Our conquering army thus easily admitted into the City of the Angels,
soon discovered it to be deserving of a far different appellation; and
before we were a week within its walls there were few of our fellows who
would not have preferred taking the chance of "quarters in Timbuctoo."
Notwithstanding our antipathy to the place, we were forced to remain in
it for a period of several months, as it was not deemed prudent to
advance directly upon the capital.
Between the "Vega" of Puebla and the "Valle" of Mexico extends a vast
wall--the main "cordillera" of the Mexican Andes. It affords several
points capable of easy defence, against a force far superior to that of
the defenders. It was reported that one or other of these points would
be fortified and sustained.
Moreover, the city of Mexico was not to be considered in the same light
as the many others in that Imperial Republic, already surrendered to us
with such facile freedom--Puebla among the number. The latter was but
an outlying post; the former the heart and centre of a nation--up to
this time unvisited by foreign foe--for three centuries untainted by the
stranger's footstep.
Around it would be gathered the chivalry of the land, ready to lay down
its life in the defence of the modern city; as its Aztec owners freely
did, when it was the ancient Tenochtitlan.
Labouring under this romantic delusion, our timid commander-in-chief
decreed that we should stay for a time in the City of the Angels.
It was a stay that cost us several thousands of brave men; for, as it
afterwards proved, we might have continued our triumphant march into the
capital without hostile obstruction.
Fate, or Scott, ruling it, we remained in La Puebla.
If a city inhabited by _real_ angels be not a pleasanter place of abode
than that of the sham sort at Puebla, I fancy there are few of my old
comrades would care to be quartered in it.
It is true we were in an enemy's town, with no great claim to
hospitality. The people from the first stayed strictly within doors--
that is, those of them who could afford to live without exposing their
persons upon the street. Of the tradesmen we had enough; and, at their
prices, something more.
But the women--those windows full of dark-eyed _doncellas_ we had seen
upon our first entry, and but rarely afterwards--appeared to have been
suddenly spirited away; and, with some exceptions, we never set eyes on
them again!
We fancied that they had their eyes upon us, from behind the deep
shadowy _rejas_: and we had reason to believe they were only restrained
from shewing their fair faces by the jealous interference of their men.
As for the latter, we were not long in discovering _their_ proclivity.
In a town of sixty thousand inhabitants--with house-room (as already
stated) for twice or three times the number--a small _corps d'armee_,
such as ours was, could scarce be discovered in the crowd. On days of
general drill, or grand parade, we looked formidable enough--at least to
overawe the ruffianism around us.
But when the troops were distributed into their respective _cuartels_,
widely separated from one another, the thing was quite different; and a
sky-blue soldier tramping it through the streets might have been likened
to a single honest man, moving in the midst of a thousand thieves!
The consequence was that the Poblanos became "muy valiente," and began
to believe, that they had too easily surrendered their city.
And the consequence of this belief, or hallucination on their part, was
an attitude of hostility towards our soldiers--resulting in rude
badinage, broils, and, not unfrequently, in blood.
The mere mob of "leperos" was not alone guilty of this misconception.
The "swells" of the place took part in it--directing their hostility
against our subaltern officers--among them some good-natured fellows,
who, quite unconscious of the intent, had for a time misconstrued it.
It resulted in a rumour--a repute I should rather call it--which became
current throughout the country. The people themselves said, and
affected to believe it, that the _Americanos_, though brave in battle--
or, at all events, hitherto successful--were _individually_ afraid of
their foes, and shirked the _personal_ encounter!
This idea the _jeunesse dore_ propagated among their female
acquaintances; and for a time it obtained credit.
Well do I remember the night when it was first made known to those who
were sufferers by the slander.
There were twelve of us busied over a basket of champagne--better I
never drank than that we discovered in the cellars of La Puebla.
There is always good wine in the proximity of a convent.
Some one joining our party reported: that he had been jostled while
passing through the streets; not by a mob of _pelados_, but by men who
were known as the "young bloods" of the place.
Several others had like experiences to relate--if not of that night, as
having occurred within the week.