fought in the War of 1812 and in the Seminole War in 1841. During the
Mexican War he participated in the campaigns of Generals Taylor and
Scott and later he commanded in Texas. He died at San Antonio, Texas,
on May 17, 1849.
[31] Escopette, a carbine or short rifle, especially a form used by the
Spanish Americans (_Century Dict._).
[32] Light cavalry armed with lances, or long spears, varying from 8½
to 11 feet in length (_Century Dict._).
[33] Pierre G. T. Beauregard, later a prominent Confederate General,
was born in New Orleans on May 28, 1818. He graduated from West Point
in 1838. Died at New Orleans on February 20, 1893.
Beauregard was appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate Army in
1861 and bombarded and captured Fort Sumter in April of the same year.
He commanded at the first battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, and
following it was promoted to the rank of general. He took part in the
battle of Shiloh in April, 1862, commanded at Charleston, S. C., from
1862 to 1864, and in Virginia in the latter year.
[34] Robert E. Lee, later the celebrated Confederate General-in-Chief
and McClellan’s main adversary. He was born at Stratford, Westmoreland
Co., Virginia, on January 19, 1807, and died at Lexington, Virginia, on
October 12, 1870.
[35] Epaulment, the mass of earth or other material which protects the
guns in a battery both in front and on either flank (_Century Dict._).
[36] Terre-plein, the top, platform or horizontal surface of a rampart,
on which the cannon are placed (_Century Dict._).
[37] Boyau, a ditch covered with a parapet, serving as a means of
communication between two trenches, especially between the first and
third parallels. Also called a zigzag or an approach (_Century Dict._).
[38] Berm, a narrow level space at the outside foot of a parapet, to
retain material which otherwise might fall from the slope into the
ditch (_Standard Dict._).
[39] Colonel Bankhead was the Chief of Artillery at the siege of Vera
Cruz.
[40] General Juan Morales was the Mexican commander at Vera Cruz.
[41] Revet, to face, as an embankment, with masonry or other material
(_Century Dict_.).
[42] Traverse, an earthen mask, similar to a parapet, thrown across the
covered way of a permanent work to protect it from the effects of an
enfilading fire (_Century Dict._).
[43] General Scott “always wore all the uniform prescribed or allowed
by law when he inspected his lines; word would be sent to all division
and brigade commanders in advance, notifying them of the hour when the
commanding general might be expected. This was done so that all the
army might be under arms to salute their chief as he passed. On these
occasions he wore his dress uniform, cocked hat, aiguillettes, sabre
and spurs. His staff proper, besides all officers constructively on
his staff--engineers, inspectors, quartermasters, etc., that could
be spared--followed, also in uniform and in prescribed order. Orders
were prepared with great care and evidently with the view that they
should be a history of what followed.... General Scott was precise
in language, cultivated a style peculiarly his own; was proud of his
rhetoric; not averse to speaking of himself, often in the third person,
and he could bestow praise upon the person he was talking about without
the least embarrassment.” U. S. Grant, _Memoirs_, Vol. I, pages 138-139.
[44] Vera Cruz at that time was a city of about 15,000 inhabitants.
[45] On the advance of Scott’s army from Vera Cruz, Twiggs led the way,
followed a day later by Patterson, and five days later still by Worth.
J. B. McMaster, _History of the People of the United States_, Vol. VII,
page 507.
[46] Simon B. Buckner was born in Kentucky on April 1, 1823, and died
January 8, 1914. He graduated from West Point in 1844. During the Civil
War he was first a brigadier general, and later a lieutenant general
in the Confederate Army. He stood by his troops and surrendered Fort
Donelson to General Grant on February 16, 1862. After the war he became
Governor of Kentucky and was the candidate for Vice-President on the
Gold Democratic ticket in 1896.
[47] About sixty miles from Vera Cruz, and about thirty from Jalapa. J.
S. Jenkins, _History of the War with Mexico_, page 270.
[48] General Pillow’s brigade consisted of four regiments of
infantry,--1st Tennessee (Colonel Campbell), 2nd Tennessee (Colonel
Haskell), 1st Pennsylvania (Colonel Wynkoop) and 2nd Pennsylvania
(Colonel Roberts); also a detachment of Tennessee Horse and a company
of Kentucky Volunteers under Captain Williams. R. Semmes, _Service
Afloat and Ashore_, page 179.
[49] “The Cerro Gordo, or Big Hill, called by the Mexicans in their
dispatches, _El Telegrafo_, is an immense hill, of a conical form,
rising to the height of near a thousand feet. It stands ... at the head
of the pass, to which it gives its name, and formed the extreme left
(our right) of the fortifications of the enemy.” Semmes, _op. cit._,
pages 176-177.
[50] He commanded the 1st Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers.
[51] He commanded the 2nd Tennessee Volunteers.
[52] James Shields was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1810. After
the Mexican War he was United States Senator (Democrat) from Illinois
during the years 1849-1855, and from Minnesota in 1858-1859. He was
one of the “political generals” in the Union Army who were decisively
defeated by “Stonewall” Jackson during the celebrated “Valley Campaign”
of May and June, 1862. Shields died in Ottumwa, Iowa, on June 1, 1879.
[53] The American forces present at the battle of Cerro Gordo, both
in action and in reserve, were about 8,500 men. The Mexicans were
estimated at 12,000 or more. The American losses in the two days
fighting were 33 officers and 398 men, a total of 431, of whom 63 were
killed. The enemy losses were estimated at 1,000 to 1,200, in addition
to five generals and 3,000 men who were captured. General Scott’s
official report dated “Jalapa, April 23, 1847” (_Senate Docs. 30th
Congress, 1st Session_, No. 1, pages 263-264).
[54] The City of Mexico was surrendered to General Scott’s victorious
army on September 14, 1847.
[55] McClellan left the City of Mexico on May 28, 1848, and reached
West Point, N. Y., on June 22 following.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.