Recruits for the Regiment of Voltigeurs.
We are requested to call attention to the advertisement, in our columns this morning; for recruits for the Army (NB-Recruiting depot at Baltimore).
The Regiment of Voltiguers**** will be commanded by an officer of tried character and experience. The men will be mounted and will carry with them mountain howitzers and a light battery. The nature of the service makes a situation in this regiment one of the most desirable in the Army. The soldier will receive, in addition to his regular pay, a sufficiency of comfortable and genteel clothing, good quarters and fuel, and ample subsistence. In addition to which, the best medical attendance is always provided, and no deduction is ever made for sickness. - Savannah Republican.
Richmond Examiner - 14 April 14, 1847 VERA CRUZ
The Massachusetts sails in half an hour, and I hasten to send you the latest intelligence received from the advance of our army on its march towards Jalapa. Despatches were received here yesterday evening from Gen. Twiggs, stating that the enemy had been discovered, and that in a reconnaissance some eighteen miles beyond the National Bridge, at a point called the Black Forrest Pass, Capt. J.E. Johnson, of the Topographical Engineers – now Lieut. Col. of voltigeurs – was severely wounded with a shot through the arm and another in the thigh. It is more than probably that ere this Gen’s Twriggs and Pillow have had something of a “brush” with the enemy. Santa Anna is known to have arrived at this pass with a force said to be 15,000 strong, consisting of 2,000 regulars and the balance of irregular troops – of whom 3,000 are cavalry. – The point above named is a very strong one, and naturally affords great advantages to the enemy; but, my word for it, they will not hold it long after our troops assail it.
BATTLE OF CERRO GORDO, MEXICO APRIL 18, 1847 - http://www.dmwv.org/honoring/cgordo.htm
Voltigeurs Wounded: 1. Lt. Col. Joseph E. Johnson, Topographical Engineers, very severely, April 12.
Richmond Whig - 27 April 1847: The Company of Voltigeurs Company leaving for war; under command of James D. Blair and William S. Walker and Washington Terret
Richmond Whig - 4 May 1847:
“It is not thought that anything serious will occur at Cerro Gordo, as it is represented that the position may be turned. I am sorry to tell you that Capt. Johnson, of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, [recently appointed lieutenant colonel of voltigeurs,) was very dangerously wounded in two places, while [illegible] on the 12th instant. His wounds had been dressed, most of the balls extracted, and the wounds pronounced not to be mortal. God grant his valuable life may be spared to his family, his friends, and his country!”[MSH]
Niles Register - 8 May 1847
LIST OF THE COMPANIES OF THE TEN NEW REGIMENTS OF REGULARS EN ROUTE TO MEXICO
The Union of the 26th publishes a statement furnished by the adjutant general, from which we learn that of the ten new regiments of the regular army, the following companies are now en route for the army in Mexico.... Voltigeurs-Col. T.P. Andrews 6 [companies]
Richmond Examiner - 11 May 1847
In this connection, all will read with pleasure that Captain Johnston is doing so well. This gentleman, Captain of the Topographical Engineers, and appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the Voltigeurs, was so desperately wounded, that little hope was felt for him. He has a strong constitution, and is in fine spirits, and Captain Hughes thinks he will recover. The health of the troops at Vera Cruz is absolutely improving. Great ameliorations are making in the city, but, above all things, it has been undergoing a thorough purification. There is no yellow fever there, nor other malignant epidemic. This is good news.
Savannah Georgian - 12 May 1847: U. S. Voltiguers (sp).
Lieut. McIntosh, 1st Lieut. Comd'g of the company raised in this City and State [Savannah, GA], is only waiting transportation to embark with his company for Mexico. His regiment, commanded by Col. T. P. Andrews, will join that portion of the army under Gen. Scott, their original destination being changed.
Matamoras Flag, 15 May 1847:
General Cadwallader, and staff, are at the camp of instruction, (Palo Alto,) fourteen miles below this place. Also, Col. A. C. Ramsay; Pennsylvania regiment; Lt. Col. Fay, 10th regiment; Major Morgan, 11th do; Major Talbott, 16th do.; Captains Carr, Lyberg Moore, Irwin, Waddell and Cummings, 11th regiment. Tow companies of dragoons, Captains Butler and Merrick. Five companies of voltiguers, Captains Bernard, Biddle, Howard, Edwards and Churchill. Two companies of the 16th regiment, Captains Hendricks and Brennan –three companies of the 10th, and Captain Pitman’s company of the 9th. These troops will remain at Palo Alto under strong discipline, and from thence, it is rumored, transferred to Vera Cruz.
Richmond Whig - 1 June 1847:
On the same day, Col. T. P. Andrews of the Voltiguers, accompanied by Capt. J. D. Blair, with 120 men of that corps, and Lt. Charles F. Vernon with 35 men, sailed from New Orleans for Vera Cruz, on board the steamer Massachusetts, on board of which were the rocket and howsitzer batteries belonging to the Voltiguer regiment.
Richmond Whig - 9 June 1847
Voltiguers.
Capt. Jones company of Voltiguers, with 2d Lieuts. Robt. Forsyth and Larned, sailed from Savannah on the 30th ult. in the brig Magnolia, Capt. Leslie, for Vera Cruz (and march on Mexico City!)
NB- note mispelling Voltiguers=Volitigeurs
RICHMOND ENQUIRER - June 22, 1847 - Latest from Vera Cruz
The steamship Massachusetts, Capt. Wood arrived at this port on Thursday last, with a detachment of the Voltigeur Regiment, consisting of 292 men and 13 officers, as follows: Col. T. P. Andrews, commanding : Dr. Tyler, Surgeon.-Company B. 71 men –Capt. Oscar E. Edwards; 1st Lieut. John Blakey: 2nd Lieut. James R. May. Company E, 109 men-Capt. James S. Blair; 1st Lieut. W. S. Walker, 2nd Lieuts. Geo. R. Kiger and Wasington Terrett. Company 11, 77 men-Capt. Moses J Barnard; 1st Lieut. Jas. Tilton; 2nd Lieuts. Theodore D. Cochran and W. I Mattin. Also Maj. Bennett, Paymaster, U.S.A .; Capt, Montgomery, Quartermaster; Dr. Shields and Mr. Foster, and a detachment of company A, 35 men, 2nd Lieut. Charles F. Vernon, commanding.
Richmond Whig - 22 June 1847:
From Vera Cruz - Arrival of the Mary Kingsland—Additional particulars of the late attack on Col. McIntosh’s train—Slender Garrison at Vera Cruz—Yellow Fever. Gen. Cadwallader marched to his relief, with a section detailed from the Howitzer battery, 10 guns, attached to the Voltigeur regiment, under Lts. Bakeley and Cochrane;...
Richmond Whig - 25 June 1847:
Later From Vera Cruz - The General left on Monday evening, the 7th inst., with a force of about five hundred men and four howitzers. Private accounts say further that on the 10th a part of the voltigeurs also left, with four howitzers, to join the train. The Eagle represents that our troops received the attack with the utmost coolness, and that the enemy, being repulsed, fell back towards the Puente Nacional, which some suppose they may attempt to defend...No later news had been received from the army of Gen. Scott. The reason is obvious; for the present at least the communication has been entirely cut off. We do not regard this as at all alarming, for Gen. Cadwalader will no doubt open a passage to Jalapa at once; but it indicates a necessity for some cavalry force upon the line to clear away the brigands which infest it, and who must have mustered in greater force than had been anticipated to attack a train guarded by 800 troops. But the audacity of these guerrillas does not stop here. They are entering Vera Cruz and stealing our horses. For several nights alarms had been created in the city by these predatory attempts. Private letters say “that sixty horses were stolen from one pen in the immediate vicinity of the town. A regiment of Texas Rangers, it seems to us, would find ample scope for employment in the vicinity of Vera Cruz. The Steamers Palmetto and Edith arrived at Vera Cruz on the 8th inst. The schooner Gen. Worth had also arrived with one company of voltiguers. On the Palmetto a lady is said to have arrived from New Orleans in search of a runaway slave. Her pursuit is represented as successful. We await anxiously our letters by the Washington.
Niles Register 26 June 1847
intense heat at Veracruz, fever on the increase 72.264 Train under Col. James Simmons McIntosh to leave Veracruz
"ARMY OF INVASION."
Major General Gideon J. Pillow left New Orleans on the 9th instant, in the steamer Fashion for Vera Cruz, together with Col. G. W. Morgan, 15th infantry; Major G. A. Caldwell, of the Voltigeurs; Wm. Trousdale, of the 14th infantry, and the following officers and men attached to his regiment, viz: Captains Pierce B. Anderson, Thomas Glen, Julian P. Breedlove, and Robert G. Beale; Lieut. Jas Blackburn, Thomas Shields, Richard Steele, Samuel B. Davis, Alex C. Layne, Henry B. Kelley, James G. Fitzgerald, Geo. W. Morgan, Nelson McClannahan, and Perrin Watson, with 287 men.
Norfolk Beacon - 5 July 1847:
"Military Movements. The Norfolk Beacon of Tuesday says: We understand that the barque Margaret Hugg will sail from Hampton Roads, today, for the Gulf of Mexico, with Capt. Caldwell’s company of Voltigeurs, and 103 Voltigeur recruits, under command of Lt. Marriot, on board. The following is a list of officers of Captain Calwell’s company: Jas. H. Calwell, captain, John W. Leigh, 1st Lieutenant; G.W. Carr, 2d tlo; Isaac Smith, 3d do. Officers of the recruits from Baltimore—J.C. Marriot, 1st Lieutenant, J.C. Wynder. 2d do.
Richmond Enquirer - 9 July 1847:
"The force under the command of Gen. Pillow left Vera Cruz on the 18th (June), escorting a train of about 125 wagons. The force amounted to nearly 1, 800 men, and consisted of the 14th infantry, and a portion of the 15th, three companies of the 3d and 6th Infantry, six companies of the Voltigeurs, a detachment of the 3d dragoons and six howitzers. That such a train would meet with serious resistance from guerrilla parties was not to be expected. ; but we regret that our accounts induce the belief that it suffered excessively in the first and second day’s march from the heat of the weather. The march on the second day is represented as having been particularly severe, the time chosen for it being during the heat of the day, through heavy sand and when eleven miles were to be made without water. There are a great many guerrilla parties upon the road, a small body of our troops left San Juan on the 21st hoping the overtake Gen. Pillow, but after proceeding two or three miles they encountered some guerilleros. These they charge upon and dispersed, but they saw so many others on the road in small parties that it was thought prudent to relinquish the design of coming up with Gen. Pillow."
Richmond Enquirer - 5 August 1847:
"On her departure from Vera Cruz on the morning of the 14th inst (July), General Pierce, with his command of detachments from the 3d Dragoons, 4th Artillery, 3d Infantry and the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 14th infantry, a detachment of voltiguers and a large detachment of marines, amounting to 2500 men and 150 wagons, had taken up their lines of march towards Puebla."...
