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


Burns will be found below-not as published in
the Deta-but as improved, amended, filled up, and
the improvements italcised by the Bulletin and
Picdyune on information Of its contents upon which
they placed credt-but which amendments were
afterwards understood to be spurious, and went by
the name of the Leondas Hoax to distinguish
ii from the original, which known as the 8 Le-
onidas Humbug'' 1t appears, however, that the
Bulletin and Picayune's version is the one current
In the army the true one, will be seen by the
following specification to the first charge against
Gen. Pillow:
SPEcIFIcATIoN-in this, that the said Maj Gen Pillow
ON o or az bon o 9h the eaps of McKee,
be written and despatched for publication newspaper
OF me nied states letter. article or pn
tween the forces of the United States and those Of the Re-
and about Conteas and Chuubusco the said capital
in which operations the said Pillow bore part and which
by the said PoW in due time ande the na as
ture of Leonidas, partially printed and published in
a Of the date Of September TO- ISL Of WHICH d4
hereunto annexed and reprinted entire both TIE Bulletin
month other newspapers Of the same city copies of which
tween the said forces of which the said operations made part
And the following, the sth specification to the
second charge, is specially founded upon the inter-
poaed or g hoaxing passage:
s. That being at the said battle of Contreras provoked
thereto by the menacing advance of isolated Mexican
officer he the said Pillow did rush at full speed the
said Mexican, and sngly, after long and conflict
dsam and Stay the SAID Mexican whereas, the said Pillow
aa oD S a sn 5 of % at os1 s
not, on that day at moment personally within
musket shot OF the enemy enrenced camp Or any Mexican
line OF troops,
This is one of the richest articles to be found in
the 8 Pillow-case.'
MIscoAC, MEXICO, ,4ugust q, 1s47,
Three miles from the Capital
EDS. DELTA-GentieI1en beg leave to hand
you the annexed account Of our engagement with
the enemy which commenced on the 18th inst, at
strongly fortified position, about four miles west
of San Auglstin.
This engagement with the enemy commenced on
the 18th inst, by the third division, under the i'm
mediate command of Maj. Gen. p low, comprising
force of $500 men. The enemy had 1868, of
whom 5000 We're cavalry, and twenty-seven pieces
of artillery.
Gen. Pillows order for the attack was, that Gen.
Twiggs should advance with one brigade of his di-
vision and assault the enemys strong work in front,
while the other should turn his left wing and assail
the works in reuerse. He also placed at the dispo
sitlon of Gen. Twiggs Capt. Magruder's battery,
and Lieut.. Callender's hoWitZers Doth of which
belong to the proper division Of Gen. Pillow.)
Having thus opened the battle, he then advanced
Gen. CadWaladers brigade, TO support the brigade
of Col Riley. who had moved to turn the enemys
left and attack in reUerse; and advanced Gen.
Pierce's brigade to support Gen. Smllh, who had
advanced TO assault the work in front The action
had now become with the advancing forces very
severe and Gen Pillow seeing five or six thousand
men advancing from the city to reinforce the enc
my, who he apprehended would fall upon Gen.
Cadwalader's rear, detached from Gen. Perce's
brigade Col. NIorgans regiment (Which was yet
within reach,) and ordered it instantly to the sup
port of Gen. Cadwalader, who seeing so large
force approaching his rear, threatening to over
Whelm him, halted his forward movement, con-
tronted the enemy, In strong position, and held
him completely at bay. The forces under Gen.
Smith, Col. Riley and Gen. Pierce, were holly en-
gagged with the enemy's strong battery and large
force of infantry and cavalry, until it was quite
dark Magruder's battery and Callender's howIt-
ger battery We're both much cut to pieces and disa
bled. Late in the evening Gen, Scott came upon
the field and broug hit with him Gen. Shields brl-
gade of volunteers whom lie advanced to the sup
port of the forces then under Gen Cadwalader. but
it was late they did not get into position until in
the night. The mex; morning before daylight, the
brigade of Gen. Pierce advanced in execution of the
original order of battle, and renewed the assault in
front; while Col. Riley's brigade, supported by
Gen CadwaIader turned his left assailed the enc
my's works in reverse and most calamity carried
it capturing a large force of the enemy, twenty
two guns among them those lost at the battle of
Buena VISTA and killing and Wounding, in the
general engagement, between twenty-six and
twenty eight hundred of the enemy. Having
this signal and brilliant victory, Gen. Pill
low Immediately resolved to pursue the retreatirg
forces of the enemy, and while his troops Were
flushed with victory, give battle to large force,
said still to be in San Angel, which he did, and
drove Them before him. He then sent an officer OF
his staff back to Gen. Scott to say to HIM, II he
would cause Gen. Worth to cooperate with HIM, he
would sweep around the valley, and assault the
strong works of San Antonio in the reverse, and
carry that place. so as open the direct route to
the capital for the advance of his siege train, upon
the other battery that road. Gen. Scott replied
that Worth should cooperate with him. Gen. Pill
low then moved rapidly around tue valley at the
head of his victorious forces untfl he reached
Cuycua, within one mile of San Antonio, where he
halted to allow his troops short time to recover
their breath, and almost exhausted strength before
engaging the enemy at San Antonio. While walt
ing for this purpose, Gen-Scott overlook Inc army.
At this moment it was discovered IN the distance
that the enemy Seeing their main work had been
carried and that they were about to be attacked IN
the rear had abandoned the work at San Antonio
and fallen back upon strong work AT Ch'lrupusco.
Gen. Scott, who now assumed command ior the
first time Immediately ordered Cen IWlggs dlVi-
sion to advance upon the left and arrest and cut Oft
the rereatnp forces of the enemy, and assault the
strong work at this place the rig ht while he or
dered Gen Pillow to lead Cadwaladers brigade
and assault the enemy upon theSlet, and IN trontD
the main work at the bridge or causeway. I'wiggss
division soon became desperately engaged with the
enemy's right at Churubusco Pillow division,
in the effort to get TO the battle ground, were com
PEELED to wade waist deep III mud and water; the
general dismounting from his horse and plunging
through, called upon his column to follow him,
which they did with great ardor He advanced
rapidly with it, in front of the ene;ny's main work,
and finding it would be cut down by the terrible
fire of grape and canister which s''ept down the
road he turned it into the field on The right, to at.
tack the main battery on its left flank. Here his
forces and Worths We're joined, and went forward
and calamity carried this work.
During this great battle which lasted two DAYS
Gen. Pillow was in command of all the forces en-
gagged, except Gen. Worth's DIVISION and this was
not engaged, except in taking the last work lien
Scott gave but order, and that was to reinforce
Gen. Cadwalader's brigade.) The n'sltlon the en-
emy's battery occupied was heigh. commanding
the only road passing through wide plain covered
chasms and assures. so as to be almost impossible
even for infantry 1t was entirely so for all other
purposes In this position the enemy had en-
ttrenched twentv-nine pieces of heavy artillery
which syept the approach in every direction.