On the 8th of April, ten days after the surrender of Vera Cruz, General [Winfield] Scott's army, though very short of transportation, began its march by divisions toward Jalapa. General [David E.] Twiggs, commanding the leading division, found the enemy at Cerro Gordo in such strength that he halted, April 11, at Plan del Rio to wait for reinforcements. During the six following days reconnaissance was very actively carried on, principally by engineer officers, suitably escorted. Basing himself on their reports, General Scott directed the opening of roads or trails leading through the dense chaparral and very rough broken ground toward several points of the enemy's line, while the latter industriously fortified their positions. On April 17 the general issued his celebrated order, describing the battle of the next day with almost perfect accuracy.

"The plan of the attack, sketched in General Orders III herewith, was finely executed by this gallant army before 2 o'clock p. m. yesterday. We are quite embarrassed with the results of victory--prisoners of war, heavy ordnance, field batteries, small arms, and accouterments. About 3,000 men laid down their arms, with the usual proportion of field and company officers, besides 5 generals, several of them of great distinction--Pinson, Jarrero, La Vega, Noryuga, and Obando. A sixth general, Vasquez, was killed in defending the battery (tower) in the rear of the line of defense, the capture of which gave us those glorious results. Our loss, though comparatively small in number, has been serious.

"Second Lieutenant Derby, Topographical Engineers, I saw also at the same place (tower) severely wounded; Captain Patten, 2d U. S. Infantry, lost his right hand. Major Sumner, 2d U. S. Dragoons, was slightly wounded the day before, and Captain [Joseph E.] Johnston, Topographical Engineers, (now Lieutenant-Colonel of infantry), was very severely wounded in reconnoitering some days earlier.

"A portion of the 1st Artillery under the often-distinguished Brevet-Colonel Childs, the 3d Infantry under Captain Alexander, the Seventh Infantry under Lieutenant-Colonel Plympton, and the Rifles under Major [William W.] Loring, all under the temporary command of Colonel [William S.] Harney, 2d Dragoons, composed that detachment. The style of execution which I had the pleasure to witness was most brilliant and decisive. The brigade ascended the long and difficult slope of Cerro Gordo, without shelter and under the tremendous fire of artillery and musketry, with the utmost steadiness, reached the breastworks, drove the enemy from them, planted the colors of the 1st Artillery, 3d and 7th Infantry, the enemy's flag still flying, and after some moments of sharp firing, finished the conquest with the bayonet. It is a most pleasing duty to say that the highest praise is due to Harney, Childs, Plympton, Loring, [Thomas L.] Alexander, their gallant officers and men, for this brilliant service independent of the great service which soon followed. [Winfield Scott's Report on the Battle of Cerro Gordo.]

". . .[David E.] Twiggs' division, reinforced by Shields's brigade of volunteers, was thrown into position on the 17th, and was of necessity drawn into action in taking up the ground for its bivouac and the opposing height for our heavy battery. It will be seen that many of our officers and men were killed or wounded in this sharp combat, handsomely commenced by a company of the Seventh Infantry under Brevet 1st Lieutenant Gardner, who is highly praised by all his commanders for signal services. Colonel [William S.] Harney, coming up with the Rifle Regiment and 1st Artillery (also parts of his brigade), brushed away the enemy and occupied the height on which, in the night, was placed a battery of one 24-pounder and two 24-pound howitzers under the supervision of Captain [Robert E.] Lee, Engineers, and Lieutenant [Peter V.] Hagner, Ordnance. These guns opened next morning, and were served with effect by Captain [Edward J.] Steptoe and Lieutenant [Hachaliah] Brown, 3d Artillery, Lieutenant [Peter V.] Hagner, Ordnance, and Lieutenant Seymour, 1st Artillery. The same night, with extreme toil and difficulty, under the superintendence of Lieutenant [Zealous B.] Tower, Engineers, and Lieutenant Laidley, Ordnance, one 8-inch howitzer was put in position across the river and opposite to the enemy's right battery.

". . .Early on the 18th the columns moved to the general attack, and our success was speedy and decisive.

". . .The moment the fate of the day was decided the cavalry and Taylor's and Wall's field batteries were pushed on toward Jalapa in advance of the pursuing columns of infantry.

