The Abbeville banner. [volume], May 26, 1847, Image 1

About The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869

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44 LIBERTY AND MY NATIVE SOIL."
VOL. 4. ABBEVILLE C. H., S. C., MAY 26, 1847. ===?NO. 13.
Published every Wednesday, by
CHARLES H. ALLEN,
Editor and Proprietor.
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in advanco.
Tho Postage must be paid upon all letters and
communications to sccuro attention.
From the New Orleans Delta.
The Buttle of I'crro Gordo.
On the arrival of the other Divisions of
the army at the encampment of General
Twiggs, on the 16th of April, Gen. Scott,
after taking a reconnoisance of the enemy's
works, determined to storm them. The
position occupied by the enemy was regarded
by them as impregnable, and truly, to
any other than American soldiers i'. must
have appeared an insurmountable and
impracticable undertaking to carry it by
storm, or turn it by strategy.
The road from Vera Cruz,as it passes the
Plan del Rio, which is a wide, rocky bed
of a once large stream, is commanded by a
series of high cliffs, rising one above the
other, and extending several miles, and all
? /-!! {"nrlifipd TIip. rn:id thon rlnhnnrhrs fn
the right, and curving around the ridge,
passes over a high cliff, which is completely
enfiladed with forts and batteries. This
ridge is the commencement of the Terra
Templada, the upper or mountainous country.
The high and rocky ravine of the
river protected the right flank of the position,
and a series of most abrupt and apparently
impassable mountains and ridges covered
their left. Between these points, running
a distance of two or three miles, a succession
of strongly fortified forts bristled at every
torn, and seemed to defy all bravery and
skill. The Cerro Gordo cammanded the
road on a gentle declination, like a glacis,
i*__ i : I i* A:
jui utsuiiy a luiio au <iyj;iuuun in mat uirection
was impossible. A front attack
must have terminated in the almost entire
annihilation of our army. But the enemy
expected such an attack, confiding in the
desperate valor of our men, and believing
that it was impossible to turn their position
to the right or to the left. General Scott,
however, with the eye of a skilful general,
perceiving the trap set for him, and determined
to avoid it. He therefore had a road
cut to the right, so as to escape the front fire
from the Cerro and turn his position on the
left flanlc. This movement was made
known to the enemy by a deserter, from
our camp, and consequently a large increase
of force under Gen. Vega was sent to the
fnrt nn fKoir lnff nnni'dl 5/?nf t 1 r\ nmrnr
JU1 k Uli IA1V. II iUil. V/UliUl U1 kJUUU IW tUVUl
his flank movements, on the 17th of April,
ordered forward General Twiggs against
the fort on the steep ascent, in front and a
little to the left of the Cerro. Col. Harney
commanded this expedition, and at the head
of the Rifles and some detachments of infantry
and artillery carried this position under
a heavy fire of grape and musketry.?
Having secured this position in front and
near the enemy's strongest fortification, and
having by incredible labor elevated one of
our largest guns to the top of the fort, Gen.
Scott prepared to follow up his advantages.
A demonstration was made from this position
against another strong fort in the rear,
and near the Cerro, but the enemy were
considered too strong, and the uddertaking
was abandoned. A like demonstration was
nrdue vy iuc cuuiiiy*
who moved in separate
''-^^n?, whilst General Pillow advanced
against the strong forts and difficult ascents
on the right of the enemy's position. The
* enemy fully acquainted with Gen. Scott's
Itow^intended movement had thrown large bomen
into the various positions to be
llliu e(^*' '^e mosl serious enterprise was
Twiggs, who advanced against the
n^^nwjHrort that commanded the Cerro. NonSHH^^Bcan
be conceived more difficult than
jffl^^^^^Bndertaking. The steep and rough
of the ground, the constant fire of
in front, and the cross fire of the
batteries which infiladed our lines,
duty assigned to Qen. Twiggs
surpassing difficulty. Nothing pre
J^^^H oui men from being utterly, destroythe
steepness of the ascent under
jjH9Bthey coti Id shelter.;, But they sought
J^R&lter, and onward rushed against a
mM
k - ~
hailstorm of balls, led by the gallant Harney,
whose noble bearing elicited the applause
ofthe whole army. His conspicuous
and stalwart frame at the head of his brigade,
his long arm waving his men on to the
charge, his sturdy voice ringing above the
clash of arms and din of conflict, attracted
the attention and admiration alike ofthe
enemy and of our own army. On, on, he
led the columns, whose front lines melted
i r ? "
Dejore me enemy,s fire like snow flake in
a torrent, and staid not their course until
leaping over the rocky beariers and bayoneting
their gunners, they drove the enemy
pell mell from the fort, delivering a deadly
fire in their ranks, from their own guns, as
they hastily retired. This was truly a gallant
deed, worthy of the Chevalier Bayard
of our army, as the intrepid Harney is well
styled, Gen. Scott, between whom and Col.
