1846.

CAPTURE OF MONTEREY.

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burst open the doors of the buildings where their enemies had hidden themselves; dashed up the dark stairways and out upon the flat roofs, and compelled the infuriated Mexicans to fling down their arms and beg for mercy. Ampudia, the commander, was granted the honors of war, and

evacuated the city and fell back toward the capital. The capture of Monterey was a brilliant victory for the Ameri

General Taylor now received notice that the Mexican authorities were about to make overtures for peace. He agreed to an armistice of eight weeks. But it was a trick of the enemy, who used the time thus gained in making every possible preparation.

General Santa Anna, the author of the Alamo massacre, who spent his life in exile, plotting in Mexico, or suffering defeat, was called back from Havana whither he had been exiled, and was given the presidency of the country. During the autumn a Mexican army of twenty thousand was put in the field. The armistice having expired, General Taylor, under orders of his government, once more advanced. General Worth with the advance captured the town of Saltillo, seventy miles south-west from Monterey. This was on the 15th of November, and in the following month General Patterson captured Victoria in the province of Tamaulipas. General Butler, marching from Monterey, joined Patterson at this point, the intention being to advance against Tampico on the Panuco river, but it was learned that Tampico had already surrendered to Captain Conner, commander of an American squadron.

General Wool, meanwhile, entered Mexico from San Antonio with a strong force and took position within supporting distance of Monterey. General Scott now arrived and assumed command of the American forces.

Let us see what was done by the army of the west. General Kearny set out from Fort Leavenworth in June, 1846, to conquer New Mexico, the Mexican provinces of New Mexico and California. It was a long, laborious march to Santa Fé, which was captured and garrisoned on the 18th of August. The whole of New Mexico submitted. General Kearny then set out with four hundred dragoons for the Pacific coast. Three hundred miles out from Santa Fé, he was met by the famous mountaineer, Kit Carson, who brought the news that California had already been conquered. Kearny thereupon sent back three-fourths of his men, and pushed westward with the rest.

For a period of four years, Colonel John C. Fremont had been engaged in exploring the country west of the Rocky Mountains. While in California, he received dispatches telling him of the impending war with Mexico. He urged the hardy pioneers of that country to declare their independence. They did so and rallied about Fremont, who defeated the Mexicans repeatedly, though their numbers were much superior to his command.

Commodore Sloat, with an American fleet, had taken the town of Monterey, eighty miles south of San Francisco, on the coast. Commodore Stockton, commanding the Pacific squadron, shortly afterward captured San Diego. When Fremont learned of what they had done, he raised the flag of the United States instead of that of California, and, joining the naval commanders, marched to Los Angeles, which surrendered without resistance. Before the close of the summer the whole enormous province was subdued. General Kearny reached the coast in November and joined Fremont and Stockton. A few weeks later the Mexicans rose against the invaders, but were routed on the 8th of January, 1847, at San Gabriel. This victory established the authority of the United States. A few hundred brave men had taken a country larger than an ordinary empire.

When General Kearny pushed to the Pacific, he left Colonel Doniphan in command of New Mexico. At the head of seven hundred men, Doniphan marched eight hundred miles through the enemy's country to Saltillo. Striking the Rio Grande on Christmas day, he won the battle of Bracito; then he crossed the river and took El Paso, and two

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THE BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA.

351

months later he was within twenty miles of Chihuahua. He met the Mexicans in large numbers on the banks of the Sacramento creek, and utterly defeated them on the 28th of February. He then marched without resistance into the large city of Chihuahua, and soon after reached the division of General Wool.

General Scott, having taken command in Mexico, ordered the larger part of the army of occupation to join him on the gulf for the purpose of marching against the capital. This left Taylor and Wool in a dangerous position, for Santa Anna was advancing upon them at the head of twenty thousand men. "Old Rough-and-Ready," however, was not dismayed. All the soldiers he could concentrate at Saltillo numbered scarcely six thousand, and after putting garrisons in that place and Monterey, he had but fortyeight hundred left. At the head of these he marched out to meet Santa Anna and his legions. Four miles south of Saltillo, the favorable battle-ground of Buena Vista was chosen, the troops posted, and the attack of the enemy awaited.

On Washington's birthday, the horde of twenty thousand Mexicans swarmed through the gorges and over the hills from the direction of San Luis Potosi. Santa Anna was kind enough to give the Americans a chance to escape massacre by demanding their surrender, and General Taylor was rash enough to refuse.

The battle opened on the 23d by an attempt to outflank the American right, but the Illinois troops defeated it. Then a heavy column was hurled against the center, but was broken and driven back by Captain Washington's artillery. The enemy next fell with great fury upon the left flank. As they did so, an Indiana regiment, acting under a mistaken order, gave way, placing the whole army in imminent danger. But the Mississippians and Kentuckians threw themselves into the breach; the troops of Illinois and Indiana rallied, and once more the enemy was driven back. A final charge was made upon Captain Bragg's battery, but the Mexican lancers were scattered by the volleys of grape-shot, and a charge of the American cavalry (attended though with the loss of many lives), overthrew the foe, who lost fully two thousand men. That night Santa Anna made a hasty retreat.

The American loss in killed, wounded and missing was seven hundred and forty-six So hurried was the flight of the Mexicans that they left their dead and wounded. behind. Many of the latter died of hunger, thirst and fatigue. As soon as General Tayler learned of their pitiful condition, he sent them provisions and medical attend

ance.

You will see from the figures that I have given that there was furious fighting at Buena Vista. Colonel Henry Clay, a son of the famous Kentucky statesman, was killed, and, among those who did effective service, was Colonel Jefferson Davis with his Mississippi riflemen. This was the last battle fought by General Taylor. He soon afterward went back to the United States, where the popularity he had gained at Buena Vista ended ir making him president.

General Scott began the last campaign of the war on the 9th of March, 1847. He landed with a force of twelve thousand men to the south of Vera Cruz, and within three days completed the investment of the city. The city was summoned to surrender, but refused, and the cannonade was opened on the morning of the 22d. Vera Cruz was de

fended on the water side by the great castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, built by Spain in the early part of the seventeenth century, at a cost of four million dollars. The fleet of Commodore Conner helped, and for four days the bombardment lasted. Then, when an assault was about to be made, the authorities proposed terms of surrender.

These were agreed to, and on the 29th the American flag was raised over Vera
Cruz.

The road to the capital of Mexico was now open. General Twiggs, in command of the advance, set out on the 8th of April, General Scott following with the main division. On the 12th, when Twiggs reached the heights and rocky pass of Cerro

1

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BATTLE OF CERRO GORDO.

353

Gordo, he found that Santa Anna had taken possession with an army of fifteen thousand men. It looked impossible to carry these heights, but it had to be done, or the whole campaign would come to naught.

Before noon on the 18th, every Mexican position had been carried and the army

routed. The Americans lost four hundred and thirty-one, and the enemy more than a thousand. The latter left three thousand prisoners behind, forty-three pieces of bronze artillery, five thousand muskets, and an immense supply of accouterments. Santa Anna was so terrified that when he fled he forgot his wooden leg.

The following day the American army entered Jalapa. The castle of Perote surrendered without resistance on the 22d, where large supplies were also secured. The