Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-07-01

som and Lieutenant Colsnel Bcnhsm of the l6,h and
Captnin woods Of The 20t-assuil-d the enrmys works
uted -rh the glorious contamination Of the work 20
he ndsnre'v commenced on the preceding day.
General Worth, 10 whose great gaansry during the
action Il affords me pleasure To hear wine.s with bis
division, and my self wirh the Ih and l4t 81
my command pressed apidly in pursuit Of the flying
enemy, unilwc had arrived with commands nearly
under the fire 81 the guns cfthe encmy. planted in the
suburbs of the capital where osertakcn BY mn
order from the gen-fslinclcf tn call off trocps
from further pursuit. During this movement. l
with Colonies Ransom. and Moreans regiments, 18th
Infantry under Captain Wood, mud the howZer battery
under Lieutenant Reno. parts of my division. forming
General Pierce's brigade. which lad been movrl BY
der Of the genes-in-chi,f under rnn,snd If General
Pierce ngnins, large body Of the the RICH, and
rear of the main work, where the, had been in
ton with Shicdss brigade engaged in fierce open field
fight with large force.
Brigadcr General Pierce. though .tl suffering severe
" from his injury of the preceding day lad nevertheless
been on duty and in command Of his brigade during the
day. until few before. when ir had faint-d
from pain and exhaust and hecr carried prn the
held In this last engagement the gullan, Colonel Nor
gun wounded severity. whrn the comm nd of IT.. I5h
| regiment devoved on Lieutenant Colonel Howard.
General Worths report contains the follow.
ing remarks
THE div elm commander cannot forero tic o,poru-
~ presented. to acknowledge his obsa,ion. and
press his admiration of the gallant bearing of Major
rnesn Pillow. and Brigadicr lenrral Shields CadwuH
fsefre with whom he tad qualification at
concert md cooperation voious critical periods Of
the conflict"
Pierces name is evidently inserted here by
Worth inadvertently. or in spirit Of gencrosi-
ty, that made him willing to bestow pruise upon
orc who had lecn so unfortunate as to do
act calculated to in for hin, a name by its
own INTRINSIC merits. without examining criii-
cally into the grounds for such praise; for
ques'ionablyit is fully shown by all the reports.
Worth's included. that during the oper atoms
a, Conireras. Worth was engaged with his di-
| vis,on at San Antonio. six tuiles distant from
Contreras. After the capture of Contreras.
Pierce's brigade marched to the eft Of the
Pedrigal TO Coyoacan from whence it diverged
to the left and rear Of Churul.usco. Worth AZ
ter carrying San Antonio. marched directly on
the road to the capital through Churuhusco.
on the right Of the Pedrigal.w hen he vas joined
by Pillow with Cadwalsder's brigade and pro-
ceeded 30 attack the Tste du Popt while
Pierce and Shields were marching TO the rear
by the left. Worth and Pillow. after carrying
the Tete d1 Pont pursued the enemy on the
road to the capital. aud were joined by Shield.
1jicr he had routed the enemy's force in the
rear. Pierce had tainted some time before
this and been carried from the 6cld-so that at
no time during either day did Worth have any
concert or cooperation" with Pierce OF wit
ness his conduct, but he did act in concert with
Pillow. Shields and Cad ader; with Pillow
and Calwalader al the Tete do Pont, and
Shields in the pursuit. He may have been led
into The mistake by the fact that Pierce's bri-
gade, 0fhoxt its commander. WAS with Shields
in the pursut-the absence Of Pierce not being
noticed by him.
General Shields under whose command
Gen Pierce was at the engagement in rear IF
Chur1husco. fails to notice him at all. and the
suhjoined extract contains all he says in refer
ence to his brigade:
"Prrce's brigade. under my communal in this aciop.
lost considerable number in killed md woundrd.-
Among the latter tie gallant Col. Morgan ct the 18th
This command wing rcioncd its division immediately
after the action. have, yet received 'ical
port Of its boss"
From the foregoing extracts Eom General
SCOTS reports. it i'll he sect, to what eAient
Gen. Pierce won his "high commentator
Tits true. he calls him ",he gallant Brigadirr
General Pierce but he fails TO commend his
skill. conduct or bearing upon one single oc-
casion. The expression as used by General
Scott ID one of courtesy. All military men.
particularly general officers, are gallant bv
courtesy, as all Lawyers learned. and all
Ladies fair, in the same name. One General
calls another ",l,e gallant General" Us
Lawyer calls another his "lcarncd brother
and as we all say Of lady, "our fair iliend."
But. it must be admitted, that there is great
er fitness of things, in the expression. "my fair
partner tainted in the dance from exhaustion"
than in this, ''ihe gallant General tainted in the
action from pain and exhaustion
| There is a SAVIOUR Of smelling bottles abou,
the idea of fainting, which does not altogether
II ii Il II =
little curious, that Shields " ho commanded ii,
the action in which Pierce tainted. should not
have mentioned him at ALL Shields and his
command performed a brilliant feat, and suf
fered severely. He speaks in lish praise o..
others; Pierce was his second in rank. and If
ne did anything worthy Of note. or show cd II
disposition TO do an,'liog. Shields behaved
unhandsomely not to mention him. His 81
lence Is pregnant circumstance, perhaps, he
thought the least said the better Pillow. il
will be seen. save that Pierce received his in
jury from the fall of his horse, lille "gallantlv
leading his brigade into the ,hiokest Of the bat
tic on the 18TH" but. it will nbundan'ly appear
from the facts and reports. tina, Pierce did-not
lead his brigade irto battle ut all on the 10Th.
Colonel Rsnsom lead it to its position under
heavy FIRE, but even he did not lead il into bat
|
Pillow further says, that Pierce had lccn
on duty, and in command OIL his brigade du-
ring the day Of the goth. this is another error.
Pierce Joined his brigade after Contreras had
been carried. end remained with it until he
tainted at the commencement of the action a.
Frcje de Portales, and as borne from the
field. But something is TO be allowed to Pill
low! He who drew SO largely upon his masi.
nation for his account Of his ow n deeds. and
claimed the credit for the attack on Contrcras.
with which he had almost as little to do as
Pierce, could well afford to be liberal to others
Not~ ithstandngth the severe naturcofP icrcc's
injury and his faip'ing fit of the Goth. on the
22nd. he was sufficiently ell 10 act as Com.
missioner on the part Of the United States and
to sign the srmistice then entered into. The
part which Pierce played during the action Of
the Srh Of September at Moline del Eev. aud
the. 18th, 18Th. and 18th at Chepurpcc.
and the gates Of Mexico. was that ofan inva-
lid as will be seen hy his rcpor, here given.
HEAp-QrARrFRs. 1sr BHIeApE. 81 DrvI-,oS.
| Tacn6oyn, September Is, 1877.
| CAPTAIS-l have the honor TO submit for the intor
nation of the major general commanding the division.
the following report Of The operations Of my brigade .'u
ring that portion of tho 18TH nth and l4th day. OF Sep,
tenber, whilst il unJer iminediate ~ursmahd-