own the walls of
the church of Guadalupe. The French troops were six thousand strong. The
defenders were under command of General Zaragoza; the French, under
General de Lorencez, who attacked the fort with great dash and vigor.
The Mexicans repulsed them with heavy loss to the attacking party. It
was not a very important battle, but its moral effect upon the Mexicans
was excellent. They realized that they were comparatively raw troops,
and that their enemies were trained soldiers of the much-lauded French
army. Though it was only a gallant repulse, it was heralded all over the
country as being a great victory, and probably had as much effect upon
the popular mind as though it had been. It gave them courage to continue
their warfare against the invaders with increased determination. Five
years later, the position was reversed, when General Porfirio Diaz--now
President--took Puebla by storm and made prisoners of its French
defenders. Between the occurrence of these battles the fortifications on
the hill of Guadalupe had been erected. The view from the fort is one of
extraordinary interest, taking in three snow-capped mountains, and
affording a comprehensive panorama of the city with its myriad domes and
fine public buildings, the tree-decked Plaza Mayor, the alameda, the
stone bridge over the Aloyac, while over the Cerro de San Juan is seen
the church of Los Remedios, which crowns the great earth-pyramid of
Cholula. To the south of the city lies the interesting suburb of Jonaco,
and to the north, on the hill of the Loreto, stands the fort of the
Cinco de Mayo.

Puebla contains between eighty and ninety thousand inhabitants, and is
rated as the fourth city of the republic in point of population and
general importance. It certainly rivals the larger cities in the
character of its principal buildings, which are mostly constructed of
granite, as well as in some other respects. Among the citizens it bears
the fanciful name of La Puebla de los Angeles (The City of the Angels).
One might reasonably think this was on account of its beautiful
situation and salubrious climate; the veracious chroniclers tell us it
was because the walls of the grand cathedral were erected amid the songs
of angels. What would any Roman Catholic institution be in Mexico
without its mystery and miracles? In this instance, the legend runs to
the effect that the angels built as much each night upon the walls of
the church while it was erecting as the terr