The Medallic History of the United States of America Part 66

Shields, the senior officer of the hamlet, having arrived in (p. 316) the night, after Smith had arranged with Cadwallader and Riley the plan of attack for the morning, delicately waived interference; but reserved to himself the double task of holding the hamlet with his two regiments (South Carolina and New York Volunteers) against ten times his numbers on the side of the city, including the slopes to his left, and in case the enemy's camp in his rear should be carried, to face about and cut off the flying enemy.

At three A.M., the great movement commenced on the rear of the enemy's camp, Riley leading, followed successively by Cadwallader's and Smith's brigades, the latter temporarily under the orders of Major Dimick of the 1st Artillery, the whole force being commanded by Smith, the senior in the general attack, and whose arrangements, skill and gallantry always challenge the highest admiration.

The march was rendered tedious by the darkness, rain, and mud; but about sunrise, Riley, conducted by Lieutenant Turner, Engineer, had reached an elevation behind the enemy, whence he precipitated his columns; stormed the intrenchments, planted his several colors upon them, and carried the work, all in seventeen minutes.

Conducted by Lieutenant Beauregard, Engineer, and Lieutenant Brooks of Twiggs' staff, both of whom, like Lieutenant Tower, had, in the night, twice reconnoitred the ground; Cadwallader brought up to the general a.s.sault two of the regiments: the Voltigeurs and the 11th, and at the appointed time Colonel Ransom, with his temporary brigade, conducted by Captain Lee, Engineer, not only made the movement in front, to divert and to distract the enemy, but, after crossing the deep ravine, advanced, and poured into the works and upon the fugitives many volleys from his destructive musketry.

In the mean time Smith's own brigade, under the temporary command of Major Dimick, following the movements of Riley and Cadwallader, discovered, opposite to, and outside of the works, a long line of Mexican cavalry, drawn up as a support. Dimick having at the head of the brigade the company of Sappers and Miners, under Lieutenant G. W. Smith, engineer, who had conducted the march, was ordered by Brigadier-General Smith to form his line, faced to the enemy, and in a charge against the flank, routed the cavalry.

Shields, too, by the wise disposition of his brigade and gallant activity, contributed much to the general results. He held ma.s.ses of cavalry and infantry, supported by artillery, in check below him, and captured hundreds, with one general (Mendoza), of those who fled from above.

I doubt whether a more brilliant or decisive victory, taking into view ground, artificial defences, batteries, and the extreme disparity of numbers, without cavalry or artillery on our side, is to be found on record. Including all our corps directed against the intrenched camp, with Shields' brigade at the hamlet, we positively did not number over four thousand five hundred rank and file; and we knew by sight, and since, more certainly, by many captured doc.u.ments and letters, that the enemy had actually engaged on the spot seven thousand men, with at least twelve thousand more hovering within sight and striking distance, both on the 19th and 20th. All, not killed or captured, now fled with precipitation.

Thus was the great victory of Contreras achieved; one road to the capital opened; seven hundred of the enemy killed; eight hundred and thirteen prisoners, including, among eighty-eight (p. 317) officers, four generals; besides many colors and standards; twenty-two pieces of bra.s.s ordnance, half of large calibre; thousands of small arms and accoutrements; an immense quant.i.ty of shot, sh.e.l.ls, powder, and cartridges; seven hundred pack mules, many horses, etc., etc., all in our hands.

It is highly gratifying to find that, by skillful arrangement and rapidity of execution, our loss, in killed and wounded, did not exceed, on the spot, sixty; among the former the brave Captain Charles Hanson, of the 4th Infantry, not more distinguished for gallantry than for modesty, morals, and piety. Lieutenant J. P.

Johnstone, 1st Artillery, serving with Magruder's battery, a young officer of the highest promise, was killed the evening before.

One of the most pleasing incidents of the victory is the recapture, in their works, by Captain Drum, 4th Artillery, under Major Gardner, of the two bra.s.s 6-pounders, taken from another company of the same regiment, though without the loss of honor, at the glorious battle of Buena Vista; about which guns the whole regiment had mourned for so many long months! Coming up a little later I had the happiness to join in the protracted cheers of the gallant 4th on the joyous event; and, indeed, the whole army sympathizes in its just pride and exultation.

