The Abbeville banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, November 24, 1847, Image 1
I
" LIBERTY AND MY NATIVE SOIL." j
VOLUME IV. ,_ . ?) NUMBER 39.
| ABBEVILLE C. H? S. C., NOVEMBER 24, 1847. j
ii i
Mlishctf every Wednesday Morning by
CHARLES H. ALLEN?
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
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JTvom our lloluntecrs.X
< \
Custom Hou.sk, (Mexico,) >
Sept. 19, 1847. ]
HI 7/ Tienr 1%??I * " -1 ? *
J ^v.v< M. I K?U> UU uilllllllll illlU SU
rapid have been the achievements of our
army within the last few weeks, that eyen
now 1 am bewildered when I attempt to call
them to mind. One month ago. our little
army, jaded by a long and tiresome march,
pitched their tents in the valley of Mexico.
Our approach was heralded from the capital
by a grandiloquent proclamation from
Santa Anna, which declared we had come to
find our last resting places under the walls of
tjbe city. Siuce that time five battles have
.L C l. - t
,ue?5u lougni una won, and our Hag lias
keen hoisted on the palace of the far-famed
<city ol IVJesico. Napoleon, in his brightest
.Oaysj could not poiut to live victories in
auch quick succession. You will have
learned before Uiis reaches you, the particulars
of the battles of the 20th August,
(Contreras and (Churubusco.) You know
after the ecemy was driven from his strong
holds and for&ed to seek shelter within the
limits of the city ; even then, pursued by an
army flushed with victory., he proposed an
armistice^ vvjtb a view of settjiiig our di#icultics.
Their white flag was respected?
aij armistice uras agreed to. Our General,
satisfied with the laurels he had won, was
content to save, as far as lie could, the honor
of his enemy. He soon found, howeyer,
that he treated with a nation devoid of
honor and honesty?he soon found that his
wily foe had only sought delay to render
his seemingly insurmountable breastworks
still more strong. Whilst we, on our part,
were respecting the armistice and remaining
idle^ Santa Anna, in direct violation of
its terms, was busy fortifying the city. Our
!;??!? n,m.. M.1 1 ?
, u. .ujr , I tuuuuu iiutv IL? auvuu ui ujym
thousand meu, indignant at the treachery
which had bee.o practised on them, once
more took the field. On the 9th of September
the battle of Moliuo del Rey was fought.
The enemy's lines were drawn up in rear
of two strong batteries .of 3 guns each, proiected
by the pieces of ChepuljLepe/ck, and
guarding the approach to this place, of
which you will hear more anon. It had
been reported to Gen. Scott that there was
a large foundry guarded by these pieces,
and that the enemy was busy casting more
cannon. Gen. Worth was ordered with
his division to attack the forts and destroy
the place if it did e#isL The undertaking
was considered at. the time an easy one;
the enemy, however, supposing the attack
to be made on Chepultepeck, concentrated
a force of25,000 men to support his breastwork.
This, in consequence, was one of
the hardest battles we have had. For three
hours there was a continued roar of arms;
ou ijuita auu ncavy was iuc iiic, u uppcar*
pd as if a continued sheet of flame was rollipg
out from the lines on either side, The
contest was over the guns of the batteries;
after repeated attempts, however, our infantry
dr.ove back the he in confusion,
made good their stand, and occupied the
position. The foundry turned out to be an
old corn mill. The guns were removed,
and our troops retired to the first position,
havipg accomplished all their purposes.
As they retired, the battlements of Chepultepee
were crowded with soldier*, and long
and loud were the cheers as they saw our
lines withdraw. That night Santa Anns
celebrated his victory in the halls of the
Montazuma's. If he, could have seen the
stem countenances of those veterans as they
retired in order from the field of carnage?
if he could have seen the sinile of contempt
with which they regarded hi.s vain show,
he would have learned that they were not
the faces of men who had been driven back,
and perhaps, too, he might have been better
prepared for the result. In this battle the
loss on either side was very heavy. Gen.
Worth's division lost over GOO men, killed
and wounded ; the enemy's loss is estimated
at three or four times thai number, besides
some three or lour hundred prisoners.
