News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-01-08

who won, there was glory enough for a life
time Imagine an elevation of 165 feet
crowned by a castle, with wings, bastions,
parapets redoubts and batteries of heavy
stonework over 600 feet in length. Sur
rounding this seemingly impregnable for
tress-the castle of Chapultepec-are two
stone walls, strongly built and from to
IA feet in height. In the castle are mount
ed heavy cannon under superior artillerists
of the French service.
At the most accessible base of the hill,
the western, the stone wall is twenty feet
high, and behind it stands a heavy grove
of expresses whose large trunks form ex-
cellent cover for defending troops. The
slope is planted with powder mines ready
to be sprung when the assailing columns
are swarming on the surface right over
them, and midway of the hill a strong re-
doubt extending along an entire front of
the castle, filled with soldiers. The posi-
tion of Chapultepec is the key to the City
of Mexico and with p, 900 soldiers in Santa
Annals army of defense there could be no
lack of men to garrison citadel so inn
portant. Besides the hill was historic, for
here had reveled the Aztec princes in the
gardens and groves once famous in the
Mexican city of splendor; here the site of the
famed Hall of the Montezumas. Whatever
remained of Mexican pride and courage
should certainly show itself on these
heights in the last stand of the hour, where
the fate of the invader must be decided.
Chapultepec had for an outwork group
of heavy stone buildings known as Ell Mo
limo del Rey, or the Kings Mill. This
place Scott had carried by storm on the Sth
of September, after a frightful loss, and
instead of being key to Chapultepec, as
I.z.fz IL, L.
dominated by the Mexican guns of the
castle, and had to be promptly abandoned.
When the word was given out in Scott's
camps that the castle should be stormed,
and that two parties of $50 men each would
have the post of honor in advance, the men
came forward in excess of numbers, and
the choice in some companies had to be
made by lot With the appalling death
list of Molno del Rey fresh in mind the
daring soldiers, both regulars and volun-
teers, were eager for the place of danger.
These parties were taken from two divis-
ions that were not to be in the assault, and
were to be followed by the divisions of
Gems. j. A. Quitman and Gideon J. Pillow.
The storming party preceding Quitman's
division was led by Capt. Silas Casey, Sec
ond infantry, with Capt. Gabriel r. Paul,
second in command. Pillow was preceded
by party led by Capt. Mckenzie Second
artillery A second storming party was
made up from Quitman's division, and
was led by Maj. Twiggs, of the Marines,
with Capt. Miller, Of the Second PennsyI
vania, second in command.
Gen. Pillows column. formed for attack
at the Molino del Rey, had the longer and
more difficult route before it, and must
forge ahead through grove of expresses,
past the midway redoubt, and up steep
and rocky ACTIVITY, the whole region alive
with Mexican marksmen. Mckenzie's
storming party carried scaling ladders, and
were preceded by eight companies of
skirmishers, under Coils. T. p, Andrews
and Joseph E. Johnston. Under the ex-
citement of battle the skirmishers ran far
ahead and held the lead. The MeXicans dis
puted every inch, dodging from tree to tree
Gen. Pillow was hit at the outset and
his command fell to Gen. George Cadwal-
ader From this point on the struggle
was determined though not an extremely
bloody one The guns of the castle thun-
dered, many shots fortunately going over
the mark. Rocks and breastw worls, shell
tering enemies whose muskets kept up an
angry fusillade, were charged and carried,
and very soon the MeXicans were driven
back to their redoubt.
Pillows skirmishers had shot down the
Mexican soldiers appointed to fire these
mines, and over them the main columns
passed in safety, only to confront the heavy
redoubt Here came crisis. Annihilation
awaited the daring men should the mines
explode, and death or wounds were before
them in that well packed redoubt. Quick
work in such an hour is often better than
numbers in men or missiles, and the criti-
cal moment at Chapultepec produced its
hero. Capt. Chase, of the Fifteenth infan-
try, whose company was in the advance
line dashed promptly past the right flank
of the redoubt and was followed by a com
panion company and by the whole Ninth
regiment. Then the attack was joined
front and flank, and the Mexicans. fearing
for their safe retreat and expecting, as they