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From the Knickerbocker for October.The Hlaniac maid.BY J. CLLMENT.Her face i* fair, her form erect, Her motions full of grace.But not a gleam of reason’* light Within her eye we trace.thigh, that ho died the next morning. Louisiana boys have fought every day About fifty Mexicans now appeared for four days and 1 assure you, as Cron, upon the hill side, over the moving col- Worth’s, report will bear mo out in sny-umn.and fired at our troops some bund- i ing, and bs every officer in the 2d Division red musket shot, without doing any harm, will testify that this corps has distinguish-The division deployed into the position ed itself on every occasion where theyThe bright blue sky above her spreads,The gay green earth around;And myriad voices, sweetly tuned, Wake every pleasant sound.And yet to her there’s nothing fair In all that Gon has made;And not a harp could thrill her sou!, Though by tut angel played.pointed out, and rem lined an houror twowhen Capt. C. F. Smith, of the artillerybattalion, with two companies (his own and Capt. Scott's) and four companies Texan Rangers on foot, were ordere 1 to storm the second height!, lant olficercheerfully undertook, and vas followed with enthusiasm by the officers and men of his command. It was con-Tliis the gal-The beauteous world of thought, to us So full of heavenly light,To her is but a dark morass,Where reigns primeval night.The smile on friendship's face is dim, The glow of love concealed,And all the woman in her heart Is like a fount congealed.siderod on all sides to be a most dangerous undertaking, and this party was considered most emphatically a forlorn hope. That the height would be taken no onehave been called oil.The sons of Judge Nichols, of Donald-ville have stood fire, four or five hours at a time, driving the enemy—under their battery—from bush to bush, and rock to rock, and at last were among the foremost to rush into tho Bishop’s Palace and take it by storm. Capt. Blanchard and his company have already made a reputation that will not soon be forgotten.S. G. Allen, private of this company was mortally wounded in this fight, and died the next morning. Capt. Smith had noGeneral Taylor h is arrived at Glt;ti.Worth's headquarter's to-dax nn.li engaged in town with Ampn !i s me «en-gers, considering the one nv’s : r r i!s for surrendering the T \vn i It ItFort at the North Cu-t .id 1 r Ti.ar Fort is very strong, and is b. h v« 1 to contain, at least, j -m, . 11.. niitie .have ceased until the conforms.e sh be concluded. There rnust beIIh n i mp l^Slt;were and imtiinond I of t!iOil s| \IIof kithesldoubted, but that many bravo fellows one killed or wounded in his party of would fall in the attempt, seemed inevitable. The distance to bo climbed afterregularsII here seems strange that God should hide, A ray of His own light;But heaven will vei illume the page,And all will then be bright.BrrrAi.o, N. V ,reaching the foot of the bill was about a quarter of a mile; a part of the way was almost perpendicular, and through thorn bushes, and over sharp pointed rocks and loose eliding stones.two Texans were wounded,viz: Wm. Carloy and 13. F. Kcese.Bishop1* Palace, Montery, Sept '31, ltlt;43.On the morning of the 21st, Col. Childs of the Artillery Battalion, with three ofrnense quantity of property in t.ticularly arms and amm uc i. m.1 should have m**' '; I ■ tdivision marched fro-a t with only two da vs’m . . .. . !A large ma jority of theuv of the men wotkod a #tains, chased the enemy eight hours, willi notlicorn.Much of tho two lt;1* 5n, paIIor iiifftrbut it M * *IS', nMiIi Mm liVlinrtid fiu: to cat 1f riDetails of tho late Battle.fBishop* Palace, Montery,Mexi •, Sepf. 94*Gfntlemen:—This is the fourth dsy since the battle of Moutery commenced.On the 20th at noon, Gan. .Vorth maich ed from the camp east of the town inthe direction of the heights west of thetown. McCulloch’sand Gillespie’s company of rangers forming the roconnoiter-ing party. At night the division bivouacked ulinost within range oi the guns stationed upon the highest point of the hill, on which tho Bishop’^ Palace is situated. At daylight ou the 21st, the column was again in motion, and in a few minutes was turning the point of a ridge which protruded out towards tho point of the onomy’s guns, bringing us as near j to them a3 theiigunners could desire.