danger of being lost by the ice and by quicksands. To save the artillery it became necessary to order a large detachment into the deep and chilling waters, and the orderlies produced their books and were about to name the men who should perform this duty, when a general shout burst forth from the gallant hearted men, and they rushed in a mass to perform the perilous duty, with the cry, "we are volunteers.""*

The applause of their comrades and Colonel Doniphan was liberally bestowed, and, with the approval of their own consciences, must have compensated them for their disappointment, when they discovered that they had been the victims of a false alarm.

UMOURS were brought while the troops were at El Paso, of preparations for resistance at Carrizal, a fortified place between them and Chihuahua. They learned that regular messengers were sent from El Paso to that place, and suspecting a priest named Ortiz, they laid a trap for him, which partially failed through the impatience of the officer in charge. He found a horse at the priest's house ready saddled and bridled, and, instead of waiting until his rider should have started, and then seized him, to ascertain what he carried, the officer surrounded the house, and politely knocked at the door. The priest and two gentlemen were brought to the colonel's quarters, and Ortiz was upbraided with treachery. He remarked that he did not consider the delivery of his country from a foreign enemy, by any means whatever, treachery. He proclaimed his enmity to Americans, but announced that his efforts to free the country of them would be open ones, and that he would not attempt to incite an insurrection because he knew it would be worse than useless.

Colonel Doniphan admired his sentiments, but informed him that he would take care to prevent him from carrying them into effect, by keeping a strict watch over him. Ortiz had been at Bracito, and the colonel pithily concluded his address by remarking, that as he had seen how his countrymen had fought on ground of their own selecting, he would take him along southward, that he might have an opportunity of comparing it with their deeds when fighting was to be done on ground of the colonel's choosing. The holy father accordingly accompanied the expedition to Chihuahua.†

O Conquest of California and New Mexico, by J M. Cutts, Esq.
Edwards's Campaign.

BENTON'S SPEECH.

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421

HE arrival of Major Clark and Captain Weightman with their followers, increased the number of the command to a thousand men, whose appearance on parade was most ludicrous, shoes being a luxury, hats well ventilated, no two pair of pantaloons alike, and the only whole ones being those of buckskin, which a few lucky soldiers had obtained in the campaign

against the Navajos Indians. Few owned a jacket, and the shirts were frequently sadly out of repair. On the 11th of February, however, the army set out on the road for Chihuahua. After marching a hundred and forty-five miles, a mail from Santa Fe was received, and they learned that General Wool had changed his route, and was not at Chihuahua, but Colonel Doniphan received no despatches, and he called a council of war to decide upon their further movements. It was decided to proceed. In allusion to this determination, Colonel Benton made the following remarks, in his speech to the returning volunteers.

"I have said that you made your long expedition without government orders, and so, indeed, you did. You received no orders from your government, but without knowing it, you were fulfilling its orders-orders which never reached you. Happy the soldier who executes the command of his government; happier still he who anticipates command, and does what is wanted before he is bid. This is your case. You did the right thing at the right time, and what the government intended you to do, and without knowing its intention. The facts are these: Early in the month of November last, the president asked my opinion on the manner of conducting the war. I submitted a plan to him, which, in addition to other things, required all the disposable troops in New Mexico, and all the Americans in that quarter who could be engaged for a dashing expedition, to move down through Chihuahua and the state of Durango, and, if necessary, to Zacatecas, and get into communication with General Taylor's right

as early as possible in the month of March. In fact, the disposable Missourians in New Mexico, were to be one of three columns destined for a combined movement on the city of Mexico, all to be on the table-land, and ready for movement in the month of March. The president approved the plan, and the Missourians being most distant, orders were despatched to New Mexico, to put them in motion. Mr. Solomon Sublette carried the order, and delivered it to the commanding officer at Santa Fe, Colonel Price, on the 23d day of Februaryjust five days before you fought the marvellous battle of Sacramento.

"I well remember what passed between the president and myself; at the time he resolved to give this order. It awakened his solici tude for your safety. It was to send a small body of men a great distance into the heart of a hostile country, and upon the contingency of uniting in a combined movement, the means for which had not yet been obtained from Congress. The president made it a question, and very properly, whether it was safe or prudent to start the small Missouri column before the movement of the left and of the centre was assured. I answered, that my own rule in public affairs was to do what I thought was right, and leave it to others to do what they thought was right; and that I believed it the proper course for him to follow on the present occasion. On this view he acted He gave

ROUT OF MEXICAN ADVANCE GUARD.