Harney there had existed some coolness,
rode up to the Colonel after this achievement,
and remarked to him, "Col. Harney,
I cannot adequately express my admiration
of your gallant achievement, but at the
proper time I stiall take great pleasure in
thanking you in proper terms." Harney,
with modesty of true valor, claimed the
praise as due to Ins officers and men. Thus
did the division of the gallant veteran
Twiggs carry the main position of the enemy
occupy the fort which commanded the
road.?It was here the enemy received their
heaviest loss, and their General. Vasquez,
was killed. A little after. General Worth
having, by great exersions. passed the sleep
and craggy heights on the enemy's left,
summoned a strong fort in the rear of the
Cerro,to surreuder. This 'ort was manned
by a large force under General Pinzon, a
mulatto officer of ponsidr?rntili> nhilittr nnrt
courage, who seeing the Cerro carried,
thought prudent to surrender, which he did,
with all his force. Gen. Shields was not so 1
fortunate in the battery which he attacked,
and which was commanded by General
La Vega. A heavy fire wasopened on him,
under which the fort was carried wilh some
loss, by the gallant Illinoisians. under Baker
and Bennett,supposed by the New Yorkers,
under Burnett. Among those who fell
under this fire was the gallant General, who
received a grape shot through his lungs, by
which he was completely paralyzed, and nt
the last accounts was in a lingering slate.
On the enemy's right, Gen. Pillow commenced
the attack against the strong forts
near the river.
mi - m J T T * 1 *
i ne i ennesseeans, uncier nnsKPH, led
the column, and ihe other volunteer regiments
followed. This column unexpectedly
encountered a heavy fire from a masked
battery, by which Haskell's regiment was
nearly cut to pieces, nnd the other volunteer
regiments wereseverely handled. Genernl
Pillow withdrew his men, and was preparing
for another attack when the operations
at the.other points having proved successful,
the enemy concluded to surrender.?
Thus the victory was complete, and four
Generals and 6,000 men were taken prisoners
by our army. One of their principal
Generals and a large number of ether offi
i.*lr 3 'pu- nji.,..: r .1.
ueis itj11cu. 1 nc ivu AK.uu lorct" on mis occasion
certainly exceeded our own. The
Mexican officers admitted that Santa Anna
had 8,000 men in the lines, and G.000, including
2,000 lancers, outside of the en
treanchments. General Scott's force was
about 8,000, Gen. Quitman's brigade not
having arrived in iime to take part in the
engagement. Gen. Ampudia was second
in command of the Mexicans, and superintended
the operations of the enemy. When
the Cerro was carried he was seen retreating
on a fine white charger, his hat falling
off as he galloped away. Many of the
Mexicans made their escape by a bye path
which runs off from the main road between
the Cerro and the fort carried bv General
Worth. As to Santa Anna awl Canalizo,
they retreated in time to escape by the main
road. Their conduct was regarded as most
cowardly. Some of the Mexican officers
who were taken prisoners, do not hesitate
to attribute their defeat to the cowardice or
corruption of Santa Anna. The force of
the enemy was composed of the best soldiers.
The infantry that fought so well at Buena
Vista, all the regular artillerits of the republic,
including several able naval officers,
were present. Some of the officers whom
Gen. Scott released at the capitulation of
Vera Cruz, without extorting the parole on
account of their gallantry, were found
among the killed and wounded.
Agallanl young officcr named Halzinger,
a German by birth, who extorted the admiration
of our army, in the bombardment^of
VeraCruz, by seizing u flag which was
cut down by our balls, and holding it up in
his hand until a staff could be prepared, had
been released by General Scott without a
parole. He was found among the desperately
wounded at Cerro Gordo. The enemy's
Iocs (in killed and wounded) was
about as large as our own. But in addition
to this, the loss of 6,000 prisoners arid some
tVvA1W VkAA*
Ul lUOli UOOl UlllV/CtO*. V/UI uimjf tnpiuiou
about thirty pieces of beautiful brags cannon
of large calibre and mostly manufactured
at tUe Royal Foundary of Seville. A
....