—j They immediately opened upon tho col urnn with a howitzer and 12 pounder, firing shell and round shot as last as they could discharge their pieces. Tho toad now wound in towards a gorgo, but not far enough to be out of range of their guns, which still played upon us. Another ridge lay about three-fourths of recalled.a mile beyond the first, around the termination of which tho road wound, bringing it under tho lofty summit of a height which tises between Palace lull and themountain* whtrh i ov#« v-.» -»• tl*wWhen the head of the column approached this side a body of Mexican cavalry came dashing around the point to char^o upon our advance. Capt. Gillespie im-mediately ordered his men to dismountThehis companies—one commanded by Capt.Vinton, another by Capt. J. B. Scott, The 7th Infantry .commanded by Capt. and the third by Lieut. Ayers—and threeMiles, was ordered to support Captain companies of the 8th Infantry—companyO • A i f , 11 i* 1 • | I . • . | | •1 Smith's party, and, by marching directlyto tho foot of tho height, arrived beforeCapt. Smith, who had been ordered to take a circuitous route. Capt. Miles sent ud Lieut. Gantt with a detachmentof men, upon tho hill side, to divert the attention of the enemy from Captain Smith’s command, which could not yet bo soon. The 7th had already sustained a heavy fite of'grape and round shot, asthey forded the San Juan, which windsaround the foot of the height, which fell like a shower of hail, without killing a man. Lt. Gantt's party were greeted with round and grape shot, which cut theshrubs and tore up tho loose stones in thoroad without killing any one; but tho gallant young officer catne within an inch of being killed by a cannon ball, which raked down the steep and filled Ins faco withftagmeuis of rock, dust and gravel.— 'This fire was accompanied by constant discharge of musketry, tho enemy covering tho upper part of the hillside, but the detachment continued to move up, driving the Mexicans back until they wereCapt. Smith’s patty now arriv-o 1 and moved up the hill, the rangers inA. commanded by Lieut. Longsl'eet, and Lieut. Wainright; B. company, Lieut. Helloway, commanding, and Lieut. Merchant; D. company, Capt, Serivner and Lieut. Montgomery—was ordered to take tho summit of Pa'aee llill. Theyu rations wero spoiled by the rains- md as the tn were frequently om'eied ..Tut a moments notice—they left their luvoia nLs behind.There have been tilt;m ten to fifteen thousand troops at tin*, p evet ... ,-lt; wo have been here, but tli y are ilt;-1kin out, in citizen’s clothe.*, as fust, ns can dodge off. As loldiers there is nlt;escape for them.Montarv. M.xi* S.ort. ‘.3wthe fvv aswet cetc* (time ( *uban§ ii1 filmt fieynext1 e n iman.? hosttownGentlemenThe lt;on the follow ing terms* soldiers shall ho pen lilted to niarcn out of town with tiu*ii nm ill arms intiii *ii f U'Ww¥Colonel left the camp ut 3 o’clock, A. M.and climbed the mountain through thehas capitulatedATim MexicaniC#M ■IW t\ ! fsix small field pieces | le ivin » nit ;■ tmunitions of wai behind, with all Unitchaparral and up tho steep rocks, with such secrecy that at day-break ho was within] 100 yards of the^ breast work of sand-bags, before he was discovered.— iThe Mexicans poured their musketry in-J Baltiilo, are m-t to ;. u ■ i : «u:t tto them, but they rushed up the precipiceartillery and public stori *.They uro to retiro t » Linares, sixtymiles hence, about thirty miles nmtli ofand soon had the place. Three of thoartillery, having rushed ahead too fast found themselves in the hands of (he Mexicans. They surrendered; the Mexicanstook their muskets and shot them down with the very pieces they had given up. I saw the poor fellows lying there.I have but a few moments left to write*in, and must therefore defer tho particulars of the storming of the palace until l have more time. Colonol Stanford wentthat to this place u nion hixty day , lt;r until each party can hear from ifs re-prct ive government. Amp i lia I. p* U iul Taylor until nearly u. In' : pp pit;; .jthe terms, etc.Many persons, partkuliilv th .i Texanvolunteers who fought su in . vi iv, tie d -: IT* ' • fpleased ai these U mu 1 he imwh waswall but in out hand*, and tin y h Ii ve 1 could have been til.i-n in tin • t lunin. I believe it would have !r*!