of the number of the enemy, the major ordered a charge, which was gallantly executed, and ended in the total rout of the enemy. This enabled him to obtain the desired information, with which he returned to General Taylor.

On the 20th McCulloch was again despatched on a scout, taking with him but six men. Six miles from Agua Nueva, he met a deserter, who stated that Santa Anna had arrived at Encarnacion with twenty thousand men. The major moved forward, however, until midnight, when he arrived in view of Encarnacion, where found the enemy encamped apparently in great force. Favoured by the darkness of the night, he moved stealthily forward, passed the pickets, and arrived near the camp guard. Here he reconnoitered the camp, in order to ascertain its length. He now determined to send to General Taylor all his party except one man, that they might immediately report, while he remained behind until daylight, for the purpose of obtaining a fuller view of the enemy's camp.

On the following morning the major found himself entangled amid the enemy's pickets, and in full view of their main army. To be captured was certain death, yet escape seemed impossible. By a series of the most brilliant maneuvers he and his companion passed

among the guards, who were induced to believe them Mexicans, and escaping into the main road, set off briskly to join the American army. He found it in full march towards Buena Vista, in consequence of the information sent by the major during the night. During the day, General Taylor reached the strong mountain pass of Angostura, three miles from Buena Vista, and about eight from Saltillo. Here he awaited, with his little army, the threatened attack of Santa Anna.

Two disasters which happened to portions of the American army, a little before this, are worthy of notice. In the latter part of Decem. ber, Captain May, with two companies of dragoons, was sent to examine the country south of the road between Monterey and Victoria. By means of a difficult pass, scarcely practicable for horses, he reached a rancho, named Labadores, where he seized some stores. In re turning by way of the Linares pass, he was obliged to move along the dry bed of a stream, which wound through a defile so narrow that the party were obliged to dismount and lead their horses one by On each side the cliffs rose almost perpendicularly to a height of several hundred feet. When the greater part of the squadron had

one.

CAPTURE OF BORLAND'S COMMAND

347 passed through, and the rear guard were about entering, a mine was sprung from the rocks above, and showers of stones came pouring into the pass. Immediately after, a fire of musketry was opened from the opposite side, which caused the eleven men constituting the rear to fly in disorder, and the drivers to desert their mules. May dismounted as speedily as possible, and with twenty men, repassed the defile and went a mile beyond, but without finding his men. Some straggling shots from the heights were received and returned without injury to either party. The total loss was eleven men, twelve horses, and all the baggage.

One 22d of January, at Encarnacion, two scouting parties under the command of Majors Borland and Gaines, were surrounded and captured by General Minon with an overwhelming body of lancers. The accident seems to have occurred principally from carelessness, and when we compare it with similar expeditions of Walker, McCulloch, and other officers, it is impossible to resist the impression that if fighting had been impracticable, the party might at least have retreated, or concealed itself, before coming in contact with so superior an enemy. The whole command, numbering six officers and sixty-four men, were marched off towards Mexico; but on the road Captain Henrie, one of the officers, effected his escape. Only five days after, Captain Heady, with seventeen Kentucky volunteers, was captured by a party of rancheros.

T has been already mentioned, that on receiving news of the opening of General Taylor's campaign on the Rio Grande, the American Congress recognized the existence of war between the two republics. In consequence of this recognition the president was authorized, on the 13th of May, to accept the service of any number of volunteers, not exceeding fifty thousand. Under this act, requisitions were immediately made upon the governors of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas, for a volun

GENERAL WOOL.

349

eer force equal to twenty-six regiments, which, with a battalion from he District of Columbia and Maryland, amounted to about twentythree thousand effective men. They were to serve or the period of twelve months or until the end of the war.

This call met a prompt and patriotic response; the force was organized and sent forward the points of destination. The greater portion of it was designed to co-operate with the main army on the Rio Grande; the part from the state of Missouri assembled at Fort Leavenworth, to march under General Kearny for Santa Fe; and a third command to be denominated the "Army of the Centre," was placed under Brigadier-General Wool, with instructions to march against the city and province of Chihuahua. It is of the organization and march of the latter force that we are now to speak.

After this plan of operations was adopted, Wool was ordered to Washington, and set out for that city on the day that his instructions reached him. The duties entailed on him by government were arduous in the extreme-to muster into service during the campaign the twelve months' volunteers of six states, and march them into the enemy's country. He landed from the gulf at Labaca, (Texas,) on the 2d of August, 1846, with two regiments of Illinois infantry, under Colonels Hardin and Bissell, and soon after marched for the place of rendezvous, San Antonio de Bexar, situated one hundred and fifty miles to the north. Here he was joined by Colonel Yell's mounted regiment from Arkansas, and that of Colonel Marshall of Kentucky; Captain Washington's flying artillery, Major Bonneville's battalion of regular infantry, and Colonel Harney with four companies of dragoons. The detachments were so tardy in arriving, that August had nearly expired before they had all reached the head-quarters. These men were from the walks of private life, and General Wool, on his arrival, found them utterly destitute of the character and supplies necessary to a campaign.

Encompassed with difficulties, harassed with the murmurs and questionings of raw volunteers, unable to obtain supplies except from a great distance, Wool began his labours. He conducted a correspondence with agents, state governors, officers of the army, and with the war department; he passed personally from state to state, and induced the proper authorities to meet the requisitions of government; and in six weeks he had organized the whole command, sent on a large reinforcement to the Rio Grande, and prepared for his own march through Coahuila.

On the 26th of September, the right wing of Wool's army, numbering twelve hundred and thirty-seven men, under Colonel Harney, moved towards the Rio Grande, en route for Monclova. On the