The capture of Independence Hill was the key to the battle. It enabled the Americans to fire down on the Bishop's Palace and then the city, to dominate the road to Saltillo, and to climb over the mountain ridge and successfully storm the Bishop's Palace, the other strategic location that dominated the city. The climb up the steep hill on the right slope through cactus and sharp rocks in stormy weather was exceedingly difficult. When the American flag was raised atop the hill, it inspired the troops, and conjures up images of Mt. Surabachi at Iwo Jima to those who remember World War II. Chamberlain accurately portrays the stormy, wet conditions in the "Capture of Independence Hill," even though he was not present.