The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-08-30
A Thrilling Episode of the Mexican War.

A Thrilling Episode Of the Mexican War.
One Of the thrilling episodes of the
Mexican war which is not found in any Of
| its histories is that of the rescue of an
English family from the City of Mexico
| before the capitulation, by a detachment
of American soldiers. The city had been
invested some time, when a refugee one
night entered that part OF our lines which
General Shields commanded. He was
taken to the general and to him told his
story. He was an English boy, and, with
his mother and /; sister just arrived at
womanhood, occupied home in the cap
ital at the time of the investment One
of the lawless guerilla chiefs who held the
people Of the city as well as of the country
in terror, had conceived violent passion
for the sister, who repulsed his advances
and he had declared, in his rage, that I'M
less she consented to his proposals on the
following morning, he would carry her off
| by force, and cause her mother and broth
er to be executed. The lad, in the eN-
trenity Of his terror, had made his way
out OF the city past the sentinels and the
lines, gained the American camp, and
now besought the general to save his sis
| ter and mother. The ardent soul of
Shields (who was then but thirty seven)
was fired at the thought OF the miserable
fate awaiting these hapless ladies, and,
without communicating at all with head
quarters (where fiat refusal would have
been certain), he formed plan for their
rescue. To call it rash, QuiNotc or dare
devil would be but the TRUTH the best
defense of his proceedings of that night
| IS that it was a brave act, prompted by Il
generous heart, and that he succeeded
| perfectly, where disaster would have in
| sured his dismissal from the army. He
| had about four hundred picked men Of his
command detailed, and after quietly in
| forming them what he proposed to do, he
| found every man eager for the adventure.
| Putting himself at the head of the little
| column, he silently left the American Ines,
| and, favored by the darkness of the night,
| approached close to the walls of the CITY
without discovery. The sentincls could
be plainly seen on the walls, and the cry,
! '.Senti,set0 aierte :" was heard as it passed
from mouth to mouth. Guided by the
! lad, the party scaled the wall at a favor
able place, and Selling two or three of the
aStOunded sentinelS, descended into the
| city, and quickly made their way unop-
posed through the streets to the house to
which the lad guided them. The boy ran
| in and informed the ladies that deliver
ance had come they hastily collected a
few Valuabes and articles of wearing ap-
parel III a bundle, and placing the rescued
party in the centre Of the column, Shields
started to return. But meantime the
alarm had been given, and drums were
beating and lanterns flashing all around
the walls. Arrived near the point of en-
trance, it was found that the whole open
place between the houses and the wall was
filled with Mexican infantry and artillery.
Shields instantly deploycd and gave the
command to fire. \ rafting yolIey, fol
lowed by bayonet charge, threw the
MeXicans into disorder, and the Ameri-
cans rushed through and over them with
their little party, made their way ont and
returned to Their own camp with but few
casualties, although they drew the fire OF
both sides on thelrretuln, for the American
camp was now aroused, and the pickets
were firing rapidly But the tumut soon
ceased on both sides, the adventurous
soldiers returned to their quarters as
though nothing had happened out of the
usual Noul anu tlit l,tttItS NtIt SuItlN
bestowed for the night in a hut made us
comfortable as possible.
How he was called upon 10 account for
this nights work will be best told in Gen
eral Shields own language:
'The next morning an officer OF Gener-
al SCOTS staff came to my quarters with
a message from the general that he would
like to know the cause OF the previous
nights alarm, us it originated in that part
Of the line which was under my command.
| answered that would report in person,
Which | ut once did On the way thought
the matter over, and concluded that it
would be best to make a clean breast OF it,
and ] did so. The story threw General
Scott into tremendous rage. Ever since
Cerro Gordo was fought he had addressed
me as My Cerro Gordo FRIEND but he
now dropped that familiar name 'Gener-
al Shields, he Numbered, you are insurh-
ordinate and reckless in the highest de
gree. You have put in peril the fruits OF
the whole campaign You have perhaps.
frustrated all my plans for the capture Of
the City Of Mexico, Sir, I'll disgrace YOU :
I'll court-martial YOU and have YOU dis
missed the service" At this my temper
might court-martial me and perhaps oct
me dismissed, but after all that had oc-
CURED on this campaign, neither he nor
any other man could disgrace me: and
being by this time pretty well stirred up, |
| said that under like circumstances |
would DO precisely the same thing over
again. instead OF being more angry, the
general was rather sottened by thisspeech |
i WAS wrong, General Shields, he said, |
IN saying that | would disgrace YOU; |
ask your pardon for that You are a
brave man. and disgrace is not the word |
to use toward you. But YOU are greatly |
to blame in this matter, sin. You have |
acted without orders, and have imperiled |
the whole campaign General Scott |
said, before you say anything more about |
1t suppose you come over to my quarters |
and see these ladies. After some further
talk he promised to do so, and rode back |
to my tent pretty we'll satisfied that | |
should have no further trouble with the |
affair. In an hour over came General |
Scott, and | at once introduced him to
the ladies. The daughter was a picture
of beauty, with her golden curls and her
blue eyes; and after the mother had
thanked the general for their preservation
with fearful eyes and trembling voice, the
girl seized his hands, wept over them,
called him her preseryer, and invoked the
blessings of heaven on his head Scott
looked from her to he with Il very benev-
client face and said, w ell my Cerro Gordo
Trend, II | get you court -martalled for
this, shall have You promoted too
have only to add that long atterward, |
when the war was over, and we had |
returned to the United States, received |
from England, the gift of these ladies', a
costly diamond pin as 4 token of their