The Campaign of General Scott in the Valley of Mexico

Front matter

THE CAMPAIGN OF OENEKAL SCOTT, IN THE VALLEY OF MEXICO: BY LIEUT. RAPHAEL SEMMES, U. S. N., LATE FLAG-LIEUTENANT OF THE HOME SQUADRON, AND AID-DE-CAMP OF MAJOR- GENERAL WORTH, IN THE BATTLES OF THE VALLEY OF MEXICO. CINCINNATI : MOORE & ANDERSON, PUBLISHERS, 28 WEST FOURTH STREET. 1 852. Ngggggy Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by MOORE & ANDERSON, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Ohio. C. A. MORGAN <fc CO., STEREOTYPERS AND PUBLISHERS, 111 Main Stri PUBLISHERS'

Preface

. The position now occupied by General Scott, as candi date for the highest office in the gift of the American people, invests every detail of his past life with renewed interest. Everything connected with his brilliant and glo rious campaign in Mexico is sought for with avidity, and read with interest, by people of all parties. The Author of "Service Afloat and Ashore" was a participator in most of the exciting events connected with the Mexican war ; and the high encomiums of the press, and the fact that two editions have already been published, is sufficient evidence of the merit and interest of the work. In order to place that part of the work which, at this time, is particularly interesting, within reach of every one, the Publishers, in the absence of the Author, have con cluded to omit a number of pages of introductory matter not directly connected with the campaign under Scott, and present, in a smaller volume, a full account of this brilliant and eventful campaign, from the bombardment of "Vera Cruz to the capture of the city of Mexico, and the termination of the war.

August 1, 1852. CJ) IN THE VALLEY OF MEXICO. In June or July, 1846, soon after General Taylor had taken possession of Matamoros, and while he was organizinohis force and collecting means of transportation for his movement into the interior, Commander McKenzie, of the navy, was dispatched to Cuba, on a secret mission ; the object of which has never been officially made known ; but from certain circumstances attending and following his visit, we are at no loss to conjecture it. The reader may recollect, that just previous to the breaking out of the war, General Santa Anna was stripped of his power, as president of the Mexican republic, and banished the country. He selected Cuba as the place of his exile, and established himself at a villao-e called the Cerro, about three miles from Havana, where he became quite celebrated for the heavy game of monte, which he played, and for the excellent rules and arrangement of his cock-pit !

I happened to visit the Cerro about this time, and I heard frequent mention made of the excellence of the ex-president's cocks, and and of the skillful manner in which he heeled and handled them. General Campbell, our consul at Havana, was in the habit of visiting; the fallen chieftain — and as on such occasions, the war between their respective countries became naturally a topic of conversation, General Santa Anna, apparently with much frank ness, expressed himself, in one or more of these conversations, as decidedly opposed to the war. Like a sensible man, as he was, he could not but see the folly, as well as hopelessness of such a struggle, on the part of his countrymen, and he took no pains to conceal his sentiments ; on the contrary, he seemed desirous to impress General Campbell with the belief that, if he were again at the head of affairs, he would speedily re-establish friendly relations between the two countries.

As a matter of course, our government was made acquainted with these dispositions on the part of General Santa Anna. Commander McKenzie, who spoke the Spanish language like a native — and Santa Anna spoke no English — was sent, soon afterward, on his mission to Havana. What transpired we do not know, but Santa Anna, being recalled from his banishment about this time by the Mexican people, with the view of his being restored to power, and assuming the con duct of the war, Commodore Conner was instructed not to molest him, should he desire to return to Mexico. Early in August, while the squadron was lying at anchor under Green Island, keeping watch and ward over the enemy's city and castle of Vera Cruz, the seaman on the look-out, at the mast-head of the St. Mary's, then cruising on the blockade, descried the smoke of a steamer.

