memoir · by a contemporary

An artillery officer in the Mexican war, 1846-7

Robert Anderson (1805–1871), 1911

Named on the page for Battle of Chapultepec.

machine-read Machine-read (OCR) from a scanned book at the Internet Archive: expect misread words and names. The scan itself is at the library.

draft Matched to the battle automatically; not yet reviewed.

Passages that name the battle; the whole book is at Internet Archive.

12–13 September 1847

Battle of Chapultepec

INTRODUCTION
"Yet there were battles to be fought, and won, before the prize could be grasped. There was Contreras and Cherubusco, Molino del Rey and Chapultepec, and then the Garrittas bristling with cannon was to be captured. These places all fell in turn, some of them with heavy loss. But what deeds of valor, what heroism, what dauntless courage did that little army exhibit ! Scant has been the meed of praise those heroes so dearly earned. Few have been the laurel wreaths upon the graves of those who 'poured their life's blood freely out "pro bono publico. " '

SAN MARTIN EL GRANDE, ABOUT ELEVEN MILES FROM
Orders have just been received, half -past eleven, that we are to start at three this afternoon — our Division, followed, I presume, by the others, approach Mexico by the road which has Lake Chalco on its right. We therefore strike the Capital in rear. Ft. Chapultepec will then be our first point of attack. I hope that I may have daily some opportunity of adding a few lines to this letter. I go on with a full and unwavering faith in the mercy and kindness of our Heavenly Father. He will do what is best for us. May He bless and pre serve you. Good-day.

MEXICO.
The troops in Ft. Chapultepec have been seen at work at its defences to-day, in clear violation of the Articles of the truce. All of our wounded and sick are now being moved to what is called the Palace, a building belonging, I think, to Genl. Santa Anna.

MEXICO.
We have been ready for the last three hours to move at a moment's warning. The truce was broken yester day, by the Mexicans, and this morning, Genl. Santa Anna, I hear, wrote and sent a very impertinent " buncombe" letter to the Genl. Their troops, at all events, commenced moving out of the City early this morning, and are now drawn up in line of battle with their left resting on Ft. Chapultepec. Genl. Scott and Staff are engaged in reconnoitring his position, so that not many hours can elapse before we have another battle.

Public domain. Text from Internet Archive.