Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28

Ter is the sole surviving officer of the at
lacking party He was breveted CAPTAIN
Tor his galiantry at Molinos Five DAVIS
later. all his superior officers in the bat
terry were killed in the attack on the gates
OF Mexico. The bravery of young Porter
after his chiefs had fallen remains one Of
the proudest traditions of the American
army Here is his story of the battle. cold
in his own language:
Il believe am the last surviving officer
Of the hattie Of Molinos del Rey. We lost
nine officers killed and forty-nine wounded
and these casualties fell principally upon
two 5risades and batteries, and a picked
storming party of FIVE hundred men. NV
command that day was Capt. Drums 4th
Artillery.
w nile the attack was successful, it
proved barren victory STILL it was a
step in advance, for it taught us that we
could defeat the Mexicans on their chosen
ground We had driven Santa Anna to his
last ditch. In order to defend the CITY of
Mexico he placed his army outside the
suburbs. under cover of the guns of lofty
Chapultepec. Alongside Chapultepec was
pile OF buildings over 600 feet in length
known as Molinos del Rey, the Mills of the
King. This whole structure was of red
sandstone, with heavy, thick walls ex-
Lending three or four feet above the roofs
Ihe courtyards and alleyways between
the detached buildings were provided with
thick stone doors, guarded by stone or
earthen barricades. One of the buildings
was used for the storage of powder. and
II was parity Tor the purpose of destroying
the magazine and partly in the hope that
the position was a key to the castle of
Chapultepec that Scott decided to make
the attack
The holiness of the attack is seldom
equaied in warfare. Scott had reached a
point IN the campaign where he believed
that we should stop at no sacrifice to drive
the enemy from the stronghold and plant
our guns there to command the city itself
He ordered Gen. Worth to move to the at
tack with his division on the morning of
September :. The line was formed with
Col Tarlands brigade upon the right Our
battery. or two pieces of our battery &C
companied Garland To the left of us were
the batterin8 guns. and picked storming
party. consisting of five companies OF one
hundred men each. under Maj. George
Wright On our extreme left, opposite the
Mexican right, was Clarks brigade, with
Duncan's battery.
The Signal for Attack.
AT daylight the battering guns fred the
signal for attack, and Major Wright's
storming column dashed forward upon
the Mexican battery in the center Of the
formidable line. 1t was greeted with
round and grape shot. Double quickstep
was ordered and the men passed forward
under a crossfire of musketry, within close
range. They took the battery and turned
1t upon the enemy. But the triumph of
tine stormcrs was of short duration. The
Mexicans rallied and concentrated a close
and destructive fire upon Wrights men
from the walls of the acuueduct which ran
along the whole line. from the housetops
and stone wallis Out of twelve officers at
the head of the storming party ten were
shot down within 1--WE minutes. The loss
among enlisted men was terrible Shaken
by this disaster the remnant of the storm
ing party was driven back.
Then our time came. To prevent the
Mexican pursuit in the center upon the
defeated column. Garlands brigade dashed
forward on the right. We kept close upon
the heels OF the infantry with our guns,
and opened fire at 200 yards. While we
were Numbering discharge of Mexican
grape disabled several horses. which were
SUI from the traces The guns then moved
Forward by hand. Our first round was all
solid shot Then we pushed the guns
forward to within one hundred yards of
the enemy and gave them canister, cnflad-
Ing Their entire line OF guns, where Major
battalion then dashed over the ground
where Wright had been repulsed and
seized the guns.
The Mexicans Driven Out.
AS our lire approached the mills we
were stormed at with grape and canister
and musketry fire from :he roofs CT the
buildings Our infantry broke through
the barricaded gates and doorways of
the mills. exposed to a heavy fire. Once
on the inside we found ourselves in the
midst OF an armed enemy. When driven
from one position Of the walls the Next
cans would retire to another cont asting
every Inch OF ground Only by climbing
through roofs and making our way
through iron-barred windows could we
go forward. At last we cleared the build
ings ard drove the Mexieans or toward
Chspultepec- A considerable force OF them,
however. rallied. and with an eighteen
pounder advanced down the road toward
the mills Captain Drum led US forward
with one piece and after n rapid and ef-
feciive ire cleared tho road. The enemy
Abandoned their gun
Ire cannon used In this contest with
the Mexican elghfanu -nonudar Nnn On & 4