The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-03
General Pierce. military services.

knows, in his second article in your paper of this
morning quotes from the official reports TO sustain
the injurious assertions preferred against General
Pierce in his first article
/ /. will commend to his careful attention the
following extracts, which will reveal to him The
fact Of which he seems to be profoundly ignorant.
| that on the 18th OF August there a and
protracted engagement against the front and left
| Of the entrenched camp, in which Pierce and the
bulk of his brigade bore a gallant and conspicuous
| part: IS. ..-. ."H
Extracts from General SCOTS Report-"Arriy-
| ing on the ground an hour later, found that
Pillows and Twiggs's division had advanced to dis
lodge the enemy, picking their way Gail officers
FOOT along his front, SC" "These batteries, INA
| gruder's and Caliender's) most gallantly served,
suffered much in the course Of the afternoon from
the onemy's superior metal" "The battle,
though mostly stationary. continued to rage
with great violence until nightfall. Brevet Briga
der General p. F. Smiths and Brevet Colonel
Riley's brigades, (Twiggs's division,) supported
/ by Brigadier General Pierce's and Cadwalader's
brigadss (Pillows division, were more than three
hours under heavy fire of artillery and musketry
along the amoet impossible rayine in front and to
| the left Of the enirenched Annual Docu-
| msnt, lS47, pages 3O4 306. .t.. .hr..
Extracts from General PilOtc's Report sus-
| tain these movements, Brigadsr General Cadwal
! ader was ordered TO advance with his brigade and
support General Riley; and Brigadier General
| Pierce, with bis command, to support the column
moving upon the enemy's front, under Brgadicr
General Smith. This last command was soon
closely engaged with the enemy, al were also
the batteries of Captain Magruder and Lieu
| tenant Calender"
After dwelling on Calwaladers operations in the
village, General Pillow says:
During all this time the battle ragged fiercely
between the other portions of the two armies with
constant and destructive fire OF artillery"
might coming on, (but not until entirely dark
this fierce conflict suspended to be renewed on
the morrow" .u
Again:
BRIG Gen. PIERCE though badly injured by the
fall of his horse while gallautly leading his brigade
into the thickest of the fight on the 10TH did not
quit the field, but continued in command of his
Brigade &c. 81 cannot withhold the oxpres-
preston Of my sense OF the deep obligations am
under for the success and honor due to my COM
| mand to my two gallant Brigadier Generals. lead
walader and Pierce,l whose promptitude, skill.
and daring, were equal to every emergency, and
who, in the absence of discipline in their COM
their brigades to honor and distinction. an.
| nual Doc. lS47, pages 1874, 1876, 339
These extracts sufficient to show the severe
| nature Of the engagement Of tho 18th, and the
gallant conduct Of Gen. Pierce. II was indeed the
Palo Alto Of tho valley, though it has been lost
sight of in the gnitude of the operations Of the
following day.
2. Your correspondent, zone who saw and
knows" intimates doubt as 10 Gen. Pierce hav-
ing reached Quman, on the night of the l4tb Sep
TENDER, before the MI xcan authorities had inform.
ed him that Santa Anna had evacuated the city;
but, after referring to General Quitmun's and
Smiths reports, magnanimously gives Pierce the
benefit of the doubt will commend to his care
full reflection theee extracts from Quitman's
port:
" During the night, while at the trenches, Brign-
der General PIERCE one Of whose regiments (the
9th Infantry had joined my column during the
day, reported to me in person. He was instructed
to place that regiment in reserve at the battery in
rear for the protection Of Steptoe's light battery
and the ammunition at that point. The General has
my thanks for his prompt attention to these mat
Steptoe was preparing his heavy missiles, n white
flag came from tho CITADEL" &C., &c.-Annual
Doc. lsa7, page 4I6.
Extract from Gen. Smiths rtpo,t.-"This was
done during the night by Lieut. Beauregard, and at
daylight three heavy guns, in position, were
ready to open their FIRE, when learned the city
was bandoned by the eneny's troops"
These extracts show conclusively that Pierce
Joined Quitman's command sc'ilst they were max
ing their arrangements to renew the attack, that
he rendered service in preparing for that attack.
| and that it must have been some hours before it
was known the enemy had abandoned the city.
! If " One who saw and knows' ever saw the posi-
ton of ",he Trenches" and if be ever knew any
thing OF the terrible fire of the citadel the after.
noon of the 18th, and which same fire troops
expected to encounter on the morning of the l4th,
as the extracts quoted show, he then can under
| stand the weighty significance TO be attached to
General Pierce leaving his sick bed in the night
and repairing to the post of greatest danger.
y. But the official reports are again quoted from
to show that my assertion in regard to General
Pierce's gallantry at Molino is without foundation
What do they say' i will quote whole sentence
from Scott, and not the least significant part OF it.
| as your correspondent has done '..-
"But tho battle was won just as Brigadier Gene
raj Pierce reached the ground, and had inteposed
hss eorps bei,Desn Garland's b'ig0ds (orth's dui
| sion) and the rsrsating enemy"
Your correspondent has left out the part have
| italicized 1t was true, General Worth complained
| OF this unjust to his command; but as all who
| were the field Of Moline know, there q
| nonade from Chapultepec-shells and round shot
during nearly the whole of the day and very sharp
| musketry firing from the enemy's skirmishes. 1t
was under this fire Pierce brought his command
into position; and, though the officers Of the old
army did not see and know every thing, they did
see this. Two of Worths own staff in that battle
have expressed, both in the city of Mexico and in
this sity, their admiration of Pierce's conduct
this occasion; and it their authority spoke.
| One was his chief of staff, and the other tho
only accommodating officer attached TO his com
/ mand that not wounded. If 'One who saw and
knows'' knows any thing about the operations at
Moline, he knows to whom refer; and he knows
them to be two Of the most high. minded, gallant,
and efficient officers in that whole army. and men
whose testimony is decisive in case like this ]
know General Worth would bear tho same testi.
nony were he living.
I. have thus from the official reports and from
the testimony of officers made good my assertions.
| 1t will be seen that General Pierce unlucky
in getting badly hurt during the fret engage
ment. have never claimed that General Pierce
was 10 the battle of Conireras on the morning Of
the 2oth. II was q physical impossihity for him
| to get over the rocks Twiggs and Pillow did no.
even attempt It; and who doubts tho gallontry OF
these menr We have the testimony OF General
Scott tina. Pierce led his command into action at
Cburubusco. "just able to keep the saddle;' and
we know that he sunk exhausted TO the ground,
unable to move single step. IL he to be re
preached for the attempt to make his way on foot
| in tina, field, when most men would have shrunk