Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/295

Rh seemed to be well equipped and mounted on spirited horses. About five hundred lancers now made a charge in full gallop up the street leading to our quarters (Quartel San Jose), and when they came near enough, we opened fire, with grape and canister, right into their ranks, which checked them, and they were obliged to retreat with great loss, the street laying full of dead and wounded Mexicans and horses. We let the Mexicans gather in their dead and wounded, after which they amused themselves by firing at our pickets—firing volley after volley, which became so hot that our men were obliged to fall back one square towards our quarters. This is what may be called coming to close quarters. Some of our pickets could not be driven away from their posts; they were, however, to save their lives, compelled to stand in the doorways of houses near where they were stationed. This shelter saved them; otherwise, every one of them would have been killed. During this little engagement there were many shots fired.

In the afternoon a party of Mexicans were discovered carrying sand-bags and building a breastwork, also planting a bateria (battery). Lieut.-Col. Samuel W. Black was notified of it, when he immediately ordered the howitzers and Fort Loretto to open on them, and, I tell you, the way the dust flew looked like a whirlwind. The Mexican infantry were lying behind a stone wall, firing continually at our men at San Jose, but their bullets mostly fell short. Seeing this, we thought that it was no use for us to fire at them; it would only be a waste of ammunition.

The Mexicans were not leaving the stone wall, and they again attempted to rally their scattered forces by blowing the bugle charge. We now saw a large party of lancers trying to get in our rear. Col. Black instantly sent orders with a messenger to Fort Loretto to point out the spot where the lancers were. The fort then opened and fired right in among them, and it was astonishing to see the large force concealed there. The place was getting too hot for them, and, seeing that the Mexicans were about to change their quarters, we up and let