FALL OF MONTEREY. 



341 



soon became a severe and deadly conflict. Our men, — especially 

 the volunteers, — eager to flesh their swords in the first conflict 

 with which the war indulged them, rushed into the city, which 

 seems to have been amply prepared, in that quarter, with barri- 

 cades, forts, loop-holes, and every means of defence suitable for 

 the narrow streets and flat roofed and parapeted houses of a Span- 

 ish town. After the first deadly onset there was, of course, no 

 intention or desire to abandon the conflict, fatal as its prosecution 

 might ultimately become. On they fought from street to street, 

 and house to house, and yard to yard, until night closed over the 

 dying and the dead. On the second day a different system of 

 approach was adopted. Instead of risking life in the street which 

 was raked from end to end by artillery, or rendered untenable by 

 the hidden marksmen who shot our men from behind the walls of 

 the house tops, our forces were thrown into the dwellings, and 

 breaking onward through walls and enclosures, gradually mined 

 their way towards the plaza or great square of Monterey. 



Thus, both divisions under the eyes of Worth, Butler and Tay- 

 lor, successfully performed their assigned tasks, until it became 

 evident to the Mexicans that their town must fall, and, that if 

 finally taken by the sword, it would be given up to utter destruction 

 and pillage. A capitulation was therefore proposed by Ampudia 

 who stipulated for the withdrawal of his forces and an armistice. 

 Our force was in no condition to seize, hold, and support a large 

 body of prisoners of war, nor was it prepared immediately to follow 

 up the victory by penetrating the interior. General Taylor, who 

 was resolved not to shed a single drop of needless blood in the 

 campaign, granted the terms ; and, thus, this strong position, gar- 

 risoned by nearly ten thousand troops, sustained by more than forty 

 pieces of artillery, yielded to our army of seven thousand, unsup- 

 ported by a battering train and winning the day by hard fighting 

 alone. The attack began on the 21st of September, continued 

 during the two following days, and the garrison capitulated on the 

 24th. This capitulation and armistice were assented to by our 

 commander after mature consultation and approval of his principal 

 officers. The Mexicans informed him, that Paredes had been de- 

 posed, — that Santa Anna was in power, and that peace would 

 soon be made ; but the authorities, at home, eager for fresh vic- 

 tories, or pandering to public and political taste, did not approve 

 and confirm an act, for which General Taylor has, nevertheless re- 

 ceived, as he truly merits, the just applause of impartial history. 



44 