"In this encampment Capt. Jas. H. Caldwell, of the Voltiguers, and Capt. Authurc Cummings, of the 11th Infantry, were severely wounded, but hopes were entertained of their recovery."
Niles register 14 August 1847 - general orders on the recruiting service
[GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 26]
2- Recruiting for Ten additional Regiments.
...For the 11th Infantry, and Voltigeurs,) Maj. E.W. MORGAN, 11th Regiment, Superintend’t, Baltimore.
BATTLES OF CHURUBUSCO AND CONTRERAS, MEXICO AUGUST 19 & 20, 1847 - http://www.dmwv.org/honoring/chucon2.htm
Killed:
1. Cpl. Robert Enlow, Co. A, Voltigeurs.
2. Sgt. Richard S. Pullenger, Co. F, Voltigeurs.
Wounded:
2. Sgt. R. B. Taylor, Voltigeurs.
3. Pvt. M. K. Bell, Voltigeurs.
4. Pvt. R. Brooks, Voltigeurs.
5. Pvt. J. Fitzsimmons, Voltigeurs.
BATTLE OF EL MOLINO DEL REY, MEXICO SEPTEMBER 8, 1847 - http://www.dmwv.org/honoring/molino2.htm
Voltigeurs
Wounded:
1. Major George H. or W. Talcott, slightly.
2. Sgt. W. B. Vertrees or Vertrus, Co. A, severely.
3. Sgt. C. D. Weymouth, Co. A, severely.
4. Cpl. W. S. McCorrell or McCorkill, Co. A, slightly.
5. Pvt. T. Davis, Co. A, severely.
6. Pvt. D. Gregbeer or Graybeer, Co. A, severely.
7. Pvt. J. Howell, Co. A, severely.
8. Pvt. J. Pugh, Co. A, severely.
9. Pvt. J. Bunger, Co. A, severely.
10. Pvt. A. R. Shacklett or Shasklett, Co. A, severely.
11. Pvt. J. Porter or Potter, Co. A, severely.
12. Pvt. R. Simpson, Co. A, severely.
13. Pvt. A. Wamsall or Wamsull, Co. A, severely.
14. Pvt. A. Adamson, Co. A, slightly.
15. Pvt. J. Brown, Co. A, severely.
16. Pvt. J. Hall, Co. A, slightly.
17. Pvt. G. W. Seaton, Co. A, slightly.
18. Pvt. J. Metcalf, Co. A, slightly.
19. Pvt. J. Thompson, Co. A, slightly.
20. Sgt. F. or G. W. Jennings, severely.
21. Sgt. J. C. Malbon, Co. B, slightly.
22. Cpl. E. D. Denson, Co. B, slightly.
23. Pvt. M. Conway, Co. B.
24. Pvt. W. Collins, Co. B.
25. Pvt. T. Farish Firish, or Furish, Co. B, slightly.
26. Pvt. S. A. Evans, Co. B.
27. Pvt. A. Funday, Funlay or Fundy, Co. B, slightly.
28. Pvt. J. L. Knott, Co. B.
29. Pvt. H. L. Olandarf, Co. B.
30. Pvt. J. or T. Pugh, Co. B, slightly.
31. Sgt. B. or R. Harding, Co. C, slightly.
32. Pvt. T. Clark, Co. C.
33. Pvt. H. Kilgrove, Co. C.
34. Pvt. R. Sylvester, Co. C.
35. Pvt. H. A. Ward, Co. C.
36. Pvt. H. Wells, Co. C.
37. Second Lt. Washington Terrett, Co. E, slightly.
38. Sgt. W. J. Herbert, Co. E, slightly.
39. Cpl. B. Ogle, Co. E, slightly.
40. Pvt. J. Beam, Co. E, severely.
41. Pvt. G. W. Bengeant, Co. E, severely.
42. Pvt. M. J. Good, Co. E, severely.
43. Pvt. J. Rominsky, Co. E, severely.
44. Pvt. J. L. Silverhorn, Co. E, severely.
45. Pvt. W. Allison, Co. E.
46. Pvt. D. Deraughn, Co. E.
47. Pvt. J. Donly, Co. E.
48. Pvt. M. Benton, Co. E.
49. Pvt. T. Evans, Co. E.
50. Pvt. J. L. Hisse, Co. E.
51. Pvt. J. Mahony, Co. E.
52. Pvt. H. Kidwell, Co. E.
53. Pvt. A. W. Milright, Co. E.
54. Pvt. J. McCaslin, Co. E.
55. Pvt. L. C. Parish, Co. E.
56. Pvt. John Sloan, Co. E.
57. Pvt. J. J. Nickerson, Co. E.
58. Pvt. J. Spencer, Co. E.
59. Second Lt. Gustavus S. Kintzing or Kitzing, Co. F, slightly.
60. Pvt. J. Cromley, Co. F, severely.
61. Pvt. E. Davis, Co. F, severely.
62. Pvt. S. Field, Co. F, severely.
63. Pvt. T. Higginson, Co. F, severely.
64. Pvt. F. W. Franklin, Co. F.
65. Pvt. A. Idler, Co. F.
66. Pvt. H. Keenan, Co. F.
67. Pvt. G. Kriner, Co. F.
68. Pvt. R. Lemon, Co. F.
69. Pvt. J. Massey, Co. F.
70. Pvt. W. S. Mendenhall, Co. F.
71. Pvt. P. Morrel, Co. F.
72. Pvt. B. McCabe, Co. F.
73. Pvt. J. W. Perry, Co. F.
74. Pvt. J. Picken, Co. F.
75. Pvt. J. Pierce, Co. F.
76. Pvt. B. J. Ross, Co. F.
77. Sgt. R. H. Turner, Co. G, slightly.
78. Sgt. C. R. Edwards, Co.G, slightly.
79. Cpl. Joseph H. or W. Walker, Co. G, slightly.
80. Pvt. C. Eckhart, Co. G.
81. Pvt. W. Jackson, Co. G.
82. Pvt. J. Kolk, Co. G.
83. Pvt. C. E. Morton, Co. G.
84. Pvt. G. Spencer, Co. G.
85. Pvt. G. Beckenschitz, Co. G, severely.
86. Pvt. F. Korse, Co. G, severely.
87. Pvt. J. Rutter, Co. G, severely.
88. Second Lt. William J. Martin, Co. H, slightly.
89. Sgt. D. S. Elliott, Co. H, slightly.
90. Pvt. J. F. Dentlinger, Co. H, severely.
91. Pvt. G. W. Jones, Co. H, severely.
92. Pvt. J. A. Yates, Co. H, severely.
93. Pvt. W. Groones, Co. H.
94. Pvt. J. Sigmac, Co. H.
95. Second Lt. Robert Swan or Swann, Co. I, slightly.
96. Sgt. J. F. or R. Gardiner, Co. I, slightly.
97. Pvt. W. Baldhurst, Co. I, slightly.
98. Pvt. W. H. Fitzhue, Co. I.
99. Pvt. H. White, Co. I, slightly.
Missing:
1. Pvt. H. A. Wood, Co. C.
2. Pvt. S. Vandegriff or Vandergriff, Co. F.
3. Pvt. J. L. Hass, Co. H
4. *Pvt. Robert McKee, since discovered to have been blown up at Casa del Mata.
5. *Pvt. Joseph Scott, since discovered to have been blown up at Casa del Mata.
6. *Artificer Israel Barton, killed.
7. Pvt. John Jacob Divine
8. Sgt. John Coble or Coyle
9. Pvt. John Gillespie
10. Pvt. Thomas Hardy
11. Pvt. William Reynolds
12. Pvt. James Smith
13. Pvt. Conrad Young
14. Pvt. Henry Muller or Muiller
15. Pvt. Jackson Adams
16. Pvt. James Leary
17. Pvt. Joseph G. Smith
CHAPULTEPEC AND CITY OF MEXICO SEPTEMBER 13-14, 1847 - http://www.dmwv.org/honoring/chapmex.htm
Voltigeurs
Killed:
1. Pvt. H. Frick
2. Pvt. E. Miller
3. Pvt. S. Richardson
4. Pvt. N. Salisbury
Wounded:
1. Lt. Col. Joseph E. Johnson
2. Capt. Moses J. Barnard
3. 1st Lt. James Tilton
4. 1st Lt. Gangenecker
5. 2d Lt. J. L. Meno
6. 2d Lt. W. J. Martin
7. Sgt. W. Peat, severely.
8. Pvt. J. C. Marbou or Malbon, slightly.
9. Pvt. T. S. Gardner, slightly.
10. Pvt. H. C. or P. Long, slightly.
11. *Cpl. H. E. Reid or Reed, mortally.
12. *Cpl. M. Finder or Finley, mortally.
13. Cpl. M. Conway, severely.
14. Cpl. J. Muldoon, slightly.
15. Cpl. R. Cooper, slightly.
16. Cpl. J. McGown, slightly.
17. Musician A. Fair, severely.
18. *Pvt. M. Bancroft, mortally.
19. *Pvt. E. Brass, mortally.
20. Pvt. S. McCall, severely.
21. Pvt. W. H. Fitzhugh, severely.
22. Pvt. W. Wood, severely.
23. Pvt. J. Cox, severely.
24. Pvt. - Dwyer, severely.
25. Pvt. T. Evans, severely.
26. Pvt. W. K. Fletcher, severely.
27. Pvt. J. Amey, severely.
28. Pvt. J. Smith, severely.
29. Pvt. C. Redding, severely.
30. Pvt. M. Rain, severely.
31. Pvt. G. Spencer, severely.
32. Pvt. C. Miler, severely.
33. Pvt. J. Young, severely.
34. Pvt. P. Henry, severely.
35. Pvt. D. Doughney, severely.
36. Pvt. J. Deitz, severely.
37. Pvt. T. Wallace, slightly.
38. Pvt. O. Russell, slightly.
39. Pvt. E. T. Gooden, slightly.
40. Pvt. J. H. Malbon, slightly.
41. Pvt. J. M. Floyd, slightly.
42. Pvt. T. H. Gill, slightly.
43. Pvt. T. Trumble, slightly.
Missing:
1. Pvt. James Hall
2. Pvt. J. Medcalf
3. Pvt. J. A. Maples
4. Pvt. G. Mayguad or Weygand
AFFAIR AT HUAMANTLA, MEXICO, OCTOBER 8, 1847 AND SUBSEQUENT ACTION, OCTOBER 1O & 11, 1847 - http://www.dmwv.org/honoring/other.htm
8. Pvt. Lienburg, Voltigeurs.
9. Pvt. Leland, Voltigeurs.
Richmond Enquirer - 12 October 1847:
"I regret to say that at the National Bridge Mr. George D. Twiggs (expecting a commission and to be a D.C. to Gen. T.) was killed while gallantly serving in my staff; Capt. J.H. Calwell, of voltigeurs, and Capt. A.C. Cummings, 11th infantry, were wounded on the 10th, (as before reported) but are doing well now. At National Bridge, Lieut. James A. Winder, of voltigeurs, and Lieut. George A. Adams, of marine corps, were dangerously wounded;.."
