Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/308

302 The Mexicans now have picket guards stationed all around our quarters, and are stopping off our wood, coal, and all other necessaries to keep the stream of life up, from coming into our quarters.

Firing is still brisk, and is getting brisker every hour, and a shower of bullets are constantly poured into our quarters from the street, balconies, houses, and church-tops, upon our devoted heads, wounding several of our men.

To-night, we are all again on the ramparts, expecting an attack for sure; if not, we will begin to think that Gen. Santa Anna is as big a coward and fraud as Gen. Rea; in fact, we are beginning to get tired of watching day after day and night after night for these cowardly Mexicans, who are constantly threatening to make an attack upon our quarters.

To-night we can plainly hear the Mexican pickets challenge each other—sentinels alarida pasa (cries of pass)—until it goes clear around their pickets; and this seems that the Mexicans are even afraid that Col. Childs, with his three hundred nearly worn-out Yankees, might make an attack on Gen. Santa Anna's eight thousand soldiers and six pieces of artillery.

Twelve o'clock, Contrary to all our expectations, the Mexicans again have failed to make an attack upon us. They must be making desperate arrangements to make a bold and daring attack upon our garrison, and defeat our little band, but we are not asleep; nay, we are anxiously waiting for the time to come, and quote the language of a poet, which says:

"Freedom calls us—quick, be ready, Think of what our sires have been; Onward, onward, strong and steady. Drive the tyrant to his den."

The following is Gen. Santa Anna's demand on Col. Thomas Childs, for the surrender of Puebla City.