Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/539

Rh The guerilleros were not yet entirely quieted, although the vigilance of Colonel Wilson at Vera Cruz, of Colonel Hughes at Jalapa, of Colonel Childs at Puebla, and of Colonel Irwin, who was stationed at the pass of Rio Frio, with the 5th Ohio volunteers, prevented their doing much harm. Near the close of December, 1847, the Mexican spies, under Dominguez, had a brush with a party of cavalry escorting Generals Minon and Torrejon, between Ojo de Agua and Napoluca; the lancers were dispersed, and the two generals taken prisoners, and delivered to Colonel Childs. On the 1st of January, 1848, Colonel Wynkoop, then in pursuit of General Rea and Padre Jarauta, with a detachment, captured Generals Valencia and Arista. Colonel Hays and his rangers, and the Mexican spy companies, were also constantly on the alert in order to surprise Jarauta; and early in January, the former came unexpectedly on his band, near San Juan, in the valley of Mexico. The guerilleros were routed in an instant. Jarauta himself fell wounded, but was borne off by his men, leaving his horse, lance and cloak, in the hands of the rangers.

Early in the morning of the 18th of January, General Lane "left the capital — his men being entirely ignorant of their destination — with two companies of the 3rd dragoons and one of mounted rifles, under Major Polk, of the 3rd dragoons, and four companies of Texan rangers, under Colonel Hays, in all 350 strong. The object of the expedition was the capture of Santa Anna, then understood to be at Tehuacan, rather for the