Nothing had been heard of Worth, who
had been directed to move along the east side of the Pedregal on San
Antonio, but it was taken for granted he had carried the point, and
Scott wished to cut off the retreat of the garrison. Twiggs was
advancing cautiously toward the convent when a heavy firing was heard in
advance. Supposing that a reconnoitring party had been attacked, he
hastily sent forward the First Artillery, under Dimmick, through a field
of tall corn, to support them. No sooner had they separated from the
main body than a terrific discharge of grape, canister, and musketry
assailed them from the convent. In the teeth of the storm they advanced
to within one hundred yards of that building, and a light battery under
Taylor was brought up on their right, and opened on the convent.
More than an hour the gunners stood firm to their pieces under afire as
terrible as troops ever endured; one-third of the command had fallen
before they were withdrawn. Colonel Riley meanwhile, with the stormers
of Contreras, had been despatched to assail San Pablo on the west, and,
like Dimmick, was met by a murderous rain of shot.
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