The Shasta courier., 1855-02-10
The Battle of the Alma and the Mex
lean Campaigns.

For weeks TIE American press has literally
groaned with eulosies, copied from Britishnews-
papers, of the vaor of the British troops in the
battle of the Alma. Time and again has it been
extolled as the most remarkable engagement oil
recent times. Indeed if an American editor occa.
sionally deems it his duty to take exceptions to
this universal song of laudation to British arms
and British valor, some conceted Engishman
straightway grows indignant, and attributes it to
American jealousy. Speaking upon this subject
at length, the ". Y. Times says:
1t may not be amiss TO call to mind the fact
that but few years have elapsed since we also
went through war not without its scenes of
valor and heroic achievements, but which has
never been recognised by the British press ex-
cept instance of American aggression
The capture of Vera Cruz made the occa-
sion OF IA brutal aud utterly unjust assault upon
General Scott; and ten ii dozen lines were all
the Times could afford for the brilliant battles
OF Buena Vista aud 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 deci-
sive campaign.
At the Alma the Allies with not less than so
600 men, took the entrenched heights of the riv-
er. held and defended by about 35 900 Russians.
losing IN the battle 606 killed and 699 wound
ed. They had force decidedly superior to that
of the enemy, and lost in killed and wounded
one fifteenth OF their force. Although but few of
their troops had ever been in action before, all
OF them We're regulars, thoroughly drilled, and
trained to obey the orders of their commanding
officers, who were veterans and had seen SER
vice. They behaved well, and fought with
steady and untlinching courage. bu. against an
inferior force, made up OF troops quite un-
used to actual battle as they themselves
At the battle of Buena Vista, General Taylor
with 4759 men, of whom all but 453 had not
only never been in action, but were actually
unused TO the discipline OF the field, met and
put to utter route 10000 Mexican regulars, To-
sing over 700 men, more than oaeseuenth Of
his entire force. AT the battles of Contreras and
Churubusco, General Scott, with $500 men,
stormed over $4,000 Mexicans, strongly en-
trenched and abundanty supplied with artillery,
drove them out and defeated them, with loss
OF nearly z 900 killed, wounded and missing To-
sing himself OLA of his troops, including 76
officers, or more than one-Sirth of his entire
force. At Molino del Rey, 3.447 Americans, un-
der the immediate command of General Worth,
stormed an Immensely strong fort, defended by
at least 0,000 Mexicans, and, after one of the
hottest and hardest engagements ever fought,
IN which individual officers and men performed
prodlgles OF valor, rarely parallcled in history,
captured four pieces of artillery and took nearly
eight hundred prisoners, by the musket and
bayonet alone, with loss of 7S7 including 50
ofhcers-being one-third of all the officers and
nearly one.tourth of all the men engaged And
after this battle, Gen. Scott, with $500 men, the
sole remnant of his force, assaulted and captured
the strong and well-detended fortress of Chepul-
tepec-losing in that affair S63 men, or one-sirth
OF his force-pushed on towards the capitol, dis
persing all the bands that resisted his advance,
and finally took possession of that city of over
100000 inhabitants, held at the time by nearly
10000 troops.
Through this whole campaign raw troops
who had never been drilled six months In their
lives, commanded mainly by young officers who
had never seen battle nor encountered hos
tile shot-did the work of veterans Every
quality ;hat marks good soldiers distinguished
every step OF their advance. There was no SER
vice too desperate or too dangerous for them
They took no account of disparity Of force, how
ever great. Single officers more than once
rushed alone into the enirenchnents of the enc
envy, and either held their ground ., personal
yalor till reinforced. or were cut to pieces by
the superior numbers of the foe. Every one Of
the principal battles of the Mexican war was
more bloody, more desperate, fought against
greater odds, and cost heavier loss than the bat
tie OF the Alma. The Mexican soldiers In near
y every instance, fought as well as the Rus
SLAMS And there is not single point in which
those battles were not to the full as creditable
10 American arms as was the battle OF the Alma
TO the British