The battle being won before the advancing brigades of Worth's and Quitman's divisions were in sight, both were ordered to their late positions: Worth, to attack San Antonio, in front, with his whole force, as soon as approached in the rear by Pillow's and Twiggs' divisions; moving from Contreras, through San Angel and Coyoacan. By carrying San Antonio, we knew that we should open another, a shorter and better road to the capital for our siege and other trains.

Accordingly, the two advanced divisions and Shields' brigade marched from Contreras, under the immediate orders of Major-General Pillow, who was now joined by the gallant Brigadier-General Pierce of his division, personally thrown out of activity, late the evening before, by a severe hurt received from the fall of his horse.

After giving necessary orders on the field, in the midst of prisoners and trophies, and sending instructions to Harney's brigade of cavalry (left at San Augustin) to join me, I personally followed Pillow's command.

Arriving at Coyoacan, two miles by a cross road, from the rear of San Antonio, I first detached Captain Lee, Engineer, with Captain Kearny's troop, 1st Dragoons, supported by the Rifle regiment, under Major Loring, to reconnoitre that strong point; and next despatched Major-General Pillow, with one of his brigades (Cadwallader's), to make the attack upon it, in concert with Major-General Worth on the opposite side.

At the same time, by another road to the left, Lieutenant Stevens of the Engineers, supported by Lieutenant G. W. Smith's company of sappers and miners, of the same corps, was sent to reconnoitre the strongly fortified church or convent of San Pablo, in the hamlet of Churubusco, one mile off, Twiggs with one of his brigades (Smith's, less the Rifles) and Captain Taylor's field battery, were ordered to follow and to attack the convent. Major Smith, senior Engineer, was despatched to concert with Twiggs the mode and means of attack, and Twiggs' other brigade (Riley's) I soon ordered up to support him.

Next (but all in ten minutes) I sent Pierce (just able to (p. 318) keep the saddle) with his brigade (Pillow's division), conducted by Captain Lee, Engineer, by a third road a little farther to our left, to attack the enemy's right and rear, in order to favor the movement upon the convent, and to cut off a retreat toward the capital. And finally, Shields, senior brigadier to Pierce, with the New York and South Carolina Volunteers (Quitman's division), was ordered to follow Pierce closely, and to take the command of our left wing. All these movements were made with the utmost alacrity by our gallant troops and commanders.

Finding myself at Coyoacan, from which so many roads conveniently branched, without escort or reserve, I had to advance for safety close upon Twiggs' rear. The battle now raged from the right to the left of our whole line.

Learning on the return of Captain Lee, that Shields in the rear of Churubusco was hard pressed, and in danger of being outflanked, if not overwhelmed, by greatly superior numbers, I immediately sent under Major Sumner, 2d Dragoons, the Rifles (Twiggs' reserve) and Captain Sibley's troop, 2d Dragoons, then at hand, to support our left, guided by the same engineer.

About an hour earlier, Worth had, by skillful and daring movements upon the front and right, turned and forced San Antonio: its garrison, no doubt, much shaken by our decisive victory at Contreras.

His second brigade (Colonel Clarke's) conducted by Captain Mason, Engineer, a.s.sisted by Lieutenant Hardcastle, Topographical Engineer, turned to the left, and by a wide sweep came out upon the high road to the capital. At this point the heavy garrison (three thousand men) in retreat was, by Clarke, cut in the centre: one portion, the rear, driven upon Dolores, off to the right, and the other upon Churubusco, in the direct line of our operations. The first brigade (Colonel Garland's), same division, consisting of the 2d Artillery, under Major Gait, the 3d Artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Belton, and the 4th Infantry, commanded by Major F. Lee, with Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan's field battery (temporarily) followed in pursuit through the town, taking one general prisoner, the abandoned guns (five pieces), much ammunition and other public property.