SIEGE OF PUEBLA SEPTEMBER 13 - OCTOBER 12, 1847 - http://www.dmwv.org/honoring/other.htm Voltigeur Regiment
Killed:
1. Private John H. Burgess
Wounded:
1. Private John Wilson, Co. A, slightly.
2. Private David Ricketts, slightly.
Richmond Enquirer - 22 October 1847:
"On the 11th (August) we rested (if it may be so called) while a heavy volley of musket was constantly being poured in upon us. On the 12th, we resumed our march and were incessantly annoyed by attacks upon different parts of the line until noon, when we arrived at the National Bridge. This is one of the strongest passes upon the road to Mexico. The bridge crosses the river just above the junction of two rapid streams, and curved around a high hill on the left, which is crowned with a castle, that commands the bridge. On the right, on the opposite side of the river, there is a perpendicular bluff, along the edge of which they had breast works. It certainly appeared to us a formidable fortress to capture with new recruits. Major Lally, with his staff and a strong body of voltigeurs advanced upon the bridge to reconnoiter but could not discover a man of the enemy. But, on the farthest end of the bridge appeared as if the enemy intended to defend at that point, and to reserve their fire until they could decoy our whole train on to the bridge and the valley leading to it."
Richmond Enquirer - 26 October 1847:
“City of Mexico, September 25, 1847....It was determined on the morning of the 13th to storm the Castle of Chapultepec and the works connected with it. The General-in-Chief, knowing the strength of the fortifications and the strong force with which it was garrisoned, concluded to assault it with old and well trained troops- not that he did not possess confidence in the divisions of General Pillow and Quitman- but in carrying a point of which was the key to all our future operations, it would not do to make a mistake or omit to take every advantage. Therefore the storming parties from the divisions of General Worth and General Twiggs, which had so frequently been under severe fire, were selected. The heavy batteries continued their fire upon the fort, and about 7 o’clock, when the brigade of Gen. Smith arrived as a supporting force to the division of Gen. Quitman- as soon as General’s Smith’s brigade reached its position- the division of Gen. Pillow passed Molino del Rey and ascended the hill on the west side, the Voltigeur Regiment, which had been advanced into the timber to clear it of the enemy’s skirmishers, became the assaulting force, supported by the balance of the division. Gen. Worth was situated to the north and on the left of Gen. Pillow. A part of Gen. Quitman’s force ascended the hill on the South and to the right of Gen. Pillow. As the division of Gen. Pillow and a portion of Gen. Quitman’s ascended and carried the Castle in most gallant style, the balance of Gen. Quitman’s force and the brigade of Gen. Smith’s swept the works on the road, the whole of the command moving harmoniously and simultaneously together, much to the honor and credit of their respective, commanders struck the enemy in their different positions, at one and the same time, a fatal blow. The hill where General Pillow’s command ascended had been mined for the purpose of blowing up our troops when they arrived at this point, but the rapid movements of the Voltigeur Regiment, and the deadly effect of the fire of their rifles, as they followed up the enemy from the first position, prevented their carrying out their views and intentions. Just as the command of Gen. Pillow rose the hill, and while in the act of assaulting the work, he fell and wounded, and Col. Ransom was killed, but so lucidly had Gen. Pillow explained his objects and intentions in carrying the work, and aided by an active and efficient staff, that his command moved on and carried the work without even being brought to a stand.
Richmond Enquirer - 29 October 1847:
The following (says the Union) is an extract of a letter from a member of the Voltigeur corps, to his friend in Washington, dated: “City of Mexico, Sept. 28, 1847.”
“The Voltigeur Regiment was first inside the works and castle of Chapultepec, in the great battle of the 13th..,and their little flag [completely riddled by balls] was planted on the inside battlement at least ten minutes before any other. This is a fact acknowledged by nineteen-twentieth’s of the army, although another regiment now claims it; but it will not do. This regiment behaved well in former battles, but had not the front in either; notwithstanding they had 99 men hit in the battle of the 8th, and only between 50 and 60 killed and wounded [few of the former] in the last, in which this regiment was in front, and did the hardest fighting of any. The fact is, the Mexicans shoot too high, and those nearest to them frequently, if not oftenest, escape with less loss. Their artillery, however, they fight well.“Tell - - that his friend Gen. Pillow has very much elevated himself lately. He is our major general. He is wounded, but will get well of it. His wound was from a spent grape shot, in front of the instep, smashing the bone.”
Major General Butler writes to his friend in Washington, from Louisville on the 15th, that he should on that evening set out for Nashville- for the purpose, we presume, of making some arrangements about the Tennessee Volunteers en route to Vera Cruz. [JKM]
"The Whig says, that while it said on Saturday that “the conduct of Gen. Pillow in the late engagements is highly creditable to him as a man of gallantry,” it by no means meant to “retract anything we (it) heretofore said in regard to the inordinate vanity of the man, by the exhibition of which he has on more that one occasion rendered himself ridiculous, or in relation to the offensive anxiety of his eulogists to bring him into notice as the greatest General of modern times!”
Official Report of the Battles for Mexico City
"...the following are the officers and corps most distinguished in those brilliant operations: The voltigeur regiment in two detachments, commanded respectively by Colonel Andrews and Lieutenant-Colonel Johnstone - the latter mostly in the lead, accompanied by Major Caldwell;....The mountain-howitzer battery, under Lieutenant Reno of the Ordnance, deserves, also, to be particularly mentioned. Attached to the voltigeurs, it followed the movements of that regiment and again won applause. - Major-General Winfield Scott,"
Niles Register - 30 October 1847
List of killed and wounded.. Names of the non commissioned officers, musicians, and privates of the first division, who were killed, wounded and missing in action of Molino del Rey, September 8.
Voltigeur Regiment
Killed- H Frick, E Miller, S Richardson, N Salisbury, S Richardson.
Wounded- W Peat, severely; J C Malbon, T S Gardner, H P Long, slightly; H H Reed, M Finley, mortally; M Conway, severely; J Muldoon, R Cooper, J McGowen, slightly; A Farr, severely, M Bancroft, E Brass, mortally; S McCall, W H Fitzhugh, W Wood, Z Cox, JD Dyer, T Evans, W R Fietcher, J Amey, J Smith, C Redding, M Ram, G Spencer, C Miller, J Young, P Henry, D Haughney, J Dentz, severely; T Wallace, O Russell E T Gordon, J H Matbon, J M Floyd, T H Gill, T Trumble, slighlty.
Missing- James Hall, J Medcalf, J A Maples, G Weyagnu.
Niles Register - 13 November 1847 description of the penetration of the fortress of Chapultepec
Capt. John E. Howard, of the Voltigeurs. – It will be exceedingly gratifying to the many relatives and friends id the young and gallant officer to learn, that he has passed through the fiery ordeal of the recent terrible conflicts, and around in the city of Mexico with safety - and not only so, but with distinguished credit to himself and to his native sate, Maryland. Nothing has been heard directly from Capt. Howard himself, but a brother officer in the same regiment has written to his relatives in this state, from which the following short extracts have been kindly permitted to be taken. They are from a description of the storming of the Hill and Castle of Chapultepec, one of the most gallant and probably the most perilous and sanguinary contests in the whole war. “We rose to the crest of the hill and, amid the most weathering fire of grape and canister and the musketry of near two thousand Mexicans, planted the ladders and, with a cheer, mounted. The first man who entered alive was Captain Howard – he was followed instanter,” &c., &c. “The first then or fifteen inside the works met some resistance, as they fell back into the building that in the center of the works, but we charged then and there, Captain Howard of Baltimore, with his own hand killed three, and by the time, the poor devils were calling for quarters,” &. Well may Maryland be proud of her sons. The name and fame of one of the most distinguished soldiers of the Revolution, Col. John E. Howard, have descended upon a grandson, if whom he might well be proud and who is able to uphold both. The laurels gathered by the ancestor at Cowpens, and at Entaw, will but bloom with fresh and renewed… by the side of those plucked by his chivalrous descendants at Chapultepec and Mexico. The gallantry of Lieut. Tilton also of the Voltigeurs, was no less conspicuous. When about seizing the colors of his regiment, as they were falling from the hands of the mortally wounded standard bearer a partially spent ball struck him in the face, prostrating him instantly, so that all thought he was killed. In a moment, or two, however he recovered, and springing forward, after Howard, was the fifth man who entered the almost impregnable fortress alive. General Pillow, who was in the van, but had just been wounded severely, at the distance of a few yards, was witness to the courage and conduct of both these daring young officers. To those desirous of forming some idea of the nature of the fortress of Chapultepec, the Mexican West Point, and of the difficulties to be overcome in an assault upon it, we would mention that a small oil painting, taken in 1837, may be seen at the Patriot office.
Albany (GA) Patriot - 17 November 1847:
A duel was fought about the 24th ult. between Capt.Porter of the Rifles, and Capt. Archer of the Voltigeurs. At the second fire Capt. Archer was shot in the abdomen-a severe but not a dangerous wound.
Niles Register - 27 November 1847
Killed and wounded. Siege of Puebla. List of killed and wounded at San Jose, between the commencement and termination of the siege of Puebla:
...Voltegeur regiment.--Private John H. Burgess, killed; John Wilson, company A, slightly wounded; David Ricketts, company F, do.
Richmond Whig (citing the Star) - 22 March 1848:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF MEXICO.
Mexico, February 20, 1848.
Orders—No. 3.
"The third brigade (Col. Riley's)* was reviewed and inspected on the plains of Molino del Rey on the 21st ult. By Major Buchanan, Acting Inspector General. It is needless, says the Star, to speak of the perfection of this command when it is known that the 2d Artillery, 2d, 4th and 5th Infantry and Voltiguers compose the command."
*This post-battle organization reflects consolidation - see Upton's Order of Battle above.
Senate Executive Journal - WEDNESDAY, April 26, 1848. "I withdraw the nomination of Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph E. Johnston, of the Regiment of Voltigeurs, for brevet of colonel, to date from the 13th of September, 1847, and hereby nominate him to be colonel by brevet for gallant and meritorious conduct, to date from the 12th of April, 1847, when he was severely wounded under the enemy's works at Cerro Gordo, Mexico, whilst on reconnoitering duty."
JAMES K. POLK.
Washington, April 19, 1848.
Richmond Enquirer - 2 May 1848:
(Reply of Captain Edwards.) NORFOLK, April 7, 1848.