*.tu» trim li in r*o havo taken it. but ti ~son,i 1P.Mthe eto tliour ( n tiwasulatiAfit.av o dunsbash* *pojfolioItuj at daylight with the balance of the 8th, and Maj. Scott led up the 5th. The Louisiana boys were on the hill with the 5th,advance, end did not halt for an instant at 8 o’clock A. M. One of Duncan's how until the Mexicans were driven from the, and place themselves in ambush, enemy evidently did not see this in a nee-*' . uvre, but the moment they came up, the - Texans opened upon them a most effective fire, unsaddling a number of them.McCuUoch’s company now dashed into them—Capt. C. F.Scott’s camp of artillery (acting as infantry) and Lieut. Longstred’s company of the Sth Infantry with another company of the same regiment likewise charged upon the enemy. The Texan horsemen were soon engaged with them, in a sort of hand to hand skirmish, in which a number of the enemy +fell, and ono Texan was killed and two wounded.sjmmit. Whits this was going on, Col.P.P # lift * • f |» ^ V Will IMUmUi vJ lliw c»ii» ami7th infantry—the 5th. with Blanchaid’sLouisiana boy's under Maj M. Scott hadbeen oideied to supbort the whole—gaveorders for these commands to pass around on each side, and storin the fort, which was situated about half a mile back of the summit on the same ridge, and commanded the bishop’s palace. Such a foot race as ensued, has seldom if ever been seen, tho Louisiana boys making the tallest kind of strides to bo in foremost.— Capt.Smith had the gun which lie took upon the height, ran down to the breast-works and tired into it. 'Then came Col.P. F.dragged up, or rather lifted up, peueci on me palace, wincn w«itzers, in chargo of Lt. Rowland, wasand o*peueu on me palace, wlitcn M- n i”il with troops. The Mexicans charged on the howitzer, but were driven back. A constant firing was kept up for sevoial hours, particularly by Blanchard’s men, who left a dozen Mexicans dead upon the hill side.hard fighting to imvo taken it, was not tho questmn with Gen. 1 ay lor.Ho and all his officers knew pert i lls well, of course, that tho town ( oul i soot betaken; but be wanted i.o pri-oners to take up his lime and eat ht» au but he did have an object in vwill Oe reactie I by tin? o irns of this ta pilulation, and that object will Ime** *-I o 11ti iiuv| aei v: I I I I! cornIt ©lor ) si udj Hi n jj ity I! to t (11irgetiti tiltan. 1 i *rc*Bu!t fuo^t beu» ticiuudei vvhuM© ttuvicuoilor acted, in agreeing to tin ho U iiih. Major Mans tie UJ, ot ilie Ki.;hih crs, n4tconnuitered tho one-liiAt length a charge was ordered, and our men rushed down upon tho palace, entered a bole in a door that had beenblocked up but opened by the howitzer, and soon cleared tho work of the fewf a worn# on tiiglit of the but could obtnin rvery accurate mtoi rnutioii, approached very neatc#Hih lxmuf till 1Wetii ywveriitColonel Duncan now opened upon them with his battery of Light Ar* j tillrey, pouringa fewdischargesofgiapeamong them, and scattering them likechaff. Saveral men and hoises fell un der this destructive fre.1 *aw one horse and rider bound some Feet in the air and both fell dead and turn-bled down the steep. The foot compa | nies above named then lushed up the steep and fired over tho ridge at tho re-SrmtlTs men, firing and cheering— the 5ih and 7th and Lonisianains reachingthe ridge abuto nearly at the same nine.The Mexicans fired ut them with grape but it did not save them, or cause uu instants hesitation in our ranks. Our men run and filed, and cheered, until theyreached the woik, the foremost enteringat one end, whilst the Mexicans, abouta thousand in number, left the other inretreat. Tho colors of the 5th were in-Mexicans that remained. Lt. Ayers wastho luckey ono who first reached the hal yardsand lowered thoftag. One Impound brass piece, a beautiful article, inauufactu red in Liverpool in 1842, and a short 12 pound brass howitzer, were captured, with a large quantity of ammunition, anti some muskets and lances.ou tho heights.A#On the 20th, Lieut.St arritt and LT uttintd11r(Mii p t o ach msii ion of a batThree companies wereward as skirmisheistautly raised, and scarcely weio they up before those of the 7th were alongside. The three commands entered tho fort together. so close was the race—the 5th however, getting in advance at first. J. W. Miller, of Blanchard's company wasitreating enemy, a considerable body of among the first four or five who ontered.whom wore concealed from our view, around the point of the hill. About thirty of the enemy were killed in this skir-V, ; mish, and among them a Captaiu, who j with