Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/75

Rh On the east side of the pass a steep and rough chain of limestone rises, that may be about 1,000 feet higher than the pass, while towards the west a chain of hills, connected with more distant mountains, forms a barrier. A wagon road leads through the narrow valley, and between this road and the western chain of hills runs at first a small creek that comes from Encantada, and nearer the battle field a deep, dry ravine, formed probably by torrents of rain. Towards the battle-field the high mountains on the east form at their foot a small table land, ending in many gullies towards the road, or west. On this small table-land, from half a mile to a mile wide, the battle was fought; but in the narrow gullies and precipitous ravines the bloodiest melees took place. This locality was certainly the most suitable for a small army against a far superior force, and the selection of the battle-field bestows as much credit upon General Wool, as does the battle itself, which has been sufficiently commented upon by eye-witnesses, upon General Taylor and the whole army. The Mexicans call the place, very appropriately, Angostura. Buena Vista is a rancho about one mile northeast of Angostura, on the road to Saltillo. General Wool had fixed his camp there since the battle.

May 22.–The General, with his staff, rode to-day to our camp to review our regiment. A salute was fired, and he expressed himself highly satisfied with the martial appearance of the great marching and fighting regiment of Missouri, though he seemed not to admire our uniform. We received orders to march from here to Saltillo, Monterey, and Matamoros.

Before leaving Encantada I will remark, that the elevation of this camping place is 6,104 feet, which is the highest point on our road from Chihuahua. From here we shall descend very abruptly to Monterey, which is but 1,626 feet above the sea, and may be considered as the eastern limit of the high plains and mountains of this part of Mexico.

On May 23, in the morning, we left Encantada, passed by the battle-field and General Wool's camp, and marched through Saltillo and six miles beyond it before we encamped. In Wool's camp the old American cannon belonging to our regiment were left, while the conquered Mexican pieces were taken along as trophies, to Missouri.

Saltillo, or Leona Victoria, the capital of Coahuila, lies at the commencement of a wide plain, covering the sloping side of a hill which hides the view of the city in approaching it from the southwest. The city is very compact, shows half a dozen steeples, has clean streets, a beautiful church, &c.; but at the same time it has something narrow and gloomy, and the wide plain around it does not improve its rather awkward position. The population of the city was in 1831 about 20,000, but it seems to have diminished since that, and at present a considerable portion of the inhabitants had absented themselves. I stopped for some hours in the hotel of the "Great Western," kept by the celebrated vivandière, honored with that nom de guerre, and whose fearless behaviour during the battle of Buena Vista was highly praised; she dressed many wounded soldiers on that day, and even carried them out of the thickest fight.

Through a long, sloping, ill-paved street we proceeded on our way to camp, which was near some ranchos, on a dam. In going there, I perceived for the first time a plantation of maguey, (agave americana,) the same plant which we had seen, from Chihuahua down, often enough used for garden fences, or growing wild on dry and sunny places; but here it was raised and planted for the especial purpose of preparing pulque, a