Gentlemen: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your kind invitation to a public dinner to be given me by the citizens of my native county, which I accept with no ordinary pleasure. You have been pleased to approve my conduct in the valley of Mexico, and, next to the consciousness of duty well discharged, nothing can be more gratifying to me than the generous approbation of my fellowcitizens, especially of my native county. Permit me to express my obligations to yourselves for the very kind manner in which you have thought proper to address me, and to return to my fellow citizens of Surry my heartfelt thanks. With sentiments of respect and esteem, I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant, O. E. EDWARDS, Capt. U. S. Voltigeurs.
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*Chapultepec Controversy
The actions of the Voltigeurs at Chapultepec is illuminated in the story of, what the London Times in 1848 referred to as, the "QUARRELS OF AMERICAN GENERALS." These "quarrels" centered around events involving General's Scott and his poltically motivated subordinate Major General Gideon Pillow. Pillow joined the U.S. Army as a brigadier general in July 1846 and President Polk promoted him (along with other key Democratic Party allies) to major general on April 13, 1847. He was wounded in the right arm at the Battle of Cerro Gordo and in the left leg at Chapultepec. Seeking to wrest away from Scott the laurels of the campaign to support a coming presidential bid, he sent an anonymous letter that was published in the New Orleans Delta on September 10, 1847, and signed "Leonidas", claiming credit for the American victories at Contreras and Churubusco. When Pillow's intrigue was exposed, he (and several other generals) was arrested by Scott and held for court-martial. Polk, defensive of Pillow, recalled Scott to Washington. During the trial that began in March 1848, Maj. Archibald W. Burns, a paymaster, claimed authorship of the "Leonidas" letter at Pillow's behest. Pillow escaped punishment, but was discharged from the Army in July 1848.
As concerns the Voltigeurs, the court testimony details the multiple stormings by the Voltigeurs at Chapultepec - on the east and west side (see Lieutenant Tilton and Captain Hooker's testimony below). Erroneously, John S.D. Eisenhower leads one to believe there was merely one primary Voltigeur assault and he fails credit to Voltigeurs Commander Colonel Andrews, and the west side assault, which reached the top first. He credits only the exploits of the famous CSA General Joseph E. Johnston, the Voltigeurs second in command - in a telling display of surface research.
Eisenhower - "Quitman's advance party, on the Tacubaya causeway to the south, was held up. But one regiment, Jospeh E. Johnston's gray-coated Voltiguers (sp), struggled over the south wall and fell in on Pillow's (Pierce's) right. Persifor Smith's brigade was sent by Twiggs to help Quitman...By 9.20 AM, only two hours since the beginning of the action, the flag of Johnston's Voltiguer (sp) Regiment flew above the east walls of Chapultepec, and the hand-to-hand slaughter throughout the castle began." - John S.D. Eisenhower, "So Far From God" The U.S. War with Mexico 1846-48. NB-Johnston was second in command of the regiment.
A reading of the Richmond Whig tells "the rest of the story."
- Richmond Whig May 5, 1848: Proceedings of the Court of Inquiry in the Case of Gen. Pillow.
Lieut. TILTON, Voltigeurs, called and sworn.
(Lieutenant James Tilton,... wounded in the storming of Chapultepec, was a native of Wilmington, but resided for several years before the war in Indiana. He visited Wilmington in May, 1847, six months before, and took away several recruits. The Voltigeur Regiment was in Pillow’s division.-Delaware History)
Questions by the Prosecution—Has the witness chanced to hear Maj. Gen. Pillow, since the entry of the American army into this city, speak of the effects of the battle of the Molino del Rey upon the energies of Maj. Gen. Scott, and that he, the said Scott, subsequent to that battle, required to be stimulate to further action by the said Pillow? If so, give the remarks of the said Pillow on the subject.
A—On or about the 22d of Sept., I, together with another officer, paid a visit of ceremony to Gen. Pillow. Upon that occasion, the conversation turned upon the battles preceding our entrance into the City. Maj. Gen. Pillow stated to us that the battle of Molino del Rey was an unfortunate affair: He informed us that we had lost 860 men, which loss we (meaning the General officers) sedulously concealed from the army, lest it might have a dispiriting effect on the men, and that Gen. Scott was stunned or paralysed by this lose; and consequently, upon himself, as second in command devolved the subsequent movements—or words to that effect: I don’t recollect exactly the words he used. I was also given to understand at the same time, by gen. Pillow, that the conception, as well as the execution, of the assault upon Chapultepec, originated with himself. With the exception of some personal compliments on ourselves and the Voltigeur Regiment, that was, I believe, the substance of the conversation....
Q—Was the witness with the Voltigeur Regiment in that assault upon Chapultepec; were you among the first who entered that work, and was that regiment in the advance in this assault?
A—Upon the Western side, in the redoubt, a storming party of infantry formed with us at the foot of the hill. Being struck down myself at that place, I know not which party entered first, but on overtaking them a few minutes after I recovered, I found them pell mell; upon a second rush the Voltiguers got the advance. The first ladders were planted by my order, by the men under my command, and the five first that went up I knew were from the Voltigeurs, indeed I myself was the fifth, the Voltigeurs were certainly the first men in that part of the work. I saw no other when we got in. What happened on the other side of the hill I know nothing about.
Q—The witness had spoken of the storming party of infantry. Does he mean the 9th and 15th Infantry of Gen. Pillow’s Division?
A—No sir; I mean the 250 regulars of the old regiment, under a Captain whose name I can’t recall to memory.—When I stated that they formed with us, I meant that we waited until they came up, by order of Major Caldwell, and then a rush was made.
The Court was cleared here, in order to consider whether an objection, offered by Gen. Pillow, to a portion of the witness’ testimony, which he considers as irrelevant to the charges and specification under investigation be received. Gen. Pillow submitted the following:...
The specification alleges, in substance, that the said Pillow claimed that, in consequence of the stunned or paralyzed state of the said Scott’s energies, consequent upon the results of the battle of the Molino del Rey, the said Scott would not have undertaken or ordered the attack on the castle or fort of Chapultepec but for his, the said Pillow’s interposition: and the testimony of the said witness, giving the declaration of the said Pillow, is substantially to the effect of the allegation.
Respectfully submitted.
The Court thereupon decided that the testimony of the witness would not be stricken from the record.
Q—Did the witness know that Gens. Worth, Quitman and Twiggs all had divisions, which they commanded in the operations of the army after the battle of Molino del Rey; and did witness understand Gen. Pillow as claiming to be in command of these other three divisions as well as his own; or did the witness understand Gen. Pillow as referring to his own division, in the conversation already detailed about command?
A—My understanding was that Gen. Pillow commanded his own division alone, but in the absence or disability of Gen. Scott would exercise a general command over all other officers in the army.
Q—Witness has said that Gen. Pillow expressed the opinion that General Scott’s energies seemed paralyzed, as he thought, by the great and unexpected loss at the Molino del Rey. Did witness intend to be understood as saying that the command of whole army, in consequence, devolved upon him; or that Gen. Pillow claimed to have conceived the particular plan of attack which his own division executed in the assault upon Chapultepec on the 13th September?
A—I did not understand him to say that the command of the army had devolved upon him at all; I did not understand him to say so, but that he then stated, from the then stunned and paralyzed state of Gen. Scott, that Gen. Pillow’s suggestions and advices had been followed, and that the plan as well as the execution of the assault upon Chapultepec was Gen. Pillow’s exclusively: that was my understanding.
Q—Did Gen. Pillow, in the conversation you refer to, say that Gen. Scott gave him no special orders as to the plan of attack upon Chapultepec, so far as his division was concerned? Did Gen. Pillow say Gen. Scott left him (Pillow) to exercise his own discretion as to his dispositions of the forces of his own division, &c.?
A—No. He did not say any thing about it. He gave me to understand that the only order he received from Gen. Scott was that he received after he was wounded—“To carry the place at all hazards”—that is, to the best of my recollection.
Q—Did you understand Gen. Pillow when speaking of the plan of attack upon Chapultepec, all the time as having reference to the plan of attack which he pursued in the assault by his own division?
A—Yes, I understood that.
By Gen. Scott—Does the witness chance to know on what part of the field Maj. Gen. Pillow was at the moment the castle of Chapultepec was carried by the American troops, and how long it was after that event before the said Pillow came or was brought to the top of the hill, or to the captured Castle?
A—I do not know where Gen. Pillow was at the time the place was carried. He gave us the order to enter the woods, and I then lost sight of him. I saw him brought in in a blanket by four men into the Castle, some ten or twelve minutes after the event. I think that was about the time.
Mr. TRIST recalled.
By the Prosecution.—Was, or not, the witness in Major General Scott’s room at San Augustin on the night of the 19th August last, when Major General Pillow and other officers were present. If so, please give the names of the principal officers of rank who were present, and add any remarks the witness heard from the two Major-Generals, in the hearing of each other and the witness respecting the impending operations about and against the enemy’s entrenched camp at Contreras. Also, please give any separate conversation, after leaving, said Scott’s room, between the said Pillow and witness, respecting the said operations, wither that night, or early the following morning?
A—I was in Gen. Scott’s room on the night of the 19th Aug. last, at the time when he returned and got back to San Augustin, until he was ready to go to bed. During that period, I was absent from his room only a few minutes at a time, and I think on but one occasion. Besides Gen. Scott that were present Gen. Pillow and Gen. Twiggs, who came in together late in the night, and among the officers present,—the number of which was quiet large at different times during the night,—there were Capt. Lee, and Lieut. Stevens, of the Engineers—the officers of the General’s staff, probably all of them. The only conversation that I recollect, after the two General officers came in, was on the plan of attack to be made on Valencia’s entrenched camp, of which Capt. Lee had brought intelligence from Gen. Smith, previously to the arrival of Gens. Pillow and Twiggs. Capt Lee had not only explained the plan, but a great many details respecting the relative positions of the forces, and the accidents of the ground about it; and after those Generals had come in, Gen. Scott made that whole matter subject of explanation to them. The only remarks on their part, that I recollect, was one from Gen. Twiggs, echoing an expression of great confidence in Gen. Smith, and in the result of anything undertaken by him. If Gen. Pillow made any remark, it has made no impression on my memory. The company dropped off until at a very late hour of the night, when preparations were made by gen. Scott to go to bed, and he had a bed made in his room also for gen. Pillow. Upon my leaving the room to of to my own, Gen. Pillow followed me, and went with me to me room. He then, in a very solemn tone, said to me, this is going to be a failure; I answered that things had certainly not looked very bright at nightfall, but my own spirits had been very much raised by Capt. Lee’s arrival and the information he brought with him. Gen. Pillow did not notice my remark, but, in a tone and manner implying that I had interrupted him, went on to say, that I call on you now to remember and bear me witness hereafter, that I have had nothing to do with it. At that time, I looked upon these words as the dying charge of a man who expected to be killed next day, and in manner corresponding to that expression, I made him a promise, as well as I recollect, “I will not forget.”—He then began some further remarks in the same strain, giving his views of what ought to be done. Those remarks made no sort of impression upon my memory; I attached no sort of consequence to his views, and I interrupted them by saying that he had better return into gen. Scott’s room. That it was late, and he would keep the General waiting. This is all that I recollect of that conversation....