*
r \? ,-Jk
w Uk
large quantity, of fixed ammunition of very
superior quality, was also taken. The private
baggage and money chest of Santa
Anna,containing $20,000, was also captured.
The latter was delivered over to
the Pay Department. The volunteers who
were employed in carrying the specie into
camp cracked many a joke over the prospect
of beinjr soon paid off in Mexican coin
and free of expense to Uncle Sam.
When our forces had carried the various
positions of the enemy and the road was
cleared, Gen. Twiggs started in hot pursuit
of the fugitive Santa Anna, and pressed
close upon his heels. A strong position, five
miles west of Cerro Gordo, fortified and defended
by a fine battery of long brass guns
was abandoned by the enemy and occupied
by our troops, General Twiggs bivouacked
within three miles of the lovely town of
Jalapa.
Approach lo the City of Mexico.
Vera Cuuz.?The city of Vera Cruz is
walled round, with a fort at each extremity
of the water front ; the walls on the land
side arc loop-holed for musketry. Parapet
guns Have been recently mounted on the
walls. The city walls are very thick, of
coral rock; the walls of the houses are
usually two and a half feel thick, and the
roofs are Hat. Each house has a cistern or
cisterns of rain water. The city is well
paved.
From Vera Cruz to Mexico.?About
ten miles from Vera Cruz is a stream two
hundred yards wide, crossed at a ferry in
scows, or by swimming horses over. The
next stream about thirty miles from Vera
Cruz, is fordable, and is also spanned by a
wooden bridge called Plicate del Rey (the
ivings's linage,jana aisotnc national bridge. I
Near it on the right, is an eminence of about |
fifty feet, on which is a fort, completely
commanding the approach and bridge.
Between these bridges and Jalapa, the
road passes near several heights, from which
the natives can annoy invaders on the road.
City of Jalapa.?This city stands on
very elevated ground, yet for many miles
the ascent is quiet gradual. From this city
Vera Cruz is visible, as is also, the sea,
ninety miles distant. The city itself isiipon
a high hill?highest in the centre, so that
the streets incline considerably, so much so,
that no wheeled vehicle can pass along any
of them except the main street or road,
?v mv.ii iiuc u. Luiioiut i ti uiu list; uuu ursceiii. i
The city is surrounded by a wall, and has
a strongly built church near the western
gate, which could be converted into a citadel.
The streets are paved. The houses,
as in other Mexican towns, are of stone,
with flat roofs and iron barred windows.?
Opposite the city, on the left of the road,
is a hill from which the road might be annoyed
and shells thrown into the town.?
For the distance of six or seven miles before
reaching the town, the road is a handsome
and substantial structure of checquercd
pavement, and must have been very costly.
"P T7 r> At KocA r\f n lii/vK ?V.
A. MlVlli. JCJLV UK' UUCO U1 (A 111^11 1I1UU HI
bearing the same name, some distance from
the road on the left is a cluster of houses,
with a church, called Perote.
Castle of Perote.?-Opposite, on the
right of the road, and commanding it in
every direction,stands thecastie. It isupon
a flat sandy plain, strongly built of stone
and encircled by a deep dry fosse or ditch
The main entrance is by going over a
chcv aux defrize by a stile, descending some
twenty-five or thirty stone steps to the bottom
of the fosse and crossing it to the gates,
which are on a level with the bottom.
City of Pukbla.?This city is walled
and fortified. It is built of stone and the
streets are well paved. Contains about
one hundred thousand inhabitants.! Here
water is abundant, but from the national
bridge to this city no water can be obtained,
the natives substituting on pulque, as a
beverage.
From Jalapa to Puebla there are occasional
heights near the road, which, if fortified,
might annoy invaders. In fact, from
Vera Cruz to Puebla this is the case?the
travel being alternately over broad, unob
structed roads and narrow passes, command
ed by heights. The road passes through
Puebla. The Pueblanos have a peculiar
character; they are canning and courageous,
and the mostexpeit robbers and assassins
throughout Mexico, where there is no
lack of such. IT an offender is brought before
an Alcalde, anywhere else, and is
known or ascertained to be a Pueblano, his
condemnation is sure.
Cordova?A small walled and garrisoned
town, through which the road passes.
Beyond Puebla the road is good till it reaches
the mountain of Cordova, about midway
between the former and the city of Mexico,
where the ascent is very rugged and steep,
though without defiles. Near the road at
the foot of this mountain, passes the Rio
Frio, or Cold River, which has its rise in the
neighboring mountain of Pococatapetle,
seventeen thousand feet above the level of
the sea. A work on some of the heights of
Pococatapetle would command the road.
