At eight in the morning assembly was ordered. The division formed
column. This looked like business. General Scott had arrived; the
Second, Third and Fourth Divisions were coming rapidly. When the First
headed out of San Augustine, upon a broad road leading to the north,
Jerry himself felt a queer little thrill. In that direction lay San
Antonio, only two miles and a half; beyond San Antonio was Churubusco;
and beyond Churubusco, Mexico City.
From San Augustine nothing could be seen of the country north. The view
was interrupted by a great mass of blackish volcanic rock, thrown up
like lava, and cooled into all kinds of ugly shapes. It was named El
Pedrigal; was two miles north and south, and three miles east and west.
The road turned northward around the east end of the lava bed. In
another mile the west end of Lake Xochimilco opened, opposite on the
right――and the column suddenly halted. The road continued, but half
a mile before there stretched across it the Mexican batteries of San
Antonio.
Now the general officers consulted. In the column heads wagged.
With the marshes of the lake upon the one hand and the jagged lava
ridges upon the other, and the road running between straight into the
breastworks, it did not look like a very happy prospect.
“Order――arms! Battalion――rest!” barked Major Francis Lee to the Fourth
Infantry.
The whole column might stand at ease while General Worth and his staff,
riding to a better position, examined the ground through their glasses.
An aide came with orders for the brigade.
“The general’s compliments, colonel, and you will please encamp your
brigade on the right of the road,” he shouted, to Colonel Garland.
The regiments were moved over. The Second Brigade also went into camp
behind. The companies were cautioned to stay near their stacked arms in
readiness for action. The flags of the Mexican batteries could be seen
plainly; the notes of their bugles could be heard. A cannon boomed, and
a round-shot whined down the road.
“B’gorry, this day we make a horn or spoil a spoon,” Corporal Finerty
declared. “Who’s for climbin’ over thim breastworks?”
“I!” and “I!” and “Here’s your man!” were the replies.
“Less noise there, sergeant,” called Captain Gore.
“You hear? Hould your breaths, for you’ll nade ’em,” Sergeant Mulligan
rebuked.
“Sure, sergeant, wan Cerry Gordo shout an’ thim beggars’d be showin’ us
their heels,” Corporal Finerty grinned.
“Here he comes! Old Fuss and Feathers himself! ’Tis like a smell o’
powder――the sight of him. Are ye all primed, boys? We’re in for a
fight.”
General Scott and staff galloped up. General Worth received him
at division headquarters in a ranch house near the rear; they all
proceeded to examine the country again from the roof of the house.
Pretty soon the engineers under Major J. L. Smith and Captain James
Mason (said to be almost the equal of Captain Lee in cleverness) set
out to reconnoitre over the lava bed on the left; Captain Seth B.
Thornton’s company of the Second Dragoons detachment filed along the
edge of the lava to support them.
Both parties disappeared. The camp waited; had dinner beside their
stacked arms, the remaining detachment of dragoons loafing likewise.
Some of the men slept in the warm sun. Jerry was dozing off like an old
campaigner, his shoulders bolstered against his drum, when a “Boom!
Boom” awakened him with a start. The men around him were listening and
gazing, their faces a little paled. The officers had stiffened, alert.
A cavalry horse galloped down the road, its saddle empty, its stirrups
flapping.
“Cap’n Thornton’s horse! It’s Cap’n Thornton’s horse!”
As the horse swerved for the dragoons, all might see that the saddle
was bloody. When the Thornton troopers rode in, they brought Captain
Thornton’s body, cut almost in two by a cannon ball. They had
reconnoitred too close to a masked battery.
The Mexican batteries were sending an occasional shot in the direction
of the division, bidding “Stand off!” The engineers toiled back. They
evidently had found no route either by the left or the right of the
road, for toward evening the First Brigade was moved a short distance
aside and everybody knew that the attack had been postponed. The
Fourth Regiment secured quarters in a large stone barn――and just in
time. A cold rain began to fall.
The Mexican batteries kept firing at the barn with a twenty-four-pounder;
once in a while a round shot landed upon the mud roof or shook the solid
walls, but the rain and the gathering dusk made poor practice for them,
and after a time the men grew used to the bombardment.
