Washington telegraph., 1848-02-02
THE BATTLES OF THE VALLEY.

thrr the dispatches OF Gen, Scott, or the reports
Of his subordnaes have been remarkably clear as
historical marathon As military papers, they are,
no doubt, oil that they ought to hei but IN reading
them one broomes absolutely puzzled with the
mineing up OF aets with the names Of divisions.
bHgades aud regiments, officers aud soldiers, aud
mass Of detail which Il requires almost an udutant
general 10 dsenlangle aud understand The task
offofming elear idea Of the plan of operations
as a whole, is To a civilian difficult one; aud,
perhaps, his salts action In accomplishing It is one
reason why he may be permitted TO spread the re.
suit Of his labofs on paper for the benefit Of those
who, like himself have known little more than
that Mexico Is ours, and that 1t cost u certain
number Of killed, woundea aud missing TO make ii
So
About the middle Of August last Gen Scott. with
the army that marched from Puehla, was at Buena
Visa-not the Buena Vista. but place Of the
same name-about twenty miles from the city Of
Mexico, Let us imagine ourselves at this side
looking straight towards the city. aud ablo to see
tand the intervening country, as We do on the
map that Is before US Us We write Directly in
front is the great high roid 10 Mexico lmmtdi.
sely 10 The leu IS large lake, along whose not.
thefn shores the road runs; aud semr miles further
on, still 10 the left as We look, aud to the south Of
the rad, but At distance from il aud reaching TO
within few miles Of The city, Is another lake -
The iint Of these is Lake Chalco; the second. or
fafthrfcsl OIL, Is the Lake Of Noehilmileo So
much Tor what We seen on the len ai the highway
we look towards MrAlca Gu the right aud
opposite to the Lake NJ Chaleu. the country is
anan, but farther on aud directly opposite the Lake
Of t1hImlea, is the Lake Of Tfscnro--the lake
IN whose waters was thfoned the ranoHhii.Ian of
Montrzuna-bal nov dwiudled to a comparative.
ly smlll sheet Of walter, which does not approach
much nearer 10 the modern city than the lake Of
Sorhllmcu, on the opposite side ai the hghTnad
Travelling, therefore, from Buena Vista To Mesi.
co you have fnt the Lake Of Chalen on you, lei
hand with open county on your right aud after.
wards the Lake ul lrEcueo close Oh the right, aud
the Lake of Aaehlmlco opposite 10 il, but much
farther on on The lrili and You continue on be.
tween the two lakes until, passing their western
eslfrmitirs, you tfayrl through Hn oprn country
IN tirf haud up TO the gaiila Of fenol, one Of the
entrances intothe city,
Now, tbs Nas the bcs, road fur the diligence,
but not Tor ten seolii lot close 10 that part ofIhe
read which, as Re have seen, lies htlweru Of lea.
eueo aud Apehilmieo was the iaHfrss or fortified
hill Of the Penan-lhc old fenan-iof there rs
anaihrr Penan nrarfi The city
The gniuhd On either side afihe road was mar
sy aud mpassablri and an approach 10 hetea
BY this route, would have been most mufdrtous
business something Ike marching body Of men
from the bulge up Baltimore sltrst 10 the Eulaw
House supposag the latter turned round across the
street with eannan loaded with round aud grape
shot at every window Tempting. Therefore. as
was the smaotH highway between the lakes, It
Was not 10 be thought OF; aud, Astsad, therefore,
uipanuiug i, Gen Scott TUNED 10 the lsn at Bu.
ena VISTA, neafiY Al right angles 10 the road he
had travelled iIpH fashla, and keeping close Ia
The Lake Of chaica. which was. Of eoufrc then an
his right hand eamr 10 AyoeiaRp. At it. soulhefu
itifrmily. lien he turned agaIa short puud to
the right aud keeping close 10 the saulhsfn shafes.
hfst ol the Lake Of Ghalco, aud Afterwards oi kaz
ehlmico, upon a road which hs had cot i1f the
eroasou. uafaHrd uuthwestWaTiIy on a line pr
alle with the highway hc hid left. aud separated
ifum il b., the last named lakes In ihis manner
aud saon alter iaaKne the Lake af Nachlnilea. Al
Ia Nova. lie eams to Ssn Aueuslia-abaui as far
For. The city Is he could have been had he taken
iha main fuad aud stopped at fenrn but without
tie los ul a mani WHEREAS thousands might have
brsn sacrificed IA an attempt on The latter fortress
THIS wastir 6ni ouigrnruilnr II the Mrucans,
who never dreamed that anY one would prefer cut
tug around ths Lakes Of rhllru and Norhlmi'co
20 going briNsru them aud the Lake Of T,teneo
upon he smoulh hlahway
Now. ifihr Mrncans had siah al the .renan.
thefr would havr hrrn little 10 prevent The Amor
tuus from mnfrlus IL once into the city; bui ss
saan as the latter tumrd found the eastern rnd Of
the I,kr Of Chairo to reach san Ausustin, the
former leaving ih- Penon, went found ihr western
cad Of the Lake VI NprhmNco 10 head the inva-
drr.. aud ssiab shed themselves q, Chunibuseo,
San Antonio. aud C0nlrrras--a very ne, -ssafy
change Of position, well conceived and promptly
executed. aud whsh again placed the whole
MEXICAN army between Cen Scott aud the eapi'
ial
let us nos imagine on rsrlyes with Scott, look
n g.. 3. a. 4
and nueh nrlrsr than Il was al Bacna Vista -
Immediately ia ffoni :. a road neafly straight lead.
Ing to the city; passing fni through thu village Of
ssn Antonio. about -- miles oil, then about -
mile. farther, crossing the Chufuhnsco hysf, Al
the village Of ihi, name, where there isa large
convent aud bridge, tho entrance TO which IL de-.
Tended hy a ioflicatiun, called among soldiers a
t,fs dn psHt or bridge head. Beyond Chnrubuseo
IL the village Of Pouales, aud beyond that the Rad
/. a fair AL smooth one TO the Eafita Of San An.
tonic Abad, one Of the entrances into Mchieo Al
6nt sgitit would seem that nothing was TO b.
done bat 10 march upon the McseanH al San An.
tono--dryr them inothe chnrubusco fvrf defeat
them there, aud hurry on TO the "llalh Of the
Monir1umas Hut, then, 10 the len Of Scott
whom we imagine to be looking toward. Mexico
from San Auguslin--and almost on right angles 10
the road inio the city, Is body ufmrn, the flower
oftbs ,ncxean army, under Gen, Natnca--vttr-
ran. rom San LUIS potosi-men who have been
in the fight Of tie Burua Vista.
:. Tohayc marched Directly on Churubusco would
hive pncrd Valencia IN SCOTS frar which would
have been at The mercy Of the Mexican general;
and this would never h I'VE done Therefore, al.
though Coutrras was good deal out Of the way.
aud, although going 10 Mesico Uld Conlrcfas, was
like going 10 Philadelphia via York, Pa., or TO
Richmond ria Norfolk, there was no help for II;
and TO Conircras force was accordingly seat to
nut Valencia Aors dH combat Santa Anna, who
saw that Valencia could do no good under such
circumstances, ordered hin 10 retire on Churu-
buseo-whioh was what he ought 10 have done--
to aid IN the stand which It was intended to make
there against the Americans But Valencia was
a fool, aud preferred staying to be routed in bat
lie, commencing on the evening OF the 18Th Of Az.
gust, by a frirned attack IN front, and followed