The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-04-01

| eAlldtSteu. III could move HO luTtneI around the
city to reach other causeWays, as the mountain now
intercepted our route by projecting far into the
lake as to connect itself nearly with the right of
| the great work at San Antonio Something had
| to be dOne-the prospect before us was extremely
| gloomy To reach the great work at Conreras,
| which was carried by the forces under Gen. Smith,
| road had to be opened through the gorge of the
mountain. 1t was to open this road, and to drive
the enemy and carry this battery, strong it was
known to be, that Gen. Pillow was ordered out by
Gen. Scott The Generals plan of battle, and the
disposition of his forces, We're most ludcious and
successful. He euinced on this he has done on
other occasions. that mdsterly military genius and
profound kn0wledge Of the science Ct War, Which has
astOnished much the mere martinets Of the pro-
tession. HIS plan Uery similar to that by which
NAPOLEON effected the reduction Of the fortress Of
Ula and Gen. Scott perfectly ,Deu pleased
nth 1t that he could not interfere NTH any part Of 1t,
but left 1t 10 the gallant protector to carry into glo
rious and successful execution. In this battle with
about 1900 men, our army engaged an enemy with
force of 16 600, occupying position which could
only be reached with extreme difficulty by infan
try, with entrenched works commanding the APP
rroach to it for mile round in every direction,
with, as have before observed, Twenty-Five pie
ces of artillery. The victory was most brilliant
and complete. Nothing could have been better
planned than this battle must relate an interest
ing and erc,ting incident that occurred during the
rage Of the battle Mexican officer being seen by
one OF Gen. P,tows aids to leaUe the eaenly's lines,
and to ddUdnCe several yards position, the
General, as soon as he heard Ct the impudent rash
ness Of the Merican, put spurs to his charger and
gati0ped at fuH speed tOWdrdS him. As soon as he
got to the Merican, the General called out in
Spanish, Saque su sable para detenderse! H'-let
the honor and pro,oess Of or respective countries be
determined By the issue Of THIS combat Straightaoay
the MEXICAN dre,D his s,oord with one handhdnd ba-
lanced his lance IN the other, rushed towards our Ge
neral tchO NTH repotUer an hand and his sabre
IN the other, apaited the onset Of the Mexican The
combat 1Das a long and severe one. The MEXICAN
'udS large, muscular man, and handled has arms
nth great pigor and skill, but general was has
superior in deEterity and coolness. AT last The Mer
can made terrible charge at or general D,th has
lance, Which The latter eUdded nth great prOmptade
and aUidity, using his sword, tossed the Dedpon of
the Mexican high into he AR, and then quietly bteW
his brains ont mith his repoiUer. Both the American
and MEXICAN armies witnessed this splendid effort
In the two battles, the enemy had about 30, 0C0
men engaged in deadly conflict. Their total loss
in killed. wounded and missing, is near 1860, &C
cording to their own estimate, including 1900
prisoners, eight Of whom general officers, and
about eighty of an inferior grade. captains lieu
tenants, &c. Our loss in killed and wounded is
about 1900; among the dead is the gallant Col.
Butler. of South Carolina, who, until the first
DAYS fight from severe attack OF slckness) was
unable TO mount his horse-but the thunder of the
enemy guns nerved him for the conflict, and three
cheers We're gwen him as he passed into battle
No one laments his death more than the writer of
this communication, who ate with him the last
meal of which he partook prior to his DEATH
The foregoing account of this unparalleled VIC
tory was myself eyewitness to, and will vouch
for its correctness and nothing but an order from
the commander-in-chief prevented the occupancy
of the city by our troops upon the evening of the
second day of attack. l cannot refrain on the
present occasion from expressing wish that Con-
gress may do something for our gallant band, who
have, under such adverse circumstances and dis
parity of forces carried at the point of the bayo-
net, the enemy's outposts, and so noby upheld and
maintained the honor of the American nation. l
must not forget to state that we have captured
about 100 deserters, traitors to their country, Who'll
am informed are undergoing trial, and in
Gods name, | ardently wish they may all share
that fate they so richly deserve, and be hung by
the neck until they dead, dead, dead! am,
very truly, yours, LEoNIDAs.
The POISONING CASE AT FITCHBURG.-We
have already briefly alluded to the arrest of man
at Ftchburg, Mass, charged with the murder of his
wife fourteen gears ago The following letter, in
reference this singular case, appears in the Wor-
cester Mass Telegraph of the 18th inst. The OLD
saying, that murder will OUT was never more.
forcibly illustrated;
T1TCHBuRG. March II 1913.
The last two DAYS have witnessed an exciting
investigation before fvers Phillips, Chief JUSTICE
assisted by Ebenezer 1orrey, an Associate Justice.
1t is a case of the Commonwealth Us. John Cook.
jr of Wimbledon, formerly of Ashburnham, Ina
which the prisoner is charged with poisoning his
wife fourteen years ago the last February or Feb
ruary, 1884.
Thefacts in brief are, that the wife, on a sersaia
Sabbath afternoon, about tea time, was asked by
the defendant to try some of his cider, which h@
said had kept remarkably well, or sweet. She cons
scented to drink. About hour afterwards tho
husband called in the witness Miss Malinda Wanfs
sister of the wife supposed to have been murdered>
from the other part of the house. The witness
found the wife the bed in great distress, and trys
ing to vomit. She gave her some peppermint, bus
grow worse.
During the night, the defendant told the witness
go and lie down with the child, which slept in the
adjoining room. While there, the witness heard
the defendant mix something in a tumbler, and
which he gave his wife to drink, who then began
te grow worse so fast that the witness insisted on
knowing what he had given her. He said it was
hot sling physician was also called In the night,
but he could do nothing to save the woman, who
died about 10 o'clock next morning. The witness
insisted on post morton examination, but was res
fused
After DEATH the body became very much swollens Q
a circumstance which caused great anxiety IN the
mind of the SEXTON (Nfr. John Hastings, of Asburn-
it was placed in the tomb, which was on the
Wednesday after the death. The sexton testiles
that the body did change, as usually the case.
The chest continued in remarkable state OF pres
servation till the last OF January, l94o, when he,
accompanied by two medical gentlemen, went to
the tomb. and the contents of the stomach were
taken out and carried to Prof. Webster, who, after
thorough analysis reports that he found about fus.
grains of arsenic in what was sent him.
The editor of the Telegraph remarks e We knew
the defendant many years ago farmer Of reputed
responsibility At the tme of his arrest for this
crime he was living with his fourth wife. Cook
was brought to this town yesterday, and is commits
ted till the next criminal term of the Court of Com"
mon Pleas, when the ease will go before the Grana
jury
ELEGANcIEs OF PoLITIcs.-Here is a beautiftR
little paragraph, now. from the last New Hamps
shire Patriot:
'The battle has been fought the victory is won
mpshire-more infamous in character and more
.La,a thosa classas in MexlcO,