396 



SAN ANTONIO TURNED BY WORTH. 



merits, many colors and standards, large stores of ammunition, 700 

 pack mules, and numbers of horses fell into the hands of the victors. 



The rage of Santa Anna against Valencia knew no bounds. He 

 ordered him to be shot wherever found ; but the defeated chief fled 

 precipitately towards the west beyond the mountains, and for a long 

 time lay in concealment until the storm of private and public indig- 

 nation had passed. The effect of this battle, resulting in the loss 

 of the veterans of the north, was disastrous not only in the city, but 

 to the morale of the remaining troops of the main division under 

 Santa Anna. It certainly demonstrated the importance of Padierna 

 or Contreras as a military point of defence ; but it unquestionably 

 proved that the works designed to maintain it should have been dif- 

 ferently planned and placed at a much earlier day, after mature de- 

 liberation by skilful engineers. The hasty decision and work of 

 Valencia, made without preconcert or sanction of the General-in- 

 chief, and in total violation of his order of battle, followed by the 

 complete destruction of the entire division of the northern army, 

 could only result in final disaster. 



Whilst the battle of Contreras was raging early in the day, 

 brigades from Worth's and Quitman's divisions had been advanced 

 to support the combatants ; but before they arrived on the field the 

 post was captured, and they were, accordingly, ordered to return to 

 their late positions. Worth, advanced from San Agustin, in front 

 of San Antonio, was now in better position, for a road to the rear 

 of the hacienda had been opened by forcing the pass of Contreras. 

 Moving from Contreras or Padierna through San Angel and Coyoa- 

 can, Pillow's and Twiggs's divisions would speedily be able to at- 

 tack it from the north, while Worth, advancing from the south, 

 might unquestionably force the position. Accordingly while Pillow 

 and Twiggs were advanced, General Scott reached Coyoacan, about 

 two miles, by a cross road, in the rear of the hacienda of San An- 

 tonio. From Coyoacan he despatched Pillow to attack the rear of 

 San Antonio, while a reconnoissance was made of Churubusco, on 

 the main road, and an attack of the place ordered to be effected by 

 Twiggs with one of his brigades and Captain Taylor's field battery. 



General Pierce was next despatched, under the guidance of Cap- 

 tain Lee, by a road to the left, to attack the enemy's right and rear 

 in order to favor the movement on the Convent of Churubusco and 

 cut off retreat to the capital. And, finally, Shields, with the New 

 York and South Carolina volunteers, was ordered to follow Pierce 

 and to command the left wing. The battle now raged from the 

 right to the left of our whole line. All the movements had been made 



