Chapter X (2)

The first reconnoissance was supported by the whole of Worth's
division. Captain Mason had charge of one party, I had charge of the
other. Whilst the whole party of engineer officers with a portion of
the escort were examining the position of San Antonio within twelve
hundred yards of its guns, and in the causeway itself, the enemy
discharged his battery of two large brass 16-pounders, blowing to
pieces the body of the gallant Captain Thornton, commanding the
escort, and severely wounding an interpreter. The second
reconnoitring party (that of Captain Lee) were brought into pretty
close contact with a body of the enemy, whom they completely
dispersed without any loss. Thus, the enemy felt us the first day.
Pillow and Quitman had now come up to San Augustin (ten miles from
Mexico), and Twiggs to Xochimilco, four miles in rear.

It was determined to move the main body on San Angel, Worth
remaining in front of San Antonio, and by a vigorous combined
movement forcing this position and advancing upon Tacubaya.

Accordingly, on Thursday Pillow and Twiggs were pushed forward over
a most difficult road, requiring much labor to make it practicable
for field-guns, and in full view of a large force of the enemy, who,
divining our intentions from the reconnoissance of Wednesday, had
intrenched himself in a strong position, barring our passage. As our
troops approached, they were brought gallantly into action.
Callender's howitzer battery was advanced to a very exposed position
for the temporary purpose of driving in a picket, was not withdrawn
in time, and, exposed to a formidable battery of twelve guns, was
entirely cut up, its gallant commander receiving severe wounds in
both legs. Magruder's battery of 12-pounders was in like manner
advanced and cut up. These batteries were supported by Smith's
brigade on the left, and the 9th infantry on the right. The 9th
infantry I led across an open field, exposed to the enemy's grape,
without the loss of a man. They advanced to a strong position in a
ravine, which they maintained till dark.

Riley's brigade and the greater portion of Pillow's division were
pushed forward against the enemy's right to cut him off from his
reserves, and by a vigorous charge take him in flank and hurl him
into the gorges of the mountains.

The whole field of approach was a perfect honeycomb of lava
projections, entirely impracticable for horse and difficult for
foot. Nothing was known of the ground. All the troops advanced with
difficulty. That intrepid veteran, Riley, with his gallant brigade,
pushed forward and encountered the enemy's lancers in large force,
repulsing them in successive charges. He organized his brigade to
charge the battery, but felt it his duty to await orders and
support.

Smith, somewhat late in the day withdrawn from the right, reached a
village on the left of the enemy's position, to which Riley had
withdrawn, and was reinforced by the greater portion of Shields's
and a portion of Pierce's brigade. An attack under the direction of
Smith was organized, but could not be executed in consequence of the
gathering shadows of the night.

At this moment, all offensive operations on our side having ceased
and no impression made on the enemy's line, their reserves coming up
in great force and bringing with them additional guns, cheer on
cheer rose from their whole line, whilst on our part there was much
gloom and despondency. Our commands were much scattered, our
batteries had become disabled, and every one was overcome with the
fatigues of the day. During the latter part of the day I was
reconnoitring in the advanced position of the 9th infantry, and, not
knowing the progress of the day in other parts of the field,
returned to the rear for orders. I found General Pillow, who seemed
somewhat perplexed with the posture of affairs, and gave me no
orders till dark was coming on. I endeavored to find my way back,
but could not succeed. I was so entirely exhausted that it was with
the greatest difficulty that I could drag one foot after the other.
Finally I fell upon a small party of rifles and 9th infantry, led by
Lieutenant Foster, of the engineers, who were making good their
retreat from a house somewhat higher up on the same stream with the
position of the 9th infantry, and from which they had been expelled
by a whole regiment of the enemy. On hailing the party, Foster
recognized my voice, and I concluded to return with him, but so
entirely worn down that I required his support. We made our way with
great difficulty, occasionally meeting little parties of soldiers
seeking their commands. It had already commenced raining. On passing
near the place where I left my horse, I could not find him, and was
obliged to pursue my way on foot. At length we reached some dragoons
near the foot of a hill, where General Scott had placed himself to
observe the field, and there learned that he had left half an hour
before for San Augustin, three miles distant. I inquired for my
horse, but could not find him. Foster kindly lent me his, and after
waiting some half an hour I set out on my return to San Augustin in
company with Captain Sibley's troop of dragoons.

