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Battle of San Augustin.

lodge the enemy, picking their way (all officers on foot) along his front, and extending themselves towards the road, from the city and the enemy's left. Captain Magruder's field battery, of twelve and six-pounders, and Lieutenant Callender's battery of mounted howitzers and rockets, had also, with great difficulty, been advanced within range of the intrenched camp. These batteries, most gallantly served, suffered much, in the course of the afternoon, from the enemy's superior metal.

The battle, though mostly stationary, continued to rage with great violence, until nightfall. Brevet Brigadier-General P. F. Smith's and Brevet Colonel Riley's brigades (Twiggs's division) supported by BrigadierGenerals Pierce's and Cadwalader's brigades (Pillow's division) were more than three hours under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, along the almost impassable ravine in front and to the left of the intrenched camp. Besides the twenty-two pieces of artillery, the camp and ravine were defended closely by masses of infantry, and these again supported by clouds of cavalry at hand and hovering in view. Consequently no decided impression could be made by daylight, on the enemy's most formidable position, because, independent of the difficulty of the ravine, our infantry, unaccompanied by cavalry and artillery, could not advance in column without being mowed down by the grape and canister of the batteries, nor advance in line without being ridden over by the enemy's numerous cavalry. All our corps, however, including Magruder's and Callender's last batteries, not only maintained the exposed positions early gained, but all attempted charges upon them, respectively-particu

Occupation of Contreras.

larly on Riley, twice closely engaged with cavalry in greatly superior numbers-were repulsed and punished.

From an eminence, soon after arriving near the scene, I observed the church and hamlet of Contreras (or Ansalda) on the road leading up from the capital, through the intrenched camp to Magdalena, and seeing, at the same time, the stream of reinforcements advancing by the road, from the city, I ordered (through Major-General Pillow) Colonel Morgan, with his regiment, the 15th, till then held in reserve by Pillow, to move forward, and to occupy Contreras, or Ansalda,-being persuaded, if occupied, it would arrest the enemy's reinforcements and ultimately decide the battle.

Riley was already on the enemy's left, in advance of the hamlet. A few minutes later, Brigadier-General Shields, with his volunteer brigade, (New York and South Carolina regiments,) coming up under my orders from San Augustin, I directed Shields to follow and sustain Morgan. These corps, over the extreme difficulties of ground-partially covered with a low forestbefore described, reached Contreras, and found Cadwalader's brigade, in position, observing the formidable movement from the capital and much needing the timely reinforcement.

It was already dark, and the cold rain had begun to fall in torrents upon our unsheltered troops; for the hamlet, though a strong defensive position, can hold only the wounded men, and, unfortunately, the new regiments have little or nothing to eat in their haversacks. Wet, hungry, and without the possibility of sleep, all our gallant corps, I learn, are full of confidence, and only wait for the last hour of darkness to

Battle of Contreras.

gain the positions whence to storm and carry the enemy's works.

Of the seven officers despatched, since about sundown, from my position, opposite to the enemy's centre, and on this side of the field of rocks and lava-to communicate instructions to the hamlet-not one has succeeded in getting through those difficulties, increased by darkness. They have all returned. But the gallant and indefatigable Captain Lee, of the engineers, who has been constantly with the operating forces, is just in from Shields, Smith, Cadwalader, &c., to report as above, and to ask that a powerful diversion be made against the centre of the intrenched camp towards morning.

Brigadier-General Twiggs, cut off, as above, from the part of his division beyond the impracticable ground, and Captain Lee are gone, under my orders, to collect the forces remaining on this side, with which to make that diversion about five o'clock, in the morning."

"The morning of the 20th opened with one of a series of unsurpassed achievements, all in view of the capital, and to which I shall give the general name-Battle of Mexico.

In the night of the 19th, Brigadier-General Shields, P. F. Smith, and Cadwalader, and Colonel Riley, with their brigades, and the 15th regiment, under Colonel Morgan, detached from Brigadier-General Pierce-found themselves in and about the important position-the village, hamlet or hacienda, called, indifferently, Contreras, Ansalda San Geronimo-half a mile nearer to the city than the enemy's intrenched camp on the same road, towards the factory of Magdalena.

Battle of Contreras.

That camp had been, unexpectedly, our formidable point of attack the afternoon before, and we had now to take it, without the aid of cavalry or artillery, or to throw back our advanced corps upon the road from San Augustin to the city, and thence force a passage through San Antonio.

Accordingly to meet contingencies, Major-General Worth was ordered to leave, early in the morning of the 20th, one of his brigades to mask San Antonio, and to march with the other six miles, via San Augustin, upon Contreras. A like destination was given to Major-General Quitman and his remaining brigade in San Augustin -replacing, for the moment, the garrison of that important depot with Harney's brigade of cavalry, as horse could not pass over the intervening rocks, &c., to reach the field of battle.

A diversion for an earlier hour (daylight) had been arranged the night before, according to the suggestion of Brigadier-General Smith, received through the engineer, Captain Lee, who conveyed my orders to our troops remaining on the ground opposite to the enemy's centre-the point for the diversion or a real attack, as circumstances might allow.

Guided by Captain Lee, it proved the latter under the command of Colonel Ransom, of the 9th, having with him that regiment and some companies of three others the 3d, 12th, and rifles.

Shields, the senior officer at the hamlet, having arrived in the night, after Smith had arranged with Cadwalader and Riley the plan of attack for the morning, delicately waived interference; but reserved to himself the double task of holding the hamlet with his two regiments,

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