Lieut. J. R. BENNETT, 15th Infantry.
Question by Defence—Were you on the battle-field on the 19th of August last; to what regiment were you attached, and who was its commander?
A—I was attached to the 15th Infantry commanded by Col. Morgan, and was on the battle-field.
Q—Witness will state what he knows about the movements of the 15th Infantry across the Pedregal on the 19th of August; who gave the order; at what time the movement was made, and time of the arrival of Gen. Scott upon the ground? Who delivered the orders to the regiment?
A—The regiment was halted first in the wheat-field on the edge of the Pedregal, which intervened between us and the enemy, probably for half an hour. There was then an order came from Gen. Pillow—I understood at the time given by Capt. Hooker. This order I understood was to move across the Pedregal. We moved down to the cornfield near the point where we were to start across, and we had to halt there for a few moments. This halt I understood was made because the troops in our advance had not got sufficiently out of the way to let our regiment move on.—Our regiment was there for a few minutes, as I mentioned before. At the end of that time the advance commenced moving, an while moving I heard cheers given by the Dragoons in the rear, and looked and saw that Gen. Scott had arrived on the side of the hill, where they were cheering. I was in the rear company of our regiment. I would add, Capt. Hooker had ridden towards Gen. Scott; at least he went that way.
Q—IN what manner did the regiment move across the Pedregal? Did it march by flank or columns? State also whether the difficulties of the ground did not oblige the rear to wait upon the front some time?
A—It marched by the flank, and by the time we got over we had become exceedingly scattered. Sometimes we were twenty or thirty yards apart. The rear had to wait nearly fifteen minutes on the advance at starting.—My memory is very fresh in regard to moving across. I never was so tired in my life before, moving the same distance, and never was in a place so rough for the same distance.
Q—Witness has spoken of the regiment being halted some time in the wheat filed? Was or not the regiment again moved and halted before being approached to the Pedregal, and was it at the second halt where the order was given to cross?
A—It was at the second place of halting. We halted a third time, but only for troops in front to get out of the way. Capt. Hooker kept along with us until Gen. Scott got on the field and showed us where to start across the Pedregal.
I beg, Mr. President, the attention of the Court to the addition of words to the answers of witnesses, and beg to refer the Court to the passage on its record in reference to prompting witnesses when speaking to the Judge Advocate.
Q—Did Capt. Hooker deliver the order to cross the pedregal before or after you heard the cheering and saw Gen. Scott; state also where Gen. Scott was when you heard the cheering—was he at the base of the hill, or ascending the hill?
A—He was near the foot of the hill, near the Dragoons, who were in the wheat field; he was moving towards the hill about twenty yards from the Dragoons.
Q—Was the witness in the assault upon Chapultepec—if so state what he knows about General Pillow being wounded; what assistance he got; where was his command? State also what kind of shot wounded General Pillow?
A—I was in the storming of Chapultepec in the 15th Infantry. The Voltigeurs 9th, and 15th Infantry were formed inside of the walls of Molina del Rey, under the orders of Gen. Pillow in person. Gen. Pillow led the three regiments to the advance on Chapultepec through the bottom in about half way of the bottom-land on consequence of its being so muddy, he had to dismount and march with the advance on foot, near the bottom of the hill he ordered a charge on a small fortification on the side of the hill, some twenty yards up while about half way to that charge, he was stepping or rather jumping across a mud hole, and had just arrived on the opposite side, and I myself jumped across immediately after him, and was about to loose my balance, and while in the act of recovering myself, with my right hand on his left shoulder, he was struck by a canister shot, which shot struck a limb in a tree, broke it off and glanced and struck him; I heard the ball hit him and discovered from the appearance of his complexion and face that he was about to fall; I slipped my hand from his shoulder to his back and prevented him from falling, and assisted him to near the root of a tree, and while he was moving towards the tree with my assistance and one other man, he spoke out as loud as he could and ordered the charge, still I laid him near the tree, and by this time some other officer or some men that I had called came to him, and he ordered me to leave him and move on to my company as fast as possible.
That Court then adjourned until 9 o’clock to-morrow.
TWENTY-FOURTH DAY—April 12, 1848. The Court met this morning at the usual hour. After the records were read by the Judge Advocate—Capt. Hooker was re-called for the defence.
Q—What knowledge has witness of Gen. Pillow having continued to direct the operations of the forces after he was wounded, which made the successful assault upon Chapultepec on the 13th September; state also what forces carried that work; was it those under his command or other forces—if other forces, state what forces they were?
A—On the morning of the 13th, three regiments of Gen. Pillow’s Division, with a storming party from Gen. Worth’s Division, were ordered to move to the assault of Chapultepec; four companies of the Voltigeur Regiment, under Lieut. Col. Johnston, followed by the storming party under Capt. McKenzie, were the first troops put in motion. The remainder of the Voltigeur Regiment, under Col. Andrews, were the next to move to the attack; Col. Johnston moved without the grounds surrounding the base of the hill of Chapultepec; the others passed through the Molina del Rey, inside of the walls; the 9th Infantry followed the Voltigeurs, under Col. Andrews, and formed in line of battle directly after passing through the gate; the 15th followed the 9th, and formed in line on the 9th; in that order, they moved forward to the attack; with slight interruptions, they progressed until they reached the ditch enclosing a part of the work a the summit of Chapultepec, where the 15th, the 9th and a part of the Voltigeur Regiment, and the head of the storming party, under Capt. McKenzie, were stopped by the wall enclosing the summit of the hill; many of these men entered the ditch, and many of them concealed themselves behind rocks, which lay upon the surface of the ground. The Voltigeurs that I refer to more particularly—a part of Col. Andrews’ party—were under the command of Maj. Caldwell at this time. Col. Johnston’s command was more to the right; the hill prevented me from seeing the main body of that command. While these troops were occupying this position, the fire from the crest of the work, directly in our front, ceased; I saw several pieces discharged in the air, behind the breastwork, but the Mexicans appeared afraid to expose even their hands above the crest of the work; their [the Mexicans’] fire, however, was delivered, but not from those behind the breastwork; it came from the roofs of the houses and the windows, and at that time the left flank was occupied by the enemy. The fire did but little execution, as the shots were generally too high. The troops that I have named, or the main body pf them, were kept in this position, I should think, at least fifteen minutes, but it seemed to me much longer, waiting for the ladders to come up. When the troops of the storming column were put in motion, these ladders were in the rear of the storming party; after waiting some time with the troops at the top of the hill, I went after the ladders, and in descending the hill, and about half way down, I saw the head of the 2d Pa. Regiment, the S.C. Regiment, and what I took to be the N. York regiment, for the colors were with that party, but I have since been told there were only two companies of that regiment under Lieut. Reed; they were all moving up the hill, and moving by flank. These troops, as I stood bear the redan, and facing down the hill, were on my left; on my right was the head of Colonel Clarke’s Brigade; on reaching the foot of the hill I found Gen. Pillow wounded; I asked him where the ladder were, and said to him that we had more troops than were necessary at the top of the hill. I asked him for authority to take a regiment to attack the right flank of the enemy to my left; he told me to take any regiment; as the 8th Infantry was partly up the hill, I gave the order for the 6th to go, but only a part of them did so, the others went up the hill—the 6th was immediately in rear of the 8th, ascending the hill a the time. Capt. Hoffman was in advance of the 6th with me. On reaching the point at which the attack was intended to be made, we found that the ascent was very difficult, there was no cover, and that flank was occupied by the enemy, and they were firing very rapidly. I then directed Capt. Hoffman to halt, and to move to the rear of Chapultepec with his command the moment he saw us take possession of the work on the top of the hill. I then returned to the troops who were in advance, and reached the summit of the hill in time to see the first ladder planted to enter the work. It was planted at the bottom of the ditch with one or two others, the others were paid across the ditch. The first man that I saw (and I think I saw the first one) enter the work, was a private that I took to be of the Voltigeur Regiment; following him were officers and men rushing over the work in great rapidity. I think that the greater part of them belonged to General Pillow’s division, and to the regiments of his division that I have before named. I think that the first officer who went over the work belonged to the Voltigeur Regiment, and I know that the first colors in the works were those of the Voltigeur Regiment. When I entered the work (and I was not among the foremost) the terreplein was clear of our troops, except those that entered on the side I speak of. We had a number of men shot belonging to our party by the cadets who were occupying the upper terreplein, the ground opposite to the point of our attack. They would not have fired upon us had an enemy been nearer to them than we were. I have said that the Voltigeurs—the 9th and the 13th Regiments were a portion of the storming party—as a body, were the first that entered Chapultepec. There may have been individuals of other regiments, but the regiments that I have named were started in advance, and they kept it until they reached the summit of the hill, where they were so densely crowded together that it was impossible for any other large body of men to pass through."
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"Lieut. Dardonvill was the first to pull down the Mexican flag from its staff, and not Lieut. Col. Thomas Seymour, as the papers have it. But by recent investigation, it has been proven that the first American flag on the Castle of Chapultepec was unfurled by Capt. Moses Barnard, of the Voltigeurs. He hails from Philadelphia, Pa. So Pennsylvania can claim the honor for one
of her sons for this brilliant achievement." - NOTES OF THE MEXICAN WAR, 1846-47-48: COMPRISING INCIDENTS, ADVENTURESAND EVERYDAY PROCEEDINGS AND LETTERS WHILE WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN THE MEXICAN WAR etc., By J. Jacob Oswandel, 1885
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The General Scott "Come out Steel" Tribute Controversy?:
In his 1885 "Notes of the Mexican War 1846-47-48, author J. Jacob Oswandel, who served in Capt. William F. Small's Co. C, First Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, chronicled Scott's famous "come out steel speech" as directed to the Volitigeurs and not the Mounted Riflemen. Memories are fuzzy things but this mention was not in passing. Rather, in a speech given on April 18, 1872 to the Scott Legion at a banquet in Philadelphia, in honor of of the 25th anniversary of Cerro Gordo, he remembered and recorded, his recollecton in this way:
"Oh yes, some of our comrades will yet remember when Gen. Scott rode from regiment to regiment, thanking God and his heroic men for their brilliant victories; and when he came to the rifle Voltigeur regiment — a regiment that lost nearly all its commissioned officers and more than
one-half of its men—he noticed their thin ranks and shattered banners and wept, saying, "You have gone through fire and blood and have come out steel." [Applause.]
Oswandel then opines:
"Who has ever heard of more heroic deeds? who has ever read of more triumphant achievements? I have not, and it remains for future historians to give a correct idea of the Mexican war. There is not a parallel in all the bright pages of the history of the world like the campaign of Mexico. [Applause.] " "Yet in the face of all these brilliant achievements, staring in the eyes of our people, we are not recognized by our government." - p. 627.
Considerations:
- would Oswandel not have been corrected by someone or have corrected his mistake before publishing such a claim 13 years later?
