Each officer had his place assigned to him in the
conflict; and they parted to seek a few hours' rest.
At half-past two on the morning of the 8th the division was astir. 'Twas
a bright starlight night whose silence was unbroken as the troops moved
thoughtfully toward the battlefield. In front, on the right, about a
mile from the encampment, the hewn-stone walls of the Molino del Rey--a
range of buildings five hundred yards long, and well adapted for
defence--were distinctly visible, with drowsy lights twinkling through
the windows. A little farther off, on the left, stood the black pile of
the Casa Mata, the arsenal, crenelled for musketry, and surrounded by a
quadrangular field work. Beyond the Casa Mata lay a ravine, and from
this a ditch and hedge ran, passing in front of both works, to the
Tacubaya road. Far on the right the grim old castle of Chapultepec
loomed up darkly against the sky. Sleep wrapped the whole Mexican line,
and but few words were spoken in the American ranks as the troops took
up their respective positions: Garland, with Dunn's battery and Huger's
24-pounders, on the right, against the Molino; Wright, at the head of
the stormers, and followed by the light division under Captain Kirby
Smith, in the centre; M'Intosh, with Duncan's battery, on the left, near
the ravine looking toward the Casa Mata; and Cadwallader, with his
brigade, in reserve.
Pages:
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194