from the battle field of Contreras, where I was associated on duty with his command, and where it was particularly my good fortune to make the acquaintance of our own gallant New-England regiment, the 9th infantry, commanded by the intrepid Ransom. From that day to this the fame of that regiment has been dear to me, and particularly the fame of General Pierce, the brigade commander of the regiment, its first colonel, and one who, by voice and hand, contributed so largely to raising it, and sending it to the field.

"What I shall say of General Pierce will not rest upon my individual testimony, but will simply express the convictions of every man, in that gallant army, who knew General Pierce, from General Scott down to the private soldiers, who found in their commander, Pierce, a counsellor and friend, one who smoothed the pillow of disease, and poured oil upon the deep wounds of the battle. General Scott, in all his despatches, refers to General Pierce in terms of the warmest commendation, and in appointing him one of the commissioners to arrange the armistice, gave his emphatic testimony to his character and services.

"Well do I know, that if an insane and wicked party press shall slander his good name in connection with his military services, it will carry unspeakable sorrow and disgust to the heart of our common, renowned commander, Gen. Scott. The mutual friendship and confidence which sprung up between

these two men, in Mexico, has continued to this day. Each has delighted on all proper occasions to do justice to the other. Should Gen. Scott be the Whig candidate for the Presidency, the country will be gratified with the spectacle of two of its noblest sons, themselves devoted friends, being the respective standard bearers of the two great parties. It will, indeed, under such circumstances, be a contest of honor, in which, on both sides, nothing but laurels will be won.

"I well remember Gen. Pierce's arrival at Puebla with our last reinforcements, 2,500 men. Our eyes were fixed on Mexico. The order had been given for the march. We had already heard how well that command had been conducted from the tierre caliente to the plain of Perote, through a country swarming with enemies. The bridge of the Plan del Rio had been broken down, and Bodfish, of Maine, was already known to the whole army as having suggested and executed a simple expedient, which enabled the command to cross the stream without loss. At the National Bridge it was known that Pierce, at the head of his command, cool and collected under a shower of bullets, had forced the enemy's stronghold, with but little loss to his command. His attention to the various wants of his men, his vigilance by day and by night, his skill in availing himself of the experience of his staff, his uniform good sense, and his unobtrusive modesty, went before him, and had already won golden opin

ions for him. Indeed, we were told that frequently at night he came into camp on foot, his horse having been yielded to some feeble soldiers. He seemed to have but one desire, and that was entirely to do his duty to his country, and the individual men of his command.

"Thus, on his arrival at Puebla, after a rapid and successful march, during the hot season, and under untoward circumstances, he was warmly greeted, and drew the highest encomiums from the generalin-chief, and the command was in such good condition that the next morning the advance, under the veteran Twiggs, commenced the movement upon the capital.

"We entered the valley, moved round Chalco, forced the entrenched camp at Contreras, won the splendid victory of Churubusco, and had Mexico at our feet. From the first movement against Contreras, in some thirty-two hours, the enemies' force was scattered, and, as we then hoped, the great object of the campaign gained.

"In these operations the brigade of Pierce shared in the flank movements upon Contreras, and nobly did its duty. The operations of the 19th have been much misunderstood.

"The plan from the outset of the battle was to amuse the enemy in front by a bold demonstration, and under cover of it to despatch a force against their left flank, which, occupying strong villages and the roads to the city, would cut them off from

all reinforcements, and thus place them entirely at our mercy. This plan was pursued, though the movement upor the road and villages was not prosecuted, with all the disposable force, with the promptness that could have been desired. The staff officers in the front fully appreciating the necessity of vigorous measures to drive back the skirmishers to the camp, and to completely deceive the enemy, recommended a very bold course. Guns and men were pushed forward with all the fierceness and unflinching constancy of a real attack. The almost impracticable character of the ground is well known. The whole field was a volcanic rock of honey-comb projection, rising into sharp points at every turn, and making it very difficult for strong men to make their way. Our troops were delayed but not deterred by these difficulties. First Smith and then Pierce were sent to the front simultaneously, with Riley and Cadwallader to the flank and rear. Both Smith and Pierce brought up their commands in admirable order. The skirmishers were in great force in the pedregal, and resisted our advance with great vigor and confidence. The splendid pieces of Valencia, from the entrenched camp, were sending balls and shells through our ranks. Well do I remember their harsh and hissing accents, of all things calculated to terrify and dismay new troops.

"At this moment, in face of the skirmishers, and in view of the camp, with its well served artillery, Pierce brought up his brigade, the New-England

regiment, led by Ransom, in the advance. It was their first essay in the valley. As a New-England man I rejoiced in their noble conduct as they rushed through the storm of fire, passing near the position of the batteries and driving the enemy's skirmishers before them. Without a pause in the attack, they forced the enemy from point to point, drove him into his camp, crossed themselves, the stream flowing near its front, and took a position within three hundred yards of the main force of the enemy. This bold, unflinching, and most gallant movement did much to cause the enemy to concentrate all his troops in the camp, fixed his attention upon the front attack, and was a vital element in the success of the great flank movement and real attack against the rear of the enemy.

"Pierce led his command most gallantly; but pressing eagerly to the front, still mounted, his horse became restive under the heavy fire, plunged violently, and threw him heavily to the ground upon the sharp rocks, and injured him so severely as to disable him for a time to continue with his conmand. He refers to it in his official report, and it was simply one of the many numerous accidents on that field. Many strong men fainted from sheer exhaustion."

"Two other general officers, Pillow and Twiggs, were unable to follow their commands. Twiggs was badly hurt by falling into one of the holes of the rocks whilst making his way on foot, and neither of