The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-09
MISCELLANEOUS
From the N. o. Delta

BY AN OFFICER or OUR ARMY.

when camp follower came running up, out of breath,
from the direction of main building, which had just been
taken possession of by our troops He called Out before
reaching the spot-where at the moment my attention
had been drawn to wounded prisoners"for Gods
sake Mr. officer send TO the under the castle for
heard the Meeans Fay 1nat leads 70 mn rec on
ton OF having heard, during the armstce from an on
English resident that there was singular undesIonn,
under ChaPuePee now flashed ac, aero 10 explode
the magazine OF the castle, if not arranged as Of
self started forward instantly calling on av as
The 18th infantry 10 follow ans on our soldiers now
nu no The lower terreSe,n descended the northern on
AN inclined beam which lay asans dc had before
hs a, ,he snrance TO the cave was to be found
This AIDE Of the elevation was exceedingly steep, anu
broken up into masses OF loose m% Hillary accou
i,sments cast away by the panc-strlcken MeSicans'
evara hundreds of whom had saved themselves ny rush
ing down this peeptoIs descen on Ii hs" one wbns
in The agones of death, shot down BY our troops now III
possession of the desperately defended castle
In a few moments found myself sorey bruised ana
becrlmed with smoke and dust al the entrance OF me
very passage was in search ofbeing apparently one OF
The caves SO common the porphyrtc rocks OF Inc val
AZ The moment of my arrival, Mexican soldier emerged
from it, holding in his hand piece OF cahue' WHOSE WHOSE
light had just been extinguIshed oh seeing e ne ,e
for quarter nv uncouh appearance probably adding 10
his ALARM though, indeed he had some cause Tor anx
iety. our Indignation had been excited 10 .ne nsnes'
MONT the cruel of our wounded comrades on
the bloody field Moline del Key and the glang eyes
and compressed lips of the men told 100 plainly to be
misunderstood what would likely ee ihe ia'e Oh 'hoSe
who should meet them in the heat OF battle
suppose this Mexican had probably Just iighted Inc
match which might destroy vital portion OF our army,
and strongly felt inclined to make nm keep company
with those he had thus doomed TO distinctions on sec
ond thought however ordered him to guide me In the
cave 10 which he most piteously objected. Having no
lime TO parey seized the candle which he had dropped
,Ja
matches, it was lighted when pncklng my prisoner lot
ward 10 his extreme we entered the gloomy open
ing before u.s. The cave contracted TO a narrow
passage leading apparently in nearly horizontal direc-
ion below and towards the east end OF the Notifications
There the Mexican appeared TO be overcome with fear
and sunk in state OF hepessness to the ground. where
leaving him with The sergeant again sought to make
nv way Though clouds oil DUST over the fragments of
rock which nearly blocked up the opening, and were
passed with considerable difficulty The smoke OF burn.
ing gunpowder now became thick that the light of the
candle almost expired in the vitiaed atmospheric and
stumbling at each step over the loose stones expected
monentary the explosion OF the mine would send us all to
stha bourne from whence no traveller returns"
MY anxiety the excitement of the battle
and shuddeled to think of the fate which in instant
might involve large portion of the American army
Increasing my efforts get forward, in few moments
heard the canking OF sabre IN 'front.' and the
challenge, "qusn uipe," uttered by voice but few
PAGES advance Sprngng an intervening obstacle
found myself face to face, vaued chamber with
grim. looking Mexican sergeant in full uniform. He i'm
medatey gave himself up as prisoners and 10 my eager
words did not understand, and pointed significantly from
the candle to the 1oor which then saw was thickly
srewed with cartridges.
The noise and shouts of the troops above could be
distinctly heard; and found scrutiny, sounding with
the handle of my sword, that were at the termination
of the passagein chamber resembling DOME through
which vertical opening. less than three feet In diameter
extended above to the surface of the ground down which
columns OF smoke and then found their way. but
attempt evidently had been made to it, either
mine channel to fire the main magazine, which
afterwards found nearly this chamber, and the
vertical opening terminated Just in front Of its door on the
upper terreplen. The cartridges accounted for by sup
posing that boxes OF them had fallen through
The opening during the melee.
It appears strange. first view, that the Mexcans
had not used this chamber mine; for it bore the ap
pearance of having been excavaed for that purpose and
its explosion would not only have destroyed that part OF
the castle above it, but would necessarily have fired the
great magazne-ihen crammed with powder to ITS roof
which would have involved in ruin, probably, The entrt
tortiication with more than hall the American army-pro
ducing disaster similar to- though far exceeding IN I'M
portance, the explosion OF Fort George in 1873 The ar
of mining evidently well understood by them, since
the ascent of troops up the HILL during the battle
four OF their mines were passed over the trains OF whch
enclosed in narrow black canvass bag, (saucssens
looking like huge black snakes, reached to the ditch O.
the main workwhence had been designed to have ret
them at the proper time; but the headlong rush OF on
soldiers at the heels Of the retreatDg enemy prevented
catastrophe, the result of which on the morale Of on
army, at that critical moment, might have been FOLLOWED
by the most deplorable consequences
In the battle the Mexicans had undoubtedly expected
have repealed our assault on the works by defending
them TO the last extremity and hence seemed not to have
entertained any plan which contemplated possible re
treat in which as at the battle of Coneras they com
mtted fundamental in the science of war, which
resulted in both cases great slaughter, and the entire
Dispersion or capitulaon of their batalions engaged
certainly may be said that the negectng of this mporan
military principle more frequent with the American
than the Me xican army. But then there was this i'm
porant difference in the two cases. that whilst its viola
ton by the latter produced by blind confidence
success, with the former it the result of neces
sity; for our army, like unsupported fororn hope
found itself far in the interior OF enemys country
of from its natural and opposed by forct
greatly superior in infantry artillery, and cavalry, long
Injured to the practical operations OF waraded by thu
deadly hostility OF the dense population, whose active
co operation was only restrained by the appalling bold
ness energy, and skill OF their invader-0ined
derful combination of fortunate circumstances through
the war; conspicuous 10 be the result of chance, ant
which could only have happened by the favor of Heaven
For what purpose the subterranean passage made
was never able to find out. With the exception of thu
shallow al the entrance, the whole had been cut
of hard porphyre rock, evidently great expense
labor. II possibly may have been designed as
way of communication with the castle. The opening il
what is called Monezuma's garden, doubles:
the delightful shady retreat of the villa of the Aztec
perors, adorned in direction by those magnificent cy
press trees, the large trunks of which stand like giants
10 guard the entrance this consecrated grounds whs
their foliage, hoary with the accumulated of ages
involunarly exces the veneraton of the beholder
he thus traces back their origin beyond the shadowy
traditions OF the primeva How different the scene
which at this time presented itself that of former days
These Kings oil the forest SCARED and torn