Wisconsin Herald

The Last Great Battle.
Full and Interesting Particulars.
GEN. SCOTT IN MEXICO.
FURTHER FROM MEXICO.
The battle at the City—Occupation of the
Capital by the American forces—Chapultepec, &c. &c.
We have been favored with the following
translation of a letter from a Spanish Mexi-
can of the city of Mexico to a Spanish house
in this city. The letter came via Orisaba
under cover to Mr. Dinond, American Col-
lector of the port of Vera Cruz. The news
it gives is more full than we have received
from any other quarter, but it bears a Mexi-
can face for which allowance must be made.
It, however, sufficiently proves that Mexico
is reduced to the last extremity. N. Y. Sun.
City of Mexico, 19th Sept., 1847.
Respected Friends:—I have an opportu-
nity to send by the courier who leaves to-
night, this letter, in which I shall briefly at-
tempt to describe to you the horrors we have
just experienced. On the 7th inst. our Com-
missioners rejected the treaty propositions
of the American Government, and decided
on resuming the war, Gen. Herrera, invi-
ting and urging the clergy to rouse the citi-
zens to the utmost resistance. On the same
day Gen. Scott, the American Chief, charged
Santa Anna with breaking the armistice, by
forbidding his Commissioners to obtain food
in the city, and threatened unless reparation
was made, to commence hostilities and bom-
bard the city. Santa Anna replied severely,
charging Scott with breaking the armistice
by sacrificing our villages, and expressed his
perfect willingness to renew the war.
On the 13th inst., the Americans made a
demonstration on Chapultepec and the Mill
of El Rey, but our Generals were prepared
for them. Anticipating a breach of the ar-
mistice, Santa Anna for several days had
caused to be conveyed in every possible
manner so as not to excite suspicion, arms,
munitions and food to the fortress of Cha-
pultepec. Our citizens carried under their
mantles, and on mules, a great quantity of
powder, balls and provisions without being
once discovered, so great was the feeling of
security and confidence among the Ameri-
cans. Gen. Scott was not a little surprised
to find on attacking Chapultepec, such obsti-
nate resistance. Chapultepec you know is
situated between Tacubaya and the City,
within cannon shot of the former and some
three miles from the latter. It is a bold hill
overlooking a vast range of country, which
enabled our soldiers to watch every man-
œuvre of the enemy. It also commands the
road from Tacubaya to the City, which runs
close by its base, and it can only be ascended
by a circuitous paved way, which, after turn-
ing a certain angle, is exposed to the full
range of the fortress guns.
As the Americans ascended the hill, a per-
fect storm of musket balls and grape shot
drove them back with heavy loss. They
recovered and advanced again, but were re-
pulsed. Our troops fought with desperate
valor, worthy the character of Mexicans.—
The enemy also fought bravely, his men
seemed like so many devils whom it was
impossible to defeat without annihilation.—
He made a third charge with fresh force
and heavy guns, and our gallant troops hav-
ing exhausted their grape shot, were forced
very unwillingly to retreat and yield up the
fortress of which the enemy took posses-
sion. Our soldiers retreated towards the
City, but were unfortunately cut off by a de-
tachment of the enemy's cavalry, and about
100 were made prisoners, but were soon re-
leased, as the enemy had not men to guard
them. The enemy then opened his batteries
on the Mill El Rey, (King's Mill,) close
upon Chapultepec, which after obstinate
fighting and great loss to the Americans, we
were obliged to abandon.
The two actions continued over nine
hours, and were the severest, considering
our small number of soldiers and the ene-
my's large force, that have been fought.—
Our loss in killed and wounded was not
more than 800 while the enemy lost over
400, or at least such was the report of de-
serters from the American camp who came
to us in the evening. Seeing that the city
would inevitably be attacked, Gen. Santa
Anna, during the actions, caused a number
of trenches to be cut across the road, lead-
ing to the city, which were flooded with
water. On the morning of the 14th, before
daylight, the enemy, with a part of his force,
commenced his march upon the city. Our
soldiers posted behind the arches of the
aqueducts and several breast-works which
had been hastily thrown up, annoyed him so
severely, together with the trenches which
he had to bridge over, that he did not ar-
rive at the gates until late in the afternoon.
Here he halted and attempted to bombard
the city, which he did during the balance of
the day and the day following, doing im-
mense damage.
In some cases whole blocks were destroy-
ed, and a great number of men, women and
children killed and wounded. The picture
was awful. One deafening roar filled our
ears, one cloud of smoke met our eyes, now
and then mixed with flame, and amid it all
we could hear the various shrieks of the
wounded and dying. But the city bravely
resisted the hundreds of flying shells. It
hurled back defiance to the blood thirsty
Yankee and convinced him that his bombs
could not reduce the Mexican Capital.—
The enemy then changed his plan, and de-
termined to enter the city, where we were
prepared to meet him, having barricaded
the streets with sand bags, and provided on
the house tops, at the windows, all who
could afford to bear arms, or hurl missiles,
stones, bricks, &c. on the heads of the ene-
my.
Before Gen. Scott had fairly passed
the gates, he found the difficulty of his posi-
tion. A perfect torrent of balls and stones
rained upon his troops. Many were killed
and more wounded. Still he kept advancing
until he gained the entrance of two streets
leading to the Plaza.
