Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/206

200 At noon the drum beat for dress-parade, which caused great rejoicing among the men; expecting that we were to get orders to march. Sure enough orders to march to-morrow morning were read to us. This is the fourth time we have received orders to this effect, and I should not be surprised to hear it countermanded before morning.

In the evening several of our men called upon their senoritas, bidding them farewell, and telling them that we are going to marcha manana. There were several buried from the hospital this evening.

To-night the boys are all in high glee, singing "Santa Anna's leg he left behind him" at the battle of Cerro Gordo.

Saturday, July 3, 1847.—This morning after breakfast we were formed into line, and then marched to the plaza. At 8 o'clock,, we left the town of Perote and marched about twenty miles, passing several beautiful haciendas. We passed around a rough looking mountain called Mt. Pizzarios, and went into camp at a small town named Tepegahualco (or Zempollan), which was, before Conqueror Cortez's time, a large and flourishing Indian city. It was the capital of an Indian tribe called Tepejacano (or Totonacs). They were the offspring of the Aztec (or Mexican). They were part of the tribe that became dissatisfied with the rules and government at the city of Mexico; they left the city and mostly all settled around Orazaba, Jalapa, Perote and other small towns.

Cortez, on his march toward the city of Mexico, conquered the Tepejacanos and afterward killed nearly all its people, simply because they would not submit to his rules.

Nothing is now left of the Tepejacano Indian capital, except a small village consisting mostly of mud-plastered shanties.

It is also noted as the place where the revolutionist, Gen. Jose Maria Morelos was betrayed by one of his own men, Gen. Bustamante, on November 5, 18 15. From here he was taken, heavily chained, to the city of Mexico, and there shot in the back as a traitor, December 22, 1815.