- Or, considering another common military explanation, did General Scott greet each unit with remarkably similar speeches!? If he did, he would not have been the firt or last General to do so;
- But, if Oswandel is acccurate, and the praise from Scott was singular, one might conclude that this would not be the first time that one combat unit got the credit for another's efforts"
But one can never know.
Newspapers reported the Regiment of Voltigeurs arriving at Fort McHenry, Aug. 23, 1848, shortly after which it disbanded.
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Grant Remembers:
"I got an officer of the voltigeurs, with a mountain howitzer and men to work it, to go with me....The gun was carried to the belfry and put together....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. ( 3) He was so pleased that he sent a staff officer, Lieutenant Pemberton--later Lieutenant-General commanding the defences of Vicksburg--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 he 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." Grant's Memoirs - the re-counting of his actions at San Cosme - - http://www.aztecclub.com/grant/grant-index.htm
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Voltigeur Grey - an ideal uniform
"in 1852, the writer reported in favor of the gray uniform and system for the designation of rank,which in many respects was identical with that adopted by the Rebels, this color and system received the full endorsement of KEARNY, who dwelt with emphasis on the superior advantages of grey,"
"NB-None is more beautiful or striking than the old national GREY, faced and trimmed with bright yellow somewhat similar to the dress of the Voltigeurs, or Foot-Riflemen (See 1" 1004, U. S. Army Regulations 1847)." "...At morning and evening twilight; in foggy, muggy, and rainy weather, a body of men thus clothed would be undistinguishable at a very short distance, and amid the smoke of battle they would be swallowed up at once in the clouds of kindred hue. Grey and yellow, or gold, form the richest dress in the world ; without bullion, it is the cheapest, taking into consideration its serviceability, it is national to a great degree, and last, not least certainly, it is the least fatal to its wearer." pp. 163-164 - Personal and Military History of Philip Kearny, Major-general United States ...By John Watts De Peyster
Obviously this understanding of the advantages of grey (from the War of 1812 to the Voltiguers) was not lost on the likes of Davis, Lee and Johnston - and some Virginia units would even use the Voltigeur buttons.
ANDREWS, Colonel Timothy
"...Died in Washington, D. C., aged 74 years. When a young boy, without the knowledge of his father, ho repaired to the Patuxent River, where commodore Barney's flotilla was confronting tho enemy during tho War of 1812, and, boarding the flag-ship, tendered his services to tho commodore, in any position in which he could bo useful. The commodore accepted his olier, and employed him as an aide, in which position he rendered valuable services. He subsequently was engaged in active service in the field, and in 1822 was appointed paymaster in tho army. In 1847 he resigned to take command of the regiment of voltigeurs raised for the Mexican War. He was distinguished in the battle of El Molino, and brevetted a brigadier-general for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Cha- pultepec. On the close of the war, and the disbandment of the voltigeurs, he was reinstated by act of Congress in his old situation of paymaster, and in 1851 was promoted to the position of Deputy Paymaster-General. During thelate war, upon the death of General Larned, Colonel Andrews succeeded him as Paymaster-General of the army, and his unwearied devotion to tho responsible duties of his position seriously affected his health." - Appletons' Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1868 p.563.
Johnston, Joseph E General CSA
"...On the 16th of February, 1847, Captain Johnston was made Lieutenant-Colonel of Voltigeurs by brevet, and in this capacity sailed with the expedition under General Scott. After the capture of Vera Cruz, when the U. 8. Army advanced, Col. Johnston made a most daring reconnoissance of the enemy's line, strongly posted on the heights of Cerro Gordo. In this reconnaissance he was severely wounded, having so nearly approached the enemy's works that he was struck by a musket-ball. His wounds—at first feared mortal —incapacitated him to take part in the battle of Cerro Gordo, which occurred six days afterward. He recovered, however, in time to resume his command in the subsequent battles of the Mexican war. He distinguished himself at Molino del Rey, and was again severely wounded at Chapultepec. These numerous casualties, while they add a luster to his reputation as a soldier, and attest his energy and courage, gave rise to the oft-quoted bon mot of Gen. Scott : "Johnston is a great soldier, but he has an unfortunate knack of getting himself shot in every engagement." He was several times brevetted for "gallant and meritorious conduct" during this war, and at its close was retained as Captain of Topographical Engineers. In 1835, when Congress authorized two additional regiments of " horse," he was commissioned Lieutenant- Colonel in one of the newly created regiments—the First Regiment of Cavalry—commanded by Col. E. V. Sumner." - The Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated 1870 - Samuel R. Wells (specialty of analyses of mental characteristics of famous persons)
"...serving with the regiment of voltigeurs (an elite mobile cavalry like force consisting of dragoons, infantry, and artillery), Joseph E. Johnston began his combat duties with distinction. The voltigeurs wore a distinctive grey instead of the customary blue uniform, received training as expert skirmishers, and operated forward of the main force. Considered an honor regardless of the dangers, service with the voltigeurs became popular, and many soldiers volunteered to join. Johnston usually placed himself out in front during the attack, and his audacity in combat made him a magnet for bullets. The wounds he received at Cerro Gordo were the first of many to follow in the Mexican War campaign. A friend later recalled the topog's eagerness to gain information about the Mexican defenses:
Although Johnston now served with the voltigeurs, he continued to accomplish topographical duties on a voluntary basis. On this occasion he brought back important information revealing Mexican capability to sweep the road with artillery fire. Already holding the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Voltigeur Regiment, Johnston first gained a brevet promotion to major and then to colonel for gallant and meritorious conduct and for wounds received in his reconnaissance....Recovered from his wounds at Cerro Gordo, former topog Lt. Col. Joseph E. Johnston led his voltigeurs in the assault on Chapultepec. As one of Pillow's three attacking columns, the elite infantry unit advanced along the southern walls of Molino del Rey to help seize the base of Chapultepec before the Mexicans could set off their land mines. They then pushed on up the slope to the base of the massive retaining wall of the fortress, where they had to wait for the ladders. When the ladders arrived, the voltigeurs scaled the walls and were among the first Americans to raise their regimental colors over Chapultepec." From FROM THE GOLDEN GATE TO MEXICO CITY THE U.S. ARMY TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS IN THE MEXICAN WAR, 1846-1848 - http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/mexico/topo/Ch7.htm
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Archer, James Jay
Born December 19 1817, Bel Air MD - Died October 24 1864, Richmond VA
Pre-War Profession Lawyer, Mexican War, commissioned to US Army 1855, resigned May 1861. "April, 1861. The news of the firing on Fort Sumter brought us an excitement which overshadowed all else, and though we had no officers at the post who sympathized with the rebellion, there were several in our regiment—the Fourth Infantry—who did, and we were considerably exercised as to the course they might pursue, but naturally far more so concerning the disposition that would be made of the regiment during the conflict. In due time orders came for the regiment to go East, and my company went off, leaving me, however—a second lieutenant—in command of the post until I should be relieved by Captain James J. Archer, of the Ninth Infantry, whose company was to take the place of the old garrison. Captain Archer, with his company of the Ninth, arrived shortly after, but I had been notified that he intended to go South, and his conduct was such after reaching the post that I would not turn over the command to him for fear he might commit some rebellious act. Thus a more prolonged detention occurred than I had at first anticipated. Finally the news came that he had tendered his resignation and been granted a leave of absence for sixty days." - Personal Memoirs of P.H. Sheridan By Philip Henry Sheridan Volume II Chapter II. - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4362/4362-h/4362-h.htm
Civil War - 1861 Col. of 5th Texas, Peninsula campaign, Seven Pines, June 1862 Brig. Gen., commanded Tennessee Bde/Hill's Light Division in Seven Days, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, commanded Archer’s Bde/Heth's Divn at Gettysburg (c), exchanged 1864, briefly commanded 2 brigades, died as a result of continuing ill health.Notes First General officer to be captured after Lee took command of the ANV.
"A lawyer and an officer in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War and in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Archer (December 19, 1817 – October 24, 1864) was born in Bel Air, Maryland, to John and Ann Stump Archer, a wealthy military family. He graduated from Princeton in 1835 before attending Bacon College in Georgetown, Kentucky. Nicknamed "Sally" at Princeton for his frail and slight physique, he studied law at the University of Maryland and passed the bar exam. He established a successful law practice. When the Mexican-American War erupted, he volunteered as a captain and served in the U.S. Army (Voltiguers) in numerous battles, being cited for bravery at Chapultepec and brevetted to the rank of major. He moved to Texas in 1848, where he was wounded in a duel with Andrew Porter; his "second" in the duel was Thomas J. Jackson.[1] Returning to Maryland, Archer resumed his law practice, but decided in 1855 to join the regular army as a captain in the 9th U.S. Infantry, with whom he served primarily in the Pacific Northwest....Taken as a prisoner of war at the Battle of Gettysburg, Archer was the first general captured from Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia...Archer was finally exchanged late in the summer of 1864, and rejoined the army. On August 9, he was ordered to report to the Army of Tennessee under Hood in Atlanta, but this order was revoked ten days later, possibly due to his bad health.[2] He traveled to Petersburg, Virginia, and command of his old brigade, briefly serving in the Siege of Petersburg before his health finally collapsed after the Battle of Peebles' Farm. He died in Richmond, Virginia, and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery. Archer never married." - edited from wikipedia
Barnard, Moses J.
"CHAP. LXJX.—An Act to continue a Pension to Christine Barnard, Widow of the late Brevet Major Moses J. Barnard, United States Army.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, directed to continue upon the pension roll, at the rate of thirty dollars per month, from and after the fourth day of July, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, when her pension expired, the name of Christine Barnard, widow of the late Brevet Major Moses J. Barnard, captain in company H, regiment of voltigeurs, who was twice wounded in planting the American colors upon the parapet of Chepultepec while storming that fortress, and who died from disease contracted in, and greatly enhanced by hardships and fatigue of, the Mexican campaign; said pension to be held by her, or by her children, in accordance with existing laws in reference to the widows and children of those who died from wounds or disease received or contracted during the Mexican war.
