General Scott had arrived on the fourteenth. He immediately sent Captain Lee of the engineers out to examine the country. Captain Lee reported that by following a deep brushy ravine around to the northwest, if the guns and men could be got through then Cerro Gordo might be flanked and attacked from the rear. Santa Anna faced the road, of course, thinking that the principal attack would be made from that. The Americans were not goats or rabbits; they would have to march by the road. And Cerro Gordo and the other batteries (quite a number) commanded all the zigzags and switchbacks by entrenchments and breastworks two miles in length. His artillery and his muskets, manned by twelve or thirteen thousand soldiers, would simply pulverize that road.
It had looked like a problem to General Twiggs and Generals Pillow and Patterson; but Captain Lee seemed to have solved the problem. General Scott approved the plan. Pioneers were dispatched at once to open a trail around to the north that cannon might be hauled; the Second Division had marched this morning, to take position and seize, as was said, a hill that the Mexicans had neglected to fortify.
The day, April 17, was a fine one, with just a little sea breeze wafting in from the gulf and Vera Cruz, fifty miles east. The stars and stripes fluttered over the camps of the First and Third Divisions; but the Second Division apparently did not intend to come back. Upon the mountain crests three and four miles west the Mexican flags fluttered. All was quiet there. General Santa Anna seemed to have no suspicion that anything especial was happening. He waited for the Americans to advance. General Scott knew exactly what was happening and what was going to happen. He issued his orders for battle.
First they were given to the division commanders. The division adjutants furnished copies of them to the brigade commanders; the brigade adjutants transmitted them to the regimental commanders; and soon the company officers who were keen knew them also.
“Now we gwine to see what kind ob strateegis’ Gin’ral Scott am,” Pompey pronounced. For Lieutenant Grant had made a copy of the orders where posted, and he and Lieutenant Smith discussed them.
“The enemy’s whole line of entrenchments and batteries will be attacked in front, and at the same time turned, early in the day to-morrow—probably before ten o’clock A.M.,” said the first paragraph of these General Orders No. 111.
“Hi golly!” Pompey chuckled. “We gwine to slam him in the face an’ in the back, same time. Dat’s proper.”
“The Second Division of Regulars is already advanced within easy turning distance toward the enemy’s left. That division has instructions to move forward before daylight to-morrow, and take up position across the National Road in the enemy’s rear, so as to cut off a retreat toward Jalapa.”
“We got dose Mexicans retreatin’ already,” chuckled Pompey, while Jerry listened with all his ears.