The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-04-17
SEVENTEENTH DAY-.aprA A, 1S4S,


SEVENTEENTH DAY-aprH A, 1848,
Court met pursuant to adjournment and the proceedings
were read over by the Judge Advocate
Capt H. L. ScoTT called:
Q-Does the witness recollect who the order to
T,yggs August 10Th last to advance from Coyoacan du
attack the church or convent at ChuIubuseo s MY h
asd R Rns b aatd to e Gx fne ieDRS
Pierce to left and the enemy's reat! Tuiggs,
brigade the 10Th Of August last and Cen scott gave the
orders to Rileys brigade and to Shields brigade oooid
a aensis hes sfna aDoa ety.
gee;ng The lo apR e o G q
There 0 had been no information received but reco
s ha. meo w aoa, 'aG as aspa
have es,ea ' eiy a Tef s We
had however information official or oeWI; e ,e rs,
Question ~ CO, ps:n hs ser T ona arrival e ' IN IT, ''
At was after the LIST OF November-i should prefer to
ook at papers and ascertain the exact aa'e' winch
can 40 Evidence of Brig. Gen. p f. Smith.
Brig. Cen p F. SMITH duly sworn:
witness pass tie fedrega the enemy, the afternoon
Of August 18th last! About what hour did he reach the
be witness know of any plan order of battle respecting
by s esmp co 1s e & IF ow
other officer senior to the witness and by whom was the
plan actually executed that conceived laid down
and executed, the morning OF August 10Th ~ =.
Any brigade is in Gen. Twiggs Division. That Dl
Tisss ~ TO me-, passed Though San Agustin front
Of Cen Pillows Division, to that DIVISION in making
10 turn turn the position Of San Antonia That the explain
which accompanied the order tor our mo- EN- the
fire Of the enemys position at Contleras. Gen Twiggs
remen, to drive the enemys sknises that the
'front.' and cover the engineers N their econnos
The front On the report the engineers, the battery was
ordered to advance, and ordered with my b1gae %
brigade with Tayo battery off 10 til the dg and they
a PEA d d Mae1ede f b ae ge in the
wall through which we Were pasng W , E" o Hs
np ,s" lie asked me where Twgg was; and l. pointing
direction told him he had gone OH aat way a. thai
could see no more OF him The OF either OF these
general officers was after The ACTON tb e asd' o @
ing out Of the village OF san GERONIMO Gen PILLOW came
np TO sn ruined arches with an aque
The only orders received to the time that mentioned,
when Gen Pillow turned off TO the right, to follow General
Twiggs the s order OF General Scott relative to the
Twiggs the front 10 support Magruer battery,
and order of detail from Gen. Twiggs. Gen Pillow
Magruder battery moved off 10 the left, and with my
heavy fire rom the artillery enemys position, and
attack directly front would have occasioned very great
loss To their position by our lett would not cut then
" nd the c,ty Idetemined to move Tound by on,
right INTO that village and take it, called the
officers OF the regiments together and explained TO them the
no orders came the contrary After waiting, perhaps tt
minutes longer to II any orders would come from
which had been silenced pretty by enemy order
cover movement to the right then moved OF by the
right flank fling round and thence towards the village.
happened 70 come out from the along oS YIN
ment which reported TO @ @ anu
1t than hour before sunset before we got over to
Is On Of ns bey we
coming out from the city to the Mexicans. When came
Ss cs R bswssn phs ss Angel their
wood and line perpendicular to the San Angel road AS
tosements filed round BY Their right flank two lines par.
ae to the road At this movement Gen Cadwalade came
up and reported to inquired, first Col Rey's brig
ade there, but could get information aboutt.
then order to make aee to the w t front it, aeet
line parallel to the enemy. put MAYOR Dnmck regiment
Coneras to San Angel and formed the Sd Infantry and
Riemen on the night Hank OF the village IN conmn a.
1th) and Lieut.. Smiths Engineer company to take
Of the church the centre OF the village Just after ,
belonging to Rleys brigade who said that the brigade was
ns to the ybe TO de there Fbe f
commanded by Gen Santa Anna; those in the works
After examining Santa Annals position, ordered at
tack upon it, Riley attack towards the left, Cadwaader
retired IN eeheiion both columns by division left front
Riley to pierce the right Of the enemys line about TWO
form to the 'front.' This Just about sunset when this
vine his front and reported that it could be passed but
with difficulty Riley soon returned and reported that his
sa Cadwaader Tor explanation OF the ORDER
and reported that the ground occupied by his brigade
be formed BY this got dark that could scarcely
ave the gsn a. they 4o dn nde be the brow OF M
the ravine-the order to attack was countemanded
Colonel Riley then mentioned that while he had been to
the upper end Of the village and outside Of towars
my Capt Candy and Lieut. Towerot the Engineers had
found that the front led up entirely the
Vaencias camp and that ntanty could move upt Then
my saying that should be glad to communicate po
and my intention to General Scott, Capt Lee offered
go desired him to say that would attack Va
encias position in the at clock and requested that
such diversion might be made would be made front of
his sitinn SandI IN
again this ravne after dark order that might
posed Of troops to defend the place night attacked
aud march out IN the morning before day After the
Gen. Cadwalater and Maj Dmmck, the commanders ofthe
bgades and each detailed instructions of what
he to do IN the attack IN the morning providing pacu
y or an attack s by Santa Anna while were
Z Hamon no0n1 ~ a s0G Isno Gsn
that the General had got through the pedregal and
Being under the impression that ranked Gen Shields
directed that his two regiments should occupy the position
The road Directing then that the whole of brigade
soV on the %s WG sn bs Gu 9 the
repeated the instructions to him, still under the impression
nagnanmy did not hint at his actual position, which was
that senior He then wen back and joined his brigade
lage after marched out. few minutes before O'clock
Riley's brigade marched out Two Of Cadwaase,s reg
extremity of the village, and with difficult ground
being ready Gen Gadmaae undertook to remain and bring
ed the two first regiments of Cadwalade and the latter fol-
the difficulty of the path took three hours be-
fore Riey brigade got into position in Of the enemy's
works 1t had been broad day light time before ar
rived there. As the had great deal OF cavalry about
their position Riley was ordered to attack columns
and to depoy when the OF the ground would permit
him Cadwaladers brigade had been intended make
towards Santa Anna If he moved to the assistance of Va
eneia and Dmmck to assist in either the the other
attack as circumstances might require But Santa Anna
had during the night Withdrawn to San Angel we have
since learned from his official reports that when got
be broad day coud only Santa AnnaS cavalry the
position which he had occupied and his infantry great dis
ance off returning to that position. lie far Off that
evident had nothing to fear from movement he
could make. Just RIeys column formed for attack,
cavalry moving from Valencia position up
towards the mountains As they might IN that way attack
Riley on his right flank and no longer necessary
pay any attention TO Santa Annas force. directed that
Cadwalade brigade should also form i'll two coumnS-one
TO Rley right flank and rear, and the other his
lett flank. This order communicated to the
officer, who marched with the first regiments of Cad
waader and at this moment Cadwalader up with
tue other two, and Immediately the attack commenced.
Seeing that there was no necessity Tor servng troops 10
face the left and advance line the rayne against
Naenca's entertainments at the forgot TO men
ton that the Engineer Company and Rifles were thrown
upon Rileys lett and front under the brow of the hj TO
hist 49, VI 'lr