On my way back my feelings were not desponding, but I was sad. The
9th infantry, called the New England regiment, who had gallantly
followed my lead, and had occupied for hours an exposed position, I
had not succeeded in bringing back to the place indicated by the
general. I felt deeply my physical inability to support
long-continued exertion. It seemed to me that I had abandoned a
body of men who were relying on me. The regiment had acted nobly,
and none more so than Pitman, acting as major. He was cool and
intrepid throughout.

On my way home the rain poured in torrents much of the time. I
overtook my intrepid friend Callender, whom some men of his company
were carrying home on a litter. He seemed to be comfortable, and is
now rapidly recovering from his wound.

On reaching my quarters, getting some supper, and changing my
clothes, I went to see General Scott. He was surrounded by his
personal staff, and was attentively listening to Captain Lee's
account of the state of the field. Soon after, General Pillow and
General Twiggs entered the room. Twiggs is a gray-haired veteran of
sixty, large in person, of rather blunt address, and of little
advantages of education, but possessing in an eminent degree
decision of character, great sagacity as to men and events, and an
aptitude for labor. He has the most splendid division in the
service, the fruit in great measure of his own unwearied exertions.
Captain Lee is an officer of engineers to whom I have before
alluded, and one of my mess-mates. He is one of the most
extraordinary men in the service. In the very prime of manhood, of
remarkable presence and address, perhaps the most manly and striking
officer in the service, of great grace of manner and great personal
beauty, he has established an enduring reputation. His power of
enduring fatigue is extraordinary, and his strength of judgment and
perfect balance are conspicuous. For counsel, General Scott relies
more upon him than any other man in the service.

I never shall forget that evening,--Captain Lee in calm, even,
well-weighed words, giving a full view of the state of our force,
suggesting the various methods of reëstablishing affairs, and
proffering his own services and exertions to carry out the views of
the general; Scott, composed, complacent, weighing every word he
said, finding fault with no one's blunders, and taking in all cases
the best view of things, indulging in no apprehensions, and
exhibiting entire confidence in the ultimate event. At length
General Twiggs and Captain Lee returned to the battlefield with full
powers to retrieve affairs as their best judgment should dictate. It
had been proposed by General Smith, one of Twiggs's brigadiers, to
make a night attack upon the enemy's position, defended by twelve
guns and five thousand of their best troops. Captain Lee's principal
object in seeing the general was to procure his sanction. It was not
denied. On returning to the field, all arrangements were made to
carry it into execution.

My dear wife, I am spinning out a long letter, and I must be more
brief. This night attack, in consequence of rain and the difficult
nature of the ground, was not carried into execution till dawn of
day. It was organized by General Smith. The reconnoissance of the
route was made in the night by my friend Tower, of the engineers.
The principal column of attack consisted of Riley's brigade led by
Tower. Two other columns were pushed in the same general direction,
one of which was commanded by our friend Major Dimick. In front a
column was formed of the scattered commands, mostly new levies.

Riley's column pursued its way over slippery and uneven ground,
crossing two deep ravines, halting from time to time to keep the
command together. Finally it reached the brow of a hill in rear of
the enemy's position, and was formed in two columns, just as the
coming day disclosed them to the enemy. Immediately the charge was
ordered, and the gallant brigade made its terrible charge, ably
supported by the other columns. The contest was brief but decisive.
In fifteen minutes one thousand dead and wounded of the enemy lay on
the field, nearly a thousand more were taken prisoners, and the
remainder were flying in all directions. Every one speaks in the
most exalted terms of the conduct of Tower. Some say he led the
brigade and did the whole work.