As this was not the regular day for the appearance of any of the English mail steamers — which had been permitted to pass in and out of the beleaguered port without question, the English government pledging itself for .their faithful conduct as neutrals — the smoke of a steamer was a novelty, in this now lonely and deserted part of the Mexican gulf. The St. Mary's, in due time, placed herself in a position to intercept the stranger, in her approach to the city; and as the latter came up within hailino distance, she ordered her to "heave to," while a boat was beinn sent on board of her. The boat being in readiness in a few minutes, a lieutenant jumped into her, and with a few strokes of his oars from the sinewy arms of his seamen, placed himself along side the steamer. The steamer being evidently a merchant vessel, the lieutenant was surprised to find himself received with much ceremony and courtesy, at the gangway.

Making his way on deck, and explaining the object of his visit to the captain, he was conducted to the cabin, where he was ushered into the society of a circle of gentlemen, evidently Spaniards or Mexicans, from their olive complexions, black hair and eyes, and pointed and curled mustachios. It was obvious also, at the first glance, that most, if not all these gentlemen, although dressed in plain or citizens' clothes, were military men, and persons of bearing and distinc tion. After a moment's pause, the captain, as though he had purposely prepared a surprise for the boarding officer, turned toward him, and making a graceful motion with his right hand, at the same >\me, in the direction of one of the gentlemen, who, though of the ordinary height and figure, seemed, by his com manding air and manner, to be the chief of the party, said, " allow me to present you, sir, to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna!"

The officer started back, at first, in a little surprise, but soon recovfring himself, advanced cordially toward the General, and extending his hand, a mutual interchange of civilities took place. In a few moments, Senora Santa Anna (a second wife), a hand some blonde, with deep blue eyes and auburn hair, and still in the bloom of early womanhood, joined the party, and was presented to the officer, who saluted her in turn, with becoming gallantry and respect. General Almonte, late minister to the United States, was also present as one of the General's suite ; and speaking our language well, acted as interpreter on the occasion. General Santa Anna having explained briefly who he was— although such explanation was entirely unnecessary — and that he purposed going into Vera Cruz, with the permission of the Commodore, the boarding officer, after sitting as long as courtesy required, and perhaps a little longer than a strict regard to duty permitted, in homage to the lady's charms — a petticoat being quite an unusual sight to us rough blockaders, about this time — withdrew to report "pro gress," to his commanding officer, and to ask for orders in the novel case which had occurred.

The commander, who had been prepared by the commodore for the contingency, forthwith dis patched the boat back again, and directed the officer, at the same time, that he should present his compliments to General Santa Anna, to say to him, on the part of the commodore, that "he could proceed to Vera Cruz, with his suite, as he desired;" whereupon, the steamer Arab shot boldly out from under the lee of the blockad ing vessel, and in an hour or two more, landed her distinguished passenger, "big with the fate" of Mexico, safely in the desired haven. That night, the roar of cannon, and the bursting of rockets in the air, testified the joy of the fickle Vera Cruzanos at the return of their lost Coriolanus ; and it soon transpired, that the wily peace-maker, who had so handsomely duped our cabinet at Washington, had put himself at the head of the ultra war party, and proclaimed, in common with acting-President Salas, whom he hastened to join, "no quarter to the Yankees."

Having spent a few days in Vera Cruz, to recover from the fatigues of the voyage, and in feasting, and belligerent speech-making, his excellency put himself en route for the capital. His journey thither, resembled a Roman ovation. He was met at all the principal points of the road, by committees of patriotic citizens, and by the military, and was escorted in triumph from city to city, until he reached the capital. Here he was formally installed president of the republic. Having proclaimed the federal constitution (which was one of the conditions of his recall) he immediately set himself to work, to organize a large military force, to be called the " Liberat ing army." In the month of December, having obtained the requisite permission, he placed himself at the head of this army (under the Mexican constitution, the president cannot command an army in person, without the consent of congress) and trans ferred his head-quarters to San Luis Potosi.

