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Colonel Jefferson Davis.

his command, assisted by Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, to take pssession of the deserted works. This was accordingly done. The enemy had withdrawn their artillery, so that nothing of value was captured except some ammunition and a few prisoners.

From this work, which commanded a view of the cathedral anc part of the grand plaza, another redoubt, triangular or half mooned, was observed, connected with heavy stone buildings and walls adjoining the block of the city. General Quitman was ordered to advance towards these defences, and, if practicable, to occupy them. As this permission was not absolute, the general determined to act cautiously, sending out a party of riflemen, under Lieutenant Graves, to reconnoiter, supported at some distance by a company of Tennessee infantry, under Captain McMurray. It was soon reinforced by four companies of the Mississippi and Tennessee regiments, under Colonel Davis. As the colonel advanced, armed men were seen flying at his approach. Upon reaching the triangular redoubt, he found it open and exposed to the fire of the enemy from the stone buildings

TAYLOR'S OPERATIONS.

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and walls in the rear; and, on reporting the same to General Quitman, he received orders to post his command as he might deem necessary, and await further instructions.

In reconnoitering the place, Colonel Davis received several shots from the enemy, which he answered by files of riflemen who had advanced to the slope of a breast work erected across the street. The enemy increased their fire, and soon all the forts within reach were in full blast; while, on the other hand, the Americans, being reinforced, poured forth deadly volleys of rifle shot and musketry, which did terrible execution amid the enemy's ranks. In order to dislodge the skirmishers from the house-tops, the Texans rushed from door to door, breaking through buildings, and through inside walls, and mounting to a level with the enemy, picking them off with the rifle. Meanwhile those in the streets rushed from square to square, amid sweeping showers of grape and musketry, cheered on by Generals Lamar and Henderson, and Colonel Davis. Buildings, streets, and courts, were occupied without much loss, until, after an engagement of five hours, the Americans found themselves within two squares of the grand plaza. At this point General Quitman became apprehensive that the troops might fall within range of Bragg's artillery, and ordered offensive operations to cease until the effect of the batteries, which had been planted in one of the principal streets, could be seen. Meanwhile the artillery, under Captains Bragg and Ridgely, had been doing good service, by demolishing some works in front, and playing constantly on the cathedral.

Had General Taylor known the success of General Worth, who had then approached from the west to within two squares of the plaza, he could, no doubt, by a concerted movement with his brother officer, have forced the city to terms that night. But each general was ignorant of his colleague's position; and, accordingly, General Taylor ordered his troops to withdraw to the evacuated works, intending to concert with General Worth a combined operation upon the town. Accordingly the troops fell back deliberately, and in good order, to their original positions; Quitman's brigade being relieved after nightfall by that of General Hamer. On returning to camp, the commander-in-chief met an officer with the intelligence that General Worth, induced by the firing in the lower part of the city, was about making an attack at the upper extremity, which had also been evacuated by the enemy to a considerable distance. A note from the general imparted the additional information, of his having advanced to within a short distance of the principal plaza, and that his mortar was there, doing good execution upon the enemy's position Although regretting that he had not heard this before, General Tay

lor did not deem it expedient to countermand his orders, and retired

to camp.

E now turn to the operations of General Worth, which, it should be repeated, were, during the greater part of their continuance, simultaneous with those of the commander-inchief. Before daylight of the 23d, General Worth ordered the 5th infantry to transport the captured nine-pounder from Fort Soldada to a hill overlooking the town. This was a task of such difficulty, as to consume the time until nine o'clock. The gun was soon in operation upon some lancers in the fields below, who were driven with loss, into the city. It was afterwards directed with some effect against the cathedral. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Meade and Captain McCulloch, with a small detachment, advanced to reconnoiter the city; and Major Brown, with a section of McCall's battery, a company of the artillery battalion, and two companies of rangers, were sent to guard the strong pass of the Saltillo road and the bridge across the stream.

About ten A.M. a heavy firing was heard from the eastern quarter of the city. Its magnitude and continuance, together with minor circumstances, convinced General Worth that the commanding officer was conducting a main attack, and that orders for his co-operation, which he felt certain had been sent, had either miscarried in coming a circuit of six miles, or, what was more probable, had been intercepted by the enemy's numerous cavalry parties. Accordingly he lost no time in ordering his troops to commence an operation, which, unless otherwise directed, he designed executing partly under cover of the night. Two columns of attack were organized, to move along the two principal streets, leading from his position towards the grand plaza. The right column consisted of four companies of the 7th infantry, and Captain Holmes, with a twelve-pound howitzer of McCall's battery, under Lieutenant Martin; the left column, of four companies of the 8th infantry, under Captain Screven, with two sixpounders of McCall's battery. Colonel Hays's rangers were with the right column, those of Lieutenant-Colonel Walker with the left. Major Vinton, with four companies of the artillery battalion, formed the reserve. The whole was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Childs. Worth's orders were to avoid the points swept by the enemy's artillery; to press on the first plaza (capella); to gain possession of the ends of the streets beyond it, then enter the buildings, and by means of picks and bars break through the longitudinal sections of the walls; work from house to house, and mounting the roofs, to

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