Company 'A', corps of engineers, U.S.A., 1846-'48, in the Mexican warSmith, Gustavus Woodson
History
Company 'A', corps of engineers, U.S.A., 1846-'48, in the Mexican war
Smith, Gustavus Woodson
Mexican War, 1846-1848 -- Regimental histories -- United States -- Engineers; United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Company A
Within fifty yards we found the man who I believed fired the shot, a
rope was placed around his neck, but I did not order my men to hang him.
I had no _positive_ proof against him. I took the man to General Worth,
reported the circumstances of the case, in full; stated the reasons for
my belief that the prisoner fired the shot which severely wounded
Colonel Garland; and added: "In the absence of specific proof against
this man I have brought him to you, and await your further
instructions".
To which General Worth replied, in a cold and haughty manner: "This is
not the way in which my orders are obeyed by officers of _my division_".
Colonel Duncan, who was close beside General Worth, both mounted, whilst
I was on foot, said, at once, before I could make any reply to the
foregoing censure: "General Worth, you are wrong; Lieutenant Smith is
right. Under the circumstances he ought not to have hanged this man. It
is for you, the Major-General commanding these forces, to decide that
matter. Give the order. You see he and his men are ready to obey you.
Give the order".
In the meantime, the men of the engineer company, without instructions
from me, had passed the rope over an adjacent large lantern iron; and
stood ready to string the man up. General Worth did not give the order.
The man was not hanged.
In less than an hour after Colonel Garland was wounded, lawless bands of
armed Mexicans commenced firing from the parapet roofs of houses, from
church steeples and windows, in various parts of the city, upon our
troops in the open streets. An order was then given, by General Scott,
for Worth's forces to move beyond the Alameda and join with the rest of
the army, in putting down the rising of armed outlaws who made this
murderous attack upon us eight or ten hours after the city surrendered.
In these operations the engineer company was with Worth's division until
the recall was sounded late that afternoon.
General Scott, in his official report, says: "I communicated, about
daylight [on the 14th], orders to Worth and Quitman to advance slowly
and cautiously [to guard against treachery] towards the heart of the
city, and to occupy its stronger and more commanding points. Quitman
proceeded to the great plaza or square, planted guards and hoisted the
colors of the United States on the national palace, containing the halls
of Congress and executive apartments of Federal Mexico. In this grateful
service, Quitman might have been anticipated by Worth, but for my
express orders halting the latter at the head of the _Alameda_, [a green
park] within three squares of that goal of general ambition". (Ex. Doc.
No. 1, p. 383.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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