It was already currently rumored in Mexico, that Vera Cruz was to be attacked by our forces, and that a campaign was to be undertaken, having for its object the capture of the city of Mexico. On the other hand, General Taylor had advanced as far as Saltillo, and threat ened the republic from the north. As late as the middle of Janu ary, 1847, General Santa Anna was undecided as to which of these invading columns he would oppose ; and it is stated on good authority — that of a distinguished Mexican officer, who has ably reviewed the campaign of Angostura (Buena Vista) in a pamphlet entitled " Rapida ojeada sobre la campana que hizo el General Santa Anna in el estado de Coahuila, el mes de Febrero proximo pas ado" — that he was finally induced to march against General Taylor, by having received secret intelligence, that there were two thousand Irishmen, in General Taylor's army, ready to abandon their colors and join him, upon the first gun's being fired!

It is well known that General Arista labored under a similar illusion, before he was beaten at Palo Alto, and Resaca de la Palma ; and it is asserted — by the same Mexican officer, above quoted — that Presi dent Paredes was so firmly impressed with this belief, that he looked upon the triumphant defense of Matamoros as certain. At a later period of the war, we ascertained the means by which the Mexican generals had been deluded into such errors. Some of our Irish, and other foreign soldiers of the regular army — to the number of seventy or eighty — had, at various times, deserted and gone over to the enemy; by whom they had been received kindly, and organized into a separate corps, called the battalion of San Patricio — Saint Patrick. These ignorant and unprincipled men had filled the willing ears of their new allies, with wonderful stories of the want of organization and discipline in the American camp, and of the general disaffection of their countrymen ; a slander which was signally refuted afterward by the brave Irish, who proved themselves to be, in every battle that was fought, among our best and most trustworthy troops.

In a future page, the reader will have the satisfaction of learning the manner, in which a just retribution overtook nearly every one of these unhappy deserters. As I have before remarked, it is not my purpose to describe the battle of Buena Vista, and I only allude to it here, that I may trace the principal events of the war, down to the commencement of the campaign of the "valley of Mexico;" of which alone, it is my purpose to write. The strategic movements of both the gene rals have been criticised by able military men in Mexico. They contend, that General Santa Anna marched from San Luis Potosi with undue haste, and without having given proper attention to the transport and collection, on the route, of provisions ; that when he arrived at Encarnacion, instead of marching, as he did, direct upon Agua Nueva, a distance of fourteen leagues, without water, and putting his troops under the necessity of gaining a victory to quench their thirst, he should have flanked and turned his enemy, by taking, either the road on his left, passing through Santa Ellena and la Vaqueria, or that on his right, passing through Hedionda and Jaguey; either of which routes would have afforded him an abundant supply of water, forage for his horses, and more or less provisions for his troops ; and that his movement of throwing General Mifton in the rear of General Taylor, with twelve hundred cavalry, although a good one, was rendered abortive from the insufficiency of the force.

He is also found much fault with, for not renewing the battle on the 24th of February — he having still two days' rations in his camp, and being in the momentary expec tation of receiving more. With regard to the tactics on the American side, it is asserted, that Agua Nueva is a much stronger defile, and could have been much more easily held, than Angos tura (Buena Vista) and that, consequently, General Taylor com mitted a great error in making the retrograde movement he did, especially in the face of the enemy; such movements having the bad effects of harassing and fatiguing troops on the eve of battle, and demoralizing them more or less. If the facts on which these criticisms are founded, be true — and they can only be judged of, by persons acquainted with the ground — the criticisms would seem to follow very naturally from the premises.

The reason assigned by General Taylor for his movement was, that Agua Nueva could be turned ; but so also, could Buena Vista ; as it was, in fact, turned by General Minon's cavalry, and on the evening of the 23d, by the enemy's infantry also ; which latter, however, from not having been properly supported, was afterward driven back. Santa Anna, without having been routed at Buena Vista, was nevertheless repulsed ; and failing to force General Taylor's position, failed to accomplish the object of his campaign. On the evening of the 23d of February, it would have been hard to say, which party had been beaten, since both had, at various times, given ground, and both remained on the field of battle, when night separated the combatants. If Santa Anna had been a man of General Taylor's courage and character, and had renewed the battle the next day, there is no telling what might have been the result.

