After remaining two hours at Nopalucan the division moved forward, over in some portions a rough road, and encamped for the night one league this side of the Pass of El Pinal.
May 13. At Nopalucan information was given that Santa Anna, with some fifteen hundred or two thousand lancers, had passed through that place on the 10th for Puebla, and at the camp of the 12th and 13th there were rumors that he had prepared mines in the road at El Pinal. In consequence the engineer company, Duncan’s battery, and some other troops moved early to examine the pass. A false alarm during the night left many of the troops much harassed. El Pinal is no pass whatever, and the mines, of which rumor was so big, were little excavations commenced under the road in two places, but abandoned. El Pinal derives its name from the pine-trees, which are found to the very top of the mountains. At this point the road commences a rapid descent, and soon brings us to Acajete, a smaller place than Nopalucan, yet having its church and its fonda. Here the alcalde provided a collation for the general and his officers. After halting an hour and a half, we moved forward, and reached Amasoque about two o’clock. This is a village having a large public square and three fine churches. It is larger than Nopalucan, and must contain nearly four thousand inhabitants.
It was determined to remain at Amasoque one entire day to enable General Quitman’s command to come up, and accordingly General Worth’s division was in expectation of a day’s rest, but about nine o’clock.
May 14, word was brought that five thousand lancers were marching down upon us. A reconnoissance by Captain Lee reduced the numbers to less than two thousand, and the movement seemed to look to the cutting of our communication with Quitman’s column. It was so illy concerted that seventy shots from Duncan’s battery and a few from Steptoe’s turned the enemy from their apparent purpose, and caused them to turn to their left and make good their retreat. A column of about six hundred, however, continued their course, veering a little to the left to keep out of the reach of Quitman, who, on hearing our guns, hastened the march of his troops, and effected a junction with Worth with great celerity. This column was followed by myself, Lieutenant McClellan, and three dragoons as far as the hacienda San Miguel, some five miles from Amasoque. On the way thither we crossed a very deep arroyo, along a very good though very steep mule-path. At the hacienda, having ascertained from the people and from their trail that the column had continued their eccentric course, we returned in a somewhat different direction, and having crossed an arroyo by an almost impracticable path, and fallen on and nearly captured a Mexican officer and his servant, we came to where the arroyos met, and were obliged to retrace our steps. We reached headquarters about three o’clock. I was exceedingly exhausted by my exertions. Lieutenant McClellan was very gallant and prompt in pursuing the Mexican, and lost him in consequence of the chapparal. A pony that was led by the servant was given to the men.
Note. The occurrences of this day show two things: 1st. Troops should be quartered or encamped in reference to the attack of an enemy, and the site should always be determined by officers of engineers.
2d. On the arrival of troops at the place of encampment, an examination should be made to determine the principal circumstances in reference to the roads and the general features of the topography of the country, so that, in case of an attack or demonstration, we should have the necessary information to strike a vigorous blow at the enemy, and push him into a precipitate retreat. At Amasoque nothing was known in the morning in reference to the roads of the village itself leading to the direction where the enemy was known to be, until the reconnoissance was made after the presence of the enemy was reported. Still less was anything known in regard to the existence of the arroyos, which cut up the surface of the plain, and rendered it entirely impracticable for cavalry and artillery to operate, till the crossings (used by the people of the country and known by their troops) were carefully ascertained. During the whole march from Tepe Ahualco, these things had been entirely neglected.
Captain Lee and Lieutenant Tower made a reconnoissance of the country towards Puebla, and discovered that the main body of the enemy had retrograded to a village some eight miles from and off the main road to Puebla. Colonel Garland’s brigade was pushed forward about two miles and bivouacked for the night. The troops were ordered to march, first at nine P.M., then at three A.M., and finally at five A.M., in order to concentrate near Puebla in the course of the morning. In consequence of these continual changes, the troops were exceedingly and needlessly harassed.
May 15. The army moved at five A.M., and at a village three miles from Amasoque, commissioners were found in waiting to treat for the occupation of the city. The assurances of the general were satisfactory to them. They were simply a recognition that Puebla should be no exception to the general course our army has pursued in this country as regards the inviolability of the rights, persons, religion, and authority of the city, so far as not incompatible with its military occupation. The troops in the course of the day were all got into quarters, although it was accomplished in a very undignified manner, the general, at the head of his staff, personally superintending the breaking open of the doors of the barracks whenever they were not opened by the keys in season to satisfy his impatient spirit.
May 16–22. The army continued in the peaceful occupation of Puebla, and nothing occurred to disturb the general tranquillity except two or three cases of broils, occasioned by the imprudence of our own people, and one report of the march of Santa Anna to attack the city. Some changes were made in the distribution of troops, much attention paid to the rumors of the streets, and no general system of measures adopted in relation to the defenses of the city, or to the dispositions to be made in case of the attack of an enemy. The people were decidedly hostile to Santa Anna, and our respect for their rights was making a decided change in our favor. On the 20th and 21st the city was rife with rumors of the approach of General Taylor to San Luis Potosi, and at length it was said that General Taylor had been taken prisoner and hanged. Information came on the 21st that General Scott was still at Jalapa, and would not leave till the 23d.
May 23, 24. Affairs continue tranquil. Information has come that General Twiggs left Jalapa Saturday, May 22, and was followed by General Scott on Sunday. My own health is improving very rapidly, and on the 24th I reported to Captain Lee my readiness for duty.