As for myself, broken down the evening before, greatly in need of
rest, I complied with the advice of Major Smith and Captain Lee and
remained in town, giving directions to my servant to be called at
three, in order that I might return to the field to be in season for
the fight. My servant did not wake me till five. One delay after
another occurred, and I was finally detained by General Scott to
conduct to the field a brigade of General Worth's command. We
started and had got half way out, when information came of the
brilliant success of the night attack, and the brigade was ordered
back. I continued my way, and finally came across Tower very
quietly eating his breakfast in company with Lieutenant Beauregard
of our corps, who was also conspicuous in the same attack. I rode
on, passed over the battlefield, reached the advance, and exchanged
greetings with my friends of the 9th regiment, who had felt as
anxious for me as I had for them. They informed me that they had
withdrawn to a safe place about nine in the evening, and were
engaged in the night attack. My friends of the 1st artillery, Major
Dimick, Captains Capron, Burke, etc., I also shook warmly by the
hand, and finally rode up to General Twiggs. I congratulated him on
the brilliant victory achieved by his command. "General Smith
deserves the whole credit, but it was my division," was his reply.

The order was soon given to advance upon the San Antonio road,
General Twiggs in advance, the object being to cause the enemy to
evacuate it and open the way for the advance of Worth. I accompanied
the advance. We soon reached the village of Coyoacan, from which a
picket of about two hundred lancers was expelled. There we halted
till General Scott rode up. He proposed to wait half an hour to
reconnoitre, determine the position of the enemy, and the proper
mode of attack. General Worth had previously received orders not to
attack the enemy till he heard the fire on the other line.

Calling for the engineer officers, Captain Lee was directed, after
examining a prisoner, to communicate with General Worth at San
Antonio, and I went to the steeple of the church to use my glass. I
turned it upon the San Antonio road, and observed the enemy in full
retreat, the causeway for more than a mile being filled with troops,
pack-mules, and baggage-wagons. I immediately reported the fact to
General Scott, who ordered Twiggs to advance, and directed me to
accompany his division. Twiggs pushed on, and I went forward with
the officers of the engineer company to reconnoitre. We came to a
fork of a road. I took to the right, Lieutenant McClellan to the
left. Mine passed directly in front of a strong building (a church),
occupied in force by the enemy; his led directly to the building. At
a little distance before me I saw the enemy in retreat, and we took
one prisoner, who informed us that the place was defended by two
guns.

My dear wife, perhaps I had not better at this time go into the
details of the most terrible fight of the war, which now commenced.
General Twiggs has said publicly that by my reconnoissance and
efforts it was brought on, as regards his division. We all felt the
strongest determination to fight the enemy, and put him to a perfect
rout. At all events, it so happened that I was extremely active in
pushing forward columns of attack, etc. Our friend Major Dimick's
regiment I directed to its position. So with Taylor's battery.
General Twiggs, in almost every case, agreed to my suggestions. By
my efforts and those of the junior engineer officers, the troops
were brought under fire and the battle commenced.

The veteran division of Twiggs, already engaged in two hard-fought
battles, the desultory and galling conflict of the day before and
the brilliant victory of the morning, exposed to the rains of the
night, and the whole without the least rest from the wearisome march
around Lake Chalco, came gallantly into action against the enemy,
intrenched in a position of remarkable strength,--a bastioned
field-work of high relief, wet ditches, armed with eight guns, some
of large calibre, and protected by a church converted into a
defensive building of great strength. Taylor, whom you knew in
Newport, came into action in most gallant style, and opened his fire
upon the enemy, driving him from the roof of the building. But so
destructive was the return fire of the enemy behind his earthen
breastworks that in a short time his battery was cut up, and he was
obliged to withdraw, losing many men and horses, and two of his
officers were wounded. Lieutenant Martin, formerly stationed in
Newport, lost his arm. Riley opened his fire with great spirit and
effect against the left; Smith's brigade, headed by our gallant
engineer company, against the right. Worth, hearing our fire,
hastened up his command, and attacked a strong bastioned field-work
on the great San Antonio causeway, and a little in rear of the work
attacked by Twiggs. The 6th infantry and Duncan's battery were
conducted directly up the causeway. A terrible fire of grape
temporarily checked the advance of the 6th, and compelled Duncan to
put his battery under cover. An attack was directed, headed by the
2d artillery, to turn the left of the position. The whole command
of Worth was rushed to the attack, not in the most orderly manner,
and the greatest gallantry was displayed by both officers and men. A
continued blaze of fire proceeded from the extended line of the
enemy, resting on the two field-works, and was returned with great
spirit by both Twiggs and Worth. The roar of battle did not for a
moment cease, and at times the stoutest hearts would quail.