"In hot pursuit many Mexicans were captured or slain before our men and horses were exhausted by the heat and distance.

"The rout proved to have been complete, the retreating army, except a small body of cavalry, being dispersed and utterly disorganized. The immediate consequences have been our possession of this important city, the abandonment of the works and artillery at La Hoya, the next formidable pass between Vera Cruz and the capital, and the prompt occupation by [William J.] Worth's division of the fortress of Perote (second only to San Juan d'Ulloa), with its extensive armament of 66 guns and mortars and its large supply of material.

"I have heretofore endeavored to do justice to the skill and courage with which the heights of Cerro Gordo were attacked, naming the regiments most distinguished, and their commanders, under the lead of Colonel [William S.] Harney. Lieut. [Gustavus W.] Smith led the engineer company as part of the storming force, and is noticed with distinction. The reports of this assault make favorable mention of many in which I can well concur, having witnessed the daring advance and perfect steadiness of the whole. Besides those already named, Lieutenant Brooks, 3rd Infantry; Lieutenant [Philip W.] Macdonald, 2d Dragoons; Lieutenant [Earl] Van Dorn, 7th Infantry (all acting staff officers); Captain [John B.] Magruder, 1st Artillery; and Lieutenant Gardner, 7th Infantry, seem to have won special praise.

". . .In expressing my indebtedness for able assistance--to Lieutenant-Colonel Hitchcock, Acting Inspector-General; to Majors Smith and [William] Turnbull, respective Chiefs of Engineers and Topographical Engineers; to their assistant lieutenants Lieutenants Mason, [Pierre G. T.] Beauregard, Stevens, [Zealous B.] Tower, [Gustavus W.] Smith, [George B.] McClellan, Engineers; and Lieutenants Derby and [Edmund L.] Hardcastle, Topographical Engineers; to Captain [Robert] Allen, Chief Quartermaster, and Lieutenant [William B.] Blair, Chief Commissary, and to Lieutenants [Peter V.] Hagner and Laidley, Ordnance, all actively employed I am compelled to make special mention of the services of Capt. R. E. Lee, Engineers. This officer greatly distinguished himself at the siege of Vera Cruz, was again indefatigable during these operations, in reconnaissance as daring as laborious, and of the utmost value. Nor was he less conspicuous in planting batteries and in conducting columns to their stations under the heavy fire of the enemy. My personal staff Lieutenants [Henry L.] Scott, Williams, and [George W.] Lay, and Major [Abraham] Van Buren, who volunteered for the occasion gave me zealous and efficient assistance. Our whole force present, in action and in reserve, was 8,500. The enemy is estimated at 12,000 or more. About 3,000 prisoners, 4,000 or 5,000 stands of arms, and 43 pieces of artillery are taken. By the accompanying return, I regret to find our losses more severe than at first supposed, amounting in the two days to 33 officers and 398 men--in all, 431, of whom 63 were killed. The enemy's loss if computed to be from 1,000 to 1,200. [Winfield Scott's Supplemental Report, April 23, 1847.]

Mansfield observed:

"Ten thousand men made prisoners of war, 700 splendid cannon, 10,000 stands of arms, 30,000 shells and shot, were the spoils of the triumphant victories which had attended the American Army in a campaign of only two months." [Mansfield, Edwin D.  op. cit., at p 201.]

After Cerro Gordo, there was nothing to prevent General Scott from marching to the capital. But for reasons which he considered good and sufficient, he decided upon a different course; among these were the numerical weakness of his Army, the fact that several regiments of volunteers were about to be discharged, thus reducing his strength still further, and the fact that supplies and reinforcements which he had confidently expected were not forthcoming. Leaving garrisons in Vera Cruz, Jalapa, and the castle of Perote, he advanced with the main Army to Puebla, where, on the 1st of June, his entire force numbered only 5,000 effective men. The reinforcements that reached Vera Cruz and all the garrisons, excepting those of Vera Cruz and Perote, were concentrated at Puebla, at which point there were assembled on August 6 about 14,000 men. The sick in hospitals at Puebla and the necessary garrison for that place aggregated 3,261 men. Thus, by abandoning his line of communications, General Scott was able to advance with 10,738 men, half of them volunteers, to attack 30,000 men behind powerful works, supplied with abundant artillery. Without doubt he had staked everything on the chance of success.