New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-17
MAYNE REID IN MEXICO.
mis- OWN ACCOUNT OF A STIRRING WAR
EXPERIENCE.


MAILS TO CAPTAIN REDS GALLANT cox
DUCT.
r. me Editor Of The Tribune.
SIM Nv attention BIAS been called to a letter that
,.telv appeared in some American newspapers I'M
a. che heading "Mayne Reds Mexican War tx
-s,encesr In them certain statements are made
sravely affecting my character and reputation
~bich trust YOU will give me an opportunity OF
,pfu,Ing. The writer says that in Pueblo Mexico
~Ileutenant Reid, while TeprOving one OF the men
nj his company. became very much heated ana ran
his sword through the mans body The man oled
,be same night Now, sir, it is quite true thai
ran soldier through with Iay sword, who shoruy
s.or died of the wound But il is absolutely untrue
that there was any heat OF temper on my part OF
Tier incentive 70 the act than that of selfdefence
with the discharge OF my duty as an officer. On
che dav Of the occurrence / was officer OF the
,uard. and the man was prisoner in the guard
,,rison where he spent most part of his time.
For he was noted desperate, and, may ada,
obber. long the pest and terror, not only OF
b,s comrades IN the regiment Dut Oh
the moor Mexican people who suneieu
from his depredations as AL who were then 'nore
and ara still living may remember Having Sc'ei"
times escaped from the guard-house prison lie L'au
that day been recaptured, and entered 'Ho VI W
zee TO bis being better secured. Nmie Ihe hltn"-
Ia being
linked. heavy irons-he cutched hold OF them ana
-sbipy At me aimed a blow at my head, which Out
g. nv being too quick for him would nave Oeen
soolt me with serious if not fatal, effect lie was
or Of immense size and strength, and as al knew"
,aoardless of consequences. Indeed ne hau oi'eh
I'm heard TO boast that no officer dare put MN III
;ors and TO threaten those who III the line OF theH
- nd 70 act toward him with severity Still,
han thrust out ii was with no intention to KILL
,t only 10 keep him off, and. in point OF fact, IN
his mad rush toward me he lmpaled himself on my
sword. or.
,onant Red's grief was almost uncomfortable. lie
sling against him, despite the fact that he had
nxocot,on for the act was very strong in the regi-
~, II the regiment had not moved with the
-ast Of the army toward Mexico the next day, Lieu
- Reid would have been court-martlalled and
might have been shot"
l., answer 10 these serious allegatlons-not made
On any malice believe, but through msmiorma-
.io,--I have only 10 say that was tried by court
martial and instead of being sentenced to be shot,
,ras ordered to resume command of my company
e. the forward march upon Mexico. And so far
from the feeling being strong against me IN the reg
imeut it was Just the reverse. not only IN the reg
i,apt but throughout the whole army, the lamented
Phil Kearney. commanding the Dragons, WIN
OIL
tbat for what had done instead of condemnation 1
deserved a vote Of thanks. This was because the
ormv,s discipline had become greatly relaxed dur
;nc the long period of inaction that preceded Our
advance into the Valley Of Mexico, and we had
,nucb trouble with the men, especially Of the Voiun-
teer regiments. My act, involuntary and uululen-
tonal though it was. did something toward bring
ing them back TO obedience and duty. That l
orrowed for Is true but not in the sense att0ut
ed 10 me bv the newspaper correspondent. My
grief was from the necessity that forced II upon me
with rs lqmentlble result Blu Il Is some salstdc-
ton To know that the unfortunate man himself heid
me hlameiess; and m his DYING words, as was
told. said had out done my duty. So trust, sir,
this my explanation Will place the affair in differ
ent light from that thrown upon it by the letter
alluded 10.
The writer has given further details OF my d" Mex
lean War experiences alike calling for correction
He assumes to say it owing TO this lll-starred
episode and the friendly advice of brother officer
that was foremost IN the assault upOn Chapute-
nee. the first man on the great stone wall of the
fort As he has wOrded II. OF the fact he IS not far
from the truth, a. was first up to the wal-not on
it-haviug fallen wounded IN the ditch underneath.
But the motive be assigns for my beng there IS
purely apOcryphal neither remorse nor friendly
instigatIon having had aught to do with il. And
thrust sir you will permit TO st forth the facts
exactly as they occurred promising 70 he a. brief as
iseonsistent with making them ineligible.
On the DAY when Chaputepec was storned Sep
TENDER I3, 1S47). / was IN command of the Greua-
der Company Of I'd New-York Volunteers lmy own
and detachment of United STATES Marines acting
with us as light infantry, my orders being 20 stay by
and guard battery had built during the night
Of the llth on the southern side of the Castle and
which did good work the 18th. It was
about l 900 yards FROM and directly IN front Of.
the Castles main entrance gate, through which our
shots went crashing all that day. The final assault
had been fixed for the morning of the 18Th: storm
ing party Of 500 men, or forloru hope" as 1t was
called having volunteered for this dangerous duty
They were not exclusively regulars as the letter
writer asserts bat of all arms OF the service; cap
tain of regular infantry having charge Of them
with lieutenant of Pennsylvania volunteers a.
his second in command. At an early hour the three
divisions of the army (WOrths Pillows and Quit
mans closed in upon Chaputepec, our skirmlshers
driving the enemys outposts before them some of
these retreatng up the hill into the Caste, others
passing around and on toward the city.
1t was now expected that the stOrming party
would do the work assigned to it and for which it
hai volunteered. was standing by our battery -
at this time necessarily silent-with the ar ilery
aud engineer officers who had charge OF il, Lieu
tenants Huger and Hagner and we three watched
TIE advance Of the attacking line the pufs Of
smoke from musketry and rifles indicating to Us
the exact point TO which il had reached. Anxlously
we watched IL Ineed not say nor add that oui
anxiety BECAME apprehension when We saw that
about half way up the slope there was halt
tomsthug impeding the forward movement.
Now, SIR fOT the motive that lei me 10 act as
did, and which the newspaper correspondent has so
mueh msconsraed. | knew that il Chapuitepec
were not token, neither would BE- the city, and fai.-