The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-10-02
Prentice on Pierce.

INDUCES in merciless criticism of Gen.
Pierce's military career. However
harsh it may sound, it is certainly borne
oat by the official documents. His falls
at Contreras and Churubusco, though
very unlucky, night have been set down
to bad horsemanship; but his sudden
indisposition and retirement from the
field, when ordered 10 move immediate.
ly under the guns of Chapultepec,' and
his as sudden recovery next morning,
when the fighting was over, certainly
have very ugly aspect.
But hear Prentice, and make every
allowance possible for an uncharitable
critic:
1.-The first attempt Of General Pierce
at lighting was in the preliminary move
ments for the battle of Conlreras, that
extraordinary achievement Of General
Persifer F. Smith. During the prelimi-
naries, on August 10Th, General Pierce's
horse fell with him and hurt his leg.
That night, at l o'clock, the leading
spirits of the American army were &C
lively engaged in the arrangements tor
the battle Of Contreras. General
Pierce was waited upon, but he pleaded
that his leg would not permit him to
take part in that brilliant deed of arms,
which was destined to cover all engaged
in it with glory.
1t was we'll for the Americans that
Persifer F. Smith, Riley, Cadwalader,
Shields, and such men were not incura.
bly, given to sudden attacks OF sickness.
They broke through all distractions
and gained a splendid victory. The
battle was over very early in the morn.
Ing, lasting about 90 or 80 minutes, and
the defeat was so thorough that Gen.
Pierce may be pardoned for supposing
that the Mexicans would not fight any
more that day. Under this delusion,
although he was too much indisposed
before to command his brigade, as soon
as the battle Of Conreras was over he
reported himself ready for duty. But,
unfortunately for him, the MexicanS
were quite as enterprising as his conva-
lescence. The battle of Churubusco
doomed up very unexpectedly to him on
the day of Contreras, and surprised him
in the field on duty! Caught IN this I'M
lucky plight, he could not hang up his
lame leg, as he had done a few hours
before. Thus fairly in the tolls, Gen.
Pierce seemed unable to find retreat,
and in a fit of desperation, prepared to
stand the brush if possible.
The batteries of the enemy looked
formidable, one of twenty-five guns, es-
pecially, seemed to make an indelble
impression on Gen. Pierce, and, instead
Of taking part in the glorious action,
he was taken NTH atainting fit. He
says: n fell few yards from the sever
est fire of the enemy" Before fainting,
he seems to have measured the rage of
the fire with mathematical precision.
He must have felt, while lying "a few
yards from the fire of the enemy" as
Falstaff did at Shrewsbury; "Though |
could escape shot free at Concord, |
fear the shot here; here's no scoring but
upon the pate. n n n
| am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy
too. God keep lead out of me! need
no more weight than mine own bowels.
/ haze led my ragamuGns vhere THEY
are peppered.
We can almost imagine we can see
General Pierce, as we have seen Hackett,
in Falstaf, after the fall OF Hotspur,
peeping cautiously over the field to see
if the storm of strife was clearing up.
When the battle was loud in its tumolt,
and terrible IN its carnage, General
Pierce must have felt that his sickness
was lasting an age, and he must have
longed for the moment when it would
be safe to be in health again.
Whether General Pierce suffered any
in the way Of swoonlng on the 2lst of
August, the day after the battle of Chur.
ubusco, we cannot tell. On the 22nd
he formed one of the board for arrang.
ing an armistice, and went through
these labors, for three continuous days
without iainting once.
General Pierce enjoyed good health
during the armistioe. On the 10Th of
September he was again in the field.
On that day his business was one of
maneuvring merely; and, as there was
no fighting there was no fainting. Gen.
eral Pierce kept up all day. But, alas!
there came an order to him to move his
brigade, after dark, under the cover OF a
long range of buildings known as Moli-
no del Rey, (which place." General
Pierce says most expressively, SIS i'm
mediateIy under the guns of Chapulte.
pec." This was enough for Gen. Pierce,
tor, notwithstanding he enjoyed fine
health from the Goth of August, through,
out the armistice, up to the 10Th of
September, and was we'll enough to be
man euvrimg ais brigade all Of the day
Of the last date, ,chiie there ~us no fight
ing, vet, when the brig ade had to move