The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-28

rected to be made with said States by the act ap
proved 23d June 1886"
Which OF the two knows best, General
Shields or General Pierce Himself:
To the Editors of the Ne,o York Express:
have noticed, with surprise, paragraph going
the rounds of the Locofoco papers, alleging that
General Shields has written a letter, in which he
avows that General Pierce, the Locofoco candidate
for the Presidency, participated in the sangunary
battle OF Churubusco. That distinguished Sena
tor, and brave and meritorious officer, must have
suffered his political zeal to have oblterated from
his remembrance important facts connected with
the campaign in Mexico, which in less excited mo-
ments he generally retains with great clearness
and accuracy. And as the account given by Gen.
eral Shields in his official report to General Scott,
of the action of those under his command at the
battles of Contreras and Churubusco is entirely at
variance with the assertions said to have been
made by him in his letter above alluded to. there
can be no question but what he was greatly in
error, either in the one instance or the other.
In the report Of the Secretary of War, which &C
companied the annual message of the President OF
the United States to both Houses Of the 3Oth Con;
gress, in December, lS47, are to be found the re-
ports OF Major General Pillow, Brigadier General
Shields, and others, detailing the operations OF
their commands at the two battles Of Contreras
and Churubusco. From that public document, at
page 3O2, take the following extracts from Gene.
raj Shields's report, which offer as an unqualified
contradiction Of all statements, from whatever quar-
ter made, that General Pierce participated in the
least in that battle After detailing the prominent
and victorious part taken by his brigade at Con-
treras, General Shields proceeds follows in stat
ing the first movement of his command in bringing
them into acton at the battle Of Churubusco. He
says:
81 selected the Palmetto regiment as the base of
my line, and this gallant regiment moved forward
firmly and rapidly under a fire Of muskstry ns
terrible perhaps as soldiers ever faced the New
York 18th and 10th deployed CALAMITY on the
right, and the 9Th on the left, and the whole ad
vanced opened their fire as they came up and moued
steadily forward"
TO fully understand the full force of the above
extract, it is proper the reader should know that
Shields's brigade consisted only Of the New York
and South Carolina regiments; while Pierces bri-
gade wac composed OF the 9th, 18th and 18th regi-
ments; and as the disposition made of Pierce's
three regiments by Shields in the very first move
ment necessary before commencing an engage
ment, the formation Of his line Of battle. ia avowed
by Shields in his official report, il demonstrates
with mathematical certainty that Pierce could not
haze been in command Of his 0,on regiments, or HE
instead of Shields would have had the dlspo ,ition
of them. This is made still more clear from the
additional fact that Shields in part of his report
audes in any toay to the personal presence OF Gen
cral Pierce, while the other hand he thus speaks
of Pierce's brigade:
"Pierce's brigade, under my command in this
ton, lost a considerable number in killed and
wounded; amongst the latter, the gallant Colonel
Morgan, of the l5lh. This command having
joined its division Immediately after the action,
have as yet received no official report of its loss -
The brigade of Pierce's formed a part of Major
General Pillows division; and he in his report to
General Scott-which is found in the above named
public document, page 297-thus accounts for
Pierce's absence from the battle of Churubusco:
"Brigadier General Pierce, though still suffering
severely from his injury of the preceding day, had
nevertheless been on duty, and in command of his
brigade during the day, and until q tstc moments
before ,ohen he had fainted from pain and exhaus.
ton, and been carried from the field"
In order clearly to comprehend the above
tract, as we'll as the one l shall presently quote
from General Perce's own report, it is necessary
the reader should understand that the battle of
Contreras was commenced on the 18th and termi-
mated on the morning Of the Goth Of August. The
march OF the commander, General Scott was con-
unued from that victorious field on the came
day upon the next in order of the strongly fortified
works of the enemy, which was Chur1busco, and
in the afternoon of the Goth OF August, the same
day the battle OF Contreras won, that severest
OF all the battles waged in Mexico, not excepting
antly carried. Hence when General Pillow says
that Pierce was on duty 'sunth a feic minutes be
fore, tchen he taited'' he meant before the battle
Of CHurubusco was fought, and of which action he
is alone speaking when the above paragraph ap-
pears.
But admit, if you will, there is doubt upon this
polnt-Gcneral Pierce, under his own hand, dispels
it, and corroborates the view Ia Ike of it, and whch
lknotU to be correct. In the appendix 10 Marcy's
report, from which all the above extracts have
been taken, on page LOG you will find the follow
Ing version OF General Pierce in his report, of
the reasons that prevented his participating in the
battle OF Churubusco. He says:
'lt was my misfortune, as / before stated, to re-
celve serious injury from the TALL Of my horse on
the afternoon of The l9h instant. This accident
rendered me unable to struggle with the difficulties
OF the ground over which we were obliged to pass
ON the evening OF the last day., Chat is, the Goth,
when the battle OF Churubusco was fought,) land,
in the effort to do go, feA, faint from exhaustion
and pain! few yards IRON the fire Of the enemy's
line; and although in position TO 0bs.rue the gene
raj conduct of my brigade, cannot speak Of the
tnd'piduat bearing n my officers and men so much
from PERSONAL observation from the reports of my
staff, and from the commanders of regiments"
Ii ID needless to point out the discrepancy in
General Pillows report, and in General Piercc's
own, as to VI hat become O, him after he aint'd out
OF the reach OF the enemy's fire. Pillow says be
was "carried from the fed;'' but Pierce says he
manned in position to observe the general conduct
Of ms men" But both concur that he was not in
the light at all The truth is, Perce's command
was turned over to Shields before the enemy was
fairly engaged on his extreme right by General
Shieids, who held that position. And several staff
and 9th r officers in conveying orders between the
Generain Chief and his officers in command upon
different parts of the field of battle, discovered Gen
cral Pierce lying in ditch and his horse him,
the names of whom can be given i! necessary. How
he came there, let his own report tell.
In the s:orInipg Of Chapultepec, the morning
of the 18th Of September and carrying the gates
OF Beien and San Cosme at the city of Mexico,
during the latter part Of the same day, Gen Pierce
was again absent from some casualty not incident
to the battle field; and he accounts for that absence
IN those two battles, ALSO in the following manner,
as Will be seen by reference TO his report in the
appendix of the above public document, at page
1888 In speaking of the several &C tons the 18th
Pierce says:
Il was compelled to leave the field in consc.
quence Of severe indispositon, ,shich confined me to
my bed during the l3h instant! and of course de-
prved Inc oil the satisfaction of pa, ticipatng toih
my brigade in the glorious achievements Of The day r'
The length OF this communication prevents my
referring here to the very cquivocal notice taken
by Major General Quitman OF General Pierce, and
OF detailing the circumstances how that notice
made at all. This may furnish the subject of
other article, ii the friends of Pierce persist in tn r
cowardly attach upon the vAor Of General Scott.
To conclude: General Pierce shows, by his o,cn
reports that he did not reach Mexico until the 9th
OF August, when the march towards the city had
been bali concluded. That at the battle OF Contrc
ras he fell from his horse, which gave him the