, where he came upon rayine occupied by the enemy in force upon tho opposite side The 1 ground was found to be rough and broken beyond
 description. still practicable for infantry, and with | labor doubtless could be made for cavalry and artillery. Accordingly this was decided upon as | the route on which the army was to move. On the morning O. the 18th, working parties were pushed forward 10 repair, rather make the road. Pillow division supported by Twigg's to dispossess the enemy of the rayine before mentioned. Upon trial, Il was found that the enemy could not be brushed away. He was strongly fortified in great force, with upward of twenty pieces of artillery. A battle had therefore to be fought before the road could be cleared. As troops approached l the position the enemy opened distant connonade
 which he kept up from or 2 o'clock until dark- | The mouRtain howitzers and Magruder's battery
 were placed counter battcres but as the enemy |
 such like, behind parapets or at any rate in com manding positions, you readily imagine " hc
 got the worst of it. When W iii such follies cea SC
 Our troops took up positions during the night for
 the attack of the enemy lines next morning, which
 they did in handsome style and with complete sue.
 cess, killing many hundreds and taking many priso
 ners, upwards of 2D pieces of cannon, among which were those takent by Gen. Taylor at Buena Vista
 small arms without number, and great abu ndanc. of cannon ammunition of which we were in mucE need. Among the prisoners several officer
 of rank, including the late acting Presinent, Gen
 salas, the author of that infamous paper exhortini the guefriilas 10 "wage war without pity" IT
 the meantime Worth's division began operations or
 the 20th around San Antonio, over the route tha
 had been twice accommodated by the engineer officer
 who led Smiths light battalion and Clarks brigade around this position. As soon tho enemy dis covered our troops in motion be began to abandon
 his works and retreat on the main road to the city Our troops, pushing on with rnpidity reached tn, road in time to pierce the retreating column abou
 its centre, killing and capturing some and diapers ing the rest in all directions.-The remainder 0
 the division hurried up through the village ana
 joined Clark 8 brigade. The whole divisioa pressed
 on along the highway 10 Churubusco, where ou troops came across another strongly entfenche'
 position. These deiences consisted of regular bas ton field work, with wet ditches. It served
 bridgc-head and was thrown the road; t
 it's right, and somewhat in advance of i is stronl
 stone church, with feld-work in front Tn
 Hanks of the field work were eeHaeeied with hig stone wall which inclosed the church. Te the req
 of the church and bridgs-head there is deep we
 ditch running perpendcularly to the road and ex
 tending far off to the enemy's eft and, therefore
 parallel to our front behind this ditch was an in fantry line, extending from right to left quite mile long.
 When Worth's division came within reach of tn
 bridge-head, 1t was formed the right four right } of the road, and moved forward through the dens corn-feld in front of the enemys lines The infan
 try troops behind the ditch before mentioned 500 gave way aud fled to the entrenehments- As 500 as our troops approached the enemys eniFench ments the most terrific fire that you possibly i'm agine opened upon them. Suffice 1t to say tAs the bridge head was forced snd the enemy left com . petely routed fwigg's and Shields troops, an some of Pillows, approached tt) the right of tn enemys lines. where they suffered revrreiy. Fran