Finally the shots ceased. Up the road the San Antonio soldiers were
having a celebration. There was much singing and howling and squawking
of bands, together with the firing of muskets.
“Now I wonder what’s the reason of all that?” Henry Brewer of Jerry’s
mess remarked. “Is it because they killed one man, or do they think
they’ve beaten us off? Seems to me it takes mighty little to make those
fellows happy.”
“Aye; and to-morrow they’ll be singing a different tune,” said John
Doane.
“Did soombody obsarve this marn that we’d be makin’ a spoon or spoilin’
a horn?” asked Scotty MacPheel. “Faith, whin we carry yon batteries I
doot soom of us’ll no hae muckle mair use for a spoon or any ither tool
except a spade.”
“Right-o, Scotty,” Corporal Finerty agreed. “For me military eye tells
me there’s a job ahead of us, though I’m not sayin’ the First Division
can’t handle it. Sure it’s no secret what the ingineers reported; all
the officers know it, an’ I’ve an ear on either side o’ my topknot.
The Mexicans ferninst us are snug an’ tight, wid a reinforcement
o’ two regiments from the north, an’ thray thousand men all tould,
an’ batteries fetched clear from El Peñon an’ that other place,
Mexicalcingo. Their right rists on the lavy that only infantry can
travel; their lift ixtends clean into the bogs, where no man nor horse
can make way around. An’ in front we got to charge in along this same
open road, an’ belike have to put up scalin’ ladders to get in wid for
use o’ the bayonet.”
“You talk like an officer, Finerty.”
“Yis, an’ I’m givin’ yez officers’ talk. If I had me desarts a gin’ral
I’d ha’ been before this. An’ somethin’ else I’ll tell you. Yonder at
the other side those lavy ridges, an’ only thray miles, is another
set o’ batteries, an’ we can’t pass betwixt. There’s another road,
too, west’ard, an’ a cross road connectin’ this and that, by way o’
Cherrybusco beyant San Antonio. So if we do take San Antonio, an’
Cherrybusco, won’t we have thim fellows on our backs? Now I’m figgerin’
that the gin’ral staff is thinkin’ a bit on how to carry the batteries
yonder, first.”
The night passed peacefully. Duncan’s battery had been posted to
command the road, the sentinels regularly sang: “All’s well,” and
the camp slept. In the huge stone barn the Fourth Regiment was as
comfortable as could be.
August 19, the next day, dawned bright and warm. Word came that all
the divisions were now up as far as San Augustine. By the number of
aides and orderlies dashing back and forth between the First Division
headquarters and San Augustine, something was due to happen.
The orders of the day kept everybody close. Jerry had no opportunity
to look up Hannibal, and Hannibal was unable to look him up, either.
The air seemed filled with suspense. The Mexican batteries up the
road stayed very alert, expecting an attack. But the brigade officers,
within sight of Jerry, constantly trained their glasses upon the lava
field to the west――really paying more attention to that than to San
Antonio.
Then about the middle of the afternoon the dull booming of artillery
and the crash of musketry came rolling across the bristling lava.
Speedily two clouds of smoke rose toward the sun; both were three or
four miles away. The larger one veiled a hill that just showed itself
above the lava field.
It was a battle at last. The large cloud was from the Mexican
batteries, the smaller cloud from the American guns.
General Worth and a group of officers had issued upon the flat roof of
the ranch house headquarters to gaze at the smoke. Division Adjutant
Captain William Mackall galloped in from the headquarters to Colonel
Garland; Brigade Adjutant Nichols bore the orders to Major Lee of the
Fourth Regiment.
“The battalions are to stand in line, at rest, major, prepared to move.”
“Battalion, attention!”
Officers ran to their places; the men, who had been sitting down,
sprang up.
“Right――dress! Front! Order――arms! Battalion――rest!”
So the regiments waited for the command to march.
“We’ll be going yonder and lend a hand.” This was the hope. But
although the firing grew heavier and the smoke clouds denser, no
further orders arrived from headquarters.