Biddle, Charles John
"Soldier and journalist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1819, sou of Nicholas Biddlc, the noted financier. After graduating at Princeton University in 1837, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840. During the Mexican war he served as a captain of the Voltigeurs, U. S. army, and was in action at Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rev, Chapultepec and the capture of Mexico city, receiving the brevet of major for gallant and meritorious services. After the war he returned to the practice of his profession in Philadelphia, being thus engaged until 1861, when he was appointed a colonel iu the Pennsylvania volunteers. During October of that year, while on military duty in Virginia, he was elected a representative from Pennsylvania to the 37th congress, to fill the seat made vacant by the resignation of Edward J. Morris, and though tendered a commission of brigadier-general in the army, declined it in preference for the civil office. Shortly after the close of the war he became one of the proprietors us well as editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia "Age, "a leading Democratic paper which he conducted with great ability throughout the remainder of his life.work was mainly on this journal, yet he published a separate work entitled "The Case of Major André," which was first read in the form of an essay before the Pennsylvania Historical Society, in answer tothat portion of Lord Mahon'a " History of England " decrying Andre's execution as a dark blot on the record of George Washington. Even the English press finally acknowledged his arguments, the London "Critic" pronouncing his essay a fair refutation of Lord Mahon's obnoxious charge. Mr. Biddle died in the city of his birth, Sept. 28, 1873." - GB-The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography --- see also www.famousamericans.net/nicholasbiddle1
Caldwell, George Alfred
"US Congressman, United States Army Officer (Oct. 18, 1814 - Sep. 17, 1866). Served in the United States Army during the Mexican War, being commissioned Major and Quartermaster of Volunteers on June 26, 1846. On March 3, 1847 he was promoted to Major of Infantry March 3, 1847, annd then joined the Voltigeurs one month later. He rendered particurly brave service at the Battle of Chapultepec, Mexico, and was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel. He was mustered out of the Army on August 25, 1848. Elected to represent Kentucky's 4th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1843 to 1845, and 1849 to 1851. Also served as a member of the Kentucky State Legislature. - Burial: Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville Jefferson County Kentucky, USA
Caldwell James N.
Ohio - USMA 1840 - Civil War, Major - Battalion Commander in 18th Infantry and Company Commander in 1st Infantry - see That Body of Brave Men: The U.S. Regular Infantry and the Civil War in the West by Mark W. Johnson, 2003
Brevet Lieutenant-colonel and head of Military Department at Agricultural and Mechanixal College of Kentucky in 1869 - (retired), March 12, 1886, at Carthage, Ohio
Carr, George W.
(Vir) Sec Lt Voltigeurs 23 Feb. 47 : disband. Aug. 48.
Civil War CSA Colonel - 57th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A. George W. Carr also served as commander of the 57th for a short period of time in 1863
"Among the prisoners was a tall and fine looking officer, much worn with hunger and fatigue. The moment I saw him I recognized him as a former comrade, George W. Carr, with whom I had served in Washington Territory. He was in those days a lieutenant in the Ninth Infantry, and was one of the officers who superintended the execution of the nine Indians at the Cascades of the Columbia in 1856. Carr was very much emaciated, and greatly discouraged by the turn events had recently taken. For old acquaintance sake I gave him plenty to eat, and kept him in comfort at my headquarters until the next batch of prisoners was sent to the rear, when he went with them. He had resigned from the regular army at the commencement of hostilities, and, full of high anticipation, cast his lot with the Confederacy, but when he fell into our hands, his bright dreams having been dispelled by the harsh realities of war, he appeared to think that for him there was no future." - "CAPTURING AN OLD COMRADE" - Personal Memoirs of P.H. Sheridan By Philip Henry Sheridan Volume II Chapter II. - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4362/4362-h/4362-h.htm
son? - Obituary for George W. Carr - "Three months ago there was laid to rest in Oakwood Cemetery at Corsicana, Texas, a son of the Old South, George W. Carr. For more than thirty years he was a familiar figure upon our streets, and those who knew him intimately and best loved him. He had many excellent qualities of mind and heart. His love for the aesthetic and the beautiful in literature, in nature, and in art was keenly developed. His soul was so attuned that it was thrilled by harmonies and beauties which the untrained ear could not hear and the untrained eye could not see. He loved his country with a deathless devotion. As a beardless boy he fought under the Stars and Bars with General Lee and General J. E. B. Stuart (both of whom he idolized) as a member of Stuart's Horse Artillery. Many of this command were boys, yet they were heroes of a hundred combats and had held their ground in the most desperate encounters against vastly superior numbers at Cold Harbor, Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and many other conflicts. Never were there braver fighters than Stuart's Horse Artillery, and George W. Carr was one of them. When the United States went into the war against Germany, the martial spirit of this old veteran was again aroused, and he longed to fight under the Stars and Straps of his reunited country. Comrade Carr was courteous, chivalrous, and the soul of honor. His was a sympathizing heart; he could hear no story of suffering without sympathizing. He was sixty-eight years of age. He came to Texas in 1882 from Virginia, his native State." [E. L. Bell, Commander Camp Winkler, No. 147, U. C. V.]- 1918 - Confederate Veteran, Official Journal of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
Edwards, O. E.
"Captain Edwards's company was also offered to the Governor for his disposal, but not being received, the offer was made to the Governor of North Carolina; being again refused, proposals were then made to the United States Government, and promptly accepted. Captain E. having received a commission as captain, in a regiment of voltigeurs, embarked, on March 27th, for Fort M'Henry, near Baltimore; after which, the company proceeded to Mexico, where Captain E. was assigned to the command of the howitzer battery attached to the regiment. During the engagement
at the National Bridge, and elsewhere, Captain E. and his company fought with great gallantry. After his return to the city, he was presented, by some of the citizens, with an elegant sword, as an evidence of their appreciation of his brave conduct and distinguished efforts in the service of his country. He has since died in California, leaving a wife and several children, who reside in this city. - Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Norfolk and Vicinity: Including..By William S. Forrest, 1853
Fry, Birkett Davenport
Born June 24 1822, Kanawha Cty WV - Died January 21 1891, Richmond VA
Pre-War Profession West Point class of 1846 but did not graduate, Mexican War, filibustered in Nicaragua, cotton manufacturer.
War Service July 1861 Col. of 13th Alabama, Seven Pines (w), Sharpsburg (w), Chancellorsville (w), Gettysburg, Pickett's Charge (w,c), exchanged after nine months, May 1864 Brig. Gen., commanded Walker’s and Archer’s Bdes/Heth’s Divn at Cold Harbor, commanded walker’s Bde/Heth’s Divn at Petersburg, commanded a district in South Carolina and Georgia.
Post War Career Emigrated to Cuba, returned 1868, businessman.
see Nicaragua: War of the Filibusters By Daniel Bedinger Lucas
Howard, John Eager
Captain John Eager Howard Papers, 1847-1859, - http://www.mdhs.org/library/Mss/pedleyH.html -
Correspondence of Captain John Eager Howard with his mother, Mrs. Cornelia Howard, mainly describing his activities in the Mexican War. Reports, muster rolls, orders, etc., of the company of "U. S. Voltigeurs" commanded by Howard in the army of General Winfield Scott, 1847-1848. Grandson of Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard of Continental Line and Cowpens fame... Howard led the American Continental soldiers in Morgan's third line of defense..the elder Howard served as Governor of Maryland 1788-1791, and US Senator. In the War of 1812, he helped organize the defenses of Baltimore City. President pro tempore of the Senate during the Sixth Congress; offered the position of Secretary of War by President George Washington, but declined; also declined a commission as brigadier general in the expected war with France in 1798; unsuccessful Federalist candidate for vice president in 1816; died at ‘Belvedere,’ near Baltimore, Md., October 12, 1827-http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000841
http://www.mdhs.org/library/Mss/pedleyH.html
Niles Register 13 Nov 1847 description of the penetration of the fortress of Chapultepec
Capt. John E. Howard, of the Voltigeurs. – It will be exceedingly gratifying to the many relatives and friends id the young and gallant officer to learn, that he has passed through the fiery ordeal of the recent terrible conflicts, and around in the city of Mexico with safety - and not only so, but with distinguished credit to himself and to his native sate, Maryland. Nothing has been heard directly from Capt. Howard himself, but a brother officer in the same regiment has written to his relatives in this state, from which the following short extracts have been kindly permitted to be taken. They are from a description of the storming of the Hill and Castle of Chapultepec, one of the most gallant and probably the most perilous and sanguinary contests in the whole war. “We rose to the crest of the hill and, amid the most weathering fire of grape and canister and the musketry of near two thousand Mexicans, planted the ladders and, with a cheer, mounted. The first man who entered alive was Captain Howard – he was followed instanter,” &c., &c. “The first then or fifteen inside the works met some resistance, as they fell back into the building that in the center of the works, but we charged then and there, Captain Howard of Baltimore, with his own hand killed three, and by the time, the poor devils were calling for quarters,” &. Well may Maryland be proud of her sons. The name and fame of one of the most distinguished soldiers of the Revolution, Col. John E. Howard, have descended upon a grandson, if whom he might well be proud and who is able to uphold both. The laurels gathered by the ancestor at Cowpens, and at Entaw, will but bloom with fresh and renewed… by the side of those plucked by his chivalrous descendants at Chapultepec and Mexico. The gallantry of Lieut. Tilton also of the Voltigeurs, was no less conspicuous. When about seizing the colors of his regiment, as they were falling from the hands of the mortally wounded standard bearer a partially spent ball struck him in the face, prostrating him instantly, so that all thought he was killed. In a moment, or two, however he recovered, and springing forward, after Howard, was the fifth man who entered the almost impregnable fortress alive. General Pillow, who was in the van, but had just been wounded severely, at the distance of a few yards, was witness to the courage and conduct of both these daring young officers. To those desirous of forming some idea of the nature of the fortress of Chapultepec, the Mexican West Point, and of the difficulties to be overcome in an assault upon it, we would mention that a small oil painting, taken in 1837, may be seen at the Patriot office.
Longnecker, Henry Clay
(April 17, 1820 – September 16, 1871). Henry Clay Longnecker was born in Allen Township, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Norwich Military Academy of Vermont and from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and practiced in Easton.
He served during the Mexican–American War as first lieutenant, captain, and adjutant in all principal engagements under General Winfield Scott. He was wounded at the Battle of Chapultepec on September 13, 1847. He returned to Pennsylvania, and served as district attorney of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, from 1848 to 1850. Longnecker was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth Congress. During the American Civil War, Longnecker participated in organizing Pennsylvania troops and served in the Union Army as colonel of the Ninth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He resumed the practice of his profession in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1865. He served as associate judge of Lehigh County in 1867, and died in Allentown in 1871. Interment in Fairview Cemetery.
McIntosh, Leonidas
Served with the Voltigeur Regiment in the Mexican War:
- as a special agent to Brasil in 1949 he filed a report - Record of the Department of State, Communications from special agents, 1794-1906 - http://www.brasilemb.org/cultural/brazil_studies.pdf
- In May 1856, Leonidas Mclntosh was appointed Major of the 2d Battalion Light Infantry "Nicaraguan Army". - Walker's Expedition to Nicaragua: A History of the Central American War; By William Vincent Wells,1856 p.252.
