The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-23
We Won Mexico.

l Va CcptemOSr, lS1t Wny1 because, you
see. that was when received my first pro-
motion as non-commissioned officer in
the regulars. II was IN the City Of Mexico.
which Major General Winfield Scott had
just entered. at the head Of the vicious
| army; the climax Of q remarkable five
months campaign. beginning with the cap
ture Of Vera Cruz and followed by the bril-
liant victories at Cerro Gordo. Jalapa. Pc
roe. Puebla. Contreras. valenca. Cherub-
| usco. Molino del Rey. Chapultepec and Mex
| leo. All accomplished, too despite the
! enemy's grea: advantages of being on his
own ground and OF vastly superior num-
bers"
| The speaker was veteran Of over seven
| ty years, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Col
| Inns of Milton, Mass. U. s. A, on the re-
| tired list, whom the writer recently inter-
| viewed. A typical soldier OF the old school
| is Colonel Collins; tall, straight, erect ant.
Of decidedly military carriage; with face
| bronzed by his many campaigns. yet good
| fece. expressive Of k.rd heart. allied to ar
| iron will; in manners frank. agreeable.
| Colonel Collins gave me an interesting
detailed account Of the siege of Vera Cruz,
the landing en- the beach of the American
| forces in seventy heavy surf boats. contain
| ing nearly 1900 regulars: the erection CT
batteries, amid the constant discharge of
hostile bombs and balls; the long and ter
| rife borbarGment Of the city: the plucky
| defense by General Morales. who, through
| the clamor of the affrighted, discordant
populace, was deposed, and his successor,
General Landero, capitulated the city, the
stropg fortress of San Juan de Uiloa, and
| the garrison.
Then. after a fortnight's rest, the army
| REINFORCED by 1000 men. chiefly from Gen.
eral Taylor's command. Scott moved to-
| ward the interior and fought the opening
and famous battle, Cerro Gordo.
THE Cerro is strong pass" said the
colonel, Situated among lofty rocks and
entirely controlling the road toward the in
| terror. Here General Santa Anna had sta
toned himself with u,O0O men. The Mexi-
can general had fortified it so carefully
that 1t was deemed impreglable except
in front. Further along the road was anoth-
er hill similarly fortified, and defended by
General La Vega with 1900 men. Besides
these principal works, batteries were plac-
ed at different points on the road so as to
sweep directly across II. In front of these
stations was the Rio de Ia Plan. a small
stream between deep, rugged banks. The
road itself was broken up by gorges. hills
and rav;nes.
Such was the position which, although
defended by II 900 men, Scott was about TO
storm with 5000. Do you wonder that we
felt a little nervous at the outlook?''
Colonel Collins described the various fea-
lures Of the battle, which account may be
ep;tomized by stating that Scott wisely
opened an attack in the enemy's rear, the
troops, after eight hours work the night
before, having lifted the cannon up the
steep rocks and otherwise prepared for the
daybreak assault made by General Twiggs
while Pillow, with his volunteers, engaged
the enemy IN front and charged the re-
doubt on that side under most CALLING fire.
All Of which proved successful General
La Vega. four other generals, 1000 troops
forty-three pieces Of brass artillery and
an immense amount Of small arms; the
bulk Of that seemingly invincible army rout
ed. and Generals Santa Anna, Canalizo
and others escaping through a narrow pass
to Puebla. The total loss of the Amer
cans was about 80; that Of the Mexicans
exclusive Of prisoners and deserters, about
100 more.
'It was Cerro Gordo," continued the old
soldier, that 1 had my first and only
glimpse Of the doughty warrior Sam Hous-
ton, who licked at San Jacinto, Santa Anna
the Mexican president and commander OF
the army. A, quickly dissolving view, but
embody:ng a scene destined to wide and
lasting fame.
I'VE have driven the enemy and were
double Quicking down the slope Of Tele-
graph Hill (Cegro Telegrapho) in hot pur-
suit, when saw a man cut loose a team
Of SIX mules from a heavy covered car
riage, from which the occupan: was taken
and hustled onto one OF the animals; then
the driver mounted another Of the mules,
and. applying the whip to them all. gal
loped away With the passenger. whom I
naturally supposed was a parsonage Of dis
t,nction. As we soon learned. this was
none other than old Santa Anna himself,
who had fel; so sure OF driving. II not des-
troying our force, that he had ventured
too near the front and narrowly escaped
capture.
"As our line passed the deserted carriage
I saw IL was an elegant one. But We did
not stop to examine It Some of the troops
behind US did stop long enough. however.
TO confscate q considerable amount Of gold
coin and Santa Annals wooden leg-the sub
stitute for the limb he had lost In one OF
his early battles. That wooden trophy is
now in some museum in this country. Its
=,
ces. was noised throughout the land and
created a deal Of humorous comment.
"Bu, in all OF my experiences in that
memorable campaign the most appalling
one was that In front Of Chapultepec-the
latter defended by 5000 Mexicans-when.
at a critical moment, q bugie charge was
sounded and 400 Mexican lancers. taking
advantage of our temporary confusion,
came sWoor,ng down upon US IN SNOWY
uniforms. glisteniug helmets and with
cleaning penna1ts.
I'VE stood firm, though we expected ter
mination. But Colonel Duncan promptly
opened two pieces Of artillery upon them.
followed Immediately after by Colonel
Drum; while Major Summer. with two
sQuadrons Of dragons and Captain RUNS
company o: mounted rifles, passing rapidly
down under FIRE from the enemy's works.
charged The head OF their column. The
mighty force thereupon brought Their
horses from a run TO a tro.-;o a walk
to a halt-thea turned tail and ignom.nous-
~ fed.
Had they been Uncle Sans cavalry.
they would have done just the opposite
would have started a. a walk. broken Ito
trot, and clirnaxed with a run
"A few days sftsE with flying solor..
drums abeat, ard Il all the panoply OF
glorious war. We marched proudly into the
City OF Mexico, not as Jewellers in the
halls Of the Montezumss.' but as a hated
Americana target for missiles thrown
from housetops BY the more violent Of the
angry popuiace"-Boston Transcript
Ancient Habits.