[5.] According to a topographical officer (Washington Union, Nov. 3, 1847) the only route from San Agustín to Mexico of which the Americans knew when they reached the ground was the highway. This surprises one at first. But the turnpike beyond San Angel was a local road serving only a few farms, the small villages of San Gerónimo and Contreras, and a manufacturing establishment near Contreras. It seemed to be of no strategic significance, and was not likely to be heard of at a distance. The fortifications along the highway were largely developed after Scott turned toward San Agustín. Valencia’s movements were impromptu. Scott had an Englishman residing at Mexico in his pay, and we know that two persons brought data on Aug. 19 (Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 162). Apparently Scott did his duty as to seeking information.
[6.] American preliminaries. Sen. 1; 30, 1, pp. 304, 307, 315, 348–50 (reports of Scott, Worth and Smith); app., 41 (Mason); 66 (Smith); 101 (Magruder); 118 (Cadwalader). Wilhelm, Eighth Inf., ii, 307. Picayune, Sept. 8; Oct. 21. [66]Lee to Smith, Aug. 21. Semmes, Service, 380, 393. [224]Intercepted Letters (26, To Old Gentleman). Hitchcock, Fifty Years, 275. Grant, Mems., i, 142. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 188 (Trist, no. 12). [76]Expediente contra Valencia. [236]Judah, diary. Sen. 19; 30, 2 (Hardcastle to Smith). Monitor Repub., Dec. 17. Diario, Aug. 19.
[7.] Quitman had only the Second Pennsylvania, the Marines, Steptoe’s battery and a troop or two of dragoons (Sen. 1; 30, 1, p. 341); but Worth’s division was available in case of need. See Claiborne, Quitman, i, 347.
[8.] Pillow, as was decided by a court of inquiry (Sen. 65; 30, 1, pp. 332–45) on the testimony of such men as Lee (p. 78), Smith (p. 102), Riley (p. 147) and Shields (p. 268), did not devise the plan on which this victory was gained; and when Lee brought word to Scott of Smith’s plan he washed his hands of it ([335]Trist, draft of address; Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 333); but he had the audacity to claim that Smith merely executed the precise plans and views laid down by Pillow for his guidance (Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1018). Pillow could claim the credit only on the ground that he was the senior officer on the field, and that Smith’s operations were a logical consequence of the events; but Scott was the senior of Pillow, and all that occurred was—as Smith pointed out (Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 104)—the logical consequence of Scott’s order to gain possession of the San Angel road. The consensus of opinion was expressed by Twiggs: “General Smith deserves the whole credit” (Stevens, Stevens, i, 196). Moreover the famous letter signed “Leonidas”—prepared at Pillow’s quarters doubtless with his connivance (Hitchcock in Mo. Republican, Oct. 2, 1857; Republican Banner, Feb. 23, 1858), conveyed by his agency (Davis, Autobiog., 285) to the New Orleans Delta, which published it Sept. 10 (chap. xxix, [note 31]), and fathered (when exposed) by an untruthful subordinate of his—“puffed” Pillow in the most extravagant manner for this “unparallelled victory,” and represented Scott not only as leaving everything to Pillow but as blundering sadly. E.g. it said, “The army had been marching through marshes and almost impassable roads, nearly half around the city, to find some points upon the enemy’s works that could be successfully assailed,” the provisions had been nearly exhausted, and the mountains prevented going farther; Pillow’s “plan of battle [at Contreras], and the disposition of his forces were most judicious,” and he “achieved this signal and brilliant victory.” (For the letter signed “Leonidas” see Sen. 65; 30, 1 (pp. 385–9, and the testimony of Pillow, Burns, Freaner, Trist); [335]Pillow to Trist, Aug. 31, private; St. Louis Evening News, Oct. 2, 1857; chap. xxix, [pp. 435–7].) Pillow’s design in having such a statement prepared and placed before the people in advance of the official reports was probably to influence public opinion in the United States so as to make him an available candidate for the Presidency or enable Polk to put him in Scott’s place. As Pillow was known to have great influence with the President, and was an active, affable, plausible man, he naturally had a following; but the sentiment of the able and honest officers towards him was one of contempt. “The ass Pillow,” “that consummate fool,” said the future General D. H. Hill (diary) of Pillow as he showed himself on Aug. 19. A sensible Pennsylvanian wrote in his diary, Aug. 10, that Pillow was without question “the poorest and most unpopular” of the generals (Oswandel, Notes, 249). Col. W. B. Campbell characterized him as light, impetuous, of little military judgment and no skill ([139]to D. Campbell, Mar. 20, 28; Apr. 18, 25); and a correspondent of the future Gen. W. T. Sherman described him as “a mass of vanity, conceit, ignorance, ambition and want of truth” ([316]Judd, Feb. 26, 1848). The doings of the Pillow court of inquiry (Sen. 65; 30, 1) were carefully digested and analyzed by the author; but as the subject concerns only incidentally the history of the war, space cannot be taken to present this analysis.