The affair had now cotnmeneed in good
earnest, and wo knew what we had to do;
we were like inen who fought with halters
around their necks. From what we have
seen of the mutilated bodies of those who
have fallen (wounded) into the hands of
our enemies, we know we have nothing to
hope from Mcfcicau humanity. If their
ability could equal their will, not one of us
would ever return to tell llie fate of his
comrades.
The lOih and 11th wus spent iu reconnoiteringand
taking position. We had the
choice of two roads leading into the city?
one called the San Antonio road, leading
over the great Southern causway, the other
passing under the guns of Chopultepee.
The garila, or entrance into the city from
the first road, was so strongly fortified that
it was deemed prudent not to make the attack
on that point. Hence the whole attention
was directed to Chapultepec. It
became a matter of necessity that this seemingly
impregnable fort should be carried.
It is built on a steen. ruirired mountain, ri
4 ' CO #
sing from the pluin to some hundreds of
feet; the approach to it is guarded by deep
ditches filled with water, and a strong wall.
The road leading to it was raked by a field
battery. It was defended by some five or
six pieces of heavy ordnance, with 20,000
.men.
On the evening of the 11th, Capl. Steptoe's
battery opened on a fortification near
the San Antonio garita. The intention
was to draw the enemy's attention to this
point until our siege train could be placed
in battery againsjtthe castle. On the morning
of the 12th our guns opened in pretty
style ; the fire was warmly returned by the
enemy, and continued without cessation during
the day and most of the night. The
intention was to silence the guns of the
fort, which succeeded only in part. The
order was civen to storm tha ?? tfi
o'clock on the 13th. I know not what to
tell you of this gallant, dangerous and daring
feat. Fearlessly our troops approached
the enemy's line?bravely they drove him
under the cover of his guns?amidst a
blaze of musketry and artillery our lines
moved steadily on, on, on, until they rose
the battlements, and with a shout rushed on
the foe. Col. Johnson, of the Voltageurs,
planted his standard first; but hardly was
it unfurled to the breeze before the sturdy
raimcito stood by Us side. 1 never can
forget the scene which followed ; the Mexican
colors were torn from the flag staff,
and the stars and stripes raised in their
stead; |Lhe different parts of the storming
divisions had collected for a moment on the
battlements of the custfe as if to survey at
a glance the scene of strife?the fire had
ceased?the victory was won ?-tlic pause,
howeyer, was only for a moment; the enemy
had taken another position, and the victorious
column again poured out to dislodge
him. As they descended from the castle
they met with the General-in-Chief?his
fine face beaming with pleasure and his eye
dimmed with a tear. As he passed the
lines long anil loud were the cheers they
gave him ; with a word of encouragement
for each, he waived them on to the second
field of victory. There was un expression
of pride as well as of deep feeling in the
face of the old General as he saw file by
him the stern guardians of his own good
name, as well as of his country's honor.
Well may he he proud of such an army,
for I question if the world has ever seen its
equal,
Col. Butler was killed on the 20th at
Churubuseo; Col. Dickinson has since
died of a wound received in that light. The
Regiment was lead in this last action by
Maj. Gladden, and a more noble fellow I
have never known.
Before the general attack was made, a
forlorn hope, or storming party, was organized.
There were seven volunteers from
our Regiment, and three of them from our
dttmmn.iiii TV..t .n.. TV 1 1
.VIN.UU1U n ui3UH| I1U1WUUU UI1U
Patrick; Patrick received a grape shot
through the head as he mounted the enemy's
breast work ; Watson received three
wounds,one of them very severe,but thought
not dangerous ; Norwood came out without
a hurt. Amongst the slain in the other
Companies were Tresvant, from Columbia,
and Lieut. J. W. Cantey, from Camden ;
in our Company, wc lost Patrick and Mattison.
