The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-04
SANTA ANNA,s WOODEN LEG.
How That Historic Trophy Was Cap
tured

I How long have been in the United
States military service? Upward of half
century, participating in several wars.
| But the proudest day in all my army life
was the l4th of September, lS47. Why?
| Because you see that was when recelv-
| ed my first promotion as non-commis-
| stoned officer in the regulars 1t was IN
| the City of Mexico, which Maj. Gen. Win
| field Scott had just entered, at the hta
of our victorious army; the climax OLA
remarkable five months campaign, begin
ming with the capture of Vera Cruz and
| followed by the brilliant victories at Cerro
| Cordo, Jalapa, Perote, Puebla, Contreras,
| Valenca, Cherubusco, Molino del Rey,
| Chapultepec and Mexico. All accomplish
| ed, too, despite the enemys great adVan-
! tages of being on his own ground and
| of vastly superior numbers"
The speaker was a veteran of over sew
! enty years, Lieut.. Col. Edward Collins of
Milton. Mass, United States army on the
retired list, whom the writer closely in
| terviewed A typical soldier of the old
school is Col. Collins; tall, straight, erect
and of decidedly military carriage; with
face bronzed by his many campaigns, yet
a good face, expressive OF a kind heart,
| allied to an iron will; in manners frank,
| agreeable.
Col. Collins gave me an interesting de-
| tailed account of the siege of Vera Cruz
/
| forces in seventy heavy surf boats, con-
tanning nearly 1900 regulars; the erection
| of batteries, amid the constant discharge
| of hostile bombs and balls; the long and
! terrific bombardment of the city; the
| plucky defense by Cen Morales who
| through the clamor Of the affrighted, dis
| cordant, populace, was deposed and lis
successor, Gen. Landero, capltulated the
| city, the strong fortress of San Juan de
| UllOa, and the garrison.
| Then, after a fortnight's rest, the army,
reinforced by 1900 men, chiefly from Gen.
Taylor's command, Scott moved toward
| the interior and fought the opening and
| famous battle, Cerro Gordo.
"The Cerro is a strong pass" said the
| colonel" situated among lofty rocks and
| entirely controlling the road toward the
interior. Here Gen. Santa Anna had sta
| toned himself with 900 men. The Mex
| lean general had fortified it so carefully
that it was deemed impregnabe except
in front. Further along the road was an
other hill similarly fortified and defended
| by Gen. La Vega with 5000 men. Besides
these principal works, batteries were
placed at different points on the road,
so as to sweep directly across It, In
front of these stations was the Rio de la
| Plan, a small stream between deep, rug
ged banks. The road itself was broken
up by gorges, hills and ravines.
| "Such was the position which, although
| defended by 11,000 men, Scott was about
/ to storm with 5000. Do you wonder that
we felt little nervous at the outlookY'
| Col, Collins described the various fea-
lures of the battle, which account may
be epitomized by stating that Scott wisely
| opened by 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 day-break assault made by Gen.
Twiggs, while Pillow. with his volunteers,
| engaged the enemy in fronEand charged
the redoubt on that side, under a most
CALLING fire. All of which proved success
| full. Gen. La Vega, four other generals,
| 5000 troops, forty-three pieces of brass
artillery and an immense amount OF small
arms and military stores We're captured;
the bulk of that seemingly invinclble
| army routed and Gems. Santa Anna, Ca
nalizo and others escaping through mar
row pass TO Puebla. The total loss of the
| Americans was about two hundred and
fifty; that of the Mexcans, exclusive OF
| prisoners and deserters, one hundred
more.
"It was at Cerro Gordo," continued the
| old soldier, "that had my first and only
glimpse of the doughty warrior, sam
| Houston, who licked, at San Jacinto, SAN
ia Anna, the Mexican president and COM
mander of the army. A quickly dissolV-
| ing view, but embodying a scene destined
to wide and lasting fame
eve had driven the enemy, and were
double-quicking down the slope of Tele-
| graph Hill (Cerro Telegrapho) in hot pur-
suit, when I saw, little way in front OF
| u.s. a man cut loose team Of six mules
| from a heavy covered carriage, from which
the occupant was taken and hustled on 20
| one of the animals; then the driver mount
| ed another of the mules and applying the
whip to them all, galloped away with the
| passenger, whom naturally supposed was
! a parsonage of distinction. AS we soon
| learned, this was none other than old
Santa Anna himself, who had felt so sure
of driving, if not destroying, our force,
! that he had ventured too near the front,
and narrowly escaped capture.
| GAS our line passed the deserted carriage
I saw 1t was an elegant one. But we did
not stop to examine it. Some OF the
| troops behind us did stop long enough,
| however to coniscate considerable
amount of gold coin and Santa Annas
wooden leg-the substitute for the limb ne
had lost I'm one of his early battles. Ihat
wooden trophy Is now in some museum
| i'm this country. It's capture, and under
| such ignoble circumstances, was noised
| throughout the land and created deal
| OF humorous comment.
| "But in all of my experience In that
| memorable campaign the most appalling
| one was that at Moline del Rey, a strong
| lv fortified station in front of Chapultepec
the latter defended by $1,000 MeXicans-
when, at a critical moment, bugle charge
was sounded and 1900 Mexican lancers TAX
! ing advantage of our temporary confusion
came swooping down upon US In snowy
uniforms, glistening helmets and with
| cleaning pennants.
1--WE stood firm. though we expected ex-
termination. But Col. Duncan promptly
opened two pieces of artillery upon them,
| followed Immediately after by Col. Drum;
while Majl Summer, with two squadrons
of dragons and Capt. Ruff's company OF
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 run
| TO q trot-to a walk--to a halt-then turned
| tail ana ANONYMOUSLY fed
HAD they been Uncle Sans cavalry
they would have done just the opposite
would have started at walk, broken into
a trot, and climaxed with a run.
"A few days later, with flying colors.
drums abeat. and In all the panoply OF
glorious war. we marched proudly into
the City OF Mexico. not as revelers In the
halls of the Monte zumas' but as a hated