Nevertheless it was plain to be seen that things were not altogether
right in the west. General Worth and staff still stood outlined upon
the flat roof of the ranch house, peering steadily through their
glasses; the brigade and regimental officers were anxiously gazing,
too; and presently the company officers drifted into little knots and
gazed and murmured.
The smaller black cloud was stationary; it had not advanced, the Mexican
cloud had lessened not at all. By the sounds the American batteries were
lighter in metal. The smoke clouds remained separate――the American
forces seemed to be getting nowhere.
The faces of the officers lengthened; the men in the ranks began to
mutter restlessly.
“Send in the First. Sure, we’re the boys. Leave those fellows in front
of us, and we’ll tend to ’em later.”
The First Division stood ready until sunset. When the firing died away,
the positions of the two smoke clouds had little changed. The Mexicans
upon the hill certainly had held out.
“You may break ranks, major,” the adjutant called to Major Lee. “The
men are to be dismissed for supper.”
This left matters very unsatisfactory. Before supper Jerry sallied
out from the barn. The officers still were in little groups, talking
earnestly. Whenever any of the enlisted men came near to them, they
immediately quit talking, as if they had been discussing bad news.
Jerry waited until he had a chance to catch Lieutenant Grant alone.
Then he went up to him.
“Excuse me, lieutenant, but could you tell me anything about the
battle? The men are afraid it hadn’t gone right.”
“We don’t know much more than the rest of you,” the lieutenant
answered. “General Worth probably is expecting news. But if you’ll
promise not to spread discouraging word among the men, I’ll explain the
best I can.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well. As far as I understand, General Scott is operating on a
triangle. The base of the triangle is formed by this road, from San
Augustine to Churubusco, with San Antonio at about the middle of it.
The lava field occupies the inside of the triangle. The point of the
triangle, west across the lava, is a hill called Contreras, which the
Mexicans have fortified strongly. We cannot pass San Antonio by the
road, without much difficulty, in order to get at Churubusco beyond and
open the way to the capital. But while we mask San Antonio and keep
it on the alert, General Scott purposes to throw the other divisions
from San Augustine out along the south side of the triangle, carry the
Mexican fortifications at the point, and then by marching eastward
again along the north side of the triangle strike Churubusco and San
Antonio at their rear, or in reverse. We, of course, will be called
upon for a frontal attack at the same time. Now by the appearance of
things I fear, myself, that the general has run against a stronger
position than he anticipated, and that matters have not gone according
to plan. He had the engineers under Captain Lee reconnoitring the
enemy yesterday. They found a mule trail leading from San Augustine
through the lava to the batteries at Contreras. Evidently the ground
has proved difficult for artillery, as I noted the reports of only
three light guns on our side.”
“Do you think we’ve been whipped, lieutenant?” Jerry asked, his heart
sinking.
“N-no, not exactly whipped, in the true sense of the word,” Lieutenant
Grant soberly said. “There’s been no call upon us for reinforcements,
and it did not sound like a very heavy battle. But the way this army is
fixed, cut loose from communications and over two hundred miles in the
enemy’s country, if we don’t take a place when we really attack it we
might as well be whipped. We can’t afford to lose men for nothing.”
“We’ll win yet, then; won’t we, sir?”
“General Scott is there. You may be sure that he’ll find a way. A small
force can hold San Antonio in check. It is acting strictly on the
defensive.”
“If troops are sent for, I hope they’ll be the First Brigade,” Jerry
blurted.
“Yes,” smiled Lieutenant Grant; “so do I.”
The regulation night’s rain was commencing to fall. Jerry hastened back
for the stone barn and supper. That was rather a gloomy mess. They all
somehow knew that the attack over at Contreras had failed; all wondered
what Old Fuss and Feathers would do next; what regiments had been cut
up, why the First Division had not been given a chance, and so forth,
and so forth.
“Ah, weel, to-morrow’ll be a bludy day, I’m thinkin’, lads,” spoke
Scotty. “The gen’ral’s no mon to gie oop. I vote for a gude sleep,
mysel’, an’ I sartainly peety them who hae their bivouac in the starm.