After the castle was taken, we had the
choice of two roads: one of them commanded
by two forts in front and as many on
flank; the other protected by a chain of
forts. Gen. Worth lead oft" on one of the
roads, Gen. Quitman on the other, the Palmetto
Regiment being in front. We were
unable to turn any of the forts. The road
is built across a lake, so we had to stand
square up to it, with water on both sides and
a fire in front. The first position was carried
with out much trouble or loss. The
garita was much more difficult to take ; it"
was, however, carried during the evening.
After this, our troops came under the fire of
the citadel, a very strong position ; the
firing on both sides continued without cessation
long-after night. In the mean time*
Gen. Worth had carried his positions on the
other road, and commenced a bombardment
of the city. Between the two days,
Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna "the
brave commander of a brave and gallant people"
deserted his capital, carrying with him
a force more than twice as large as our army.
In the morning a surrender was made
and our troops entered the city. We were
opposed by an unorganized mob who kept
up a constant fire from the house tops and
corners of the streets for the entire day a-nd
night. Frequent discharges of grape and
uaiiuisier, wuuine unerring nre oi our Kifles
soon quelled all disturbances. We are
now in quiet possession of the city.
In the battle of the garita, or Tacubaya
gates, our loss was very heavy. From our
Cumpany we lost Lieutenant J. B. Moragne
and Devlin. Lieutenant Moragne's losd is
severely felt, he was a brave man and a
good officer and as such he possessed the
confidence of his company.
The loss in the Edgefield Company was
more severe than that in ours. Sergeant
Blocker who commanded the company,
young Goode, and one other man were
all killed by the same shot a connon ball?
Lieutenant Selleck of our company was
wounded, not severely.
At present ours may be called the orphan
Regiment. Our Colonel and Lieut.
Colonel are dead, and our Major wounded
the Adjutant wounded-^the Adjutant acting
in his place wounded, Quarter,Master and
Commissary sick and hardly men enough
fit for duty to protect the sick and wounded.
We are in good quarters?whatever may
result from our late victories we know the
present compaign is ended. We have
done all we can do by fighting-. I think
there is at present a prospect of a long rest,
and Heaven knows it is much needed.
October 7, 1847.?P. S. Since writing
the above we havo lost another of our Lieu
tenants?Stewart. Selleck is recovering.
S/
From the N. O. Pic1 ilk hist.'Sv
LATER FROM VERA CRUZ.
The steamship James L. Day, Captain
Wood, arrived last evening from Vera Cruz
Knutnnr I aft ttiau tkn annttino /?f mot
iuv?ng IV1? IUCXU ?HO OVOIIlUg VI 1MV Utlt IHOfct
She stopped at the Brazos, but did not communicate
with the shore.
Among the passengers on the Day?a list
of whom will be found in the appropriate
oolumn-arwere Major Iturbide prisoner of
war, and Lt Sears, 2d Artillery, bearer of
despatches to Washington.
The news brought by the Canton is en'
tirely confirmed. Gen. Scott's despatches
1 left Mexico between the 12th and 15th of
October, cscorted by a spy company of Mex;
ican lancers, 100 strong, under command ol
1 i
I Col. Dominguez. The company left Puebla
the evening of the 19 th and were attacked
the same night by a strong force under
Gen. Torrejon. Shortly after they were
attacked by Col. Vamo.s. In two engagements
they lost fifteen of their number, but
suppose they killed ut least ten times that
number. They returned to Puebla and
Gen. Lane placed the despatches in the
hands of his adjutant general, Lieut. Sears,
who came down with his Mexican escort to
Vera Cruz, but accompanied as far as Plan
del Rio by the first Pennsylvania Regiment
under Col. YVynkoop, Capt Loyull,s Georgia
mounted men, and throe comn;inir>c r?f
, c v4
artillery. The American portion of the escort
halted at Plan del Rio and were to remained
with Gen Patterson. Lt Sears reached
Vera Cruz in the night of the 4th inst.,
accompanied by Capt. Geo. Taylor, 2d Artillery,
Lt. Lear, 1st Pennsylvania Regiment,
on their way home on furlough. Lt.
Henderson, Louisiana Volunteers, came
down to join his company. About eighty
discharged soldiers also came down.
