PLAN OF OPERATIONS.

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promptly replied to General Taylor, when inviting propositions for peace some time after: "You ought to discard every idea of peace while a single North American treads in arms the territory of this republic, or while hostile squadrons remain in front of her ports." With these views and feelings, Santa Anna hastened to San Luis Potosi, the head-quarters of the northern army, and on the 8th of October, commenced to supply and equip the new levies for vigorous operations against the invaders of his country. For this end he not merely exerted his talents, but contributed much of his private fortune, and succeeded in raising and organizing a large and powerful army.

While General Taylor remained at Monterey, he received from Washington a letter containing instructions to terminate the armistice, and accordingly promptly notified Santa Anna that it would cease on the 13th of November. By a previous letter from the Secretary of War, General Taylor had been informed of the plan of the government in the prosecution of the war, and that it contemplated taking "possession of the department of Tamaulipas, or some of the principal places in it," by means of a column advanced from the Rio Grande, which should have communication with the ships then in the gulf, and derive assistance from them. Tampico was particularly specified as a prominent point to be occupied by the American troops; and Major-General Patterson was named by the Secretary as the choice of the government to command the expedition, assisted by Brigadier-Generals Pillow and Shields. A simultaneous movement upon San Luis Potosi was also suggested.

In reply to the letter of the Secretary, General Taylor showed the impracticability of moving upon San Luis Potosi with the forces and means of transportation at his disposal; but advised holding Monterey, with the places already in his possession, with advances pushed forward to occupy Saltillo, and detachments at Monclova, Linares, Victoria, and Tampico. He pointed to Vera

Cruz or Alvarado as the proper base of operations against the city of Mexico, and advised the landing there of twenty-five thousand men, ten thousand to be regulars, if the government desired to strike a decisive blow at the power of Mexico.

General Taylor considered Saltillo as a necessary outpost of the main body of his army at Monterey, because it covered the great defile leading from the low country to the table-land, and controlled the fertile region around Parras, while, as the capital of Coahuila, its occupation would be important in a political point of view. Accordingly, on the 12th of November, a division of the army under General Worth, consisting of two regiments of infantry, one company of volunteers, a field-battery of eight pieces, and eight companies of artillery, marched from Monterey to Saltillo. On the next day, General Taylor followed Worth's division, accompanied by two squadrons of dragoons. When he passed the boundary of the state of Coahuila, on his way to Saltillo, the governor of the state, José Marie de Aguirre, sent him a written protest, in which he remonstrated against the march of the Americans, and the usurpation of the territory, "with all the outrages and damages likely to accrue to the defenceless inhabitants." Without replying to this manifesto, General Taylor proceeded on to Saltillo, which he reached on the 16th, and encamped with his dragoons a little beyond the city. General Worth occupied the plaza.

Reconnoissances were now ordered into the interior for about twenty-five miles, and the two principal routes in this direction covered by troops. The one towards San Luis Potosi was covered by General Worth's command, the other, towards Parras, through a fertile country, by the Army of the Centre" under General Wool, which had arrived at Monclova on the 29th of October, and was now ordered by General Taylor to move upon Parras. We will now bestow attention upon this division of the forces invading Mexico.

GENERAL WOOL'S DIVISION.

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Immediately after the passage of the act of May 13th, 1846, recognising war between the republics, General Wool was ordered to muster into service the volunteers of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. After organizing and sending to the seat of war about ten thousand men to reinforce General Taylor, he was ordered with the remainder to San Antonio de Bexar, where Colonel Harney of the 2d dragoons was stationed with a small force of regular cavalry, and some companies of Texan volunteers. During the month of August all the regiments and detachments arrived at the place of rendezvous, and were employed some weeks in learning the different military evolutions before taking the field. The Central Division, under General Wool, consisted of four companies of the 2d dragoons, Colonel Harney; one company of the 4th artillery, Captain Washington, with eight pieces, two 12-pounders, and the remainder 6-pounders; battalion of 6th infantry, Major Bonneville; Colonel Yell's regiment, Arkansas mounted volunteers; 1st Illinois infantry, Colonel Hardin ; 2d Illinois, Colonel Bissell; and one company of Kentucky cavalry, and one of Texan volunteers. Total strength, 2,829.

The advance of the army of the centre, under Colonel Harney, left San Antonio on the 26th of September, and was followed by the head-quarters on the 29th. Colonel Hardin, with the 1st Illinois regiment, marched on the 2d of October; and the rear, under Colonel Churchill, followed some days after, comprising the 2d Illinois, and various other detachments.

From San Antonio, their route lay westward to Presidio, where they crossed the Rio Grande, through a country diversified by prairies, sandy deserts, and forests of chaparral. From Presidio, General Wool led his army through Nava and San Fernando to Santa Rosa, taking peaceable possession of the towns upon his route. On arriving at the latter place, he found his further march upon the city of Chihuahua, his ultimate destination, prevented by the impassable peaks of the Sierra Gorda. He turned aside,