next general taylor proceeded against monterey, september 24, and with six thousand men attacked the strongly-fortified city, which held ten thousand troops. the americans avoided the heavy fire as well as possible by entering the city and securing rooms at the best hotel, leaving word at the office that they did not wish to be disturbed by the enemy. in fact, the soldiers did dig their way through from house to house to avoid the volleys from the windows, and thus fought to within a square of the grand plaza, when the city surrendered. the grand plaza is generally a sandy vacant lot, where mexicans sell tamales made of the highly-peppered but tempting cutlets of the mexican hairless dog.