wheeled his little command, and furiously charging the enemy, attempted to cut his way back to the convent yard.

His whole command numbered at this time scarcely more than twenty men, while the intervening space was literally crammed with the dense masses of the enemy.

In front, and by successive leaps, rather than by regular progression, he plunged upon the nearest of the enemy, and won by a length at a time the ground occupied by his foes. Standing erect in his stirrups, with his clenched teeth gleaming white from beneath the tightly-drawn upper lip and its long red overshadowing moustache, those who saw the gallant soldier at this fearful time, still call to mind with terrible distinctness how the blood trickled down from his uplifted sword, and, falling across his hand, died with crimson streaks the white mane of his horse; and they remember, too, with what surpassing coolness his commands were uttered, even while the incessant attacks of the lancers were gradually lessening the number of his devoted followers.

Swayed to and fro by the pressure of accumulating numbers, now dashing onward a few paces, and now forced back to the wall, the little band of twenty, finally reduced to only seven men, succeeded at length in reaching to within a few yards of the convent gate. But they could proceed no further. Their former spirited attacks were now changed to incessant yet hopeless parryings of the lance-points thrust at them from all sides. But, at the moment when all seemed lost, the captured gun in front of the gateway was turned upon the lancers by some of the slender garrison, and Lieutenant Claiborne made the attempt to fire it with his pistol. The lancers, on seeing this, gave way, and Captain Walker, followed by his sorely diminished troop, dashed at the gate, and entered it with a loss of thirteen men.

These, with the stragglers, who had succeeded in getting through, soon commenced a destructive fire from the windows

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and roof, and the baffled enemy once more fell back and occupied the neighbouring streets.

It was at this time, when the enemy had entirely deserted the plaza, that Captain Walker stepped out a few paces from the gateway, and was in the act of directing his men to draw the captured cannon nearer to the yard; when, in the midst of the most profound silence, the report of a single gun was heard, and those who looked across the square, saw the smoke issue from a window of the house opposite, and from which a white flag had been flying during the whole engagement. In another instant a sharp agonizing cry arose, and then passed from lip to lip of the bereaved garrison the fearful words: "Captain Walker is killed!" It was but too true; the treacherous ball fired from behind, had entered the shoulder, and passing obliquely downwards came out on the side. He fell instantly and was carried within the yard. In half an hour he was dead.

With his last breath, his heroic exhortation to his sorrowing command was: "Never surrender!"

Thus fell, in the very vigour of manhood, one of the most remarkable men of the age. As a partisan soldier, he had not, perhaps, his equal in any service-prompt, daring, and energetic, his fiery ardour was yet tempered in the midst of danger by the most imperturbable coolness.

With a constitution confirmed and strengthened by a life of toil and hardship-a life full of romantic incidents and terrible episodes, he was able to endure the vicissitudes of climates and hunger and thirst and prolonged fatigue, to an extent, and with an apparent insensibility, that was a theme and a wonder to all who knew him.

To a most thorough knowledge of the cunning, treacherous, and cruel character of the enemy, he united an intense personal hatred, the result of foregone and painful experiences. But yet, fierce as he at all times proved himself, both in the random fight

and in the headlong charge, no man was more humane, even to the enemy he despised, when the brunt of the battle was over, and the wounded lay about him.

To disabled men and defenceless women, he was at all times a sure friend and a protector. Even in the last fatal battle of Huamantla, he was seen to alight from his horse in the midst of the street, tie up with his own hands the dislocated jaw of a stricken enemy, and remove him to the wall, lest he should be trampled upon by advancing horsemen.

His conduct towards his own command was a happy compound of decision and kindness. To all the duties of a well disciplined soldier, he exacted the most implicit obedience. His discipline, both as respects the cavalry exercise and rifle practice, was of the most rigid character; but at the same time, his thoughtful regard for the comfort of his men was so well known, and his attention to their requirements so steady and unremitting, that the strict disciplinarian was soon forgotten in the kind-hearted man, and a love sprang up between himself and his command, that, with the few who yet survive, will remain a tender and a tearful memory for ever.

Nor was his loss mourned by his own company only, it was felt by the whole army. One with whom he had been at variance, a gallant, generous, open-hearted man, when he heard of his death, burst into tears and exclaimed: "I would have given two years of my life, but for fifteen minutes' speech with Captain Walker;" and even the official report of the commanding general rises into a mournful dignity, when announcing the event. With a brevity that approaches the sublime, it says:

"This victory is saddened by the loss of one of the most chivalric, noble-hearted men that graced the profession of arms— Captain Samuel H. Walker, of the mounted riflemen. Foremost in the advance, he had routed the enemy when he fell mortally wounded."

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How otherwise than so gloriously, should an heroic spirit like his desire to die?

After the death of Captain Walker, the command devolved upon Captain Lewis. The enemy made one more attempt upon the convent-yard and the house adjoining, but was again repulsed with loss.

Finding all further effort useless, and the infantry under General Lane coming up at this time, the guerrilleros rapidly abandoned the city, leaving two pieces of artillery and a large quantity of ammunition in the hands of the victors. The Mexican loss in the engagement was one hundred and fifty, killed and wounded.

But brilliant as the event had been to the American arms, and although the victory of Huamantla prevented General Santa Anna from intercepting the train at the Black Pass, according to his original plan, the success was dearly won. Of all that splendid company of mounted riflemen, constituting the immediate command of Captain Walker, and which numbered seventyfive men at the commencement of the engagement, only seventeen were able to keep the saddle at its close.

That same evening, General Lane took up his line of march for Puebla, and reached his destination about one o'clock on the afternoon of the 13th. His presence having speedily relieved the exhausted garrison of that city from an obstinate and longprotracted investment, he rested his men for a few days, and then turned his attention to those secluded towns, which were yet daring enough to afford refuge and protection to the guerrilleros.

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CHAPTER XXXII.

Battle of Atlixco-Running Fight with the Guerrilleros-Atlixco taken-Expedition to Matamoros-Its Capture-Lane returns to Puebla-Is attacked-Daring Bravery of Colonel Hays-Peace Prospects-Anaya elected President-Secret Expedition to Tehuacan-Escape of General Santa Anna-Orizaba capturedGarrisoned.

LEARNING, on the 18th of October, that a considerable body of guerrilleros was at Atlixco, a town about ten leagues from Perote, General Lane marched from Puebla, on the morning of the 19th, for the purpose of attacking them.

His force consisted of the 4th Ohio and the 4th Indiana regiments, Major Lally's and Captain Heintzelman's battalions, Colonel Wynkoop's battalion of four companies of the 1st Pennsylvania regiment, Taylor's and Pratt's batteries of light artillery, and a squadron of dragoons under Captain Ford.

The advance-guard of the enemy was first discovered near Santa Isabella about four o'clock in the afternoon. General Lane then halted his force, and waited until the cavalry should come up. In the mean time, the enemy came down to the foot of the hill where he was posted, and invited the attack by the firing of escopets, and waving of lances. As soon as the cavalry came up, the column moved forward. Lally's battalion led the advance, while the Ohio regiment made a wide sweep to the left of the road, for the purpose of flanking a deep ravine on that side.

No sooner were these arrangements observed by the enemy than he began to exhibit signs of irresolution. The cavalry was

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