wallader that he would comply with the letter of the proclamation.

On the afternoon of the same day, the Governor of the State arrived with several military companies, and the city was put under martial law. A renewal of violence was apprehended on the following Sunday; but the Catholic Bishop suspended public worship in all the churches under his care, although he was assured by Major General Patterson that sufficient protection should be afforded to all religious denominations in the exercise of their rights. Order was soon restored, and in a few days the Native American party held a meeting in Kensington without molestation.

137. Mexican War..

The principal and immediate cause of the movements which led to the war between the United States and Mexico, was the annexation of Texas (a territory which Mexico claimed to be within her own limits) to the United States. The terms of annexation were accepted by Texas, July 4, 1845. Immediately on intelligence of this event, General TAYLOR, in accordance with the orders of the Secretary of War, sailed from New Orleans for Western Texas, and arrived at St. Joseph's Island (Aransas Inlet) on the 25th of July. At the head of a considerable force, he soon after established his camp at Corpus Christi, on the west side of the Nueces, then the farthest point west to which the Texan population had extended.

The army of occupation remained at Corpus Christi for about six months unmolested. On the 13th of January, 1846, General Taylor received orders to march his force through the uninhabited region between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, and take possession of Point Isabel, Laredo, and points opposite Matamoros and Mier. On the 9th or 10th of March, he took up his line of advance for the Rio Grande. On his way he met several small

bodies of Mexican troops; but neither offered for re ceived any molestation. As he was approaching Point Isabel, on the 24th, he was met by some 50 citizens, at the head of which was the prefect of the state of Tamaulipas, who protested against his occupying the country. General Taylor stated to them that he would give them an answer when he reached Matamoros. General Garcia, who was stationed at Point Isabel at the head of 280 Mexican troops, on receiving this reply, set fire to the custom-house and some other buildings, and immediately evacuated the place.

General Taylor caused Point Isabel to be surveyed with a view to its defence; a work was thrown up, and a small garrison was left under the command of Major Monroe. General Taylor then proceeding, reached a point opposite the town of Matamoros, a place containing about 10,000 inhabitants, and the capital of the State of Tamaulipas. Here, on the 28th, he commenced intrenching himself within short cannon-shot, and in sight of the bayonets and banners of the Mexican forces under General Mejia. The force of General Taylor at this time consisted of about 2,300 men; that of Gen. Mejia was 2,000. General Ampudia, who had succeeded General Arista in the command of the army of the North, was soon expected to arrive with about as many more.

Soon after the American flag was raised opposite Matamoros, General Worth and his staff were directed to cross the river with a communication to the commander-in-chief of the Mexican forces and the civil authorities. He did not succeed in obtaining an interview with Mejia, but communicated with General La Vega, the second in command; nothing, however, of impor tance, was accomplished in the conference.

On the 11th of April, General Ampudia arrived at Matamoros with 1,000 cavalry and 1,500 infantry. On the following day he sent a communication to General Taylor, ordering him to quit his position in twenty-four hours, and retire to the Nueces, there to await the settlement of this question by negotiation; in default of which, Mexico would look upon his attitude as a decla

ration of war. General Taylor, in reply, stated that he had been sent to the place he occupied by order of his Government, and intended to remain; and in the mean time he placed his troops in the best possible position to resist an attack. He also blockaded the river, thus cutting off the supplies of the Mexican army.

On the 10th of April, Colonel Cross, commissary-general of the army, rode out about two miles from the American camp, when he was killed, it is supposed, by a party of Mexican rancheros. General Taylor made a formal demand for the murderers, but they were never found. Lieutenant Porter (son of Commodore Porter), while out with a fatigue party of ten men near the camp, on the 19th, was fired upon, and himself and three of his men were killed. On the 24th, about 2,500 Mexican troops having crossed the river above General Taylor's camp, Captain Thornton, with a squadron of more than sixty dragoons, was despatched to observe their movements; but he was suddenly surprised, and all his party were either killed or taken prisoners. These events soon brought on open and avowed hostilities between the two nations.

138. Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.