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423 the order to go, without waiting to see whether Congress would fur nish the means of executing the combined plan; and, for his consolation, I undertook to guarantee your safety. Let the worst come to the worst, I promised him that you would take care of yourselves. Though the other parts of the plan should fail-though you should become far involved in the advance, and deeply compromised in the enemy's country, and without support-still I relied on your courage, skill, and enterprise to extricate yourselves from every danger-to make daylight through all the Mexicans that should stand before you— cut your way out—and make good your retreat to Taylor's camp." HE road they traversed for the ensuing ten days was more dreary and desolate than any they had hitherto marched over, excepting the Jornada del Muerto. Scarcely had they succeeded in getting the trains through one of the long dry tracts of country when another was entered. Fire on the grass behind them, twice made them harness up and run for their lives, after the close of a fatiguing march. The artillery was only saved by being plunged into a shallow salt lake, while the men formed a line across the country, at an advantageous point, and checked the fire by beating it out with the branches of trees in their hands. They met no resistance at Carrizal, but every thing indicated that the enemy would be met in force in a short time, and the feverish state of alarm added to their difficulties. Once or twice they were obliged to prepare suddenly for action on false alarms, and the terrible marches over the Jornada were made still more discouraging, by the rumours that they would be attacked at its extremity, when they and their animals should be exhausted by thirst.

On the 27th day of February, it became conclusive that a battle would be fought on the following day. Two traders had chased a Mexican so hard as to force him to dismount and seek safety on foot.

An elegantly caparisoned horse, which he had ridden, was brought into camp. The American picket-guard, going out after dark to take up their position, had met the advance guard of the foe, and though only half as numerous, they drove them back. At sunrise on the 28th of February, the army took up the line of march, and formed the whole train, consisting of three hundred and fifteen heavy traders' wagons, and our commissary and company wagons, into four columns, thus shortening the length of the line, and making it more easily protected. The artillery and all the troops, except two hundred cavalry proper, were placed in the intervals between the

columns of wagons, thus concealing the force and its position, by masking it with the cavalry. When within three miles, the position of the enemy was ascertained by a reconnoissance.

HE able and gallant Major Clark, who made the examination of the enemy's position, reported "that his intrenchments and redoubts occupied the brow of an elevation extending across the ridge between the Arroyo Seco and that of Sacramento-both of which at this point cross the valley from the elevated ridge of mountains in the rear of the village of Torreon, known by the name of Sierra de Victoriano, that of Nombre de Dios on the east, and through which runs the Rio del Nombre de Dios. This valley is about four miles in width, and intrenched by the enemy entirely across, from mountain to mountain, the road to the city of Chihuahua running directly through its centre, and of necessity, passing near to and crossing the Rio Sacramento, at the Rancho Sacramento, a strongly built and fortified house, with adjoining corraals, and other inclosures, belong ing to Angel Trias, the governor of Chihuahua. From observation, it was ascertained that the enemy had occupied the site between these hills, and that the batteries upon them were supported by infantry-his cavalry being in advanced positions formed into three columns between the Arroyo Seco and our advance. During these observations, the enemy's advance guard discovering my party, approached rapidly, with the evident intention of intercepting it, but being met by that of our troops, which I had sent forward, it as rapidly retreated. At this time also, the three columns of the enemy's cavalry recrossed the Arroyo Seco, and retired behind their intrenchments. approached within six hundred yards of the most advanced redoubt, from which point the enemy's formation was plainly discernible. The intrenchments consisted of a line with intervals composed of circular redoubts, from three to five hundred yards interval, with intrenchments between each, covering batteries partly masked oy cavalry. The redoubt nearest to my position contained two pieces of cannon, supported by several hundred infantry.

"The enemy's right and left were strong positions; the Cerro Frijoles on his right, and having high precipitous sides, with a redoubt commanding the surrounding country, and the pass leading towards Chihuahua, through the Arroyo Seco. The Cerro Sacramento on his left, consisting of a pile of immense volcanic rocks