The attack was made as ordered, and perhaps there was not a battle of the Mexican war, or of any other, where orders issued before an engagement were nearer being a correct report of what afterwards took place.  Under the supervision of the engineers, roadways had been opened over chasms to the right where the walls were so steep that men could barely climb them.  Animals could not.  These had been opened under cover of night, without attracting the notice of the enemy.  The engineers, who had directed the opening, led the way and the troops followed.  Artillery was let down the steep slopes by hand, the men engaged attaching a strong rope to the rear axle and letting the guns down, a piece at a time, while the men at the ropes kept their ground on top, paying out gradually, while a few at the front directed the course of the piece.  In like manner the guns were drawn by hand up the opposite slopes.  In this way Scott’s troops reached their assigned position in rear of most of the intrenchments of the enemy, unobserved.  The attack was made, the Mexican reserves behind the works beat a hasty retreat, and those occupying them surrendered.  On the left General Pillow’s command made a formidable demonstration, which doubtless held a part of the enemy in his front and contributed to the victory.  I am not pretending to give full details of all the battles fought, but of the portion that I saw.  There were troops engaged on both sides at other points in which both sustained losses; but the battle was won as here narrated.

The surprise of the enemy was complete, the victory overwhelming; some three thousand prisoners fell into Scott’s hands, also a large amount of ordnance and ordnance stores.  The prisoners were paroled, the artillery parked and the small arms and ammunition destroyed.  The battle of Buena Vista was probably very important to the success of General Scott at Cerro Gordo and in his entire campaign from Vera Cruz to the great plains reaching to the City of Mexico.  The only army Santa Anna had to protect his capital and the mountain passes west of Vera Cruz, was the one he had with him confronting General Taylor.  It is not likely that he would have gone as far north as Monterey to attack the United States troops when he knew his country was threatened with invasion further south.  When Taylor moved to Saltillo and then advanced on to Buena Vista, Santa Anna crossed the desert confronting the invading army, hoping no doubt to crush it and get back in time to meet General Scott in the mountain passes west of Vera Cruz.  His attack on Taylor was disastrous to the Mexican army, but, notwithstanding this, he marched his army to Cerro Gordo, a distance not much short of one thousand miles by the line he had to travel, in time to intrench himself well before Scott got there.  If he had been successful at Buena Vista his troops would no doubt have made a more stubborn resistance at Cerro Gordo.  Had the battle of Buena Vista not been fought Santa Anna would have had time to move leisurely to meet the invader further south and with an army not demoralized nor depleted by defeat.