Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/525

Rh a close demonstration in the afternoon of the 8th, but were promptly met and repulsed. On the 10th, hostilities were suspended; a few scattering shots were thrown until the night of the 11th; and on the following morning the enemy began to retire from their positions. The movement had already commenced when General Lane arrived with his reinforcements, and opened his ﬁre on the disappointed troops of General Rea. Meanwhile Lieutenant Colonel Black had moved down the main street, with two companies of the lst Pennsylvania, under Captains Hill and Herron, to silence a warm ﬁre still kept up near the Plaza. At his approach, a body of lancers ﬂed down a cross street, and Captain Herron was directed to move round the square with his company, and cut off their retreat. Whilst hastening to execute the order, Captain Herron was suddenly surrounded by over ﬁve hundred lancers, who charged upon him from the lanes and cross-streets intersecting the road along which he was moving; his men fought with the utmost desperation, losing thirteen killed and four wounded; but they were at length rescued from their perilous situation by the timely' arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Black, with Captain Hill's company, who had moved upon the enemy in front.

The long-continued siege of the posts occupied by the American troops in the city of Puebla, was now terminated. Their anxiety and suspense were at an end. Although they had lost but nineteen killed and ﬁfty-one wounded during the attack, and had never doubted their ability to maintain the. position; yet, their emotions can be more easily conceived than expressed.