New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-06-05


Mississippi river is falling all the way from the
mouth of the Ohio to the Gulf Of Mexico.
--~ Co..
Letter from st. Mary Parish.
PARISH IF ST. Macy. J.ccl !, ISL.
Editor Ctc$ocnt-As the peunsylvauians seem
to be furnishing the largest quota of volunteers for
the war, will you allow me to give your readers
some idea, from personal observation, as to what
sort of troops they make in the field
I was attached to the first Tennessee regiment
during the war with Mexico, On the morning of
the 10th of March, lS47 the whole Of Gen. >cott's
army which had landed were drawn up on the
beach below Vera Cruz, preparatory to beginning
the investment of the city The first Tennessee
regiment, half clad, ragged and dirty, from hard
usage and long marches found itself beside two Of
the most splendidly dressed, finest looking Tegi-
ments to be seen in the whole line OF eleven thou
sand troops there drawn up. Upon inquiry we
learned that these two regiments we're Pennsyl-
vanians, and that we were now hrigaded with
them From such fine looking body Of troops all
expected great things. In an hour. after we were
on the march to invest the town. Norths division
was to occupy the landing and the country for a
mile back. Our regiment being entitled to the
right OF the volunteer division, pushed past Worth's
division to take up the position beyond his lines.
We were Immediately followed by these two mag
nifcent Pennsylvania regiments, full fifteen hun
dred strong After winding our way through the
sand hills and dense chapparcl, we at length ap-
preached the ruins of MaIibran, an old convent.
In front Of it long pond one hundred or more
yards in width. Just behind it was a considerable
hill, on which were two large buildings occupied
by the MeXicans a magazine and arsenal and
defended by strong force Of the enemy.
Our regiment crossed the pond and drew up be-
hind the old convent to recOnnOter the position Of
the enemy. We threw off some t1ankers and
r1i
sylvanians were halted beyond the pond. Soon
our skirmishers became holly engaged with the
enemy, and we were ordered to climb the hill and
support them. We were rapidly climbing the
steep hill in column of companies when the Penn
sylvanians discovered oar bayOnets rising behind
the ruins, and the sllirmshers were still firing
on the brow of the hill, just above u.s. the fifteen
hundred PennsYvanians opened fire upon us
knocking off some half dozen bayonets and dam
aging the muzzles of three or four guns. Fortu-
nateIy, the bodies of our men were yet covered by
the ruins.
We fell back under protection of the ruins, to
have the firing stopped; but before Gen Pillows
Aid could recross the pond and reach the position
OF the PennsylVanans, they were nowhere to be
seen. They had fred and fed in every direction
and not fifty men remained where they should
have been.
state facts known to the whole army, but not
mentioned in report Of officers when say it
hours before the Pennsylvanans could be rallied
that large numbers OF them threw away arms and
equipments, and made their way to the beach
others r small squads OF three totem, found their
way to Worth's lines; While the c1appareI was
streWn thick with castaWay guns, cartridge boxes,
bayonet-belts, knapsacks, blankets, ETC., and it
was actually necessary to rearm a considerable
number of them. All this before a shot had been
fired at them. Our hopes, which had been placed
so high on the fine appearance of our fellow
brigadersAs fell considerable after this conduct.
They had been drilling vigorously for six weeks
Lobos Island before reaching Vera Cruz, and were
well disciplined; and we determined to give them
another chance
Five weeks after the above occurrence we were
before CerrO G0rdO. Pillows brigade, composed
of the First and Second Tennessee, and First apd
Second Pennsylvania Regiments, were ordered to
attack the strong works on the right of the enemy's
operation. The Pennsylvanians turned out over
fourteen hundred strong, and promised brave
things. short distance beyond Plan del Rio we
left the main road and turned square off to the left
to approach the enemys works, which were more
than mile distant from the main road we marched
in double ranks through thorny chapparel by
narrow path, and upon reaching our position
found a shallow ravne and dry hollow parallel to,
and some too hundred and fifty yards in front Of the
enemys works; in this hollow our troops were to
form. The Second Tennessee was to charge a
strong work, supported by the First Pennsylvania,
while the Second Pennsylvania was to storm
other work to the left of the first, and to be sup
ported, if necessary, by the First Tennessee, which
last regiment was held as a reserve.
The charge was ordered before oqr, regiment
could get into position. As the firing began, we
were pushed forward at run, and as we came
near the ground, we could see our promising Penn
sylvanians broken into a hundred squads, and run
ming like wild hogs through the chapparel. In
vain we tried to stop or rally them in vain we
dashed in front of large squads, and threatened
them with our bayonets. They scattered before
US, and lodging into the thicket, continued their
disgraceful flight. Cenching our teeth, we rushed
to the front, only in time to cover the retreat of
the gallant Second Tennessee, which had charged
up to the very works of the enemy with the loss of
over ninety men, and had been forced to fall back
hut Tho e
The Second Tennessee quickly reformed in the
hollow, but not hundred Pennsylvanians out of
over fourteen hundred could be got into line-a
the rest were gone to the main road, as best
they could saw officers at the head of squads
with their caps lost and their swords waving over
their heads leapng over bushes and diving through
thckets after fashion that would certainly have
caphVated the heart of that defunct acrobat Ellis
worth they would certainly have made admirable
specimens of his style of ZOuaVes. One would
naturally suppose that, smarting from the taunts
given for their recent conduct Vera Cruz these
Pennsyivanians must have been subjected to ter
rbe fire to cause them to run again but they
never saw an enemy (unt we took them prison
era) The moment Haskell's Second Tennessee
started into the charge, they started into run. 1t
IS true, that the fire opened on Haskell did cut
down a few OF their men before they could get out
OF the way; but ont of over fourteen hundred
Pennsylvanians not one was killed and only twen-
tY-three were wounded while Haskell, with three
hundred and forty, lost nearly hundred and the |
First Tennessee, with only two hundred and sixty
lost two killed and eight or ten wounded while |
acting as a reserve.
Such are the Pcnnsylvauians and their General
Patterson is no better | may give You some &C. |
counts OF Gen. Patterson in the field at some future
time.
| could extend my remarks to personal observa-
tons OF other Northern troops but, as the Penn
sylVanans rather a strong sample of all of
them will not trespass further on your columns
Tor the present Ny own opinion is that the only |
hard fighting that will be done in the present war