Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-05
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
WHEN GENERAL SCOTT ENTEREI
MEXICO.


 When Gen. Winfield Scott entered Mex ico on the morning of Sept fl, 1S47, he | addressed his soldiers as follows: Under l the favor of God, the valor of this army, | after many glorious victories. has hoisted the fag of our country in the capital of Mexico and on the palace of its govern ment."
 Chiefly, if not solely, ow1ng to the an- nexation of Texas to the United States, war broke out between this country and Mexico in 1S46. The principal battles and other military movements which rem dered this conflict memorable were the siege \of Fort Brown, the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. the fall of Monterey, the battle of Buena Vista, Don- iphans expedition to Chihuahua, the re- duction of Vera Cruz. the battles of Cerre Gordo, Contreras and Cherubusco, the storming of Chapultepec and finally the l entrance of Scott into the halls of the Montezumas as the conqueror of the en- emy's chief city-the first instance of a | foreign capital being entered by the army | of the United States.
 The battle upon the day preceding the entry had ragged with variable success for | nearly ten hours. Night fell. Santa Ana had been repulsed at all points, and ere the sun rose again upon the scene the Mexicans had disappeared. leaving behind them only the hundreds of their dead and
 dying. There had been loss of five Mexicans to one American.
 The Mexicans had been driven from l shelter to shelter. Some of the daring spirits of the assault were cast down, killed or wounded, but lodgment was soon made, streams of heroes followed, all opposition was overcome and several of the regimental celors were flung out from the upper walls. amid long contin- ued shouts and cheers. All this sent dis may into the capital To the Americans no scene could have been more animatins or glorious.
 Scott in his official report summarized the results. The army, he says, ''in 3 l single day in many battles defeated S2,. coo men. made about 5000 prisoners, in. cluding eight generals-two of them ex presidents-and 2e5 other officers killed or wounded, 4.oe0 of all ranks, besides
 entire corps dispersed and dissolved
 These great results have overwhelmed tn, enemy"
 Finally the outposts were taken an( . only the city itself remained. Utterl, ) demoralized the Mexican government hec 7 from the capital during the night of Sept 13, and on the 14th the American army , with General Scott at it's head, made triumphant entry into the city. They had fought their way into tn, city limits. Those Mexicans who wer unable to make their escape-betook them selves to gardens, at windows and ol l housetops-all flat with parapets. Wort : had ordered forward the mountain howit
 gers of Cadwallader's brigade, precede , by skirmishers and pioneers, with pick : axes and crowbars to force windows an, ? doors or to burrow through walls :. The last final stand of the Mexican d had been at the San Cosne gate, close t t the heart of the city. When this wa s reached there was a lull in the firing, bu . the Mexieans were disappointed in indin t 1t of very short duration. The gallan - Quitman pressed on, regardless of gate.
 batteries or citadels, and compelled Sant r, Ana to retreat with all his force in tn II middle of the night. The Mexican gen s eral turned nerthward to The villa C l. Gaudoloupe, and after 3 short rest rs treated on to San Juan de Tetoihuacal
 When the Americans entered the cit
 they came on in a dense mass, passin
 along the principal avenues-Cal e Sa r | Francisco, del Correo de la Professa an
 the two Plateros, in a straight line frol the Alameda up to the palace and Plaz;
 Bayer.
 The Mexican colors soon disappeare
 | Q their place and directly afterwards u
 Stars and Stripes were flung out ar
 waved proudly from the Halls of tf r. MeRtezumasHthe first strange bann [. that had ever heated from that pala, ~ since the conquest of Cortez.
 On entering the palace one of Gener
 Scott's first acts was to require from h
 cemEades-in-ar arms their thanks and grat te tude to God. both in public and priva ie worship, for the signal triumphs they h; IS achieved for their tNslntry. warning the
 also against disorders, struggling s1
 drunkenness.
 Thus was the prowess of Amerie; -e arms successfully asserted, the conquer As Ratien being also compelled to cede t e. immensely valuable territory of NJ
 Mexico and Upper California to the Un
 ed States, and accepting the lower R 1t GraAde from it's mouth to Fl Paso as t -. boundary of Texas
 o- (FemorraE: The Burning of the Gasp,