The forcing of San Antonio was the _second_ brilliant event of the day. Worth's division being soon reunited in hot pursuit, he was joined by Major-General Pillow, who, marching from Coyoacan and discovering that San Antonio had been carried, immediately turned to the left according to my instructions, and, though much impeded by ditches and swamps, hastened to the attack of Churubusco.

The hamlet or scattered houses bearing this name, presented besides the fortified convent, a strong field-work (_tete-de-pont_) with regular bastions and curtains, at the head of a bridge over which the road pa.s.ses from San Antonio to the capital.

The whole remaining forces of Mexico, some twenty-seven thousand men, cavalry, artillery and infantry, collected from every quarter, were now in, on the flanks, or within supporting distance of those works, and seemed resolved to make a last and desperate stand; for if beaten here, the feebler defences at the gates of the city, four miles off, could not, as was well known to both parties, delay the victors an hour. The capital of an ancient empire, now of a great republic, or an early peace, the a.s.sailants were resolved to win. Not an American, and we were less than a third of the enemy's numbers, had a doubt as to the result.

The fortified church or convent, hotly pressed by Twiggs, (p. 319) had already held out about an hour, when Worth and Pillow, the latter having with him Cadwallader's brigade, began to manoeuvre closely upon the _tete-de-pont_, with the convent at half gunshot to their left. Garland's brigade (Worth's division), to which had been added the light battalion under Lieutenant-Colonel C. F. Smith, continued to advance in front and under the fire of a long line of infantry off on the left of the bridge; and Clarke, of the same division, directed his brigade along the road or close by its side. Two of Pillow's and Cadwallader's regiments, the 11th and 14th, supported and partic.i.p.ated in this direct movement; the other (the Voltigeurs) was left in reserve. Most of these corps, particularly Clarke's brigade, advancing perpendicularly, were made to suffer much by the fire of the _tete-de-pont_, and they would have suffered greatly more by flank attacks from the convent, but for the pressure of Twiggs on the other side of that work.

This well-combined and daring movement at length reached the princ.i.p.al point of attack, and the formidable _tete-de-pont_ was at once a.s.saulted and carried by the bayonet. Its deep wet ditch was first gallantly crossed by the 8th and 5th Infantry, commanded respectively by Major Waite and Lieutenant-Colonel Martin Scott, followed closely by the 6th Infantry (same brigade), which had been so much exposed on the road, the 11th regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, and the 14th, commanded by Colonel Trousdale, both of Cadwallader's brigade, Pillow's division. About the same time the enemy in front of Garland, after a hot conflict of an hour and a half, gave way in a retreat toward the capital.

The immediate result of this _third_ signal triumph of the day were three field pieces, one hundred and ninety-two prisoners, much ammunition, and two colors taken at the _tete-de-pont_.

Lieutenant I. F. Irons, 1st Artillery, aid-de-camp to Brigadier-General Cadwallader, a young officer of great merit and conspicuous in battle on several previous occasions, received in front of the work a mortal wound. (Since dead.)

As the concurrent attack upon the convent favored physically and morally the a.s.sault upon the _tete-de-pont_, so reciprocally, no doubt, the fall of the latter contributed to the capture of the former. The two works were only some four hundred and fifty yards apart; and as soon as we were in possession of the _tete-de-pont_, a captured four-pounder was turned and fired, first by Captain Larkin Smith, and next by Lieutenant Snelling, both of the 8th Infantry, several times upon the convent. In the same brief interval, Lieutenant-Colonel Duncan (also of Worth's division) gallantly brought two of his guns to bear at a short range from the San Antonio road, upon the princ.i.p.al face of the work and on the tower of the church, which in the obstinate contest, had been often refilled with some of the best sharpshooters of the enemy.

Finally, twenty minutes after the _tete-de-pont_ had been carried by Worth and Pillow, and at the end of a desperate conflict of two hours and a half, the church or convent, the citadel of the strong line of defence along the rivulet of Churubusco, yielded to Twiggs' division, and threw out on all sides signals of surrender. The white flags, however, were not exhibited until the moment when the 3d Infantry, under Captain Alexander, had cleared the way by fire and bayonet, and had entered the work. Captain I.

