The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21
of
fOugh N


fought. Mexican S
yes, senator, your brother Rierce was
a good soldier and he died after brave
fight on the field. Now YOU want to
know how the battle was fought, do
YOUR
Yes, general, If you will be so kind.
Please tell me just how your troops were
placed and all about those of the enemy.
l would like to understand how, with
such small force, you could defeat
Santa Anna, who had four times the
number"
'The difference was more than that"
said Gen. Taylor. but we did not stop
to count know that l wished for more
soldiers"
Yes said the senator. but what was
the order of battle?''
why, senator, we began fighting early
in the morning the first day and we. fit
all that day We lost . good many men,
and at night it looked pretty bad
.'Well, what next?"
We'll" said Gen. Taylor. when 1t got
dark rode over to Saltillo to look after
our stores and provide against a sur
prise"
why did you go yourself? Why not
send one of your aides?"
you see, senator, everything depended
on our not having our supplies cut off.
and wanted to see for myself
How was it next morning?p said the
senator.
About the same as the night before"
said Gen. Taylor, and stopped.
who was the first man you metz"
Gen. Wool"
'And what did he say?"
''He said, All is lost"
'What did you reply?"
Maybe So general We'll see.' And
then we went to fighting again and fit all
that day and toward night 1t looked bet
ter" Here Gen. Tay,or stopped again,
although the senator waited impatient.y
for more and finally said:
what next?' l#
well next morning it was reported to
me that Santa Anna and all his men had
disappeared in the night and can tell
you I was devilish glad to be rid of them
so.'
1t was In these engagements that Cen.
Grant, then second lieutenant, figured.
Grant says the war was unjust. jefferson
Davis was In command of regiment of
Mississippi volunteers at the battle of
Monterey and Gen. Robert E. Lee be-
gan his services in Mexico there with
Gen. Wool Lee was afterward trans
ferred to the army or Vera Cruz and
served SO well there that he rose to be a
colonel
The first fighting in southern Mexico
was at Vera Cruz and the commander
in-chief was Gen. Winfield Scott, who led
the army from there over the mountains
and on to Mexico City Scott had 1900
men and the Mexicans had only 5000.
but Vera Cruz was protected py the forti-
ficatfons of San Juan de Ulloa in the
harbor and they thought this was a suf-
ficient defense for the city Scott at
tackled the city from the land side, and
he was able to land his whole army with
out opposition He disembarxed un the
9th of March, and two weeks later both
. the city and fort surrendered.
The americans then started on their
march up the mountains. They had gone
about sixty miles when they entered the
Cerro Gordo pass, and there fought the
ers. five generals and 40 cannon. They
, then climbed their way on over the
mountains and on to the city of Puebla
which Is situated on the plateau about
seventy five miles from the capital. Pueb-
la has now over 10000 Inhabitants, and
It is one of the industrial centers of
Mexico 1t has great cotton mills and a
number of factories. IT has beautiful res
licences and one of the finest cathedrals
of the world. When Scott reached there
1t had about $4,000 popilation, and there
was great army awaiting him at Mex
, iao City. In the meantime he hao had
sickness among his men in coming over
the mountains. Seven Of his regiments
: had been discharged, an1 the American
fer ces had been reduced to little over
1a.o0t nearly half of wh5n wece recruits
Scott left $500 of his rroops include az
the sick and wounded. in Fdcbla,i and
with the balance marched upon Mexico
City, where he knew an army of about
FIVE times his own force awaited him
He had only about $500. while the Mexi-
cans had $4,000.
He came over the mountains and down
i..to the little valley whers lies Mexico
City. He skirted the lakes ard met the
enemy first at Churubusco, and where
he gained a great -.ictory. II fought the
Mcx'cans again at Molina d-i isey, and
again before the Castle of Chapultepec,
where the President Of Mexico, now lives,
He was victorious everywhere, !, and on
the 14tH Of September the Mexican army