two or three others, fell in the road. The Captain was wouuded in three placesf IIM.the last shot hitting him in the foi head.EC-StHe fought gallantly to the last, and I am sorry that I cannot learn his narno. The light batteries, one of which is commanded by Lieut. Mackall, wero now drawn1 upon thesfopo of the ridge, and the howitzers opened upon the height of Palace *' Hill. A few shells only were thrown, ,r before the enemy commenced firing with a nine pounder from the height immediately over tho light of the column, aiming at Duncans batteiies. The several regiments took positions, and a few more jl”s j shells were thrown towaids Palace Hill, til! but did no execution. The nine pounder continued to throw its shot, with great prec eioo it our batteries, one ball filling directly in the midst of the pieces, but fortunately hitting neither men or guns.rd- Finding its batteries thus exposed, and ier unable to effect anything, Col. Duticau removed his command to a aanche about half a mile further up tho Saltillo road, where Gen. Worth took up his position, *r* after ordering the foot regiments to form along tho fence, near the point of the j r idge. The artillery battalion, 5th, 7lh and 8th infantry, and the Louisiana Volunteers remained in this position aboutThe throe companies may bo said to have come out even in tho race, for the 7th was not five seconds behind. In less than five minutes the eun found in the fort was thundering away atthe Bisoop’s Palace! Mote ammunition was found than our troops will use with the throe gnns that were captured. One of the gunsThe foit, adjoining tho palace walls, isnot completed, but it is very noatly constructed, as far as it is built. The killeo on our side, in taking tho place, was seven— wounded, twelve. Lt. Wainright was wounded in the arm and side by n musket ball, but will soon recover it i-* hoped. Mr. Jno. Francis, of New Or leans, belonging to Blanchard’s company, firo of artilleiy fioti was killed. I will give a full account of this affair at another lime. Col. Childs,Capt. Vinton, Capt. Blanchard, Lieut.Longstreet, Lieut. Claik, (Adjutant oi the 8th.) Lieut, Ayers, Lieut. McCown, and the two Nicholls seemed to havo beenPope weie sent out to iwor ks; Scan iit on the 11 ;ht and ) the left of the town, i he la* ter m*ed and discovered thetery on the extreme l ii, rid was expo sed to a fire of cannon and mu* kcti from Lencers, from which, aftci fi ndiin. his observations, he returned in s lety On the nicht of the 20th lhlt;uevmgC ti It IUioUai iinui in a [Nisi-hovvitzar battened went \\ t tion to play o.i lii© ttiullg hold j uiaund 111 n ( ilMBlithrown I imdadvanced,pid|st.JH-.dtoliilVVCi1 iim ■ *wmettle, utilleractheeil auc 1U11ijrtoil fnuikclrjr* *ilie! (?« 11 *tortbrciw lii letlia dsavi:lv hw -mhtnaibi nurnn chargedyou■Iinto a Ktreel about yards to tho ri.r,tt of tho kbatteryf piihnci the works Vrituelv, mm-I I 411 eu’ Ah . eE.trance to the town.tI hi'arida »the heroes of the day.The two latter ’did the thing up brown’ and not only Judge Nicholls, but oldiA UitAtter advancing rapidlyyards beyond the baiteiy, they c, n : anmediately in front of\u m.i-! ' d l itilt;*r y of artillery and musketry, whichLouisiana may well bo proud of such streets complete!) by itswept tin'Jinsons.killed'The Mexicans lost, at least. 30 21 had been buried this morning,iango.tenWMnotI IK twas found concealed. They are 9 pound and I have seen a number lying on the brass pieces. Several mules and a half hill side, that were not discovered by our dozen beautiful tents were likewise cap- men when they brought in the dead, lured. Killed, none. Wounded, in 7th Yesterday morning, the whole division Infantry, Lieut. Porter, bullet through under Gen. Worth, entered tho town on tho calf of the leg; Orderly Sergant this side, and havo been fighting there Hurdle of K company; Corporal S. P. ever since. The heart of the City is Oakley, severely in tho thigh. Oakley is nothing but one f irtification, the thick from N.York city, and a very intelligent, walls being pierced for muskets, and can-well educated man, as well as a good sol- non being placed so as to rako the prin-dier.Private Whiter—the same who captured a Mexican officer’s trunk at Matin,and who roveived it and its contents from Gen. Taylor—wounded in the head.