Page:Complete history of the late Mexican war.djvu/48

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44
BATTLES OF MEXICO

Bishop's Palace. Our troops marched into the city to the tune of Yankee Doodle. Thus ended one of the severest battles ever fought on the continent. The Mexicans, in all of the battles with us have fought more desperately, from the fact that our forces were so very few, compared with theirs. They were ashamed to be beaten by such an inferior force. We have believed from the first that an army of fifty thousand men could have marched to the capital of Mexico without shedding a drop of blood. How awful the idea of ushering such multitudes of immortal souls into the presence of their Maker, in such a manner! General Ampudia had about ten thousand men in action, seven thousand of whom were regulars. Our force consisted of four hundred and twenty-five officers and six thousand two hundred and twenty men. We lost twelve officers and one hundred and eight men killed; twenty-six officers, and three hundred and seven privates were wounded. The loss of the enemy was thought to have exceeded ours. Our men captured forty-two pieces of artillery and one eighteen-pounder. The munitions of war captured from the enemy were immense. The following is a list of the officers killed.

Captain Williams Topographical Engineers; 1st Infantry, Lieutenant J. C. Terrett, Lieutenant R. Dilworth; 3d Infantry, Captains L. N. Morris, G. P. Field, and Brevet Major P. N. Barbour, Lieutenants D. S. Irwin and R. Hazlitt; 4th Infantry, Lieutenant C. Hoskins, Brevet Lieutenant J. S. Wood, 2d infantry (serving with the 4th); 8th Infantry, Captain H. M'Kavett; Baltimore Battalion, Colonel Watson; 1st Ohio, Lieutenant Hett; 1st Tennessee, Captain Allen, Lieutenant Putnam; Captain Gillespie, Texan Rangers. Wounded: Major-general Butler, Major Mansfield; 1st Infantry, Major J. S. Abercrombie, Captain