Into Mexico with General Scott / When attached to the Fourth United States Infantry, Division of Major-General William J. Worth, Corps of the famous Major-General Winfield Scott, known as Old Fuss and Feathers, campaign of 1847, lad Jerry Cameron marched and fought beside Second Lieutenant U. S. Grant all the way from Cera Cruz to the City of Mexico, where six thousand American soldiers planted the Stars and Stripes in the midst of one hundred and fifty thousand amazed people

by Edwin L. Sabin

With cavalry, infantry, four pieces of artillery and seventy-five wagons the First Division marched into San Antonio on the afternoon of August 17.

In camp this night many of the men thought that now the way was open to the city. Remembering the map and his talk with Lieutenant Grant, Jerry feared different. So did others.

“Not yet, not yet, my lads,” said Sergeant Mulligan. “We’ll have our fights. You can rist sure that Santy Annie knows afore this what we’re about. Ain’t the country full o’ spies for him? ’Tis a long nine miles to thim Halls o’ Montezumy, an’ plenty o’ room for batteries acrost the way. If I don’t miss my guiss there’ll be troops an’ guns a-hurryin’ already, ’round by the city an’ down to head us off. I hear tell that not two mile north is the first o’ the trouble—a place called San Antonio, bristlin’ wid guns; an’ Cherrybusco beyant, lookin’ the same. An’ bogs, an’ outworks, an’ the city walls beyant that.”

“Weel,” quoth Private MacPheel, “may the bullets be distributed same as the pay, an’ mony a braw fallow win through.”

XVI
FACING THE MEXICAN HOST

At eight in the morning assembly was ordered. The division formed column. This looked like business. General Scott had arrived; the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions were coming rapidly. When the First headed out of San Augustine, upon a broad road leading to the north, Jerry himself felt a queer little thrill. In that direction lay San Antonio, only two miles and a half; beyond San Antonio was Churubusco; and beyond Churubusco, Mexico City.

From San Augustine nothing could be seen of the country north. The view was interrupted by a great mass of blackish volcanic rock, thrown up like lava, and cooled into all kinds of ugly shapes. It was named El Pedrigal; was two miles north and south, and three miles east and west.

The road turned northward around the east end of the lava bed. In another mile the west end of Lake Xochimilco opened, opposite on the right—and the column suddenly halted. The road continued, but half a mile before there stretched across it the Mexican batteries of San Antonio.

Now the general officers consulted. In the column heads wagged. With the marshes of the lake upon the one hand and the jagged lava ridges upon the other, and the road running between straight into the breastworks, it did not look like a very happy prospect.