After leaving the mountain of Cordova
the road it good and unobstructed; with
plenty of water to the city of Mexico. For
several miles before reaching that city the
road is delightful, passing between parallel
canals and rows of Lornbardy poplars,
The Lakh of Tkzcuco ?This lake
commences on the right of the road, near
the city into which its waters are carried
by a canal, the latter serving also to drain
the gutters, &c\, in to the lake. The socalk*d
lake is a large, long and very irregularly
shaped basin, shallow and containing
numerous small islands and covered by
myriads of wild ducks. The depth of waInr
vnnnc tmiK *1? ?
?w< iuiiwu mi uil' ^I'Udun j in uiu rainy
months the basin is filled, and then is assumes
the appearance of a large lake. Being
the receptacle of all the drainage from
the city it is very filthy. The canal from
the city passes through it, fed by its waters,
five or six miles in a south-east direction to
the small fort of Chalco, at the extreme margin
of the basin in that direction. This
canals is used for transporting produce into
the city and for plcaure excursions in
gondolas, &c.
City of Mexico.?Like all other Mexican
cities this has walls and houses of stone,
with flat roofs, &c. It is well paved; a
gutter four feet wide passes through the
centre of each street, covered by broad flag
stones, removable at pleasure. All the gutters
are drained into the canal or lake.
Thecity has many large and strong churches
and other great buildings, easily converted
into fortresses. If its walls were
repaired and mounted with cannon, and
well garrisoned, it could make a formidable
resistance to beseigers
During the festival days, which are very
numerous, the haciendas for twenty or
thirty miles around send into the city not
less than ten thousand mounted peasantry
of the better class, most expert horsemen.
They are courageous, and skilful in the
use of the lance, lasso and machete, which
is a large and heavy knife. Nothing more
would be necessary than for the 'padres to
go forth into the streets of the principal cities,
particularly Puebla and Mexico, elevate
their crosses, and appeal to the bigotry
of the population, to rally an immense force
of bold, active and desperate men, who
would make fierce resistance to an invasion,
And if invaders should force their way inassassinations,
by the hand of so many expert
murders, would soon make fearful in.
roads on their numbers.?Ex.
Correspondence of the Picayune.
Jalapa, May 4th, 1847.
Orders and counter orders. This morning
General Quitman's brigade of volunteers
was to take up the line of march town
ids Puebla, and to-morrew Col. Campbell
was to move; but as the time for
which many of the volunteers enlisted has
nearly transpired, and as General Scott has
ascertained postively that but lew of them
will re-onlist, he has determined upon disbanding
them here, and will send them all
home. This will of course not only delay,
but alter his whole plan of operations, and
the impression with many is that he will go |
no further than Put hi a with his present
force. You in the United States may think
that he has an overwhelming power with
him, and that ho is fully able to run at will
over the country; but the truth is, that in
the first place he did not havo half men
enough to advance upon the capital of Mexico,
nor half transportation enough even for
what he had.
The Volunteers going home are the
Georgia, Alabama, and 1st and 2d Tcnnes
n x. xt * *
sue ivt/gimenis. i>o one can Diame tnem
for this movement. Not only is their time
out, but they are out of clothing and out of
the comforts which make even a camp life
bearable. They have seen service,too,enough
to satisfy any body of men not intending to
make military life a business, and now are
retiring to their homes to see their wives,
children, families and friends, and tell long
tales of what they have seen and what they
have suffered.
Had General Scott a force sufficient to
leave garrisons and keep up a regular com
munication, with his rear, and then march
directly upon Mexico with a fighting force
even of 6 or 8,000 men, the war would be
ended in one month's time, at least so far as
this country would be able to make farther
resistance of any moment; but such a force
he has not at his command just now. Ho
may still go on to the capital, even with
what he has, for there are not Mexicans
enough in arms to arrest him ; yet whether
such a course would be prudent, or whether
such are his intentions or not, is more than
any one can say who is not thoroughly into
his secrets. Had our government laid out
a few extra dollars and called but a few
more men in the outset, this war would
have been over by this time; but greatly to
i our cost the " penny wise and pound foolish"
system of economy must prevail, and millions
are added to the national debt as a consequence.
There is a rumor that Santa Anna with a
large force intends attacking the next upward
train, which will haveaheavy amount
in specie. It will be a coatly experiment
C, * ly..
: jj
! to him, for the wagons will be guarded suffi.
cient to keep off every firelock in Mexico.
