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WAR "UPON OUR OWN SOIL."

[1846.

pursuit, and, just beyond the ravine, came upon the enemy's camp, where beeves killed, fires lighted, meals cooked, and the silver dinner-service of a Mexican general left exposed, showed that the foe had fancied his position impregnable.

Without stopping to plunder, our troops pressed on, driving the fugitives pell-mell toward the river. Some were killed while retreating, some overtaken and captured, and many drowned in the rush at the Rio Grande.

The American loss* was larger than on the previous day, but still insignificant. Lieutenant Cochrane, of Grant's regiment, was among the killed. Our forces captured eight pieces of artillery, two thousand stands of arms, three standards, and a great deal of camp equipage. The Mexicans showed, in these two battles, better fighting qualities than at any subsequent period of the war; but they lost forever all that vast region east of the Rio Grande, which their republic had hitherto ruled. The campaign, on soil which our Government even claimed, was ended, and the army, which had been first one of "Observation" and then of "Occupation," now became "the Army of Invasion."

Taylor reached the river bank opposite Matamoras, in time to relieve the new fort. It had been under bombardment for six days, but though containing two artillery companies, a detachment of infantry, and all the women attached to the camp, only two persons were killed, and but ten wounded. Major Jacob Brown, of the Tenth infantry, who commanded the post, was one of the killed. The unfinished work was consequently named “Fort Brown." Brownsville, Texas, on the same spot, still commemorates him.

Intelligence of hostilities actually created wonder at Washington. Capt. Thornton's party had been attacked on soil to which Mexico had certainly more claim than Texas; but when the news reached President Polk, he declared, in an extraordinary message, that the Mexican Government had invaded our territory, and shot several of our fellow-citizens "upon our own soil." Congress re

* Killed and mortally wounded, forty-four.

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SCOTT's "FIRE IN THE REAR."

107

sponded by resolutions of similar purport, and by authorizing the President to call out fifty thousand volunteers.

General Scott, the ranking officer of the army, was placed in charge, and requested to proceed to Mexico. But he was a Whig, and Democrats were intriguing for the appointment of a junior or political general over his head. So, in a note to Marcy, the Secretary of War, he wrote:

"I do not desire to place myself in that most perilous of positions-a fire in the rear from Washington, and a fire in my front from the Mexicans."

The italicized expression was made the theme of merciless ridicule by Democratic newspapers, and for a while it kept Scott in disgrace with the administration.

Nine days after the battle of Resaca, Taylor crossed the Rio Grande and entered Matamoras, which the Mexicans had evacuated, a pleasant old Mexican city of stone and adobe houses, surrounding a noble plaza shaded with beautiful trees. Among other public property, an immense quantity of cigars and tobacco was found, which Taylor distributed among his troops, to their supreme satisfaction.

The hospitals, in a horrid condition, were filled with Mexican soldiers from the recent battles, their wives or daughters sitting beside their couches to keep off the abounding flies. Most of the people were filthy and covered with vermin, but some women were attractive, and evinced the usual native predilection for Americans. All day would they sit on the cool brick floors of their houses, with their rich hair neatly dressed, but wearing no clothing except a single robe. They were always ready to converse, through their lattices, and at evening, above the city, large numbers bathed publicly in the river.

There was a strong desire to conciliate the Mexicans; so plundering was not only forbidden, but actually prevented. Buildings occupied by quartermasters and commissaries were also regularly hired and paid for.

The army was only four or five thousand strong. All the regular officers knew each other; for with nothing to do but drill there was abundant leisure. Soldiers mingled with the natives, learning to speak Spanish, and spending a

108

PILLOW'S DITCH AND BREASTWORK.

[1846.

good deal of time at fandangoes. The men occupied A tents, the officers, wall tents. Grant's regiment was camped on the river bank, where malignant fever prevailed. His own company suffered much, and two others were quite broken up.

Early in August the command marched for Camargo. The heat was so intense that the soldiers could not travel in mid-day, so they started at midnight, and went into camp by nine in the morning. Along the road they purchased abundant supplies of apples, pears, pomegranates, quinces, and grapes, and passed pleasant ranches, with great herds of goats and cattle near them.

After marching one hundred and twenty-seven miles in eight days, they reached Camargo, one hundred and eighty miles above the mouth of the Rio Grande, an isolated old settlement with a grand plaza, spacious cathedral, and limestone houses with flat roofs. Here Taylor established his base of supplies and concentrated his growing army, while volunteers, wagons, horses, and provisions were constantly arriving from the United States.

