small arms, until the shouts of their assailants and the cries of the wounded were drowned in the thunder of the conflict.

Then it was that the indomitable courage of the American soldiers shone conspicuous. The South Carolina and New York regiments, while forming for the charge, endured with unflinching intrepidity a fire as terrible as ever man witnessed,* while further to the right, from the walls of San Pablo, tier above tier, from the roof of the hacienda, and from the steeple of the convent, the enemy's infantry poured down such rapid volleys of musketry, that for three hours, the sound of their firing was one continuous roll.†

Deadlier still was the service of the artillery from the field-work in advance. Three of the pieces were manned by deserters from our own army, commanded by the traitor Riley. Knowing that if taken the penalty of their crime was an ignominious death, and that their only safety lay in a victory over their own countrymen, these men fought with the courage of despair, picking off, with the malignity of private revenge, several of the American officers whom they recognised, and, at a subsequent period of the battle, pulling down the white flag of surrender no less than three times.‡

It was about mid-day when the battle became general. An hour earlier Worth commenced his movement upon San Antonio. The Second Brigade, under Colonel Clarke, advanced up the causeway to within five hundred yards of the works, and then striking off to the left, across the Pedregal, by the route previously reconnoitred, turned the enemy's right, and regained the road, a short distance in rear of the village, and between it and Churubusco.

During this time the First Brigade, under Colonel Garland, remained in front of San Antonio, but masked by an angle of the causeway from the direct fire of the batteries. This position was

*Shields's Official Report. + Letter to the New York Courier. + Ibid.

assumed with a view to a direct assault as soon as Clarke's fire

was opened in rear.

But the enemy, already shaken by the fall of Contreras, and fearful of being intercepted in his retreat, as soon as Clarke's brigade threatened his rear, commenced precipitately evacuating his position, for the purpose of falling back upon Churubusco. This intention, however, was partially frustrated by the rapidity with which Clarke dashed forward to gain possession of the road. Finding the Mexican garrison in full retreat, two companies of the 3d infantry, under Captains Morrill and McPhail, and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, precipitated themselves furiously upon the column and cut it nearly in the centre, the advance portion of it moving upon Churubusco, and the remainder, some two thousand strong, under General Bravo, retreating upon Dolores.

As soon as Clarke was known to be engaged, Garland's brigade moved to the assault of the works in front, but, the enemy being found to have already deserted them, it passed quickly through, and the two brigades were soon united and in hot pursuit.

Approaching Churubusco, the hacienda and convent of San Pablo were discovered in advance and to the left of the road, crowded with Mexican troops. At a distance of three hundred yards to the right, and still further in advance, was the field-work, or tête-du-pont, garnished with heavy guns and filled with troops. Between the two a continuous line of infantry, and on the left and rear the enemy was also seen in force, as far as the eye could reach.*

Twiggs had already been engaged for upwards of an hour, when Worth, previously joined on the causeway by Pillow with Cadwalader's brigade, arrived before Churubusco close on the heels of the fugitives from San Antonio.

* Worth's Official Report.

STORM AND SURRENDER OF SAN PABLO.

383

The whole of Worth's division, as soon as it came within musket-shot of the works, was thrown to the right of the road, with the exception of the 6th infantry.

The latter, moving to the assault in front, was exposed to a torrible fire of grape, canister, and musketry, which raked the road. and momentarily checked its advance, but the 5th and 8th infantry, marching by a flank parallel to the road, drove the enemy's skirmishers, and in defiance of a tremendous fire from the têtedu-pont, dashed across the deep wet ditch surrounding the work, carried it at the point of the bayonet, and instantly turned the captured cannon upon the hacienda and convent, before which Twiggs was still hotly engaged.

Duncan's battery of light artillery, no longer exposed to the effects of the heavier metal of the tête-du-pont, now galloped up the main road, and opened upon the field work surrounding San Pablo. "Seizing the prolongation of a principal face, in a space of five minutes, by a fire of astonishing rapidity, the enemy was driven from his guns in that quarter and the infantry from their intrenchments."*

The battery was now directed upon the convent. At this time Duncan's battery, upon the San Antonio causeway; Taylor's battery, further to the left and in front of the field-work; and the captured guns of the tête-du-pont, were all turned upon San Pablo, and within half-an-hour from the storm of the tête-du-pont, the enemy's fire visibly slackened under this terrible combination. As soon as this was perceived by Smith, the 3d infantry, already advanced under cover of some huts near the right bastion, was ordered to charge; and, as soon as the brave fellows had partially cleared the ramparts by a fire of musketry, they dashed dauntlessly over, led by Captain J. M. Smith and Lieutenant Sheppard, when the garrison, throwing out several white flags, surrendered themselves prisoners of war, General Rincon, its brave com

*Worth's Official Report.