“Send in the First. Sure, we’re the boys. Leave those fellows in front of us, and we’ll tend to ’em later.”
The First Division stood ready until sunset. When the firing died away, the positions of the two smoke clouds had little changed. The Mexicans upon the hill certainly had held out.
“You may break ranks, major,” the adjutant called to Major Lee. “The men are to be dismissed for supper.”
This left matters very unsatisfactory. Before supper Jerry sallied out from the barn. The officers still were in little groups, talking earnestly. Whenever any of the enlisted men came near to them, they immediately quit talking, as if they had been discussing bad news. Jerry waited until he had a chance to catch Lieutenant Grant alone. Then he went up to him.
“Excuse me, lieutenant, but could you tell me anything about the battle? The men are afraid it hadn’t gone right.”
“We don’t know much more than the rest of you,” the lieutenant answered. “General Worth probably is expecting news. But if you’ll promise not to spread discouraging word among the men, I’ll explain the best I can.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well. As far as I understand, General Scott is operating on a triangle. The base of the triangle is formed by this road, from San Augustine to Churubusco, with San Antonio at about the middle of it. The lava field occupies the inside of the triangle. The point of the triangle, west across the lava, is a hill called Contreras, which the Mexicans have fortified strongly. We cannot pass San Antonio by the road, without much difficulty, in order to get at Churubusco beyond and open the way to the capital. But while we mask San Antonio and keep it on the alert, General Scott purposes to throw the other divisions from San Augustine out along the south side of the triangle, carry the Mexican fortifications at the point, and then by marching eastward again along the north side of the triangle strike Churubusco and San Antonio at their rear, or in reverse. We, of course, will be called upon for a frontal attack at the same time. Now by the appearance of things I fear, myself, that the general has run against a stronger position than he anticipated, and that matters have not gone according to plan. He had the engineers under Captain Lee reconnoitring the enemy yesterday. They found a mule trail leading from San Augustine through the lava to the batteries at Contreras. Evidently the ground has proved difficult for artillery, as I noted the reports of only three light guns on our side.”
“Do you think we’ve been whipped, lieutenant?” Jerry asked, his heart sinking.
“N-no, not exactly whipped, in the true sense of the word,” Lieutenant Grant soberly said. “There’s been no call upon us for reinforcements, and it did not sound like a very heavy battle. But the way this army is fixed, cut loose from communications and over two hundred miles in the enemy’s country, if we don’t take a place when we really attack it we might as well be whipped. We can’t afford to lose men for nothing.”