Page:The War with Mexico, Vol 1.djvu/199

170 presently, like the tail of a huge serpent, its rear wound away into the Chaparral, and vanished. Taylor gazed and reflected, moved a short distance, waited to ascertain through a party of dragoons that it was a genuine retreat, consulted with some of his principal officers, and then decided on pursuit; but the forenoon had to be spent in erecting breastworks and planting four heavy cannon to defend the train, which he now saw should be left behind; and he merely sent forward a

composite force of 220 men, under Captain McCall of the Fourth Infantry, to harass the Mexican rear.

Arista turned this delay to good account. The Chaparral and woods that his troops had been seen to enter extended With some interruptions to the Rio Grande, a distance of approximately seven miles: and two hours before noon, after marching about halfway through it, he stopped at the Resaca de Guerrero. The Resaca was an ancient channel of the river, but it now consisted merely of a shallow, muddy ravine somewhat in the shape of a bow, several hundred feet