Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-11-18
From the New York Times Of Nov l0, 1854.
The Battle OF Alma and tho M exican CAM
paigns.

From the New York Times Of Nov l0, 1854.
The Battle OF Alma and tho M exican CAM
paigns.
The battle Of the Alma continues to be the
theme of boundless exultation on the part OF
the English press. From one end Of the king
dom to the other it is extolled as the most re,
markable engagement Of recent times. The
valor Of the British troops,-but few Of whom
it is noted had ever been under fire before the
steadiness of their advance against murder
GUS discharge from artillery and infantry
the order and discipline they displayed, and
the number of their killed and wounded before
their victory was secured, are cited as attesting
the unequaled qualities of British troops.
With quick and lively sympathy oil these de-
tails and eulogies have been copied into the
American press page after page of our own
and other journals have been devoted to these
chronicles of British valor-and we have even
We'd with the English press in extolling the
bravery and good conduct of the allied troops.
All this is very we'll But it may not be
amiss to cali to mind the fact, that but few
years have elapsed since we also went through
o war not without its scenes OF yalor and
heroic achievements but which has never
been recognized by the British press, except as
an incident of American aggression. The
capture of Vera Cruz was made the occasion
of a brutal and utterly unjust assault upon
General Scott; and ten or dozen lines were
all the Times could afford for the brilliant bat
ties of Buena Vista and Churubusco, while
scarcely more was given to the conquest OF the
Mexican capital ITSELF And yet we venture
to say that British history records no instances
of valor and Of steady courage, surprising
those which crowd the history of that brief but
stirring and decisive campaign.
At the Alma the Allies, with not less than
$4,000 men, took the entrenched heights Of
the river, held and defended by about $4,000
Russians, losing in the battle COG killed, and
2,699 wounded. They had force decidedly
killed and wounded One.f ffeenth of their force
Although but few of their troops had ever been
in action before, all Of them were regulars,
thoroughly drilled, and trained to obey the
orders of their commanding officers, who were
veterans and had seen service. They behaved
we'll, and fought with steady and unfinching
courage but against an inferior force, made up
of troops quite as unused to actual battle as
they themselves.
At the battle Of Buena Vista, General Tay-
lor with 1859 men, of whom all but 453 had
not only never been in action, but were actu
ally unused to the discipline of the field, being
absolutely raw recruits--met and put to utter
rout 10000 Mexican regulars--losing over 700
men, or more than 0ne-seUenth of his entire
force. At the battle of Contreras and Churu-
busco, General Scott, with $3.50 men, stormed
over $4,000 Mexicans strongly entrenched and
abundantly supplied with artillery, drove them
out and defeated them with a loss of nearly
7 900 killed, wounded, and missing losing
himself LOLA Of his troops, including rs OH
GERS, or more than 0ne-sirth of his entire force.
At Moline del Rey, 3,447 Americans, under the
immediate command of General Worth, stormed
an immensely strong fort defended by at least
10000 Mexicans, and after one Of the hottest
and hardest engagements ever fought, in which
officers and men performed prodigies
of valor rarely paralleled in history, captured
four pieces of artillery and took nearly eight
hundred prisoners, by the musket and bayonet
alone, with loss of 1877, including SO officers,
being one-third of all the officers and nearly
one fourth of all the men engaged And after
this battle, General Scott, with $500 men, the
sole remnant Of his force, assaulted and cap
tured the strong and well defended fortress OF
Chspultepec-losing in that affair 863 men, or
one.sirh of his force-pushed on towards the
capital, dispensing all the bands that resisted
his advance, and finally took possession of that
city of over 10000 Inhabitants, held at the
time by nearly 10000 troops.
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