— Fifth infantrv killed none; wouuded—cipul streets. The roofs being flat, andbarricades of the streets ut m\t y vards distance from,lb© bead ut ihu columnwere lined wr b M *entirely covered ibemstdvo% op on i amurderous dnch r jo lt;•( . ,ketry upon thDodvancm^ eolumii.Every house in ihu^reet was piercedfor muskets and « nfdadecl tho u i m every direction. Under tbu fire the following officers were killed oi rnurtulJvwounded.hI,iroiwo ilire:n’t9 3the front walls rising three or four feet above the roof, of course every street hasa line of breast-works on each side. A ten inch mortar camo round from GenMaj. Bui her , d 1 infantry, bygrape shot in tho abdomen; Capt. V\ ill-iarn* Topographical Engineer, *lmt thro’the body by musket bull, fell in thostiuct and was dragged into the dooiway of uon ‘ l;y Lieut. Poj , ‘ iof balls that covered him with uutt*Tayloi last evening, and it is now placed in the la^t plaza, to which our troopsThe g dlautryoi : h'* youu r ollicei, now in ins first hat: * n of in ad n Ition by tho army, i ’ i j it. diedthe next day, and was huiicd wrii thehonors of war by ihe M v * m tr *into whose hands he id i Hen. LTerri 1.1died the next day.It be.ng imp* ■ *, * a Ithe engineer officers, to effect anythingLieut. Rossell. in the arm; Sergeant Major Brand, badly, in the mouth with mus- j have fought, step by stej, and horn h use ket ball, Private McNanus and Gr ubb 1—n slightly wounded, Sergeant Uptergraph.ili,ifO-ailsto house. Duncan’sbatteries are m town,and the present impression is that theplace will soon be taken. Gon. Worth has gained all tha strongholds that com mand th© City, and ha3 pushed the enemy as far as they can go without falling not time now to give the paiticulars of into Gen. Taylor's hands, on tho othercolor bearer, distinguished lumself by his gallantry.Thus was this brilliant coup do mainmade almost without bloodshed. I haveon a w1tenproi tshishutshewinHekmwinlotcanthis glorious aflair. Capt. C. F. Smith was in tho advance, with McCall, at tho battle of Resaca do la Palma, and is one»ene,—ichlyetwo hours, directly under the fire of theunemy’s guns, (now two.) The balls of tho most gallant and accomplished uf-fell directly in their midst all this time, ficers in the Army—so say all his officers without wounding a man! To bpgin whom I have heard speak of him. Col. with, the Mexicans manage their artillery P. F. Smith—Gen. Smith of Louisiana—distinguished himself on that occasion asoceArin battery as well as tho Americans dothis 1 believe is now conceded by every ' did Maj. Scott and Capt. Miles, and, in officer. At half past 10 the column raov- truth, every officer anil man did his duty ed towards the General’s position. At nobly.this time Capt. MclCavett, of the 8tt. in-1 Tho gallant conduct of Capt. Blanch-; fantry was shotihrough the heatt by a cbard and Lieut’s.Tenbrink, and the two• w lift i . n . I .ill %▼ • « 11 • !__1 I____ 1 1 .1side of the City. All this has been done with the loss of only about 70 killed and wounded !At first it seemed totally impossible to storm those heights—it looked like charging upon the clouds—but it has been done. The Bishop’s palaco, which is as s’rong as it has been represented to(be,hasbeen stormed and taken by our biavc soldiers. 1 should have stated that Col.in attacking tho barricade* in front, theninejniuii'l bail, and a private of the 5th brothers Nicholls, is praised by all the . * infantry wna so severely wcuttded in the ^ officers who were there. In truth theHays, with a body of his troops, ami Capt. Gillespie and McCulloch were at the taking of the palace. Capt. Gillespie was mortally wounded, and died yesterday morning, regretted b\t the whole armycolumn moved rapidly up a -treot to the r ight, wlib the intention of turning them. Being reinforced by the Ohio regiment, « second chargo was made undet the direction of General Butler, which, owingto tho tremenduous fire oi m isketry and grape from tho barricades and stone houses, likewise proved ineflectual. The troops were then ordered ilt;y General Taylor to return in good ordei u i get under cover tromtlm enemy’s lire, which order was handsomely executed.During the engagement in ' .vn, ofthe forts that wageAtho ! dislt; 1 as lranherNospaor iasin.w r i\vacieFarland's Briga !\* * **erIkc
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Hillsdale Whig Standard
Hillsdale, Michigan, US
Tue, Oct 27, 1846
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USA 14 Mar 2023
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