Battle of Molino del Rey

The Bataille of Molino del Rey is held the September 8th 1847 during the final stage of the américano-Mexican Guerre, with the Molino del Rey , it acted then of a group of large stone masonries with 4km of Mexico City to the foot of the hill of Chapultepec. It is about one of the battles bloodiest of the war.

Context

The September 6th 1847, whereas the armistice and the negotiations which follow the Bataille of Churubusco are about to fail. Mexican troops in great number are observed in the neighborhoods of the Molino del Rey .

The General Winfield Scott had received reports/ratios indicating that the buildings shelter in fact a foundry where the Mexicans run guns and one of them, the Casa Subdued , an important gunpowder deposit. Rumors indicated that Antonio López de Santa Anna, chief of the army and the Mexican government, missing supplies hopelessly made withdraw the bells of the churches and the convents to melt them and to transform them into guns. Scott thus orders to the Worth General to attack and to take the molino and the Casa Subdued , to destroy the foundry as all the ammunition that it will be able there to find.

Battle plan

Scott proposes to initially attack the Molino whose garrison is ordered by the Leon General. The division of Worth is reinforced by the brigade of Cadwallader of Pillow division, three will esquadrons of dragons under the orders of Major Sumner, and some guns of seat ordered by the Huger Captain, charged with the provisioning and the Drum Captain with 4th with artillery.

The Mexican forces count approximately 12 ' 000 men, their left wing appuye on the Molino del Rey , their center forms a line connecting the Casa Subdued and constant by an artillery battery, then finally their right wing a little more in the west.

The battle

At three o'clock in the morning on September 8th, the columns of attack make movement, the brigade of Garland forming the right wing. The battaille starts at dawn with an artillery stopping on the Molino del Rey . As the Mexicans do not answer this shooting, Worth in deduced that the enemy gave up the buildings. It sends Major Wright then, of the 8th Infantry to tackle the center with 500 men. On the left is the 2nd Brigade, ordered by Colonel McIntosh, supported by the battery of Duncan.

The attack of Major Wright on the center forces the infantry and artillery to make retirement, which makes it possible American to take possession of their guns. The Mexicans gather quickly and take again their position, a terrible fight engages. The Molino del Rey east attacked and taken soon by the men of Garland, whereas at the same time the battle around Casa Subdued is wild. During one moment American hesitates then begin again itself, at this point in time an important Mexican column is seen coming on the right side from their positions in order to fall on American who was pushed back. At this point in time the battery of Duncan opens fire on the column, a shooting so destroying that the Mexican column disperses in a total confusion. The dragons of Sumner then charge the Mexicans who flee, their rout is total.

The losses are terrible, nearly a quarter of the men of Worth were killed or wounded. The Mexicans leave a thousand of men on the field of battaille. Their best chiefs were massacred and 800 men made captive. The buildings were destroyed and more none defenses of Mexico City outside its doors is between their hands, except for Chapultepec.

Sources

The Mexican War ; Nevin, David; Time Life Books; NY; 1978 ISBN 0809423022.
The Mexican-American War 1846-48 ; Bauer, K. Jack; NY; Macmillan, 1974; ISBN 0025078909.

The Proving Ground in Mexico City By John C. Waugh
Official Carryforward off the Battles off Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey sonofthesouth.net

See too

latinamericanstudies.org drawings of time of the battle.
aztecclub.com drawings of time of the battle.
(today Los Piños)

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