Page:Complete history of the late Mexican war.djvu/95

Rh forces victorious. Various daring reconnoisances now took place, of the castle and approaches to the city. The latter stands on a slight swell of ground, near the centre of an irregular basin, and is girdled with a ditch in its greater extent—a navigable canal of great breadth and depth—very difficult to bridge, in the presence of an enemy, having eight entrenches or gates, over arches—each of which was defended by a system of strong works that seemed to require nothing but some men and guns to be impregnable.

Outside and within the cross-fire of those gates, to the. south, are other obstacles but little less formidable. All approaches near the city were over elevated causeways, cut in many places (to oppose us) and flanked on both sides, by ditches also of unusual dimensions. The numerous cross-roads were flanked, in like manner, having bridges at the intersections, recently broken. The meadows thus checked, were, moreover, in many spots, under water or marshy.

After close observation, it was decided, on the 11th, to move round to the south-west and west part of the capital, believing that the approaches would present less formidable obstacles. Accordingly, Scott ordered Quitman's division from Coyoacan, to join Pillow by daylight, before the southern gates, and that they should by night, proceed (two miles) to join Scott at Tucubaya, where he was quartered with Worth's division. Twiggs, with Riley's brigade and Captains Taylor's and Steptoe's field batteries—the latter 12-pounders—was left in front of those gates—to manœuvre, to threaten, or to make false attacks, in order to occupy and deceive the enemy. Twiggs' other brigade (Smith's) was left at supporting distance, in the rear, at