While General Taylor's forces were engaged in fortifying the camp opposite Matamoros, the communication with Point Isabel, the entrepôt whence their supplies were received, was cut off by the Mexicans. On the 1st of May, General Taylor, finding his situation to be critical, left the fort under the charge of Major Brown, with less than 300 men, and marched with the main body of his army to Point Isabel, to reopen a communication with his stores, and bring back ammunition and guns for the fort. During the absence of the main army, some thousands of Mexicans surrounded the fort, and notwithstanding their severe cannonading for seven days, were unable to obtain possession. The American loss

was only 2 killed and 13 wounded; one of the former was the brave Major Brown, who was mortally wounded by a shell thrown into the fort.

General Taylor arrived at Point Isabel without opposition. On the 7th of May he took up his line of march on his return to the fort. On the 8th, about noon, he came in sight of the enemy, 6,000 strong, drawn up in order of battle, extending a mile and a half across the plain, along the edge of a chapporal (a kind of thicket of thorn-bushes, interspersed with dwarfish trees). The American army, only about 2,000 in number, "was immediately formed in a column of attack, and, curtained by two squadrons in advance, moved steadily forward to within cannon range, when one of the enemy's batteries opened. The column was then deployed in line, except the 8th Infantry, which stood still in column, and the battle was set. Colonel Twiggs commanded the right, composed of the 3d, 4th, and 5th Infantry, and Ringgold's Artillery. Lieutenant Churchill commanded the two eighteen-pounders in the centre, while LieutenantColonel Belknap was placed over the left wing, composed of Duncan's Artillery and the 8th Infantry: and the Battle of Palo Alto commenced."

The fire from Major Ringgold's guns told with fearful effect upon the enemy's cavalry, who were waiting for a favorable opportunity to bear down upon the American infantry. Unable to stand such a deadly fire, they wheeled off, and, by a circular sweep, threatened the American flank and train in the rear. In order to oppose this movement, the 5th Infantry were thrown into square, and with fixed bayonets awaited the shock. A deadly fire from one of the angles of the formation staggered the enemy; but they pressed on till they discovered the 3d Infantry advancing in column to the attack, when they wheeled and fled.

While the fire of Ringgold was so effective on the right, that of Captain Duncan was equally or more so on the left. These two commands, occupying both extremes of the American lines, sent hope and confidence through the army, as it saw with what superior skill and address

their artillery was managed. About 4 o'clock, Duncan set the prairie on fire with smoke-balls, and the thick smoke, rolling along the lines, shut out both armies from the sight of each other, and stayed for a while the work of carnage. Taking advantage of the smoke, Duncan made a movement on the enemy's flank, and poured upon it a galling and destructive fire. The Mexicans changed their line of battle to escape the close and well-directed fire of Ringgold's battery, and the eighteen-pounders which had been pushed forward during the brief cessation of cannonading. The enemy made a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to silence these guns. During their furious fire, two brave American officers fell-Captain Page, who had the lower part of his face torn off by a cannon-shot, and Major Ringgold, who fell mortally wounded by having the flesh torn off from both legs upward from his knees. It was now sundown, and both armies, as by mutual consent, ceased their fire.

"This was a pure cannon fight, in which our infantry, though cool and steady throughout, and ready at any moment to pour themselves in a furious charge on the enemy, took scarcely any active part. Appointed simply to sustain batteries, they stood and saw the artillery contest the field. . . . The Mexican commanders saw that they could do nothing in an open field and fair fight, and so retreated to a still more formidable position."

The next day the army recommenced its march, and came up with the enemy, occupying a strong position on the farther side of a ravine, and resting his left on a pond so as to prevent the possibility of being outflanked on that side. Eight pieces of artillery defended this position, divided into three portions-one on the left side of the road, one on the right, and one in the centre. It was evident that the great struggle by this arrangement would be along the road where the batteries were placed, protected by a ditch and breastwork in front. The Mexicans during the night were reinforced by about 2,000 men; and here, within three miles of the fort, the Battle of Resaca de la Palma was fought.

Scarcely were the American troops formed in order