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Rh de honor formed a part, started from Orizaba, accompanied as far as El Ingenio by some French officers and a number of citizens. Early in this month Cuapiaxtla was occupied, and the next place entered by the auxiliaries was Huamantla. Comonfort then extended his army of the centre to the town of Ixtacuixtla, and went to Tlascala to see to its defence. Marquez established his headquarters at Ixtenco. Juarez visited Puebla in February and reviewed his army. Gonzalez Ortega had been working incessantly on the fortifications. The city was surrounded by nine important outworks, besides other minor fortifications, with ditches, ramparts, and parapets. The following were the names of the nine forts, and hills on which they were built, namely: Guadalupe, on the hill of the same name; Independencia, on La Misericordia; Zaragoza, on Los Remedios; Ingenieros, on the Totimehuacan; Hidalgo, on the Cármen; Morelos, on the Parral; Iturbide on the San Javier; La Reforma, on the Santa Anita; Cinco de Mayo, on the Loreto. The inner line depended upon the blocks of buildings, strong where they centred around some one of the numerous churches and convents with their massive walls. These had parapets, and were crenellated, and connected across the streets by a network of barricades with embrasures, the number of cannon being about 200.

At last on the 23d Forey began his march, after a