Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/254

248 Tuesday, August 10, 1847.—This morning, Gen. Gideon J. Pillows' division left. This is the smallest division that has left this city. It is composed of the following regiments: Ninth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth United States Infantry and Voltigeurs Rifles, Col. Andrew commanding. The Mountain Howitzer Battery under the command of Capt. Talcott, Lieuts. Callander and Reno are attached to the Voltigeurs; they have their howitzers strapped on the mules backs. This division does not look so well as the rest, they having just arrived a few days ago from Vera Cruz, and not having had time to clean or shake the dust off their backs.

This division is divided into two brigades, the first brigade is commanded by our fellow townsman, Brig.-Gen. George Cadwalader; the second brigade, by Brig.-Gen. Frank Peirce; Capt. Steptoe's battery is also attached to this division; it takes a train of over three hundred wagons loaded mostly with ammunition of war, this is the rear division of our army. The advance of Gen. Scott's army must, by this time, be close on to the city of Mexico.

We noticed that the Mexicans were already beginning to get very saucy, the result was, we had to go to work and flog a half dozen of them. This caused considerable excitement among the Mexican corner-loungers, we could see them standing around the streets in deep conversation, and no doubt planning how to get the best of these Yankees, but we are watching their movements with keen eyes.

This afternoon Col. (now Governor) Childs had a long interview with the Alcalda of this city. Their conversation took place in the Palace Hall. The Alcalda assured and declared that he would do all that laid in his power to maintain order and suppress all outrages that may take place in Puebla. Good for the old Alcalda.

This evening we have a great deal of criticism in our ranks, in regard to the promotion of Gen. Pillow from Brigadier to Major-Generalship. How he gained this promotion is the question asked by many of the volunteers who were under