Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1877 — THE MEXICAN WAR. [ARTICLE]

THE MEXICAN WAR.

Reminiscences of Gen. Shields. The following are among the anec- ! dotes and incidents recently related j by Gen. Shields, at Lockport, N. Y.: CEHKO GORDO. i Previous to the brilliant American i victory at Cerro Gordo, the engineers both of the attacking and defending armies hud carefully surveyed the highest of the emiuencts that bristle I about the place, and had reported it inaccessible. It overlooked the whole | Mexican army, bu : the Mexicans were ! confident that it couid not be occupied, and the same belief prevailed l in the American camp. The night before the assault was a very dark one. Shields was in his tent, when toward midnight a number of solj diets of his command came to him j and asked permission to put a six- ■ pound gun on the top of this ciiff. “1 was astonished. ‘Don,r you I know,’ I asked, 'that the engineers say that it can’t be climbed?—to say nothing about putting cannon up there.’ They insisted, however, that they should like to try it. 'Try, it, then.’boys,’ I said ; ‘no harm will be ; done, even if you fail.’ They went i away, and in two hours they were back again with the amazing news that they had actually a 6-pounder in position on the summit of that almost perpendicular height. “And it you’ll consent, sir,’said one of them, we’ll put a 12 pounder there too.’

“ ‘Go ahead,’ I replied. ‘I believe you can do anything now.’ And long before daylight they reported that the 12-pounder was up there beside the 6-pot.nder ready to open or the Mexcans in the morning. I thought the news too good to be kept so I went to General Twiggs’ tent and roused him up. He heard my story, and loaded at me as though he did not believe ft word of it. “ ‘Do you mean to tell me,’ he exclaimed, ‘that those fellows of yours have hauled a 12-pounder and a - pounder up to L.e top of that height?’ “ ‘Yes, sir; and what do you think of that?” “ ‘I think there are two pieces of artillery lost to the United States; for there are nor, men enough in the army to get them down again.’ “But these two pieces did excellent service against the astonished Mexicans that day, and they were got down again afterward.

AN INCIDENT. General Santa Anna was in command of the Mexicans at Cerro Gordo. He was utterly defeated and compelled to retreat, with heavy losses in prisoners, material, and killer! and wounded. Shields was dangerously wounded in the fight, and of course left behind at Jalapa. When he became convalescent he was informed that a lady living opposite the house where he lay had been very kind and attentive, and had been of much help to his attendants As soon as he was allowed to walk out he went to thank her, when he learned to bis surprise she was a daughter of Santa Anna. In the course of the conversation that followed, he remarked: "But did you know who it was that you were administering to all this time?” “Not at first,” she replied. “I discovered after a time that you were General Shields, who I bad heard was killed. ” “Perhaps, had you known at the first that I was one who had a large share in defeating your father, you would not have relieved me?” She drew herself up with the air of an old Castilian, and said: “Sir, had you with your own hand 'killed my father in fair fight—in fair fight—l "would have done for you in your extremity just as much as I now have.” And she iooKed it as well as she spoke it.