Meanwhile Quitman’s brigade, conducted by an officer of engineers, had reached the eastern end of the city, and was placed under cover of the houses without much loss.  Colonel Garland’s brigade also arrived at the suburbs, and, by the assistance of some of our troops that had reached house-tops from which they could fire into a little battery covering the approaches to the lower end of the city, the battery was speedily captured and its guns were turned upon another work of the enemy.  An entrance into the east end of the city was now secured, and the houses protected our troops so long as they were inactive.  On the west General Worth had reached the Saltillo road after some fighting but without heavy loss.  He turned from his new position and captured the forts on both heights in that quarter.  This gave him possession of the upper or west end of Monterey.  Troops from both Twiggs’s and Butler’s divisions were in possession of the east end of the town, but the Black Fort to the north of the town and the plaza in the centre were still in the possession of the enemy.  Our camps at Walnut Springs, three miles away, were guarded by a company from each regiment.  A regiment of Kentucky volunteers guarded the mortars and howitzers engaged against Black Fort.  Practically Monterey was invested.

There was nothing done on the 22d by the United States troops; but the enemy kept up a harmless fire upon us from Black Fort and the batteries still in their possession at the east end of the city.  During the night they evacuated these; so that on the morning of the 23d we held undisputed possession of the east end of Monterey.

Twiggs’s division was at the lower end of the city, and well covered from the fire of the enemy.  But the streets leading to the plaza—­all Spanish or Spanish-American towns have near their centres a square called a plaza—­were commanded from all directions by artillery.  The houses were flat-roofed and but one or two stories high, and about the plaza the roofs were manned with infantry, the troops being protected from our fire by parapets made of sand-bags.  All advances into the city were thus attended with much danger.  While moving along streets which did not lead to the plaza, our men were protected from the fire, and from the view, of the enemy except at the crossings; but at these a volley of musketry and a discharge of grape-shot were invariably encountered.  The 3d and 4th regiments of infantry made an advance nearly to the plaza in this way and with heavy loss.  The loss of the 3d infantry in commissioned officers was especially severe.  There were only five companies of the regiment and not over twelve officers present, and five of these officers were killed.  When within a square of the plaza this small command, ten companies in all, was brought to a halt.  Placing themselves under cover from the shots of the enemy, the men would watch to detect a head above the sand-bags on the neighboring houses.  The exposure of a single head would bring a volley from our soldiers.