“Column, halt!”
The drums beat, the bugles rang.
The column was two miles and a half from Churubusco, and only a mile
and a half from the city gate. The Mexican rout had attempted no stand;
the foremost of its dense mob were already jostling in. General Worth
evidently was uncertain what to do――whether to follow right on or
wait for orders. He and General Pillow and General Shields consulted
together, sitting their horses. Huzzah! Huzzah for the dragoons! Here
they came at a gallop, from behind, under Colonel Harney, and tore in
to General Worth.
Colonel Harney checked them for a moment, and exchanged a word
with the general. General Worth nodded. On spurred the little
detachment――Captain Phil Kearny’s company of the First, half a company
of the Second and two companies of the Third. Captain Kearny led.
Their pennons streamed, the riders leaned forward in the saddles,
sabers were out and flashing.
Plain to view they struck the Mexican rear guard――dashed the lancers
to one side and the other, wielding their sabers cut a lane clear to
the city gate, and disappeared in the midst of a seething mass. Colonel
Harney’s orderly bugler pelted vainly after, blowing the recall. The
Kearny detachment did not hear. The battery and the muskets of the city
gate began to fire upon friend and foe alike. It looked as though the
dragoons were entering the gate itself. No――back they galloped, Captain
Kearny with his left arm dangling and bloody, two other officers
wounded, and several troopers reeling in the saddle.
An aide from General Scott hastened in with dispatches. General Scott
directed that the pursuit cease. The column was counter-marched a
short distance and bivouacked. Dusk was descending from the mountains,
announcing the end of a long, long day. Suddenly Jerry and everybody
else felt exhausted. They had been upon their feet since before
daylight; had been marching and fighting for sixteen hours, with not
much to eat.
The first thought was “coffee.” As soon as arms were stacked the First
Division bustled to gather wood. Down the road other divisions were
doing the same. The hospital men could be seen searching the field of
battle, far and near, for the wounded.