, 1861-10-29
:. THE LATE col. BAKER,
E1fR &affAaxFy In the Mexican War;
Tks Battls 1f Care Goraos

The Intelligence OF IQe ae&1u u Cols bA&al1
iesdisg hie fsrce1 aga3nst Tia eneny, hRs been
received Throughout the country With u1nt-
fettat3aus of fta deepest Rorrow. 4 more en-
esKetic and determined worker for tbs |
Uston, BY the powen Of both mind and body,
We hAve already given our readers sketch
Of hls hIstsry. A more detailed aecount OF
his action In the Mexican war cannot tai1 to
prove interesting to all. Col Baker, 1t the
commencement Of the Mexiczn WAr, 1a1seA M
regiment OF vol4atesrs n tae s5ste a;s nno'
Afterwards distinguished fer its bravery On |
uauy occasions, be led to the battle field. It |
was attached to the brigade Of Gss. Shields,
which Included in addition, the regiment Of
Col. Foreman Of ninols, nd NeE York
regiment under command Of Col. Burnett.
The battle in which Col Baker and his com
mand most distinguished themselves was
fought at Cefro Gorde between force on the
American side Of eight thousand five hundred
snd Mexican army Of twelve thousand
The victory which our army gained on that
occasion was due, in 10 small Measure, to tbs
cool, intrepid and gallant conduct OF Colonel
Baker; snd had he not since entered into pub
lie life, and again engagedf1 war tor the sup
port Ct hiE government, he would not have
been forgotten By the people Of any section OF
cause Of profound regret, BE lived through
the war with foreign nat1on to die by q bull
let from an army under the command Of bis
former companions In arms.
In the memorable battle Of which We have
been speaking, the following were among the
of1lce1s OF our force-hghtiag BY the side Of
him they have now slain The rebel general
Bauregard was then United States Lleuten.
sDt. General TWiggs then drew pay as gem
eral Pillow Has brigadier. Our eE-stTeet
Commissioner Gusta1us -. Smith served IS
Lieutenant. So many Of those who then Won
honor have since disgraced themselves. OF
those in cur army now in the field, who weze
engaged in the battle Of Cerro Gordo with
Colonel Baker, We may mention Gen McClel'
Ian, then lieutenant Of engineers, and Gene
ral Harney, then . colonel
During the aetion General Shields, il com
mand Of the brigade to which Colonel Bakers
regiment belonged, fell, badly wounded: Ihe
command Of the brigade then devolEed upoa
to honor Nearly al the commanding officers
noticed in their reports If the battle the heroic
conduct Of this brigade, led on by Colonel
Baker. General Scott, ii his report to Hon.
William 1; Marcy. then Secretary u War,
thus tavorably refers to . #: -, - no...,
Shields, and, sitter his fall, By Colonel Baker,
| deserves high commentator for its fine be-
hayior and success. + These oper-
atjone, hid from my view BY Intervening hill,
were not fully known when my first report
Thus spoke the Comma1der!nc chief Of the
forces under the gallant Colonel. In another
part al the same report ne find the following
mention made:
"The moment the fate Of the day was de
ciaed, the cavalry and Tay1or's and Wallis field
batteries were pushed on towards Jalappa If
-Twiggs's division and the hrj rjgads OF Shields
frew under Col BakeE)- and Major Genera
Patterson WAS sent to take command Of them.
Previously, "sbields's brigade, braTely asaault
Ing the left, carried the rear battery (fve guns
On the Jalappa road, and aided materially il
completing the rout Of the enemy
The brigade was exposed during the engage
ment to calling fire Of grape from the enc
my, but Boldly stood is ground. Genera
| TWiggs, il coEamaI9 OF a division, describes
their coaduct when pursuing the flying eAem
. | 8R follows:
son coming out in the plain west Of tn.
, Ceno Gordo, and in full view Of the Jalapp'
{ road. battery Of i've guns, supported sy
!. body Of lancers, was discovered. Geners
Shieids's brigade was discovered BY this 20!
grape on him and on Lieut.. Benjamin's con
t Tspy. The gallant general, with shout fro1
a his men, pushed baldly for the road On th
: enemy 3 left, who, seeing their position cor
t plete1y turned, a veil as driven from th
+ field, abandoned themselves to flight. Gel
t mand Of the brigade de7olving on Col. Bake
: who conducted it with ability"
I Again:
= "Of the conduct Of the volunteer force nj
n der The brave Gen. Shields I cannot speak
a too bi7h terms, After he Was wounded po
' tons Of the three regiments were With Il
# when arrived first at the Ja1appa rosd, an
= drove before them tho enemy's cannonie
i. frcm their 1oaded guns. Their condu
a stall be the subject Of special report, as ais
!. that Of several officers Of the regular arm
4 WHO were distinguished Oh the OCCASION"
r General Patterson, commanding the {
B. vision Of volunteers, also gives praise to Col
,e mel Baker:
=: 'sColonel Baker, Fourth Illinois regimen
- having assumed the command, the euenj
Il lines were charged with spirit and success
:. the Third and FonIth Illinois and the NJ
n York regiments Of. volunteers Under their !
i. epective commanders, Colonels Foreman II
# Burnett, and Major Harris. The ro1t now
~ coming general, the brigade pressed forwa
"a in rapid pursuit., leaving sufficient force
at secure the artillery, specie, baggage, prov
"a ions and camp equipage left in our hand.
- "The attention OF the Generalin. Chief Is p
Il, ticu1arly called to the gallantry of Brigadi
n. | Generals Pillow and Shields, who were be
ct | wounded st the head OF their respective b
1e gades; and to Colonel Baker, who led Shield
1e brigade during severe part Of the acti.
et and during the pursuit"