47. A Young Officer in the War
By SECOND LIEUTENANT ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT (1847) The Romance of the Civil War | ||
47. A Young Officer in the War
By SECOND LIEUTENANT ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT (1847)
I WAS with the earliest of the troops to enter the Mills. In passing through to the north side, looking towards Chapultepec, I happened to notice that there were armed Mexicans still on top of the building, only a few feet from many of our men. Not seeing
During the night of the 11th, batteries were established which could play upon the fortifications of Chapultepec. The bombardment commenced early on the morning of the 12th, but there was no further engagement during this day than that of the artillery. Later in the day in reconnoitring I found a church off to the south of the road, which looked to me as if the belfry would command the ground back of the garita San Cosme. I got an officer of the voltigeurs, with a mountain howitzer and men to work it, to go with me. The road being in possession of the enemy, we had to take the field to the south to reach the church. When I knocked for admission a priest
The effect of this gun upon the troops about the gate of the city was so marked that General Worth saw it from his position. He was so pleased that he sent a staff officer, Lieutenant Pemberton, to bring me to him. He expressed his gratification at the services the howitzer in the church steeple was doing, saying that every shot was effective, and ordered a captain of voltigeurs to report to me with another howitzer to be placed along with the one already rendering so much service. I could not tell the General that there was not room enough in the steeple for another gun, because be probably would have looked upon such a statement as a contradiction from a second lieutenant. I took the captain with me, but did not use his gun.
47. A Young Officer in the War
By SECOND LIEUTENANT ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT (1847) The Romance of the Civil War | ||