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

G168 ADVANCEO OF THE FIRST 01110O REGIMENT.
We now return to our own regiment, which, though
then numbering less than four hundred, rank and file, was
ordered, as the reader will remember, to attack the center of
the northern front of the city. Its line of march was over
the open plain, within grape range of the citadel, on our
right flank; but the guns of that fortress, which had hitherto
been trained upon more distant columns, were not soon
brought to bear upon ours. The air above us was turbulent
with whizzing and bursting shells, and more than once we
distinguished a sharp cracking, as of balls driven violently
in contact. The regiment advanced in excellent order, but
not without loss from the heavy flank fire. Near the edge
of the town we passed Bragg's battery, already in very bad
plights apparently indeed, a perfect wreck. A few of his
artillerymen, and more than a dozen of his horses, were
down in the same spot, making the ground about the guns
slippery with their gasped foam and blood. The intrepid Captain and his men, though exposed the while to a galling fire,
were deliberately engaged in re-fitting the teams and in strip-.ping the harness from the dead and disabled animals, deterThe impulse of the invader was vehement. The general-in-chief sent the 3d Light
to reinforce us. The enemy came close upon the work when we had not one
cartridge for the cannons. The assault was plain; but a reinforcement came up,
with an order for the Lieutenant Colonel of the 3d Light, to sally forth and charge
the enemy. The word to handle the bayonet was answered by enthusiastic vivas;
to form column and then * * *. The parties say, and different witnesses do
not satisfactorily deny it for this officer —with whose name we do not wish to defile
these pages-that rushing out through the gorget of the work, he threw himself
into the river, taking to flight among cries of scorn and indignation. By the
desertion of the Chief of the Light, the enemy tools the Teneria. Our soldiers
retreated to the' Rincon del Diabolo,' within musket range of the Teneria, whence
they made a courageous resistance, distinguishing among others Lieutenant Colonel Bravo, and Captain Arenal of the artillery."