passing the river; but it was not possible for the army and the immense load of ammunition and baggage, lo arrive in five days afterwards at that place, on account of the bad condition of the country, and on the other hand it was impossible to subsist so long without eating. I determined then lo advance with every thing that could follow, which consisted only of men, and Lo leave all the rest of the zeal and incomparable i11defatigability of lieutenaill colonel Don Pedro Ampudia, commandant-general of the artillery, with pickets of soldiers from each corps, so that they might assist him in the work. At dark 1 encamped one league distant from Atascosilo; the soldiers were enabled lo eat meal roasted, and on the following day I sent fire wood and meat to lieutenant colonel Ampudia. The storm threatened still to continue, and made me despair of saving the baggage and artillery. On the 2nd day, about three hundred of the enemy presented themselves to the rear-guard of our scattered pieces and baggage, and opened communications with Ampudia, who was scarcely able in a small space to manoeuvre two four-pounders, the only cannon that he could get out of the mud, and about one hundred infantry; but they appeared to have orders not to commit hostilities, aud only to expedite our crossing the river Colorado. Ampudia informed me of this occurrence, and as I did not wish to compromise myself in any treaty that the president should have made with the rebels, I only made evasive answers that he should save all that he could and pass the river. No one who has made war for even a very short time, can be ignorant of the difficulty and danger of this operation in the face of the enemy, even under the most ordinary circumstances; but under those in which I was placed, it was indeed horrible. At last, thanks to the constance and indefatigability of Mr. Ampudia, that of the ge11erals, chiefs and officers; heroism and endurance of the Mexican soldier, who, one and all, worked incessantly like so many plough-men; this operation was concluded on the 9th, without other loss than the twelve baggage wagons, the forge and a gun-carriage, which it was not possible to drag from 1he mud, because at that time neither the men nor the beasts had sufficie11t strength to do it, inasmuch as said wagons were in very had order on accou11t of the long marches made with them, and because, in fi11e, in all the space from that place lo the river Colorado, there exist no mca11s of subsistence on account of the cou11Lry being deserted, and it was
,
264
Powered by FlippingBook