New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-09-29


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THE sT0RMING OF CHAPULTEPEc.
| The National Monitor, new literary paper
published in New York, contains sketch of a
portion of the military operations in Mexico
entitled "Life in the Army, or "reminiscences
of the Mexican War, by New York yolun-
teer." The style of the writer. Is plain and
lucid, and he narrates with much iyeliness
and directly to the point. Here is an account
of the storming Of Chapultepec: 9k't +
1t was sombre morning, the heavens being
obscured with dense, black clouds; therefore,
not wall Of the castle was visible to the'eye:
not even the hill upon which it stood could be
seen; nothing but the brilliant lights that illu.
minated it attracted the eye, presenting grand,
| imposing spectacle; concentration of brilliant
meteors, suspended from the black clouds above,
being the nearest simi1itude to it. As swe neared=
the castle, the greatest possible caution was OBJ
served. The men we're cautioned not to allow
their tin canteens to strike against their muskets
| or cartridge boxes; not a word was allowed
tspoken in the ranks; every possible precaution'
was taken to, keep the enemy in Ignorance Of our
tapproach. Onward we marched with noiseless
steps, silent tongues and palpitating hearts.
Nearer and nearer we approached the formida-
BILE castle, bristlng with heavy artillery, and
containing twelve thousand of Mexico's best
| troops, and commanded by one of her bravest
and best generals Suddenly we were brought
| to halt, the division to which 1 was attached
being intended to support battery under the
command of Captain Drum, which had been
erected during the night directly under the
castle. Just as we halted, the shrill notes of a.
trumpet assailed our ears. Then the rolling of
drums were heard, and presently full brass
band Joined in. 1t was the enemy playing the
reveille. A death-like stiffness prevailed in our
ranks at the time not a whisper or breathing
could be heard; therefore, SO unexpected was
the music, that when it struck the ear, it caused
momentary thrill to shoot through my frame;
felt peculiar, indescribable sensation. L
have no doubt others experienced the same.
The music was suddenly interrupted. BaDg-r
went one Of the huge pieces of artillery from
Drums battery, and for a moment the dreadful
whiz-z-z of its iron death messenger was heard
through the air, and then its fatal crash as it
struck the castle. Instantly every light in the
latter was quenched, and it was invisible
shrouded in darkness Silence was no longer
observed in our ranks; the commanding voice of
Baxter to 6 Forward! !" was heard. We Wemarched
short distance, fled to the right, and halted.
taking up q position in supporting distance of
Capt. Drums battery.
| Presently the sombre clouds that obseured the
heavens separated, q streak of light was visible.
in the Eastern horizon-the day was breaking.
Lighter and lighter it gradually grew; objects
that had been previously invisible, now appeared
to the sight. Anon, the blazing sun peeped forth
from the dark hiding place, d1ffusing flood of
light upon the earth, and revealing to our aston
ished sight the white massive walls of Chapulte-
pec the huge muzzes of hundred heavy pieces
| of artillery, that peered from their respective
! embrasures, and the glittering bayonets of at
| least eight thousand infantry in the woods sur
| rounding the CASTLE and at the base of the high
| hill upon which it stood - 5S5
| This was our first sight of the castle, and
gazed upon its imposing appearance with admi.
ration, contemplating at the same moment the
mighty convulsion that was to follow an attack
| upon its impregnable walls; the lives that must
necessarily be sacrificed; the wives made wild
ows; the parents childless; brothers and sisters
mourners, and helpless children perhaps father
| less Casting my eyes over the gallant little
| band that stood before me, companions whoshad
escaped through storms Of lead and iron, who
had fought by my side in oil the preceding bat
| ties. the sad and awful conviction forced itself
upon my mind, that in a brief time, many of
them, whose smiling faces and cheerful hearts
betokened ssno thought of the morrow would
| lie in the cold, icy embrace of Death!
1 The loud report Of q gun from the castle, and
the startling noise Of grape and canister as it
went tearing and crashing through the tall,
4 dense pulque plant, in my immediate vicinity
j checked all further reflections on my part. The
enemy had discovered us, and was evidently de-
termined to do us all the injury that he possibly
| could. Cannon after cannon, and huge mortars
| on the walls of the castle, yomited forth, unre-
mittingly, their ponderous round shot. grape,
canister and SHE'LL doing us, however, but little
injury, as we had taken the preoaution to occupy
a secure position. The guns from our several
| batteries, at several of the commanding points,
promptly answered the enemy, sending forth
| their deadly contents in reply. All day, from
daylight until the sable curtains Of night
shrouded the contending armies in darkness,
the booming Of cannon, the bursting of shells,
the crashing Of grape and canister, and the
sharp report Of musketry, greeted the ear
| Various incidents that came under my obser
vation during the day now force themselves
upon my memory.
Capt DRUMS battery, which kept up con
stant and destructive fire upon the castle thu
whole day, was stationed about sixty yard
from the right of my regiment Our who'll
division, commanded by Gen. Quitman, Consist
ing of the I'd Pennsylvania and South Caroline
, volunteers, and battalion of United State
marines, besides the New York volunteers ais
occupied a position in supporting distance o
: the battery. Attached to the South Carolin;
regiment were several negroes, slaves who hat
, accompanied their masters; some of them pri
Yates, too, on the campaign, and on severa
occasions displayed commendabe gallantry
One of these negroes, huge, black, muscula
fellow, stood about ten yards from one of tn
: guns, and at every discharge he would eargerl,
> watch what effect it had upon the castle. If
favorable one, he would jump up in the air, clal
his hands, and exelaim: .Golly, massa, yol
: give i'm goss dat time, suaht sSS
r Then he would again resume his position be
hind O tree, AMI await with anxiety the dis
: charge of another cannon, with straining eye.
I watch for the shot to sorike thscastle, and the
rush into the road, and 90 through the sam
performance as mentioned above, The fello
had conducted himself in that manner for tw
! or three hours, when a shot from our batter
T made desperate havoc with one of the outworl
9 of the CASTLE The terrible crash could |
Q distinctly heard, and the clouds of dust thi
: assembled into the air from the demolished mi
j, soury. presented picture similar to vast COZ
fagration. The negro's delight at this momeI
= was unbounded He threw himself on ti
ground, rolled over and over, and kicked an
squirmed like dying animal, uttering loud an
joyous exelamations. Then suddenly springin
: to his feet, he leaped about five feet from Il
le ground, struck his heels together, clappcd h
= hands, and exclaimed: s. Who-o-up Hoo-ral
jof da nf tarr,a a1