Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

152 DESCRIPTrION OF T'HE ENEMY S WORKS.
lives saved, had the prudent counsels of Winfield Scott,
heretofore alluded to, been heeded by the Cabinet.
In order that the reader may have a better understanding
of the battle of Monterey, it will be well, before entering on
its description, to take a general survey of the fortifications
of the enemy, of the position and strength of many of which
we were not apprised until we received their fire in the progress of the engagement. The outline of the city, as will be
seen firom the accompanying map, is nearly that of a parallelogramn, the longest sides being on the north and south.
The only elevated ground in its immediate vicinity that could
be made serviceable in its defense, was the steep and bare hill
of the ObispacCdo, rising from the western suburbs, and upon
which the Bishop's Castle and Fort Independence were situated. Between this hill and a spur of the Sierra Madre,
about six hundred yards to the south of it, and which was
crowned by the two forts Federacion and Soldada, runs the
river and road from the Saltillo pass. The elevation between
our camp and the city, already mentioned, could scarcely be
termed a hill. It was merely a low swell of the plain, within
good battering distance of the town, however. On this elevation our Mortar Battery, (save the mark!) was planted.
This forimidable battery consisted of a single ten inch concern, which looked more like some old witch's soup pot, than
one of those"Mortal engines, whose rude throats
The immortal Jove's dread clamors counterfeit."
It proved perfectly useless in that position, aid our old grayhaired chief of artillery, on observing how far short of the