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

FORT TENERIA TAKEN. 167
through the smoke, scaled the low earthen walls, and took
the work as Joshua took Jericho, " with a shout."1
Captain Backus, of the 1st infanltry, who, with a portion
of his own and other comnpanies, had previously gained the
roof of a house overlooking Fort Teneria, by pouring a destructive fire into the work just at the time when the charge
was macde by Quitman's brigade, contributed largely to its
capture. Too much credit, however, can not be awarded to
the Tennessee and Mississippi regiments, for the unyielding
courage they exhibited in the attack. In spite of a resistance
hardly less vigorous and formidable than that encountered
by Garland's brigade, they carried in handsome style, a
stroing and important position, and thereby secured to us that
foothold within the enemy's line of defenses so necessary to
our operations on that side of the city. In this assault, the
brave Tennesseeans suffered a loss of twenty-five killed, and
seventy-four wounded. Of the Miississippians, seven were
hilled, and forty-two wounded. The garrison of the work
fled precipitately as our troops entered it, yet about thirty
prisoners, including three officers, five pieces of artillery,
and a considerable supply of ammunition, fell into our
hands.* The Mexican historians give us the following account of the capture of the
Teneria in their'Notes for the History of the War." Their complaint of the
scarcity of cartridges is altogether unfounded. We certainly thought they possessed a tolerably good supply throughout the battle; and upon taking the town we
found many well-filled magazines; even the cathedral contained several tons of
ammunition. But to the extract:
"Then there broke forth to the north-east, a vivid flash of musketry and artillery, on the points of the line of' General Mejia. A rude, sustained and desperate
shock took place in the redoubt of the Teneria, whose limited garrison, with only
four pieces, was multiplied by their glowing heroism. The attacks were renewed.