M. Smith and Lieutenant O. L. Shepherd, both of that regiment, with their companies, had the glory of leading the a.s.sault. (p. 320) The former received the surrender, and Captain Alexander instantly hung out from the balcony the colors of the gallant 3d.

Major Dimick, with a part of the 1st Artillery, serving as infantry, entered nearly abreast with the leading troops.

Captain Taylor's field battery, attached to Twiggs' division, opened its effective fire at an early moment upon the outworks of the convent and the tower of its church. Exposed to the severest fire of the enemy, the captain, his officers and men, won universal admiration; but at length, much disabled in men and horses, the battery was by superior orders withdrawn from the action thirty minutes before the surrender of the convent.

Those corps, excepting Taylor's battery, belonged to the brigade of Brigadier-General P. F. Smith, who closely directed the whole attack with his habitual coolness and ability: while Riley's brigade, the 2d and 7th Infantry, under Captain T. Morris and Lieutenant-Colonel Plympton respectively, vigorously engaged the right of the work and part of its rear. At the moment the Rifles, belonging to Smith's, were detached in support of Brigadier-General Shields on our extreme left, and the 4th Artillery, acting as infantry, under Major Gardner, belonging to Riley's brigade, had been left in charge of the camp, trophies, etc., at Contreras. Twiggs' division at Churubusco had thus been deprived of the services of two of its most gallant and effective regiments.

The immediate results of this victory were: the capture of seven field pieces, some ammunition, one color, three generals, and one thousand two hundred and sixty-one prisoners, including other officers.

Captains E. A. Cap.r.o.n and M. J. Burke, and Lieutenant G. Hoffman, all of the 1st Artillery, and Captain J. W. Anderson and Lieutenant Thomas Easley, both of the 2d Infantry, five officers of great merit, fell gallantly before this work.

The capture of the enemy's citadel was the _fourth_ great achievement of our arms in the same day.

It has been stated that some two hours and a half before, Pierce's, followed closely by the volunteer brigade, both under the command of Brigadier-General Shields, had been dispatched to our left to turn the enemy's works; to prevent the escape of the garrisons and to oppose the extention of the enemy's numerous corps from the rear upon and around our left.

Considering the inferior numbers of the two brigades, the objects of the movement were difficult to accomplish. Hence the re-enforcement (the Rifles, etc.,) sent forward a little later.

In a winding march of a mile around to the right, this temporary division found itself on the edge of an open wet meadow, near the road from San Antonio to the capital, and in the presence of some four thousand of the enemy's infantry, a little in rear of Churubusco, on that road. Establishing the right at a strong building, Shields extended his left parallel to the road, to outflank the enemy toward the capital. But the enemy extending his right, supported by three thousand cavalry, more rapidly (being favored by better ground) in the same direction, Shields concentrated the division about a hamlet and determined to attack in front. The battle was long, hot and varied; but, ultimately, success crowned the zeal and gallantry of our troops, ably (p. 321) directed by their distinguished commander, Brigadier-General Shields. The 9th, 12th and 15th regiments, under Colonel Ransom, Captain Wood, and Colonel Morgan respectively, of Pierce's brigade (Pillow's division), and the New York and South Carolina Volunteers, under Colonels Burnett and Butler respectively, of Shields' own brigade (Quitman's division), together with the mountain howitzer battery, now under Lieutenant Reno of the Ordnance Corps, all shared in the glory of this action, our _fifth_ victory in the same day.

Brigadier-General Pierce, from the hurt of the evening before, under pain and exhaustion, fainted in the action. Several other changes in command occurred on this field. Thus Colonel Morgan being severely wounded, the command of the 15th Infantry devolved on Lieutenant-Colonel Howard; Colonel Burnett receiving a like wound, the command of the New York Volunteers fell to Lieutenant-Colonel Baxter; and, on the fall of the lamented Colonel P. M. Butler, earlier badly wounded, but continuing to lead n.o.bly in the hottest of the battle, the command of the South Carolina Volunteers devolved, first, on Lieutenant-Colonel d.i.c.kenson, who being severely wounded (as before in the siege of Vera Cruz), the regiment ultimately fell under the orders of Major Gladden.