Finding that he could not oppose himself
to our soldiers, who were all posted out of
sight, and that he was losing his men rapid-
ly, Gen. Scott took possession of San Isidor,
which extends back to the centre of a block,
and at once set his sappers and miners to
cutting away directly through the blocks of
buildings. In some instances whole houses
were blown up to facilitate his progress; but
after several hours he again emerged into
the street, and finally reached the Plaza
with great loss. On entering the Plaza a
heavy fire was opened upon him from the
Palaces and Cathedral, which were filled
and covered with our patriotic troops.—
Finding himself thus assaulted, the enemy
drew out his force in the Plaza and opened
a cannonade on the Palace and Cathedral
firing over one hundred shots, which did im-
mense damage to the buildings and caused
a severe loss of killed and wounded.
Seeing further resistance useless, our sol-
diers ceased firing, and on the 16th of Sep-
tember, (sad day!) the enemy was in pos-
session of the Mexican capital. Though
we inflicted havoc and death upon the Yan-
kees, we suffered greatly ourselves. Many
were killed by the blowing up of the houses
many by the bombardment, but more by the
confusion which prevailed in the city, and
altogether we cannot count our killed,
wounded and missing since the actions com-
menced yesterday, at less than 4000, among
whom are many women and children. The
enemy confesses a loss of over 1000, it is no
doubt much greater. What a calamity!
But Mexico will yet have vengeance. God
will avenge us for our sufferings. Alas that
I should write this letter within sight of a
proud enemy who has succeeded by his fe-
rocity in trampling on our capital and our
country. An enemy who only prides him-
self upon shooting well with his rifle and
cannon. But thus it is--we are prostrated-
not humbled. We may be forced to silence,
but the first moment that presents us a chance
will be devoted to terrible revenge.
Santa Anna has gone with his Generals
and all the troops he could draw off to Guad-
alupe. He is said to be wounded severe-
ly. We have lost heroic officers and brave
men in these two days. I cannot foresee
what is to come. Thousands are gathering
upon the hills and around the city, deter-
mined to cut off all supplies and starve the
enemy who has so audaciously entered it.--
Gen. Scott may yet find that Mexico is not
yet vanquished. He may find our lakes
bursting their barriers and filling this beau-
tiful valley to annihilate the infamous Ameri-
cans. We scarcely hope, yet do not quite
despair. Our brave Generals may recover
what is lost, and Mexico with her ten mil-
lions of people, arise to sweep the invader
from the land he has desecrated. Be sure
that whatever we do in the way of submis-
sion is only for the moment. No Mexican
will respect beyond the hour that forces him
to it, any bond dictated by the sword of an
enemy. My heart is too full of grief and
indignation to write more. Adieu.
From Mexico.
A letter in the Washington Union says:-
Scott went to the city on the 14th, and en-
tered on a road the Mexicans little thought
he would.
It was a rainy night, that about 20,000
leperos with all sorts of arms, and 10,000
women, with stones, together with the army,
endeavored to stop the Americans.
A letter from Vera Cruz, dated Sept. 21,
says: The Mexican Government, in at-
tempting to treat with Mr. Trist, offered us
nine miles up the Del Norte from the mouth.
and from thence to a certain point, the land
between the Bravo and Neuces should re-
main neutral, and from that point a line par-
allel with 37 lat., thus giving us the bay of
San Francisco and a little to the south.
The Union of Saturday night says:- The
Mexicans insist upon a world of indemnifi-
cations—for what our army has done in their
towns and villages, for the losses sustained
by the people in the country. Even the
mischiefs perpetrated by their own guerril-
las we are to make good! As to territory
and boundaries, they are equally short of
the mark. They first demanded that no
part of the territory between the Bravo and
the Neuces was to be considered as a part
of Texas. Then, they appear so far to
have modified their propositions, that after
running a line a few leagues from the coast
from the Bravo to the Neuces, they run up
the middle of that river (the Neuces) till
they strike the 37th degree of latitude and
thence to the Pacific ocean.
Trains From Vera Cruz.—From the
mass of confused accounts and contradictory
statements received by three mails, we are
compelled to condense what appears to us
the most reliable facts relative to the move-
ment of reinforcements from Vera Cruz.
A long letter in the Delta states that the
first train left under the command of Lieut.
Col. Hughes, and had taken complete pos-
session of the National Bridge, after twenty-
four rounds of shot and shell, scattering
Father-Jarauta's guerrillas with confusion
and dismay.
The next train of forty-seven wagons.
escorted by some of the 2d Illinois, under
Capt. Fairchild, had reached the National
Bridge in safety.
The third train left Sept. 10. It consisted
of thirty wagons and an escort of 350 troops,
under Capt. Heintzelman.
The fourth train of seventy-five wagons
and 1,750 men, the Ohio and Indiana regi-
ments, with 250 regulars, under Gen. Lane,
left Vera Cruz Sept. 19th. These forces
must have relieved Maj. Lally by the 24th
Sept., and Col. Childs at Puebla by the 30th.
The report in letters to La Patria that Col.
Childs had surrendered Puebla without
much fighting, is not very probable. There
is a strong fort outside, and completely
commanding the city, which could be held
against any Mexican force, and Col. Childs
is not an officer to surrender without fight-
ing. It is doubtless true, however, that
Puebla is surrounded by a host of guer-
illas.
These reinforcements, if they all arrive.
will not fill up Scott's army to the amount
which left Puebla.