Gude sakes, leesten to the pour doon!”
The rain had merged into a terrific storm of thunder and lightning and
gusty wind that lashed the barn with giants’ flails. Luckily the Fourth
Regiment was snug within the dripping eaves; but what of the troops
camped in the open, covered by only their blankets? They would be
drenched! And what of the men on the battlefield? The wounded, and the
weary!
While thinking and listening to the rain, and drowsily watching the
smouldering campfires in the great barn, Jerry dozed off. He awakened
to the sound of low voices. A group of non-commissioned officers
was squatting near him, beside a fire, and talking guardedly among
themselves――or seemed to be interested in a story. All through the barn
the ranks were stretched under blankets upon the floor, snoring and
gurgling. Jerry promptly rolled out and crept to the group. Sergeant
Mulligan and Corporal Finerty were there from his company.
They stopped murmuring.
“Who’s that?”
“Jerry Cameron, is all.”
“Get back to bed. We want no young rascal of a drummer sittin’ in with
us.”
“’Asy, now. He’s not as bad as the rist of ’em,” Sergeant Mulligan
said. “He’s all right; knows how to kape a still tongue in his head.
Sure, I see him talkin’ wid Left’nant Grant, betimes, an’ niver a word
did I get out of him. Let him stay.”
“Mind you, then, nothin’ of this to the men,” Corporal Finerty warned.
“Go on, Murray.”
The center of the group was Corporal Murray, of Company A, who had been
orderly at headquarters.
“Well, as I was saying,” proceeded Corporal Murray, “the story of
the battle is like this――just as I got it with my two ears when the
orderly from Old Fuss and Feathers rode in with dispatches to division
headquarters and I listened through the door. General Valencia, who
ranks next to Santy Annie himself, is over on Contreras hill, with
twenty-two pieces of artillery, mainly heavy guns, and with six
thousand infantry and lancers, blocking the way around by the west the
same as those fellows at San Antonio are blocking our way north’ard.
So this morning the general-in-chief sent Pillow’s division of new
regulars, with Cap’n Magruder’s light battery of the First Artillery
from the Second Division and Left’nant Callender’s howitzers, to open
the trail discovered by the engineers; and the Second Division under
Twiggs was ordered to support.
“Well, and a time they all had, sure enough. The engineers hadn’t been
able by reason of the nature of the ground to get clost enough to
count the batteries, or quite figger their positions, but they’d took
a scattering of prisoners before being driven back, and Old Fuss and
Feathers examined these. Now the trail was fierce, in the open, like,
all heaved up into sharp rocks and broken by holes, and never a bit
of shelter once our men had climbed atop the lava field. And at two
thousand yards the Mexican eighteens had a fair sweep, whilst Magruder
and Callender couldn’t reply at all.
“But the men and horses dragged at the guns and took their medicine.
The Mounted Rifles afoot were sent forward to clean out the Mexican
skirmishers, and that they did. ’Twas not the sharp rocks and the holes
alone, but the cactus was something scandalous, and down in front
of the hill there were ditches and corn patches, fine for skirmish
work. Never mind, the Rifles kept at it. Sure, boys, if Magruder and
Callender didn’t get their guns to within nine hundred yards, and there
they planted ’em, and opened up.
“Persifor Smith’s First Brigade of the Second Division formed our left
o’ line; that new general, Pierce, marched into right of line with his
Second Brigade of Pillow’s Third Division, being the Ninth, Twelfth
and Fifteenth Infantry; the other new general, Cadwalader, moved in to
support with his First Brigade, the Voltigeurs and the ’Leventh and
Fourteenth regiments; old Bennet Riley with the Second and Seventh
Regulars and the Fourth Artillery of the Twiggs’ Second Brigade was
sent around by our right flank to take the Mexicans in reverse and
occupy a village north’ard on their left rear.