Lieutenants David Adams and W. R. Williams of the same corps; Captain Augustus Quarks and Lieutenant J. B. Goodman of the 15th, and Lieutenant E. Chandler, New York Volunteers, all gallant officers, n.o.bly fell in the same action.

Shields took three hundred and eighty prisoners, including officers; and it cannot be doubted that the rage of the conflict between him and the enemy, just in the rear of the _tete-de-pont_ and the convent, had some influence on the surrender of those formidable defences.

As soon as the _tete-de-pont_ was carried, the greater part of Worth's and Pillow's forces pa.s.sed that bridge in rapid pursuit of the flying enemy. These distinguished generals, coming up with Brigadier-General Shields, now also victorious, the three continued to press upon the fugitives to within a mile and a half of the capital. Here, Colonel Harney, with a small part of his brigade of cavalry, rapidly pa.s.sed to the front, and charged the enemy up to the nearest gate.

The cavalry charge was headed by Captain Kearny, of the 1st Dragoons, having in squadron with his own troop, that of Captain M'Reynolds of the 3d making the usual escort to general headquarters; but, being early in the day detached for general service, was now under Colonel Hamey's orders. The gallant captain not hearing the _recall_, that had been sounded, dashed up to the San Antonio gate, sabring in his way all who resisted.

Of the seven officers of the squadron, Kearny lost his left arm; M'Reynolds and Lieutenant Lorimer Graham were both severely wounded, and Lieutenant R. S. Ewell, who succeeded to the command of the escort, had two horses killed under him. Major F. D. Mills of the 15th Infantry, a volunteer in this charge, was killed at the gate.

So terminated the series of events which I have but feebly presented. My thanks were freely poured out on the different fields, to the abilities and science of generals and other officers, to the zeal and prowess of all, the rank and file included. But a reward infinitely higher, the applause of a grateful country and government, will, I cannot doubt, be accorded in due time to so much merit of every sort displayed (p. 322) by this glorious army, which has now overcome all difficulties: distance, climate, ground, fortifications, numbers.

It has in a single day, in many battles, as often defeated thirty-two thousand men; made about three thousand prisoners, including eight generals (two of them ex-presidents), and two hundred and five other officers; killed or wounded four thousand of all ranks, besides entire corps dispersed and dissolved; captured thirty-seven pieces of ordnance, more than trebling our siege train and field batteries, with a large number of small arms, a full supply of ammunition of every kind, etc. etc.

These great results have overwhelmed the enemy. Our loss amounts to one thousand and fifty-three: _killed_, one hundred and thirty-nine, including sixteen officers; _wounded_, eight hundred and seventy-six, with sixty officers. The greater number of the dead and disabled were of the highest worth. Those under treatment, thanks to our very able medical officers, are doing well.

I regret having been obliged, on the 20th, to leave Major-General Quitman, an able commander, with a part of his division, the fine 2d Pennsylvania Volunteers, and the veteran detachment of United States marines, at our important depot, San Augustin. It was there that I had placed our sick and wounded, the siege, supply and baggage trains. If these had been lost, the army would have been driven almost to despair; and considering the enemy's very great excess of numbers, and the many approaches to the depot, it might well have become, emphatically, the post of honor.

After so many victories, we might, with but little additional loss, have occupied the capital the same evening. But Mr. Trist, commissioner, etc., as well as myself, had been admonished by the best friends of peace, intelligent neutrals, and some American residents, against precipitation, lest, by wantonly driving away the government and others, dishonored, we might scatter the elements of peace, excite a spirit of national desperation and thus indefinitely postpone the hope of accommodation.

Deeply impressed with this danger, and remembering our mission, _to conquer a peace_, the army very cheerfully sacrificed to patriotism, to the great wish and want of our country, the _eclat_ that would have followed an entrance, sword in hand, into a great capital. Willing to leave something to this republic, of no immediate value to us, on which to rest her pride, and to recover temper, I halted our victorious corps at the gates of the city (at least for a time), and have them now cantoned in the neighboring villages, where they are well sheltered and supplied with all necessaries.