But manifesting the want of firmness, in this great battle, which he had before shown on so many occasions, he most unac countably withdrew from the contest, and scampered off from his army, leaving it to its fate, as a greater captain had done, on a more memorable occasion — the retreat of Moscow. We may carry our comparison a little farther, between these two celebrated men ; they both made haste to return to their respective capitals, to quiet civil dissensions, which had arisen in their absence On the 26th of February, Senor Gomez Farias, the vice-president, acting as president in the absence of General Santa Anna, having ordered the battalion of "Independence," some of the artillerists of the regiment of "Mina," and other regular corps, to proceed to Vera Cruz, to strengthen the garrison of that place, in antici pation of our invasion, these troops refused to obey his orders ; and in combination with some others, under the leadership of General Matias de la Pefia Barragan, raised the standard of revolt.

A pronunciamiento, and "plan" of government were issued, and the insurgents having seized upon some of the fortified points and churches of the city, set the government troops at defiance. There were, at that time, two parties in Mexico, the Polkos, or church party, and the Puros, or ultra-federalists (answering to our ultra -democratic party), who were in favor of seizing upon the church property, and confiscating it to the use of the state. The vice-president, Gomez Farias, was the leader of the latter party, and had attacked the church property with so much success, that he had obtained a decree from congress for the sale of a portion of it ; but he found it impossible to execute the law, as the officers would neither put up the property for sale as directed, nor would the people bid on it.

Minds became very much exasperated on the question, and General Pedraza, undertaking the championship of the church, put himself at the head of the Polkos, and resolved to make an effort to get rid of Farias. The city was divided by the two parties, and kept in constant alarm and confusion, for the space of three weeks — the troops having occasional skirmishes — until the arrival of Santa Anna, on the 18th or 19th of March. This general, after having been beaten, as we have seen, had retired to San Luis Potosi, and thence made his way to the capital. He did not immediately enter the city, but, in imitation of the Roman conquerors, halted in one of the suburbs — Guadalupe Hidalgo — and notified the government of his presence. Three hundred lancers were forthwith dispatched to escort him to the palace ; and the congress, which was in session, hastened to appoint a committee to wait on him and administer anew, the presidential oath — he having been considered as temporarily divested of the presidency, while in command of the army.

The next day he entered the city in great state, and was escorted, amid salvos of GENERAL BCOTl'S CAMPAIGN artillery, to the cathedral ; where a grand Te Deum was sung, in honor of the great victory of Angostura ( Buena Vista). Grandilo quent dispatches were published, setting forth the gallant exploits of the army, and decorations of honor were distributed to all the principal officers ! These glad tidings, and the strong arm of the successful chief, quieted the discontents of the Polkos, and restored order to the distracted capital. Long before the return of General Santa Anna to the city of Mexico, the news of his victory had reached Vera Cruz ; and we were astonished, one calm afternoon, as we lay quietly at our anchors, not dreaming of misfortune, to hear the heavy guns of the castle thunder forth a salute that shook the very sides of our ships, and reverberated for leagues along the shore, in honor of the event.

We could not believe that we had been beaten, however ; and in a few days afterward, a small pilot-boat schooner from New Orleans, ran into the anchor age, and brought us, in a New Orleans paper, the glorious news of the triumph of our arms. While these events were progressing, the navy was patiently and perseveringly performing its less glorious, but not less toil some duties. Commodore Conner, by means of a system of intelligence, which he had recently established with the blockaded city, kept the government accurately informed of all the movements of the enemy ; of the discussions of his congress ; of the changes in his ministry; of the levy and equipment of troops, etc. On the 1st of January, 1847, General Scott arrived at the Brazos, and began to collect his troops for the invasion. He had orders to withdraw from General Taylor's column, four thousand regulars ; and the ten new regiments, which had been recently voted by congress, were to be raised and sent forward to him with all dispatch.

