The Battle of Churubusco [pp. 78-116]

94 Battle of C1turu~useo. [July,
est, and yet the most vital part, of the enemy's position.
It was directed to the key point of the entire field, where
a decided impression being made, resistance at all other
points would be inevitably controlled and paralyzed.
Stiflicient prominence has not been given to the n~ffair
~~Lich ensued. Probably no close investigation Las been
in~tituted; or it may be that prejudice has withheld the
tru h from public view, or the want of interest, or a becomiPg delicacy on the part of others, who are familiar with
it, has prevented its disclosure. Let us trace the action
and its effects-discussion should follow, rather than precede them.
The village of Portales is situated on the San Antonio
causeway, scarcely a mile in rear of the te'te-de.po~t.
Some four hundred yards from the village, in the direction
of this fort, and over two hundred yards to the west of the
causeway, stood a large oblong one-storied building-the
barn-with a yard attached in front, that was paved and
used as a threshing floor, and was enclosed by a wall
three or four feet high. Between these places stretched
a marshy meadow, and to the left or westward of the village was a corn field, in which, at a period of the com
bat, were stationed the enemy's cavalry. Portales was
occupied by the Mexican, and the causeway in front of
the barn was blocked with dense masses of his troops.
The cavalry numbered about 3,000-the infantry near*
4,000. To assail them, Shields commanded 600 men of
his own brigade, (300 New-Yorkers and as many Palmettos,) and including Reno's howitzer battery of two pieces,
about I,000~ men of Pierce's brigadc-altogether some
1,600 troops-and these, mostly raw soldiers. At the
moment, these were all that Scott could control for the
movement, and Shields was the last man to shrink from
attempting the execution of any order; nay, the more
desperate the hazards attending, the more solicitous he
* Reports of Generals Scott and Shields.
~Col. Burnett, N. Y. regiment, says 300 in his regiment. One company
detached, and about 50 men bad not come ~p from Contreras. Dickinson
says the Palmettos numbered 2~3 rank and file; officers, &c., increased them
to over 300. One company detached also to guard prisoners. Pillow says his
"force" was about 1,800; and to prove that he included Pierce's brigade, he
states the loss at 211 officers and men. The three regiments under his eye
at the bridgehead lost but 15. It is probable that Pillow had the larger part
of his division. If so, Pierce's brigade under Shields counted less than 900.