e night
of the 11th. Major-General Worth was now ordered to hold his
division in reserve, near the foundry, to support Pillow; and
Brigadier-General Smith, of Twiggs' division, had just arrived
with his brigade from Piedad (two miles), to support Quitman.
Twiggs' guns, before the southern gates, again reminded us, as
the day before, that he, with Riley's brigade, and Taylor's and
Steptoe's batteries, was in activity, threatening the southern
gates, and there holding a great part of the Mexican army on the
defensive.

Worth's division furnished Pillow's attack with an assaulting
party of some two hundred and fifty volunteer officers and men,
under Captain McKenzie, of the 2d Artillery; and Twiggs' division
supplied a similar one, commanded by Captain Casey, 2d Infantry,
to Quitman. Each of these little columns was furnished with
scaling ladders.

The signal I had appointed for the attack was the momentary
cessation of fire on the part of our heavy batteries. About 8
o'clock in the morning of the 13th, judging that the time had
arrived by the effect of the missiles we had thrown, I sent an
aid-de-camp to Pillow, and another to Quitman, with notice that
the concerted signal was about to be given. Both columns now
advanced with an alacrity that gave assurance of prompt success.
The batteries, seizing opportunities, threw shots and shells upon
the enemy over the heads of our men, with good effect,
particularly at every attempt to re-enforce the works from
without to meet our assault.

Major-General Pillow's approach, on the west side, lay through an
open grove, filled with sharp-shooters, who were speedily
dislodged; when being up with the front of the attack, and
emerging into open space, at the foot of a rocky acclivity, that
gallant leader was struck down by an agonizing wound. The
immediate command devolved on Brigadier-General Cadwallader, in
the absence of the senior brigadier (Pierce) of the same
division, an invalid since the events of August 19. On a previous
call of Pillow, Worth had just sent him a re-enforcement, Colonel
Clarke's brigade.

The broken acclivity was still to be ascended, and a strong
redoubt, midway, to be carried, before reaching the castle on the
heights. The advance of our brave men, led by brave o