Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/408

358 his division. General Scott arrived at the scene of action a few minutes later, and immediately ordered Colonel Morgan, of the 15th infantry, belonging to General Pierce's brigade, till then held in reserve, to move in the same direction.

The severity of the fire, so long gallantly sustained by the batteries of Captain Magruder and Lieutenant Callender, and the other troops in front, was not abated for a moment. General Smith saw that the slope and ravine, intervening between his position and that of the enemy, could not be crossed except at the imminent hazard of the entire destruction of his force. To remain longer in this position was useless. He therefore moved round to the rear of Captain Magruder, and leaving three companies of the 3rd infantry under Captain Craig, a detachment of the rifles under Captain Sanderson, and a small party of the 1st artillery, to support the battery, he also entered the pedregal. Subsequently General Shields came up with his brigade of General Quitman's division, and was directed, by the General-in-chief, to follow the same intricate and difficult path over the field of lava, — perhaps resembling nothing so much, as what one might fancy, the fabled battle — ground of the Titans. The route being wholly impracticable for artillery, Captain Taylor, of Twiggs' division, was forced to remain behind with his battery.

The different corps ordered to cross the pedregal, were at no time out of range of the heavy guns of the intrenched camp of General Valencia. Divested of their knapsacks — the officers being dismounted — with buoyant and manly strides they sprang from rock to rock, — tearing their way through closely matted thickets of chaparral, climbing over jagged precipices, and leaping across wide fissures, and deep chasms. The