Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/362

312 General Wool had not advanced upon Chihuahua. In this condition of things, a forward movement was deemed extremely hazardous, but he resolved to undertake it as soon as he was joined by the artillery. Major Clark arrived at El Paso on the 5th of February, 1847, with about 120 men of his battalion, and the six pieces of artillery ordered from Santa Fé; and on the 8th instant, Colonel Doniphan proceeded on the road to Chihuahua, escorting the merchant train or caravan which had accompanied him from Doña Ana. A few miles below El Paso is the Presidio de San Elecario, originally a strong fortification, covering nearly eight acres of ground, and containing a neat church within its walls. This was not occupied by the enemy, and the only instrument of war found in it was a stone mortar, which the Americans took with them. They left San Elecario on the 11th of February, and after crossing several desolate and tedious jornadas, they arrived at the Laguna de Encenillas, a shallow brackish lake, two hundred and seven miles below El Paso, and seventy-four miles from Chihuahua, in the afternoon of the 25th instant. Rumors that the enemy were in force upon the road had previously reached them, and they were now informed by their spies that a body of troops were at Inseneas, the country-seat of Angel Trias, Governor of Chihuahua, about twenty-five miles in advance. They arrived there on the following day, when they found that the enemy had retired. On the 27th they reached Sauz, where they learned that the Mexicans had fortified the pass of Sacramento, twenty miles north of the city of Chihuahua.

The approach of the American troops had been for a long time anticipated by the authorities of Chihuahua,