Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/407

Rh enemy's position. Captain McLellan of the engineers proper, and Lieutenant McLellan of the topographical engineers, being sent forward to reconnoitre, they were fired upon by the enemy's skirmishers, now occupying the ground in front. The rifles, under Major Loring, were brought up to clear the road. This done, General Pillow detached from his division Captain Magruder, — with his field-battery, and the rocket and mountain howitzer battery of the voltigeurs, in charge of Lieutenant Callender, of the ordnance. After much severe labor in dragging the artillery over the rocks, Captain Magruder placed his guns in battery at nine hundred yards distance from the Hill of Contreras, and Lieutenant Callender planted three of his pieces on the left, — Lieutenant Reno, also of the ordnance, moving still further to the left, with the rocketeers. Colonel Riley, with the second brigade of General Twiggs' division, received orders to cross the pedregal on the right, and having gained the San Angel road, to attack the enemy in rear. General P. F. Smith moved to the left and front of the batteries with his brigade, and General Pierce, in command of the first brigade of General Pillow's division, took post on the right.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the American guns opened a lively and well-directed fire on the Mexican position, though but partially covered, by ledges of rocks, from the incessant shower of balls and howitzer shells which fell among them. A fierce cannonade was kept up for hours, during which the men at the batteries, and the brigades of Generals Pierce and Smith, occasionally engaged with the enemy's skirmishers, suffered severely. While the battle was raging at this point, General Pillow sent General Cadwalader to the support of Colonel Riley, with the second brigade of