Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-06-13

question asked nm III Washington last
spring, whether the painting of the bat
tie Of Chapultepec over the senate
staircase, whore he is represented as
standing in his shirt-sleeves, was fancy
sketch, Gen, Shields said: "No: We
were taken Just rs We stood by n pho
tographer who followed the army 10
take sketches whenever he could. Ii
was afterwam transferred to canvass.
The incident which it commentaries
was one of the most notable and curious
in my history. had been ordered by
Cen Scott to make y demonstration on
the City OF Mexico from the Chapalte-
pee side, gathered up the magniti.
cent Palmetto regiment, Col. Butler:
the Mounted Rifles, the New York
volunteers, and O'Bricn'S battery, and
led sudden dash along the aqueduct
toward the city. The enemy gave way,
and, seeing that we pressed them all
the harder to prevent reforming, Gen,
Scott, who Intended that Gen. Worth
should take the city by the San Cosme
route instead Of the Belcn route, saw
from the nights that | WAS making
ranld progress, and immediately
detached two aides de-camp to stop
me. | saw them coming and sus-
pected their errand. Lord Nelson, YOU
know, At Copenhagen was the second in
command. When the signal WIS given
to him not 10 attack, one of his officers
called his attention to it, He put his
glass 10 his blind eye and said
Damned If can see any signal. At
tack! l didn't want any message from
Gen. Scott ut that precise movement,
and when the aides-do. camp got within
speaking range and said, Gen. Scott
sends his compliments TO Gen. Shields.
| hollered out, An right, but | haven't
time to talk with You now; wait n bit.
Gen. Scott, seeing that we were still
pushing ahead at a hrcakneck pace TO-
ward the city, sent Cen uitman TO me,
and, my horse having been shot under
me, was on foot explaining 10 Gen.
Qultmau that it would he madness for
us 10 deSist from our advantage, and
that Gen. Scott never would have order.
ed it il he knew how glomously we
were advancing. Oil hut he was n gal.
liant soldier, was Gen Ch,itman, and n
generous one, and instead Of ordering
me back he told me to 20 ahead. So
ON we went, and IN less than twenty
minutes we entered the garrta, or city
gate, and unfurled the first American
flag in the city Of Mexico,-the flag
that was borne by the gallant Palmetto
regiment. The artist happened To get
his camera in focus just while l was
talking to Gen. Quitman, and so | APP
prehend 1t Is a more correct battle piece
than the most of those ,hat ornament
our public buildings
Before the capture of the City OF
Mexico, an English boy, arrested as II
spy, asked private audience of Gen.
Shields, and told him that u
Mexican desperate had songht
his sisters hand. and be-
ing refused had threatened vengeance.
To accomplish his evil purpose he had
obtained from Santa Anna the control
of that part of the city i'll which the
boys father, mother, and two sisters
lived; had hired n gang of Villains who
were To plumber the house, keep the
booty and deliver the girls to the tender
mercies Of this Mexican scoundrel,
Properly disguised the boy had entered
the American ranks TO beseech asss-
lance Of Gen. Shields. The emergency
was II rare one. 1t was certain that the
commander-in-chief of the army Monll
not authorize u rescue. To abandon
the girls to their fate was foreign To the
nature of Shields. lie took n sudden
resolve, called for volunteers, selected
400 men, and entered the bcleaguercd
city unperceived. The ladies were res
cued, the alarm was given by the be-
wildered Mexicans, and the daring
band was obliged to cut their way
through IA host of enemies They reach
ed the ramparts in safety, and returned
to the camp with the rescued ones. BY
that time, however, both armies We're
alarmed, and scene of hustle and con
fusion ensucd Gen. Scott flew into Il
terrible rage when heard the story, and
threatened all the penalties OF court
martial on the culprit (Shields) for such
gross disobedience of orders. The
young ladies succeeded in pacifying the
cholerc old hero, and Shields entered
the city with him after its capture and
completely relnstated in his favor.