Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/422

370 the American soldiers, wave upon wave, bearing every thing before them.

The Mexican left was first agitated and thrown into disorder. The 8th and 5th infantry — the latter now led by Lieutenant Colonel Scott, Colonel Clarke having been wounded, and Colonel McIntosh taking command of the brigade — crossed the ditch, and carried the tête du pont with the bayonet. The 6th infantry was not far behind, and the 11th and 14th infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Graham and Colonel Trousdale, followed immediately thereafter. About the same time, the Mexican infantry, opposed to Colonel Garland's brigade and the light battalion, began to waver and break, and retreated towards the causeway, with the victors dashing after them in pursuit.

At San Pablo the enemy still held out. Captain Taylor's battery had been sadly crippled, and was ordered out of range. Captain L. Smith, and Lieutenant Snelling. of the 8th infantry, instantly turned the fire of one of the guns captured in the tête du pont, upon the church; and a section of Lieutenant Colonel Duncan's battery, supported by the voltigeurs under Colonel Andrews, was also brought to bear upon the principal face of the work, at a short range, from the San Antonio causeway. This determined the contest. The 3rd infantry, under Captain Alexander, followed by the lst artillery, under Major Dimmick, now pressed forward for the assault, and Colonel Riley was moving against the left flank of the position, with the 2nd infantry, under Captain Morris, and the 7th infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Plympton. Captain Smith and Lieutenant Shepherd, with their companies of the 3rd infantry, gallantly entered the work, and planted the regimental colors, as the enemy threw out white flags, on all sides