When bivouac was made this evening in a cornfield eight miles from Chalco the division was in fine spirits. Old Fuss and Feathers and General Worth were up to something, nobody knew exactly what; but all, including Santa Anna, would soon find out.
The next day’s march rounded the lake and turned into the west among olive groves. Emerging from these the leading ranks broke into a cheer. In the north, far beyond the lake, there might be seen El Peñon hill, a dark, bulky mass, with the Mexican flag still flying defiantly from its top. Across the head of another lake, in the northwest, Mexicalcingo village was just visible with the Mexican flags marking its batteries also. The division was side-stepping these forts out of range.
“Faith, they don’t see us at all, at all. They’re settin’ over their traps, an’ prisently we’ll be lookin’ at their backs!”
The road was getting bad. It wound along the base of a bare mountain range that extended ridges right into the new lake, Xochimilco. The horses of Duncan’s battery had to be helped by hand; the baggage train in the rear struggled with the steep ravines cut into the sharp rock between ridges.
At ten o’clock in the morning another village, San Gregorio, was reached. Here an aide came up with dispatches for General Worth; the word spread that an attack had been made upon one of the columns behind. The division was to wait for instructions.
Then, at evening, all Colonel Harney’s cavalry brigade, eight hundred dragoons, trotted in. They said that a force of Mexican infantry and lancers had tried to cut off the Second Division, back at Buena Vista on the way from Ayotla to march around the lakes; but that Taylor’s battery of the First Artillery had sent the red caps flying.
The Second Division and the Fourth Division were following the Third and the First. The whole army was on the move, flanking El Peñon and Mexicalcingo, aiming to strike the Acapulco road into Mexico City from the south.
The road to San Augustine grew worse. In places there was scarcely space for the column to pass between Lake Xochimilco and the mountain slopes. The pioneers toiled. The Mexicans had hastened to cut ditches and roll down logs; but the artillery and the wagons were hauled through and over.
Captain Mason of the engineers rode ahead, out of sight, to reconnoitre. When he returned it was reported that he had entered San Augustine itself, and had found no soldiers.
“Column, attention! Close order—forward—march!”