Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/580

574 for their country and the people of Mexico; in fact, the people of San Angel were no foes of ours—having been encamped there so long. We got so well acquainted, and associated together so much, that we were more like friends than enemies. They have shown, by their many acts of kindness, that they were our friends all the time; they wept like so many children; many marched with us for miles. We marched out by the Churubusco Road, and not through the city of Mexico (as first intended), passing through the strongly-fortified town of Mexicalzingo, along the south side of El Penon Pass—Cortez's first route to the city of Mexico. Mexicalzingo is situated by Lake Xochimilco, and before Conqueror Cortez's thieving rule came to this country, was a splendid city, containing about four thousand fine houses; but at the present time it contains nothing but a few old huts, shanties and plenty of ruins. The people who live here came out of their huts and stood along the road we were marching, and their whole conversation was about the Americanos, muchos buenos valiente. We marched along on a level plain, and the most of the road we passed over was strewn with large and small lava stones, no doubt caused by the numerous eruptions from the volcanic mountains near by. They look a good deal like the cinders from our furnaces—rough and sharp and difficult to pass over. Encamped at a village called Chalco, which lies close by the lake of the same name; but, like all the villages in Mexico, it is composed of miserable huts and small houses. Whether this is the Chalco which was once so famous in Montezuma's time I am unable to decide, but being in the immediate neighborhood of the city of Mexico, and no other Chalco in the country, I take it for granted that this must be the same Chalco.

On our way from San Angel, and, in fact, before we left our quarters, the soldiers sang that favorite song or poem, called "We are Coming Home." The Mexicans, even, took a fancy to it, and called upon our boys several times to repeat it. It being part of our history, I will record it.