“There was a ravine in front of the line, and all cleared of brush,
with the Mexicans up the opposite slope entrenched, their lancers and
infantry covering their flanks and a road leading north for the City of
Mexico. ’Tis the road which connects by a crossroad with this road of
ourn, at Cherrybusco. Our infantry stood no show of storming the hill
from in front――not across that ravine; and for two hours the batteries
had a fearful time with twenty guns pounding ’em. Left’nant Callender,
of the howitzers, was bad wounded, Lef’nant J. P. Johnston, of
Magruder’s, got his death, and we could work only three guns together,
owing to the nature of the ground. The Rifles lay flat, supporting
the batteries; and so did the gunners, and jumped up when they served
the pieces. ’Twasn’t long before the whole two batteries were put out
of action; hadn’t made any impression upon the breastworks with their
twelve-pounders, and had to be withdrawn.”
“Where was Scott all that time?”
“Right there, up toward the front. Riley was getting through, ’midst
the lava, ’round the enemy’s left, so as to take the village north’ards
on the road, and put a wedge betwixt Valencia and Santy Annie. For
I tell you Santy Annie himself was up the road about two miles with
twelve thousand more Mexicans, ready to reinforce if necessary. He’d
been feeding in troops right along. Now to nip that in the bud and
to help Riley, Scott ordered Cadwalader forward by like route, sent
for Shield’s brigade of Mohawks――the New Yorkers and South Caroliny
Palmettos in waiting at San Augustine――and added Pierce’s Fifteenth
Infantry. Pierce’s horse fell in the rocks and hurt the general’s
knee, but Colonel Morgan took the Fifteenth to position. Old Davy
(Twiggs, you know) on his own hook had detached Persifor Smith with
the Rifles, First Artillery and Third Infantry, to the same point. And
at dark there they all were, every regiment, under Smith: posted near
the village at Valencia’s left and rear――thirty-three hundred of ’em,
cut off from Twiggs on the south by the six thousand of Valencia, and
threatened on the north by Santy Annie’s twelve thousand.”
“What’s to be done nixt, wud ye think?”
“Cap’n Lee, of the engineers, made his way back to general headquarters
at San Augustine. He got in about eleven o’clock with dispatches――the
only officer out of eight that tried to open communication between
Smith and Scott. He came all the way from Smith, some four miles across
the lava, and through the Mexican scouts――had to feel with hands and
knees, for it’s black as the inside of your hat, out doors, and raining
pitchforks. Smith intends to attack by the rear at daylight, before
Santy Annie gets down from up the road; asks for a frontal attack at
same time to help him out. So I guess we’ll all be in it, for Twiggs’ll
need every man.”
A little silence fell on the group. Jerry’s heart beat rapidly. The
situation seemed serious.
“I pity those poor fellows yonder acrost the lava,” Sergeant Mulligan
uttered. “Hark to the rain, now! It’s a crool night. An’ they’ve been
marchin’ an’ fightin’ all the long day, an’ likely the most of ’em are
lyin’ out soakin’ wet an’ hungry besides. Did we lose many, have you
heard?”
“Haven’t heard exactly, sergeant. The batteries lost fifteen officers
and men and thirteen horses. The infantry got off better, for the
batteries took the brunt of it. But to-morrow――――. You see, at San
Augustine there are only the Marines and Second Pennsylvania; and here
we are. That’s the reserve, except the dragoons――and they’re no good on
the lava. Twiggs has only the Ninth and Twelfth Regulars of Pierce’s
brigade in Pillow’s Third Division in front of Valencia. To make a
proper diversion there and support Smith and mebbe hold off Santy Annie
he’ll need help. I’ll go you a month’s pay we’ll be called on before
daylight.”
“Faith, if we’re in for a fight, I mane to sleep,” Sergeant Mulligan
growled.
The group broke up. Jerry crept back to bed. He scarcely had dropped
off into an uneasy sleep himself when the galloping hoofs of a horse
aroused him――just as if he had been expecting the very thing.
The horse passed the barn in a hurry; bound for Colonel Garland’s
headquarters, perhaps. Orders! In five minutes the sentry on post
outside the barn challenged again:
“Who comes there?”
A voice answered shortly. Then the door opened, and the same voice――that
of Adjutant Nichols――shouted:
“Men! Men! Wake up, all hands! First sergeants, parade your companies
and call the rolls immediately. The officers will then take command.”