fficers,
though necessarily slow, was unwavering, over rocks, chasms, and
mines, and under the hottest fire of cannon and musketry. The
redoubt now yielded to resistless valor, and the shouts that
followed announced to the castle the fate that impended. The
enemy were steadily driven from shelter to shelter. The retreat
allowed no time to fire a single mine, without the certainty of
blowing up friend and foe. Those who at a distance attempted to
apply matches to the long trains, were shot down by our men.
There was death below, as well as above ground. At length the
ditch and wall of the main work was reached; the scaling ladders
were brought up and planted by the storming parties; some of the
daring spirits first in the assault were cast down, killed or
wounded; but a lodgment was soon made; streams of heroes (p. 328)
followed; all opposition was overcome, and several of our
regimental colors flung out from the upper walls, amidst
long-continued shouts and cheers, which sent dismay into the
capital. No scene could have been more animating or glorious.

Major-General Quitman, nobly supported by Brigadier-Generals
Shields and Smith, (P. F.,) his other officers and men, was up
with the part assigned him. Simultaneously with the movement on
the west, he had gallantly approached the southeast of the same
works, over a causeway with cuts and batteries, and defended by
an army strongly posted outside, to the east of the works. Those
formidable obstacles Quitman had to face, with but little shelter
for his troops or space for manoeuvring. Deep ditches flanked
the causeway, made it difficult to cross on either side into the
adjoining meadows, and these again were intersected by other
ditches. Smith and his brigade had been early thrown out to make
a sweep to the right, in order to present a front against the
enemy's lines, (outside,) and to turn two intervening batteries
near the foot of Chapultepec. This movement was also intended to
support Quitman's storming parties, both on the causeway. The
first of these, furnished by Twiggs' division, was commanded in
succession by Captain Casey, 2d Infantry, and Captain Paul, 7th
Infantry, after Casey had been severely wounded; and the second,
originally under the gallant Major Twiggs, Marine Corps, kille