In the mean time the brigades of Shields and Pierce, conducted by
the intrepid Captain Lee, were directed around the enemy's right to
get into his rear and cut off his retreat. The enemy appeared in
such great force that it was with the greatest difficulty that the
command could be brought to the attack. The gallant Colonel Butler,
leading most nobly the Palmetto regiment, was shot dead, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Dickinson was wounded. After exceeding effort
they were made to charge the enemy, the causeway was gained, and his
retreat cut off. In this action both Shields and Pierce were
conspicuous for their gallantry, and the latter was wounded.

Previous to the attack of Worth, the work attacked by Twiggs had
been nearly silenced by the destructive fire of his two gallant
brigades, the gunners were shot down, and the guns were served only
at intervals. Still the church held out, and the line in rear was
not touched. Worth, after one repulse and at heavy loss, took by
assault the work on the causeway, the guns of which, together with
two from Duncan's battery, were opened upon the work attacked by
Twiggs. Shields and Pierce had now cut the causeway. Seeing no hope
of escape, the white flag was hung out, and immediately the division
of Twiggs occupied the work, taking over one thousand prisoners, of
whom three were general officers.

The panic was now universal. Our troops pushed forward on the great
causeway, the dragoons in hot pursuit, sabring the enemy in their
path. They fled in all directions. The gallant Captain Kearny
charged up almost to the very walls of the city, receiving a severe
wound in the arm, which rendered its amputation necessary.

This is a meagre account of this terrible fight, more protracted and
severe than anything seen at the Resaca, at Monterey, or the Cerro
Gordo. Our loss is great, some forty officers in killed and
wounded, and over seven hundred rank and file; nearly half the
officers of the 1st artillery were killed or wounded. Major Dimick
commanded the regiment in three battles and escaped without a wound.

As I have before said, I was on duty with the division of Twiggs.
This veteran was greatly exposed during the whole contest, and was
conspicuous for his coolness and judgment. General Scott himself was
wounded. The chief engineer, Major Smith, was also conspicuous for
gallantry and good conduct. Our gallant engineer company nobly
sustained its reputation as the first company in the service. At the
close of the action General Scott rode over the whole field,
speaking words of encouragement to the wounded, and addressing the
several regiments as he passed them. On all sides he was received
with the greatest enthusiasm. His words were the eloquence of the
heart, and told with great effect.

General Scott and staff returned to San Augustin, some five miles
from the battlefield, to pass the night. We were all greatly in need
of rest. To our great satisfaction, on comparing notes it was found
that not a single engineer officer had been touched, and only three
soldiers of the company wounded.

Notwithstanding the great fatigues of the day, I slept little that
night. The battlefield was before me with its scenes of terror and
of blood. The gallant officers who fell haunted me. The loss of
human life was appalling. I reflected that with less precipitation
the works could have been carried with much less loss. I was
precipitate like the rest, and felt in a measure culpable.

The next morning, after issuing the proper orders for the movements
of the troops,--orders given verbally from his horse to his aides,
and with admirable precision,--General Scott proceeded to the
village of Coyoacan, and there met a white flag from the city. We
then learned that consternation sat on that devoted place, and that
her army of twenty-six thousand to thirty-two thousand men had
become reduced to four thousand indifferent troops. The result of
the white flag was the appointment of commissioners to treat of an
armistice. This morning (Monday) the articles were duly signed, and
there is now every prospect that the war has come to a close. The
armistice is made by authority of the supreme government, and its
avowed object is to negotiate a treaty of peace. This armistice
provides generally that the two parties shall remain as they are.
Hostilities are to cease within a circuit of twenty-eight leagues of
the city, the guerrillas are to be withdrawn from the national road,
and our communications are to be free with Vera Cruz.