Toward the middle of February, having informed Commodore Conner by letter, that he had directed his transports to rendezvous at the small island of Lobos, about 120 miles N. W. of Vera Cruz, the commodore dispatched the sloop-of-war, St. Mary's, Commander Saunders, to this point, to show the vari ous transports, as they should arrive, the way into a secure anchor age, and when they were all assembled, to conduct them to Anton Lizardo. In the meantime, other ships, laden with surf-boats for the landing of troops, provisions, artillery, means of transportation, etc., began to arrive daily, direct from New York and other ports. Officers were detailed to pilot these vessels in, in like man ner, regulate their anchoring, concert signals with them, etc. The surf-boats were launched and moored near us, fitted with oars, cables and anchors, and other preliminary arrangements were made to forward the contemplated descent, immediately upon the arrival of the general-in-chief.

Our hitherto quiet head-quarters, in which we had stagnated all winter, became daily more ani mated, until Anton Lizardo was crowded with a magnificent fleet of steamers and sail-vessels ; all bearing at their gaff-ends the proud flag of our republic, and giving the lookers-on, from the Mexican coast, presage of coming events — if presage had been wanted. General Scott arrived on the 6th of March, in the steam ship Massachusetts. On the 7th, Commodore Conner, inviting him, with his staff, to accompany him in the steamer Petrita, they made, together, a reconnoissance of the city and castle, and coasts adjacent ; the enemy giving them a shot or two, in token of defi ance. Two days afterward, such was the state of forwardness in which General Scott found things, the descent took place. As a matter of course, Commodore Conner had, for some time pre vious, given his attention to the selection of a proper place for landing.

There were several points where this might be effected ; but he wisely gave the preference to the smooth sand beach, abreast of the island of Sacrificios ; both because this was nearer the city, and because it was partially protected against the northers. In his letters to the government, he had recommended this place ; and General Scott, on his first reconnoissance, concurred in his views. The anchorage at Sacrificios being small, it would have been impossible to crowd all the transports that were loaded with troops, into it, at one time ; and therefore, it was resolved, on consultation between the two chiefs, to throw most of the troops on board the larger ships of war, and make them the transports, pro hac vice. All preliminary arrangements having been made, this was done on the morning of the 9th ; and between eleven and twelve o'clock, the fleet — Commodore Conner leading, in the flag-ship Raritan (Captain Forrest), whose decks, like those of the other ships, were crowded with troops, and General Scott followin«- at a short distance, in the steamer Massachusetts— got under way, in gallant style, and filed, one by one, out of the narrow pass leading from the anchorage.

If we had had the choice of weather, we could not have selected a more propitious day. ine sun shot forth his brilliant rays in a cloudless sky, and a gentle breeze from the south-east, which was favorable, and just sufficient for our purposes, rippled, without roughening, the sea. We were two hours in passing from Anton Lizardo to Sacrificios— two hours of such eager excitement as those only can know who have taken part in such an expedition. Every step of our progress was fraught with the associations of three hundred years ; and the mind, as it recognized object after object, famous in the history of the conquest, became tinctured with the romance of that remote period, and emulous of the deeds which had characterized its actors. How curious and philosophical would have been the spec tacle, had Cortez been able, from the tops of the sand-hills, on which he first landed, and which same sand-hills we were now about to crown with our banners, to look down upon our gallant fleet, interspersed with that most wonderful and most potent of all modern machines, the steam-ship, and arrayed in the stars and stripes of an unknown flag !