The Mexican spy set is described as a
rough looking set of men. They fight with
ropes round their necks, as the saying is,
and therefore fight gallantly. Col. Dominguez
is thought to know the road intimately,
from long experience upon the line in a dil: i
ferent capacity. VVe und?rs?nnd ti-io* I
tJULl&fc TV \J i
have altogether about 450 of this description
of force in our pay. Of the detachment
which came down with Lieut. Sears,
one of the officers lost an arm by the way,
and two others were severely wounded.
An American discharged soidier, who came
aown with them, told our correspondent that
they fought most gallantly.
Gen. Lane remains at Puebla, rotaining
all the command hj took up with him. A
circular order from Geri. Scott directs a garrison
of 750 men to be stationed at the National
Bridge, 1200 at Jalapa and 2000 at
Puebla?the two last points under the
command of general officers. Gen. Cushing
has been assigned by Gea. Patterson to
the command at Jalapa. Gen. Patterson
had reached the National Bridge on the
morniug of the 4th insL, with all his force,
having been entirely unmolested upon the
route.
Gen. Lane's command is quartered in the
heart of Puebla, the General occupies the
palace.
Snnta Arinfi w*? ?? L - '
> >?> x vj?oULUII UU lUtJ
26th ult. He had given up the idea of going
to Orizaba as he had proposed.
We have the Genius of Liberty of the 5th
inst,, and regret to see by it that one of the
editors, Doctor Quiiin, is seriously indisposed.
The guerillas are quarrelling among
themselves. The Rainbow says : " It appears
that Jarnauta's band have declared
Col. Cenobio to be a traitor to them and to
his country ; that he is leagued with the
Americans, and even supplied by them with
arms and ammunitions for the purpose of
destroying his brother bandits. Aftermuch
hard talking they hare at length proceeded
to blows; and in one engagement, 'tis *aid
iU.i T ' - * '
mui jMruuia was victorious, and that thirty
of Cenobio's men were killed."
Later accounts confirm tho above, but
say that only twenty were killed and that
Jarauta was shot through the leg. Papers
of Jalapa of a prior date had said that Jarauta
had withdrawn from the field to attend to
his religious duties.
The Arco Iris of the 5th inst. speaks of
an expedition of 1500 men as about to start
r -t-- .it 1
irom me camp ai vergara against orizaba.
Our correspondent makes no mention of it.
The same paper says on the English side
that the unburied body of the late lamented
Capt. Walker remained on the field two
days after his death.
By this arrival we have two numbers of
a new American paper published at Puebla
and called the Flag of Freedom. We learn
from it that Col. Childe was entertained on
the 21st ult. at a dinner given by a number
...U_ - 1 1 1- - ? l -
ul uiituuis wuo Burveu unuer mm uuring me
aiege of Puebla. We have no room for the
report.
The Influnce of Woman.?Deprived
of an equal voice, in the government and
councils of nations, and of the chances to
reveal heroism and physical power on the
battle field, woman has excercised but a
nAicitol infliiAri/?A nnnw ^? ? I.I ?J
jj u.ititii iiiuueuvc uvti U1C lttl.Cs VI 111(111 IVII1U.
In savage and semi*civilized epochs, she
has been scarcely more than a creature to
bring forth the progeny and bear the burthens
of the world. Drudging and bowed
down in the wigwam of the savage?following
the trails of armies to kindle campfires
and prepare the food of the warrior?
tilling the fields of her little more civilized
husband taskmaster, or ministering from
slave marts to me passions of pandering man
as all Asia reveals her?what has woman
been but a trampled flower, still beautiful
in its ruin?-plucked and cast by the mo'
ment its odor had produced satiety. How
unlike that glorious being who in the garden
r of Eden, was given to man to solace and be
guile him?to fill the space of solitude with
ihe beatitude of heaven. Her weakness,'
innocence and confiding natureuwere then,
what they should ever have remaineuTrao
elements of transcendant strongth- In that
fair and tremulous beauty, which was as
heaven itself, lived the angels who forsook
the earth when woman descended from her
primitive beinf*. Stnn ilv stnn tKo fall woo
?o- ?? r -j ?'r *'*" "ua
accelerated, until, in ages but just gone, nothing
but tears were left to assert the humanity
of her race. Woman is only inferior
to man in gross physical power?in all the
fine and heroic sentiments, she is his equal,
if not his superior and generations, in whatever
ago of darkness or light, take their hue
and shape from the impress of her power.