Monday evening. I have sad news to-day. The first day of the
armistice the Mexicans have commenced trifling with us. The
armistice provided that our army should draw supplies from the city,
and in consequence we commenced drawing specie in exchange for
drafts. The Mexicans denied this construction of the article, and in
consequence, at three o'clock, General Scott gave notice of the
termination of the armistice (the articles guarantee forty-eight
hours' notice). The Mexicans dare not again invoke the power of our
arms, and will yield the point. But it looks bad.

Tuesday, August 24. The commissioners have met again to-day, and the
articles have been modified to meet General Scott's views.

Thursday, August 26. Yesterday Santa Anna issued a proclamation
referring to his great exertions to defend his country, and to the
circumstances of the present crisis, and stating his conviction that
an honorable peace would promote the best interests of his country.
Accordingly to-day commissioners to negotiate a treaty of peace were
appointed on his part, who are to meet our commissioner, Mr. Trist,
to-morrow.

Friday, August 27. This has been a white day for me. The
archbishop's palace is a very good place for the general and his
personal staff. It has a splendid view from its top. But since our
arrival it has been crowded with the general staff and with a
company of dragoons. The courtyard was filled with horses, and the
whole place was becoming filthy in the extreme. The chief engineer,
Major Smith, and myself occupied a small, dirty room, which we used
for a sleeping-room, an eating-room, and an office. Accordingly we
determined to seek other quarters. After much inquiry, I fell to-day
upon a splendid suite of apartments belonging to a judge in the City
of Mexico, which I have secured, and am now occupying with Major
Smith. We have a large parlor, dining-room, two large
sleeping-rooms, a spacious kitchen, stable, and flower garden. As
throughout all Mexico, our apartments extend to the rear, looking
upon an open court, with one apartment only on the street. The house
is of one story, and each window extends to the floor and opens upon
the court. We feel quite comfortable in our new home. The
corresponding suite of apartments on the opposite side of the court
is occupied by the judge's clerks and law students. We have been
much indebted in securing these apartments to the good offices of
Mr. Jameson, a Scotch merchant of wealth in the City of Mexico, who
resides in Tacubaya. He is our next-door neighbor, and will make a
most pleasant acquaintance. Just opposite us, he is now building a
most elegant mansion in the midst of a garden laid out in the
English style. Last evening Mason and myself took a walk to the top
of an eminence in rear of the palace, where we had a most beautiful
view of the City of Mexico and its neighboring lakes. We both
thought of Newport, and of the thousand delightful recollections
that cluster around it. Mason is in fine health, and has greatly
distinguished himself in the recent operations. We both hope to see
Newport before the close of the year.

Saturday, August 28. To-day I have for once felt entirely recovered
from the fatigues of the recent operations in the valley, and have
twice mounted my horse, and to-morrow I think of going to the
village of Mixcoac, some two and a half miles from this place, where
Pillow's division is quartered. Captain Pitman is there with the 9th
infantry. The colonel of this regiment, Ransom, is a very fine
officer. I saw General Pierce to-day. He was not recovered from the
effects of a fall from his horse on the battle-ground of the 19th
instant, but was able to be about. He was not wounded, as I have
before written. He is making a fine impression upon the whole
service.

The casualties are much higher than any one anticipated,--over one
thousand killed and wounded (about 1060). General Pierce's command
suffered to the extent of about 160; General Cadwallader's, about
100; General Shields's, 200; General Worth's, 336; General Twiggs's,
260.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The flat roof on the convent and most of the buildings in Mexico
afforded strong positions for defense, being surrounded by parapets,
known as azoteas, formed by carrying the walls some four feet above
the roofs. The convent azotea was lined with infantry.