- At its height this army numbered possibly 1,200 Americans. According to impartial author Daniel Lucas in 1896 "the impression that Walker's ranks were recruited mainly from the Southern States. No conception could be more erroneous. Among his officers many were English and German, such as Henningsen, Doubleday, Schwartz, and Swingle. Still more were northern, such as the gallant Anderson, the feeble Lockridge, Dolan, and many others. Two States supplied beyond question the majority of his private recruits—New York and California. These were both free States." - see Nicaragua: War of the Filibusters By Daniel Bedinger Lucas
- Nicaragua: War of the Filibusters By Daniel Bedinger Lucas, 1896 [The Filibusters organizationl unit names included Rifle, Voltigeur, Light and Rangers - RG]
- In 1856, a Lieutenant Colonel Leonidas McIntosh was associated with the exploits of the infamous filibuster and "illegal" President of Nicaragua William Walker (TN); apparently as Commandant of the town of Masaya, McIntosh was involved or may have ordered the execution of 4 young Nicaraguans - exact role undetermined role from translation of website, which references Historical Complete Works of Masaya historian Jerome Perez Marenco and cites "The War in Nicaragua, written by William Walker" (page No. 277)- laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2007/julio/30/noticias/opinion/205505_print.shtml
Walker made effective use of the 1841 Mountain Howitzer - the Voltigeurs artillery piece and something McIntosh would likely have been experienced with - see Bull Pup:The 1841 Mountain Howitzer by Steven Grizzell
- son of J. S. McIntosh (GA)- 1st Rifle Regiment - postwar Rifle Regiment
Second Lt Rifle. 13 Nov. 1812: First Lt Dec. 1813: distinguished under Maj. Appling at Sandy Creek : wounded under Maj. L. Morgan, in affair near Black Rock 3 Aug. 1814: retained, Dec. 1815, in Rifle. : Capt Mar. 1817 : transferred Sept 1818, to Ordnance: in 4th infy May 1821 : bvt Major 'ten yrs. faithful service 8 Mar. 1827: Major 7th infy 21 Sept. 1836: Lt colonel 5th infy 1 July 1839: bvt Colonel "for gallantry and distinguished service in battles of Palo Alto and Rio de la Palma" 9 May 1846 (Aug 1846) in which he was dangerously wounded: commanded his brigade in Worth's division and distinguished, in battle of Churubusco: commanding a brigade and distinguishing in the storming of Él Molino 8 Sept 47, in which again severely wounded and died of his wounds 26 Sept 1847. Col. James Simmons McIntosh's official report concerning the battle of August 20 1847 - Battle of Contreras and Churubusco Official Reports
-Fort McIntosh (TX) was established in early 1849 as one of a chain of border forts. The Mexican War has just ended and Laredo, Texas was an easy crossing point for Mexicans and Indians determined to raid into the U.S. Originally named Camp Crawford, the fort was renamed to Fort McIntosh in 1850 to honor Lieutenant Colonel James Simmons McIntosh, who had been killed at the Mexican War Battle of Molino del Rey.
Portrait at James Simmons McIntosh, Colonel of the 5th United States Infantry
-grandson of Lieut. Col. John McIntosh, (1755-1826) commandant of Fort Morris when the British demanded its surrender, and he replied, "Come and take it." He displayed great bravery at Briar Creek, 1779, where he was wounded and taken prisoner - born and died in McIntosh county, Ga; great grandson of William McIntosh (1726-96), served in the Continental Army and was delegate to the first Provincial Congress at Savannah, 1775. He was born in Scotland; died in Darien, Ga. His brother Lachlan was a distinguished brigadier general.-Lineage Book By Daughters of the American RevolutionGen. John McIntosh, son of Col. William McIntosh, was the father of Maj. William Jackson McIntosh, Maj. John Nash McIntosh and Col. James Simmons McIntosh of the United States Army and Mexican War, whose sons were Capt. Leonidas McIntosh of Mexican War and Gen. John Baillie McIntosh of the Federal Army, who lost a leg [battle of Opequan, Virginia], and his brother Gen. James McQueen McIntosh of the Confederate Army, killed at Oak Ridge [Pea Ridge]..."- A SKETCH OF THE McINTOSH FAMILY - The Magazine of History with Notes and Queries - Contributor Published 1908 -google book - [see RECOLLECTIONS OF A NAVAL LIFE Including the Cruises of the Confederate States Steamers "Sumter" and "Alabama" Kell, John McIntosh, 1823-1900] - google book
see Lachlan McIntosh - http://www.virtualology.com/lachlanmcintosh/ - for fuller portraits of this distinguished soldier and naval family - see McIntosh-The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans - By Rossiter Johnson, and Brown, John Howard, - google book
Slaughter, James Edwin
Born June 1827, Cedar Mountain VA - Died January 1 1901, Mexico City, Mexico
Pre-War Profession Commissioned in US army, Mexican War, dismissed May 1861.
War Service 1861 Capt. in artillery, staff of Bragg in Florida, Maj., March 1862 Brig. Gen., staff of A S Johnston, similarly for Beauregard and Bragg, chief of artillery to Magruder, later chief of staff, Brownsville.
Post War Career Emigrated to Mexico, returned to US, civil engineer, postmaster.
Notes Great-nephew of President James Madison.
Smith, Isaac W.
Col. Isaac Williams Smith was born in Fredricksburg, Virginia in 1826. After graduating from the Virginia Military Institute, Lt. Smith fought in the Mexican War in a Voltiguer Regiment. He became a surveyor and engineer after the War, but promptly enlisted in the Confederate Army when his home state was invaded by the Union. Smith was commissioned a Captain with the Engineers for the Army of Northern Virginia, in command of the pontoon service. Capt. Smith served through the entire conflict, directly involved in the defenses of Petersburg and Richmond in 1864-65, and was present at Appomattox Courthouse for the surrender. Smith headed west and surveyed Vancouver Island, mapped out the water works for the City of Tacoma, built the Locks at Oregon City, and became Portland's first Chief of Water Works being directly responsible for the Bull Run reservoir which still supplies Portland with its water today. He obtained his commission as a Colonel after the War while leading surveying expeditions through the mountains of California and the Pacific-Northwest drawing detailed maps and finding suitable passes for trains. "The Colonel", as he was commonly known, died in 1897. He is buried in a very plain grave at River View Cemetery in SW Portland. - http://www.geocities.com/camp458/history.html
Isaac Smith found the route for a pipeline to Portland and accepted the challenge to build it with confidence. Before he came to Portland he:
•helped survey the Iowa-Minnesota border;
•served in the Confederate Army's Engineer Corps;
•conducted surveys on Vancouver Island and in Washington;
•planned railroad right of ways;
•constructed locks at Willamette Falls near Oregon City;
•platted gas and water works for Tacoma.
Isaac Smith served as the first Superintendent and first Chief Engineer for the Water Committee from 1885-1897. During those years he worked on
* improving the interim Palatine Hill Works until Bull Run came on line;
* overseeing 24 miles of pipeline construction through old growth forest and brush;
* planning and building Headworks and the roads and bridges needed for the pipeline passage;
* overseeing upgrades of the city's mains and distribution pipe;
* coordinating the construction of reservoirs at Mount Tabor and City (now Washington) Park.
Portland history books refer to him as the "Father" of Portland 's water system.
He was born in Fredricksburg, Virginia, in 1826 and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute. In the Confederate Army he was "Colonel." He was present at Appomattox Courthouse for the surrender. A bachelor and son of a minister, Smith generously gave much of his earnings to his father, mother and sisters. A Water Committee report notes his starting salary as $400 per month. His dedication to work is the stuff of legend. He took to his bed on Christmas Day, 1896, with pneumonia. Over the next three days he suffered bouts of chills and fever. His last words before death were, "How is the wingdam in the Sandy getting along? I hope the cost of it will not exceed the estimate of $600. I would not like to have the cost exceed the estimate." His obituary in The Oregonian called this devotion to duty his "sterling and unapproachable integrity...his great but unostentatious love for all created things." Tricia Knoll, Public Information - http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?a=bafhjg&c=ebjce
Walker, William Stephen
Born April 13 1822, Pittsburgh PA - Died June 7 1899, Atlanta GA
Pre-War Profession Mexican War, 1855 commissioned Capt. of cavalry in US Army, resigned May 1861.
War Service March 1861 Lt. in Confederate army, administrative duties, Col., October 1862 Brig. Gen., command of a military district in South Carolina, given brigade command in Kinston NC, Petersburg (w,c), served in North Carolina.
Bell-The History of Norfolk, Virgina: A Review of Important Events and...By Harrison W. Burton
Fry - http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/history/faculty/roberson/course/1483/suppl/chpXV/Birket%20Fry.%20CSA%20General.htm
Godowns - thegodowns.com/d6/i0002951.htm
Longnecker - www.famousamericans.net/henryclaylongnecker
Mendenhall -History of the ninety-seventh regiment, Pennsylvania volunteer infantry By Isaiah Price
McCorkle - www.drizzle.com/~jtenlen/bios/walmccorkle.html
Smith - http://www.geocities.com/camp458/history.html
Tilton - http://www.accessible.com/amcnty/DE/Delaware/delaware17.htm
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French Origins
The French influence on the US Army, prior to and thru the Civil War, was profound:
Voltigeurs—Picked companies of irregular riflemen in French regiments. They are selected for courage, great activity, and small stature. It is their privilege to lead the attack. - A Dictionary of Military Terms
By Edward Samuel Farrow 1918
from The American Magazine
The Drum
"The old Twenty-second Regiment of the French line, the dashing Voltigeurs, were long famous for an odd use to which they put their drum-corps, one of the finest in the army. This regiment, recruited almost exclusively from the Faubourg St. Antoine, the -wildest quarter of Paris, had an unrivaled reputation for dare-deviltry of all sorts. Like most regiments, the Twenty-second had its regimental song, and it was their custom, when on the march, if circumstances would permit, to sing it in the following fashion: The leading files of each company would sing the first verse to a fife-and-drum accompaniment, and the entire regiment would give voice to the chorus, supported by the crash and rattle of the full dium-corps. The following is a free rendering of this stirring song of the march, camp and bivouac:
"How pleasant the life of a Voltigeur!
In the van of the flght he must always be;
Of roughing and râtions he's always sure;
With a comrade's share he may well make free."
Picardy first, and then Champagne,
France to the battle! On, boys, on!
Anjou, Brittany and Maino
Hurrah for the Faubourg of St. Antoine."
" The hussar's coat Is slashed with gold,
He rides an Arab courser fleet;
But is the Voltigeur less bold,
Who meets his enemy on his feet ?"
"The cuirassier is clad in steel,
His massivo sword Is straight and strong;
But the Voltigeur can turn and wheel
With a step—his bayonet is just as long."
The artillery-driver must halt his team.
If the current be fast or the water deep;
Bot the Voltigeur can swim the stream,
And climb the bank—be it e'er so steep. "
"The Voltigeur needs no trumpet sound;
No bugle needs he to cheer him on;
Where the fight is hottest— that's his ground,
Hurrah for the Faubourg oí St Antoine."
It may readily be imagined that the singing of this lyric by nearly a thousand men, their voices accentuated by the shrill notes of the fife and the sharp rattle of the brass drams, would produca a striking effect, stirring the blood, and filling the mind with martial ardor. In the annals of our own land we may find many examples of gallant conduct by drummers and fifers."
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