Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-08-31
BIOGRAPHICAL.
WINFIELD SCOTT,
HIS LIFE As q COMMANDER |. N z.
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u WINFIELD SCOTT,
HIS LIFE ASA COMMANDER. Il
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M LANDS NEAR VERA CRUZ-LAYS SEIGE
u [ TO IT, TAKES 1T. Nsaz9l
There have been few enterprises, for many CEN
turies like that of our great captain; none SO
idprinp except that of Cortez. That of Lepanto
and that of the invincible Armada were failures
Bonaparte against Egypt was far more numerous
and at last defeated. The French have been The
tea cheers OF war to the modern world; but their
expedition against Algiers in 1880, while much
larger, and of far longer preparation, was every
way, exceeded by SCOTS. he surpassed nus leacnl
ers. They, under much more favorable crcunl-
stances, threw ashore, in day, but 9,OOO men;
he u, 900. They lost by accidents in the opera
ton, near 40mcn;sh not one. Nothing was ev-
er better managed. 1t was, indeed, so well done
as to prevent all opposition from the enemy. lie
obtained the first great point-a foothod for con
quest-without striking a blow. The second-the
capture of Vera Cruz and its great castlc-was
accomplished with equal ability, almost without
loss, in surprisingly short time; and yet, with
scarcely half the means Of attack,which the Gov
eminent was to have sent him. he landed his troops
on the 9th invested the city at all points by the
18th: on the 18TH though delayed ior live days by
a storm which rende ed impossible the landing OF
his seige guns he opened his trenches; by the 22d
lie was ready to batter it, and sent it formal no
tice to surrender; andby the Goth he had so torn
i: to pieces that it offered to capitulnte which 1t
accordingly did next day; and on the 29th he took
possession of the city the castle, about hye nun
tied pieces of fine artillery, quantity OF militia.
~ stores, five thousand prisoners and the chief
commercial port of Mexico, the proper basis and
point of supply for his further conquests All
this was, by a skill and humanity alike admirable,
effected with only the loss of two officers and
dozen or two of men, while he was lnflctng upon
the enemy a terrible destruction. Isl :, /
HE PUSHES ON TOWARDS MEXICO-WINS|
THE GREAT VICTORY OF CERROs tGORDO.
The highest qualities of the great commander
are caution to plan and rapidly to execute. For
these Scott has always been remarkable. Giving
the enemy 10 longer pause than was necessary for
getting and putting inmotion his own means for
TRANSPORTING his artillery and supplies, he moved
forward with s, 1000 men upon the enemys iorm-
dablc passes on she Sth of February. Meantime,
while delayed he had struck at and taken AVA
RADIO the next most important Mexican port III that
quarter, His forward movement was i'll three di-
visions: the foremost that of Gen. Twiggs; Pat
terson's followed on the10th; Worth's on the 18th
| or an opposing force Of the enemy they had only
vague accounts. On the 9Th Scott had learned
that President Santa Anna was at Jalapa, with
| G, OOOm men; but until he camelin front OF him at
Cerro Gordo did not suppose his army above 4,oOO
Inli on the 18th, when he arrived at the little
village of Rio del Plan, where lay Twiggss divi-
sion ready to attack and certain to have been de-
eated he soon ascertained that the Mexican forces
were before him, $4,000 strong, IN what seemed
| an almost impregnable pass the natural advan
tages of which, increased by many artificial defem-
ces appeared to defy all direct attack, while di-
rect attack was thought the only only one posi-
BILE. Soiudged Santa Anna, no unskilful foe, and
rested secure But Scott soon undeceived him.
Waiting for his rearmost division Chat under
WORTH to come up, he meantime looked into all
the possibilities of his adversary's position, and
fonnd that a way Though narrow and Ioughl could
be opened through the rocks and hills on the ene-
my's left, and that by this he might send a force
into Santa Annals rear, and at once carry his po-
Sitions and cut off his retreat. Accordingly, w orth
having Joined him at midnight on the 10th, Scott
made on the 18th all his dispositions for the NOR
rows attack, and issued that remarkable general
order i'll which he may be said to have exactly d.
scribed in advance the next days battle Already
| Twiggs's division (including Smiths brigade and
supported by Shields's) had been pushed forward
by the new path; and seized the Telegraph hill, in
order to batter from it the enemys chief position,
| the crest of Cerro Gordo. To mount our batteries
OH the Telegraph and another across the river on
the enenlys right for raking their lower range OF
batteries q 1pieces) heavy guns were that nigh
with prodigious labor, dragged and lifted up by
hand. Well at dawn on the 18th, the movements
begin. Twiggs advances upon the hill OF CeIro
Gordo; Shields is thrown still further forward, to
take POSSESSION of the road beyond the pass Ill the
enc my's rcar; Pillows division attacks the lower
range of batteries, rather with the view OF alarm
ing than of taking them; while Worth's DIVISION is
held in reserve, with the dragons and light arl-
lery. On all sides the fight was fierce and long;
but at last nothing could resist the Amencan ar
dor: all the enemy'S positions are stormed ana car
tied: 5000 OF the enemy, including five generals,
are cut off and surrender the rest Of the army Is
either killed pr broken up and pursued; 43 fine
pieces of brohZe cannon, 5,UU0 stand OF arms al
their military stores, standards, and Santa Anna:
military chest fell into our power; and while oul
total loss, in tie two days OF fighting, was but 40!
in killed and wounded, the adverse force was ami
hilated, an int etnte number was destroyed, ant
the way to MeSico's capital left open; Tor really
in Scott's own words, "She had no longer al
army ,,t;,,i ar
CAPTURE OF JALAPPA, PERoTE AND
| = PUEBLA..f III & fb
The admirable battle of Ccrro Gordo filled no
only the American but the European world will
as,onishment, and gave boundless idea OF not onl,
| the yalor Of our troops but the military genius
their leader. 1t might well doso for the victor,
was scarcely as Brilliant as it was decisive fueb
la fell at once the strongly fortified pass OF Ii
Hoya was abandoned; the powerful castle OF Pc
rote, one Of the lulwarks OF Mexico, surrendered
with all its cannon and stores; and the great towl
of Puebla, of which the wild and fertile valley wa;
the destined grarary and garden OF temporary re-
| pose for our men, lay at our mercy vi tins las
| point possession was taken on the 9Th OF May
From it. with scarcely an Intervening place OF re-
sistance, was within reach the gIanu hnal scene o.
SCOTS operati ons-the great and Deantliui Vale o.
Mexico, its lakes, foruesses, casues, eheholeu
| q INNS and converts those dangerous causeways
of whose difficulties Cortez got such taste OF old
and lastly, the splendid old city itself But Scott
could not at once proceed lto.the attack; hsetlec
tive force, cut down by battle, disease desetton,
| Tn. dis niSsa of volunteers whose term of service
was running out, and the garrisons of necessity left
behind, was now shrunk to less than five thous-
and. 1t would have been madness not to wait for
renfercements. as 1t would have been folly to carry
forward to the desperate fights which he knew lay
| before him either unwilling volunteers, OF, with
out previous training the fresh recruits that were
to come up. Besides, like Gen. Taylor, he had
served his country too well. Him he had been
semitic eclipse; but he had eclipsed him too much
and turned upon hiInselfthe Presidential and party
Jealousy, which had little thought of making wal
that should give gloly and popularity 10 its Gener-