This letter goes by the diligencia, and I
must tell you that it is considered any thing
but a safe conveyance.
Yours, &c. G. W. K.
From the Vera Cruz JEa^le of the 3d inst.
Midshipman Rogers.
Lieutenant Semmes, of the frigate Rarltan,
left tho city yesterday evening with
an escort of twenty men, for the headquarters
of General Scott, intending to
nl\fn In -? ^
vsiu.ui iioiu nun muans ior communicating
with the Mexican Government, in regard to
Midshipman Rogers, who has been transferred
from the Castle of Perote to Puebla,
and perhaps farther into the interior. It is
certain, however that he was sent to Pueb.
la.
The government of the United States is
determined to compel Mexico to treat Mr.
Rogers as a prisoner of war: and Lieutenant
Semmes is authorized, we understand
to make such representations to
the Mexican Government, and that, in caso
of the failure on their part to comply with
the demand, a retaliatory course will henceforth
be pursued by our Government towards
prisoners falling into our hands.
Tiie Dragoons.?One would think from
the fact that the drugoons were not noticed
in our last, that they did no service in the
late battle. Such an inference would bo
highly erroneous, for the service they ren...
i-c-i*
uv/iw nwc ui uiiiiuic importance. i\ot
only were they actively engaged before and
after the action, but they pursued the retreating
foe until many of their horses dropped
dead from under them.
Captain Hardie's squadron reached Encerro
late on the evening of the 18th, and
with Captain Blake, who was in command
of the 2d Dragoons, intended, notwithstanding
the condition of their horses, to follow
up the enemy?But General Patterson pru.1
L-W ...
vh/uiij uiutitu iiicin 10 nun. jl ney bad taken
many prisoners during the time.
Major Beall commanded all the cavalry,
including the first dragoons under Captain
Kearney.
General Bravo, with the whole or a part
of the garrison ot Puebla, was met going
up to the city of Mexico?Canalizo was met
this sido of Puebla by the courier. He had
cavalry forco with him. Some say that
Santa Anna has fallen back upon Oajaca,
but nothing certain of him is known.
General Patterson's brigade, which is to
march in a day or two, has been reduced to
two brigades instead of three, the 1st under
Colonel Campbell of Tennessee, and tho
za unaer ueneral Quitman. Col. Haskell's
regiment of Tennesscans is to remain here
as part of the garrison. The 2d and 4th
Illinoise Regiments under Cols. Forman
and Baker, have been joined to General
Quitman's brigade.
A surgeon dentist, named Kingsberry,
was found this morning, most horribly cut to
pieces, on the road to Cerro Gordo. His
groans first attracted tho attention of some
volunteers who were passing, and they
found him with little life and completely fly
blown, although it is thought he mav reco
w / _
vcr with proper attention. This is the commencement
of the guerilla system. He
had been attacked by three Mexicans, and
robbed of $500. The appearance of tho
volunteers who brought him in did not indicate
any great indulgence to such Mexicans
as mighUall in their power.
Col. Bolden will leave for the United
States to-morrow and by him I will send a
large package af letters.
Yours in haste, G. W. K.
Aitearances after Death.?When the
coffin containing the body of Burns was
opened in 1815, there lay the remains of
the great poet, to appearances nearly entire,
and retaining various traces of vitality, or,
rather, exhibiting the features of one who
had recently sunk into the sleep of death
- vhe lordly forehead, arched and high, and
the teeth perfectly firm and white. The
cppnP ivnQ cr? imnneinff fliaf
-wwt.w ??MW wv Iiiij?uwillg IMUb IIIUOC U1 I&IO VVUI IV"
men stood bare and uncovered, as did.Dr.
Georgery, at the exhumation of the hero of
Bannockburn,and at the same time felttheir
frames thrilling with some undefinable emotion,
as they gazed on the ashes of him
whose fame is as the world itself. But the ^
effect was momentary; for when they pro-,
ceeded to insert a shelf or case below thd .
coffin the head separated from the trunk,
and the whole body, with the exception of
tne bones, crumbled lnwaust.^
Lord Nugent, on opening the coffin containing
the body of John Hampden, found
it perfect after a burial.of 200 years; even
his features were preserved.
When the body of Gen. Wayne, which
had been buried at Erie, Pa., was disinterred,
forty years after his deatty the corpse
had undergone so little change as to b? <
readily recognized by those ^o;^ere ^
miliar with the General.-in--.^
Its perfect preservation^ was attributed.to
lamina ' ^ ^ ^ ^ . -