Worth, who, during the storming of Chapultepec, had passed around the base of the hill, and with Garland's brigade, Smith's light battalion, and Duncan's battery, had defeated the right wing of the enemy, was already moving in the direction of the San Cosmé Garita, while Quitman, equally energetic, had concentrated his command and was fighting his way over the causeway leading to the Garita Belen.

Leaving only the 15th regiment of Pillow's division to garrison Chapultepec, Scott despatched the brigades of Clarke and Cadwalader to support Worth's attack, and subsequently ordered up Riley's brigade from before the southern gates for the same purpose. The latter, however, did not arrive until after the Garita of San Cosmé had been carried and the action was over for the day.

The column of Quitman, consisting of his own division and the noble brigade of Smith, received no additional assistance, with the exception of Steptoe's battery, and two regiments of Pierce's brigade.

The advance upon the Garita Belen being intended by the General-in-chief merely as a manœuvre to favour the main attack by Worth, Quitman was ordered only to threaten the works in that quarter; but, being nobly seconded by his gallant subordinates, he determined to advance, notwithstanding the severe direct and enfilading fires from the enemy's batteries, which threa tened to gall and impede his progress. Smith's brave Rifles led the way; and a brilliant little episode, which occurred shortly afterwards, considerably facilitated Quitman's future movements.

While struggling with masses of the enemy, and suffering dreadfully under the severe cross-fires from batteries in the low grounds to his left, a daring and chivalric exploit achieved by a section of Duncan's battery, covered by the light battalion of Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, both attached to Worth's command, materially assisted in clearing his front.

K

GARITA BELEN CARRIED.

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Worth, while operating on the San Cosmé road, observing a cross route over the meadows to the right and in the direction of the works which were annoying Quitman's advance, promptly threw out a section of Duncan's battery to within four hundred yards of the enemy's line, which opened a destructive fire, first upon the battery, and then upon the troops obstructing the causeway. This unexpected support enabling Quitman to advance with greater freedom, the artillery with its covering force then fell back to the San Cosmé road, and rejoined the column of Worth.

Clarke's brigade coming up at this time from the support of Pillow's attack upon Chapultepec, Worth dashed forward, in the face of a terrible fire from two batteries, and carried them both. He had now reached the Campo Santo, or English buryingground, a little in advance of which, the causeway and aqueduct incline to the right. At this point the General-in-chief came up, and ordered the garita carried, and that the column should endeavour to penetrate the city as far as the Alameda, a spacious green park, some fifteen hundred yards within the gate.

Accordingly, after leaving Cadwalader's brigade, which had just reached him in position at Campo Santo, with instructions to look to the left and rear, Worth advanced in a direct line upon another battery, distant about two hundred and fifty yards from the San Cosmé Garita, and protected by it. The firing now became terrible in the extreme. The causeway was literally raked by grape, canister, and shells, from the battery, while from the tops of the neighbouring houses, from churches, and from every point of vantage, the enemy poured down an incessant storm of musketry. To equalize the position of the combatants, and check this fearful fire, another mode of operations became necessary. Garland's brigade was accordingly thrown to the right, under cover of the arches of the aqueduct, with orders to dislodge the enemy from the buildings in his front, and turn the left of the garita; while Clarke's brigade, breaking open the building to

the left of the causeway, were to work their way with bars and picks from house to house, and carry the right of the garita.*

Favoured by the fire of two mountain howitzers, which had been placed upon conspicuous buildings, these orders were slowly, but, in the end, successfully accomplished. At five o'clock in the afternoon, both columns had gained the required positions.

The enemy soon after abandoned the battery, and fell back upon the garita. A most dangerous service was now required to be executed. This was the advance of a piece of artillery to the evacuated battery in the face of the direct fire from the garita. This duty fell upon Lieutenant Hunt, and was performed with a gallantry that extorted the admiration of all who witnessed it.

Followed by nine men, he traversed with his piece a distance of one hundred and fifty yards, and, though moving at full speed, he lost in killed and wounded five of his command. With the remaining four he met the enemy at the breastwork, muzzle to muzzle, conquered his position, and successfully opened a fire upon the garita and the intermediate force of infantry.

During this time the brigades of Garland and Clarke, preceded by a company of sappers and miners, under Lieutenant G. W. Smith, and the storming party of Captain McKenzie, had succeeded in approaching undiscovered to within easy range of the works at the garita, when, the signal being given for attack, they sprang up suddenly to the tops of the houses on each side of the causeway, and poured a destructive fire upon the astonished enemy. One terrible volley sufficed. The gunners were killed at their pieces; and, before the supporting force could recover from their consternation, the two brigades charged the garita with a wild hurrah! and carried it. The next instant the shouts of the victors announced their entrance into the city of Mexico. On the Tacubaya causeway, the column of Quitman had been equally successful.

* Worth's Report.

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