Time, with his scythe and hour glass, had brought another and a newer race, to sweep away the moidered and moidering institutions of a worn-out people, and replace them with a fresher and more vigorous civilization. The descendant of the Dane and the Saxon, with "progress" inscribed on his helmet, had come to supplant the never-changing Visigoth in his halls, and to claim that superiority for his lineage, which an all-wise Providence has so indelibly stamped upon it. As the ships approached their allotted anchoring ground, they came to, although still much crowded, notwithstanding their reduction of numbers, in the most harmonious and exact order, each one drop ping her anchor and swinging into her appropriate place, without the least confusion, and with the most admirable precision. Indeed, •so thoroughly and ably had Commodore Conner organized the whole movement ; from the transfer of the troops from the vessels in which they had arrived, to the ships of war ; to the placing them with haversack and musket on the enemy's beach, that it was next to impossible that anything could go wrong.

The surf-boats, in number, and each one manned by experienced seamen of the navy, werc.hauled alongside of the ships; the soldiers, with their arms and accoutrements, were passed into them ; and as each boat received her complement, she shoved off, and laid on her oars, at a little distance, until the others should be ready. The post of honor on this memorable occasion, was given to Brevet Brigadier- General Worth, who had so recently distinguished himself before Monterey — it being decided by the general-in-chief, that his division — the 1st division of regulars, which afterward became so celebrated in the valley of Mexico — should be the first to flout our flag in the enemy's face. Accordingly, when all was ready, the general, whose fine military person and bearing, had already won the hearts of such of the officers of the navy, as had come in contact with him, descended into one of the man-of-war's boats, prepared for him, and placing himself at the head of his troops, moved, in a semicircle, toward the shore.

Commodore Conner had previously directed the two steamers, Spitfire, Commander Tattnall, and Vixen, Commander Sands, with five gun-schooners, to anchor in line, abreast of the beach, to cover the landing, in case any opposition should be made. This part of the movement had already been handsomely executed. Nothing could exceed the beauty of this spectacle, as viewed from the poop of the flag ship. It was just before sunset, an hour at which all the beauties of the Mexican coast are wont to stand out in bold and beautiful relief. The day had continued as clear as it had begun, and the sea-breeze, as it died gradually away, had left behind it a glazed and unruffled sea. The magnificent mountain of Orizaba, with its snow-clad summit, which had been hid from view most of the day, suddenly revealed itself, with startling distinctness and grandeur ; the distant Cofre of Perote loomed up, also, in blue and mystic beauty, and the bold and rugged outline of the coast, seemed more bold and rugged still, from the refracting power of the atmosphere.

The walls of the town and castle, the domes of the churches, and the rigging and mast-heads of the foreign men-of-war, an chored at Sacrificios, all filled with curious and eager spectators, completed a scene which made a lively impression upon the minds of all beholders. The boats reaching the shore, in fine style, the troops debarked in good order ; and in a few minutes afterward a detachment, which had wound its way up one of the sand-hills, unfurled the American flag, and waving it proudly over their heads, planted it in the land of Cortez. As if by common con sent, a shout, such as seamen only can give, arose at this mo ment from the decks of all the ships-of-war present, which was joined in, and prolonged, by such portions of the army as had not yet landed. The debarkation now went briskly forward, and be fore ten o'clock, p. m., the whole force present, consisting of about twelve thousand men, was safely landed, without the occurrence of a single mistake or accident ; an event unparalleled in the his tory of similar operations, and of which any naval commander might well be proud.

The officers of the navy, although cut off by the nature of the war, from any participation in its glories, none the less willingly discharged their duties to the government, and aided their more fortunate brethren of the army, to gather fresh laurels for their common country. A few days after this event, Commodore Conner was relieved from his command by Commodore Perry, and returned to the United States, followed by the regrets and respect of the brave officers and men, who had been so long under his orders. He had commanded the squadron four years ; a year longer than the allotted period ; and from the harassing nature of the service in which he had been employed, and the effects of an unhealthy climate, on a constitution naturally weak, he had become almost a confirmed invalid. Like the self-sacrificing Collingwood, how ever, he never complained or relaxed a moment in his attention to his public duties, and would, had it been necessary, have cheer fully surrendered his life at his post.