Battles -- United States; United States -- History, Military -- To 1900
Worth came up almost immediately; and, directing the Sixth to advance
as best they could along the causeway in the teeth of the _tête de
pont_, despatched Garland and Clarke’s brigades through the fields
on the right to attack it in flank. Every gun was instantly directed
against the assailants; and, though the day was bright and clear, the
clouds of smoke actually darkened the air. Hoffman, waving his sword,
cheered on the Sixth; but the shot tore and ripped up their ranks
to such a degree that in a few minutes they had lost ninety-seven
men. The brigades on the right suffered as severely. One hundred men
fell within the space of an acre. Still they pressed on, till the
Eighth (of Clarke’s brigade) reached the ditch. In they plunged,
Lieutenant Longstreet bearing the colors in advance--scrambled out
on the other side--dashed at the walls, without ladders or scaling
implements--bayoneted the defenders as they took aim. At last officers
and men, mixed pell-mell, some through the embrasures, some over the
walls, rushed or leaped in and drove the garrison helter-skelter upon
their reserves.
The _tête de pont_ gained, its guns were turned on the convent, whence
the Mexicans were still slaughtering our gallant Second and Third.
Duncan’s battery, too, hitherto in reserve, was brought up, and opened
with such rapidity that a bystander estimated the intervals between the
reports at three seconds. Stunned by this novel attack, the garrison
of San Pablo slackened fire. In an instant the Third, followed by
Dimmick’s artillery, dashed forward with the bayonet to storm the
nearest bastion. With a run they carried it, the artillery bursting
over the curtain; but at that moment a dozen white flags waved in their
faces. The whole fortified position of Churubusco was taken.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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