Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/325

Rh undaunted, though suffering severely. The hill was stormed and carried. Three times the enemy charged to recover the position, and three times were they repulsed with loss. The American soldiers refused to yield a single inch of ground which they had gained. One section of Major Talcott's mountain howitzer battery, belonging to the voltigeurs, with a number of _ rockets, under the command of Lieutenant Reno, were ordered up the height, and aided them in maintaining it. In the ardor of the moment, a portion of the troops, headed by Colonel Childs, rushed down the opposite side of the hill, and commenced the ascent of Cerro Gordo. The recall was sounded again and again, but they had approached within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy's batteries before they discovered that they were not followed by the remainder of the force. They then halted, and retired down the height.

The 1st artillery rejoined General Twiggs, and the rifles and the 7th infantry bivouacked on the hill for the night. Fires were built underneath the cliffs upon the line occupied by General Twiggs' division, and the work of transporting the heavy artillery to the captured hill was soon after commenced. This duty was performed by the 4th artillery and the volunteer brigade of General Shields, and occupied nearly the entire night. With the aid of picket ropes, one twenty-four pounder gun, and two twenty-four pounder howitzers, were drawn up to the crest of the height, and placed in battery, under the superintendence of Captain Lee. On the same night, under the direction of Lieutenant Tower, of the engineers, and Lieutenant Laidley, of the ordnance, an eight-inch howitzer was put in position across the river, and opposite to the enemy's