[9.] Valencia could see that retreat meant his personal ruin, and he preferred to argue that honor required him to hold his ground.
[10.] Persifor F. Smith, a graduate from Princeton, was admitted to the bar at Philadelphia, practised law at New Orleans, and had considerable military experience in the Florida war. He was a simple, scholarly, unassuming man; but all ranks appreciated his ability, attainments, clear perception, valor, promptness and steadiness.
[11.] The battle of Contreras. Sen. 1; 30, 1, pp. 303, etc.; app., pp. 66, etc. (reports of Scott and his officers). S. Anna, Apelación, 52–5; app., 154–6, 160. Id.., Detall, 12–4. Picayune, Sept. 8; Oct. 21. [221]Hill, diary. [61]Twiggs to Marcy, Feb. 7, 1848. [66]Lee to Smith, Aug. 21, 1847. [60]Riley to Westcott, Nov. 30. Semmes, Service, 381, 385, 392. [224]Intercepted letters (14, L. V. to M. O.; 25, note by E. A. H.; 28). Apuntes, 237–43. McSherry, El Puchero, 73, 76. Murphy, Hungerford, 99. Delta, Sept. 9; Nov. 12; Dec. 1. Monitor Repub., Sept. 27 (Salas); Dec. 12 (S. Anna). Porvenir, Aug. 26, supplem. (Valencia). [65]Scott, gen. orders 258. Balbontín, Invasión, 111–8. Hitchcock, Fifty Years, 276–8, 281. Ballentine, English Soldier, ii, 207, 218–20, 223–6, 228–9. Davis, Autobiog., 196–8. [66]Foster to Smith, Aug. 23. [66]McClellan to Smith, Aug. 23. [66]Beauregard to Smith, Aug. 25. [66]Tower to Smith, Aug. 25. [66]Mason to Smith, Aug. 24. Prieto, Mems., ii, 222–7. López, Décimo Calendario, 58. [80]Olaguíbel, Aug. 20–1. [199]Anon. MS. written by a person of importance. [307]Roberts, diary. Gamboa, Impug., 42–3. [350]Weber, recoils. [70]“Guerra,” no. 30 (F. Pérez). Ramírez, México, 298. México á través, iv, 677. [217]Henshaw to wife, Aug. 21. [327]Sutherland to father, Nov. 28. Jackson, Memoirs of Jackson, 41. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 188. Long, Memoirs, 54–9. Wash. Union, Sept. 20. Diario, Aug. 24; Sept. 1. So. Mag., July, 1874, p. 75. [204]Gouverneur, diary. [277]Burnett, statement. United Service, June, 1896 (Lane). Sen. 65; 30, 1, pp. 62 (H. L. Scott); 68–9 (Williams); 72–4, 298, 300 (Gen. Scott); 75–9, 463 (Lee); 81–6 (Cadwalader); 97 (Deas); 99–106 (Smith); 137–8 (Canby); 147–51 (Riley); 162 (Hooker); 180 (Hodge); 182–4, 188 (Ripley); 208–9 (Rains); 230–1 (Beauregard); 232–3 (Hitchcock); 246 (Morgan); 267 (Shields); 270 (Howard); 283, 286–7 (Twiggs); 334–5 (verdict); 570. Stevens, I. I. Stevens, i, 174–9, 196. Carreño, Jefes, ccxc (Pérez), ccxciv (Torrejón). Niles, Oct. 30, pp. 138–9. Cong. Globe,34, 1, p. 105 (Foote). Lancaster Co. Hist. Soc. Mag., Mar. 6, 1908. Giménez, Mems., 266. [291]Pierce to Appleton, Aug. 27. [291]Gardner to Canby, Aug. 30. [291]Pierce to Hooker, Aug. 22. Engineer School, U. S. A., Occas. Papers, No. 16. Valencia, Manifiesto. [178]Davis, diary. Stevens, Vindication, 4–7. Negrete, Invasión, iv, app., 281–3. [76]Tornel, Aug. 19. [76]Orders to Valencia, Aug. 26. Kenly, Md. Vol., 421. [73]Lozano, No. 2., Aug. 24. [210]Bragg to Hammond, Dec. 20. [125]Bonham to wife, Aug. 24; to adj. gen., Feb. 26, 1849. So. Qtrly. Rev., Apr., 1852, pp. 415–26. Calderón, Rectificaciones, 41. S. Anna, Mi Historia, 72–3. [112]Beauregard to Smith, Aug. 25. [76]Valencia, Aug. 19. [76]J. B. Argüelles, Aug. 22. [76]Alcorta to Alvarez, Aug. 21. [76]Alvarez, Aug. 21.
