Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/511

Rh the turbulent masses of which his army was composed; the spell, by which he had harmonized the discordant elements, was dissolved; his influence was gone — the wand of the magician broken. Accompanied by from three to four thousand infantry and lancers, he directed his course towards the city of Puebla, already threatened by a large force of irregular cavalry and guerilleros, under General Rea. General Alvarez, with about three thousand men, moved round the valley, into the State of Oajaca; and still another fragment of the once formidable array, consisting of cavalry, artillery and infantry, followed the movement to Queretaro, under General Herrera. While on his way to the new seat of government, the acting President, Peña y Peña, directed an order to be issued at Toluca, requiring Santa Anna to surrender the command of the forces under his immediate orders to General Rincon, until his conduct should be examined into by a military council. Before the order was received, he had once more learned how vain it was, how worse than useless, to struggle against his destiny.

When General Scott moved from Puebla. upon the Mexican capital, it will be remembered, Colonel Childs was left in command at the former place, with a garrison composed of detachments from different regiments. His actual effective force numbered about 400, consisting of one company of the 3rd dragoons, under Captain Ford, one company of the 2nd and one of the 4th artillery, under Captains Kendrick and Miller, and six companies of the 1st Pennsylvania, under Lieutenant Colonel Black. Besides these, however, there were 1,800 sick in the hospitals — a great number of whom