Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/519

Rh having been joined by the detachment under Captain Heintzleman.

General Lane left a portion of the Indiana regiment, under Major McCoy, at the Puente Nacional; but, upon his arrival at the Plan del Rio, on the 27th of September, he learned that Major Lally, then at Jalapa, had received orders to move forward to Puebla with all possible speed. General Lane instantly sent an express back to the National Bridge, with orders for Major McCoy to join him at once with all the disposable troops at the post, except the battalion of Colonel Hughes' regiment. When Major McCoy came up, the column pressed rapidly forward towards Puebla, through J alapa and Perote, taking with them the troops under Major Lally and Colonel Wynkoop. At Perote, General Lane was informed that a large force was concentrating in his front, and, on reaching the hacienda of San Antonio Tamaris, on the morning of the 9th of October, he learned that the enemy were at the city of Huamantla, which lies between Perote and Puebla, and a little east of the National road.

Leaving his train at San Antonio Tamaris, guarded by the Ohio regiment, Captain Simmons' detachment, and Lieutenant Pratt's battery, General Lane advanced against Huamantla, where Santa Anna was concentrating his forces, for the last time, as it proved, during the war, to encounter an American commander. The force moving upon Huamantla was something more than 2,000 strong, and consisted of four companies of the 1st Pennsylvania, under Colonel Wynkoop; Colonel Gorman's Indiana volunteers; the detachments under Major Lally, and Captains Heintzleman and Simmons; four companies of mounted rifles and