Remarks. This engagement was called by the Mexicans the battle of Padierna. At first Valencia had a reserve under Salas at Ansaldo, but he drew this in at about the time when the battle began. He then placed Torrejón’s cavalry between Ansaldo and his main position. A turn in the road near his position enabled him to command the turnpike for some distance. For further details regarding his dispositions see Apuntes, 236. During the afternoon of Aug. 19 the Ninth Infantry (Ransom) and a battalion of the Twelfth under Lieut. Col. Bonham crossed the ravine and remained about 200 yards from Valencia’s camp until 9 or 10 o’clock, partly occupying usefully Valencia’s attention. When these troops retired, Mexicans attacked the guard at Padierna, but American reinforcements defeated them. R. E. Lee and G. B. McClellan helped set up Magruder’s battery, and T. J. (“Stonewall”) Jackson commanded one section of it a part of the time. These officers distinguished themselves highly. Riley understood he was “sent across the pedregal to cut off the retreat of the enemy and check reinforcements” (Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 148). When Smith moved to the right, he had Magruder resume firing to divert attention from that movement. Magruder’s men tried to save themselves by falling flat at each Mexican discharge, and the ground sheltered them somewhat, yet fifteen were killed or wounded. His guns were withdrawn over the rocks after nightfall.
It has been said with force that it would have been better had Scott been on the ground from the first. But he did not wish or expect to fight; no doubt he had much administrative work on hand; he was not far away; and he believed that his instructions to Pillow provided for all probable contingencies. It seems to be true that Pillow, a most plausible and insinuating talker, had gained a certain ascendency over him. Probably for this reason, as well as owing to his general wish to gratify his officers, Scott permitted Pillow to make statements in his report on the battle, which, as the trial of Pillow showed, ought not to have been there ([210]Bragg). Pillow later urged the point that Scott approved of his dispositions; but it was Scott’s practice to accept what his officers did, and make the best of it. Scott was slightly wounded in the leg during the afternoon of August 19 but did not mention the incident at the time. Later the wound made him trouble.
The Fifteenth Infantry (Morgan) did not act with the rest of Pierce’s brigade on Aug. 19, for Pillow had detached it as a reserve. Pierce was injured by falling from his horse, and hence Col. Ransom took command of the brigade. Late in the afternoon Valencia placed a 4-pounder and two battalions of infantry on the turnpike toward Ansaldo to prevent more Americans from reaching San Gerónimo (Balbontín, Invasión, 114), but this force accomplished nothing. At first he had thought the Americans crossing the pedregal in groups, partly concealed by the ground and trees, were mere scouting parties. It was found impossible at the Pillow trial to decide at just what time Scott arrived on the lookout hill (the lower summit of Zacatepec). The variation of careful witnesses was an hour and twenty-five minutes. Watches appear to have been out of order, and therefore one cannot be positive regarding the precise time of any event.