Temporary fortifications were thrown up. Gideon J. Pillow, civilian major-general from Tennessee, dug his ditch on the wrong side of his breastwork, and gained thereby the ludicrous notoriety, which has never deserted him. Here Grant was made acting assistant quartermaster, and placed in charge of the property of his regiment—a much more active and responsible position than that of a second lieutenant in the line, and one which requires excellent business capacity.

Before the end of August Taylor started for Monterey with six thousand effectives, half of whom were volunteers. Transportation was scarce, and, many officers bought pack mules for their personal comforts. On the march the soldiers attended fandangoes almost every night; for the Mexicans, though ready enough to fight on the field, were equally ready to dance with the invaders of their country.

Monterey, with seventeen thousand people, is the most important city of northern Mexico. It is built of limestone, the streets paved and clean, and fringed with beautiful gar

1846.]

THE BATTLE OF MONTEREY.

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dens, orchards, and vineyards. The town is two or three miles long, and its natural position very strong. When our army approached, it was well fortified, and held by ten thousand Mexican troops.

After ten days of reconnoitering, Taylor attacked it on the twenty-first of September. Grant's regiment was in Garland's brigade of regulars, on the extreme left of our line. The troops assaulted the city vigorously, and were vigorously opposed from forts, intrenched streets, and barricaded houses. One detachment reached the roof of a house near a Mexican redoubt, but was driven out. Two companies of the Fourth advanced to storm a fortification, and had a severe fight, in which Grant's friends and messmates, Hoskins and Wood, both fell mortally wounded while cheering on their men. More than one-third of the command was disabled, and it was finally driven back. Another party of the Fourth had a lively fight in the streets-loading behind buildings, stepping out to fire, and then hiding again. Once they lay upon the ground under a hot fire for half an hour, watching the shells which flew over them from Worth's command on the other side of the town. Before night they had lost very heavily.

It was said that during this fight the daughter of a former Mexican governor, her whole soul aroused at the invasion of her native soil, led a company of lancers in three successful charges. After the battle, the native Joan of Arc retired from the army and the town, and was seen no more. During the day, a private of the Third Infantry, mortally wounded, said to a passing sergeant :

"I am dying. I wish you would take this musket back to my captain. I have had it ever since I enlisted, and I want to leave it to the old regiment."

Another, struck in the thigh by a bullet, exclaimed :"I have got my ticket," and limped gayly off to camp on his uninjured leg. In similar phrase, during the Rebellion, would our soldiers sometimes say of a dead comrade, "He has handed in his checks."

In the rear, Worth's division had carried several important points, but the attack in front was a failure.

Our

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THREE DAYS OF HARD FIGHTING.

[1846.

forces were driven back, but held one important redoubt which they had gained. The Fourth remained to guard this, the men lying in the mud and rain through the cold night, though they had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours

Just at dawn, the next morning, Worth's men stormed and captured, at the point of the bayonet, a height commanding the Citadel and the Bishop's Palace, and thus got the key of the city. The Mexican general then concentrated his troops in the streets, which so changed positions that there was little fighting during the day. The shattered Fourth was relieved by volunteers, and sent back to

camp.

On the third and last day there was hard fighting from morning until night. Hand to hand and face to face, the Mexicans defended their homes with great obstinacy, from house-tops and narrow streets and around the grand plaza. Our artillerists sent grape and canister plowing through the town, and, in return, musket-balls rattled about them like hickory-nuts. As Taylor was standing recklessly in a very hot place, a lieutenant begged him not to expose himself so much. His only reply was:

"Take this ax, and knock down that door."

Everywhere our men were breaking into buildings, while terrified women and children fell on their knees and begged for mercy. But the troops were well disciplined, and behaved admirably, while digging their way persistently from house to house.

Toward night, as very hard fighting was going on near the plaza, it was suddenly discovered that the detachment engaged was almost out of ammunition. The men were under a hot fire, and could not hold their ground for a moment without cartridges. Taylor's headquarters were a mile back, outside of the town, at "Fort Number One," a captured redoubt. Grant, who had been with his regiment from the firing of the first musket, volunteered to go and find him or Twiggs, and order up ammunition.

He prepared for his ride behind a house, and then dashed out. The moment he emerged from cover he was under a sweeping artillery and musketry fire from forts and houses.