If she be trampled and debased, so will bo
her children?if she be pure and beautiful
in heart and life, her progeny will be the
same. In whatever condition, her original
nature has never been fully obscured.?
Gleams of the heroic and heavenly have
* n ? ~ 1 **
auui uui irom aaruness?bpartau anu Roman
mothers have answered for the sex?and
even the wilderness has not wanted loftyspecimens
of the true woman among the
savages of our race. Give woman the place
of companionship which God gave her, let
her be the councellor and friend of man,
and the scale of our civilization will never
droop on tho side of humanity.
(WRITTEN VOA TUB ADDEYILLE BANNER.)
I LiiifHi
Suggested by the Death of a beloved Son, (a
member of the Palmetto Regiment,) tvho
died in Mexico.
i Hush'd is tho voice of song?tho sileut hearth
Telia deeply of tho grief for thoe, my son ;
For low thou lieet beneath tho clods of earth,
And now thy race, for time, is fully run.
I do not sorrow for thee as do those
Whoso hope is diinm'd by doubting of tho grace
Of Him, who sent hiB Son to seek and save
Poor, erring, mortals from dire Sin'a embrace;
f or 1 cau look, by faith, beyond the skies,
1 And soe thee, basking 'midst the realms ubovo ;
Can realize thy dust shall yet arise,
I Be re-united, by a God of Love.
j What consolation to the weary soul?
The hoary laden?are such thoughts as these ;
i Whit joya eziaiic through the mind doth rollf
And acquiesce in tho Divine decrees.
! Tho Judgo of all tho Earth! He doeth right?
Lot man succumb, nor murmur at his wavn :
' J V
But truestiugto His Morcy, Justice, Might,
Adore, aud magnify His name with praise.
I Foreign News.?The news by the Jast
j steamer is indeed of the most melancholy
| character, though perhaps, not more so than
! was generally anticipated. The distress
j in the English commercial world, after a
temporary cessation about the 7th of Octo
ber. seems to have increased to an almost
unparalleled extent up to the departure of
the Caledonia, on the 19th; no less than
forty heavy failures having occurred between
the 5th and 19th. Stocks of all descriptions
were depressed to the lowest
point, and monpy was almost unatainable.
The Government, though earnestly appealed
to from various Quarters, had manifested
no intention to interpose ; whether from the
conviction that the failures were the result
of overtrading and speculation, or the impossibility
of furnishing any effectual relief
without embarrassing its own operationsdoes
no appear. In the manufacturing
districts business is nearly paralyzed ; in
175 mills in the borough of Manchester,
but a little more than one half of ihe operatives
were working full time, and nearly
one quarter of them were entirely unem
pioyea.
Ireland is raising again her famine-stricken
cry for helpand mingled with it, are
the wails of tho victims of the lawless and
murderous acts of her desperate population.
France, too, is beginning to show unequivocal
signs of suffering. The saving banks
are almost stripped of the hoarded earnings
of her prudent operatives and laborers;
wages are being reduced in her manufactories
and tho effects of this are beginning to
i .? i *
snow tnemscives oy unequivocal signs .
among the people.
In the mean time Louis Phillippe is ac.
cused of breaking the neutrality of the
kingdom by furnishing arms and ammunition
to one of tho parties in tho civil war,
which is every day expected to break out
in Switzerland. The affairs of Spain and
Portugal, though somewhat changed since
our previous intelligence, have not improved.
Italy, indeed, is somewhat more quiet, the
Austrians having yielded their ground to
the Pope, but the end is not yet. In Russia
we hear of devastation and death made by
?l -f -1-1 L-l-V!!! _
me progress 01 cnoiera: wnoie villages uoing
depopulated by this terrible scourge.
In Chinapmatter are assuming a more quiet
and peaceful state ; but in Africa war is still
raging.?Boston Traveller, 6th instant.