Daily American telegraph., 1852-07-16
.a. From the Baltimore PatriotI
The Military Services OF Gen. Franklin
Pierce.

democratic nOmlne6 lor lne IreSldenCy. 1t is |
due to this gentleman that his history should be
written, for the reason that his gallant achieve
ments are familiar to so very few of his fellow
citizens. r.
In preparing this history, we have found the
incidents so numerous and important, that it be-
came necessary to divide the work into separate
chapters The propriety of this arrangement
will be apparent to every reader.
We have been very careful to refer to official
documents for the evidence of the facts which we
narrate. This has been considered the more
necessary, because the exploits of our hero are
so wonderful in their nature, that they might be
considered fabulous, Qike those of Homer's he
roes, unless proven by the most conclusive evil
dence.
After the battle of Churubusco, General Pierce
laid aside the sword for the pen, and after the
example of julius Cesar, proceeded to write a
regular commentary upon his Mexican campaign
This interesting work is written in the form of
an epistle to friend, and will be found publish
ed in Niles Register of the I'd Of October, l84T |
We may take the liberty of making or two
quotations from this autobiography With these
exceptions, all of our quotations will be from
official dispatches.
| CHAPTER 1.
He becomes General, and sails for Vera Cruz.
In the early part of the year l847, Franklin
Pierce was practising lawyer, and true and
faithful Democrat, ofthe State of New Hampshire.
Becoming suddenly infamed with patriotism and
ambition for military glory, and his feelings upon
the subject being known to his personal friend,
President Polk, a commission was signed on the
Sd Of March, 1847, by virtue of which Mr.. Pierce
found himself suddenly converted into Brigadier
General Pierce of the United States Army. Soon
afterwards he left his law Office, and sailed for
Vera Cruz, where he safely arrived about the
month Of June, l847. Il
CHAPTER II.
The Battle Of The Bridye-He Vanquishes the Guer-
| rilIas.
After remaining at Vera Cruz for few weeks,
| it became the duty of Gen. Pierce to conduct re
Inducements and supplies to the army of Gen.
Scott, then at Puebla. 1t must be remembered
here that Vera Cruz had been taken and the
battle of Cerro Gordo fought, before the arrival
of Gen. Pierce in Mexico.
Our hero marched from Vera Cruz on the 10th
of July, 1S47, with $500 troops under his mme.
diate command Now it so happened, that in
order to reach Pucbla it was necessary to pass
the National Bridge. This was very fortunate
circumstance for our New Hampshire hero, be-
cause he thus obtained an opportunity of showing
to his country and the world that his friend, the
President, had not placed too high an estimate
on his military talents
On reaching the bridge hero found his
march opposed by about Jfoe hundred presumptu-
GUS Mexicans, commonly known as guerrillas. |
/
the history of the fight particularly recorded
elsewhere, we take the following description from
/ Gen. Pierces letter:
q soon discovered that there was no way in
which his position could be turned, and that my
artillery was ineffective from the most command
ing point where it could be placed. determined
Of course, to cross, under the plungng fire of the
enemy's escopetas. My order to advance was
admirably executed y Our men leaped
the barricade, followed by Captain Duperu's COM
pany of cavalry and in less than ten minutes the
enemy were in flight in every direction and the
American flag waved upon the high bluff which
they had occupied! The Mexican force as they
said afterwards, consisted of fUe hundred men,
Had they possessed courage and skill in the use of
arms, our loss must have been very great"
| 1t thus appears that Gen. Pierce, with onlg
| $500 men, actually defeated 500 Mexicans, and
that the victory was won in "less than ten min
utes" True, the Mexicans possessed neither
courage nor skill" But this proves that they
were those terrible warriors known as guerrtIlas.
Hence no comparison can be instituted between
this battle and those of Generals Taylor and
Scott. The former, at Palo Alto and Buena Vista,
defeated three and four times his numbers; and
Gen. Scott, at Churubusco, with nine thousand
men, defeated thirty thousand Mexicans BUTT
must be remembered that these generals fought
AGAINST the regulars, or disciplined troops of
Mexico, while Gen Pierce fought against guerril-
tus. mus CNeTy Que Will unueTsldnu Jne SUPERB
ority of his achievement. 1t may be said that his
army was five times as large that of the
enemy. But this was only further disadvan-
tagc-because, being the larger body, it was so
much more easily struck by the shot of the
enemy, just as in the case Of very large and
very small man fighting duel
This was the only engagement where our hero
was first in command. But it is enough. Nothing
in the whole history of the Mexican war equal
the splendor of this achievement. We can only
account for the subsequent series of mishaps
which befel Gen. Pierce upon the theory that it
was never designed by Providence that any one
man should have TOO much glory.
CHAPTER III.
Batle of ContrerdS-A stumbling horse.
Soon after the battle of the bridge our hero
ioined Gen. Scott at Pueba. The whole army
marched in few days for the city Of Mexico,
But before reaching that destination, hard fight
ing was to be done On the fields of Contreas,
ChuruJusco, San Antonio, Molino del Rev. and
ChepuHepec, a harvest of imperishable laurels
was gathered by the officers and soldiers of that
4. H.