Page:The War with Mexico, Vol 1.djvu/389

360 Quitman had occupied with some formality six days before. Victoria is taken. It was a bloodless Victory. But where is Victoria?" said the New York Herald

Indeed, Victoria was very much taken. October 13, when ordering Taylor to cut short the armistice, Marcy notified Patterson of this order, and again directed him to occupy southern Tamaulipas as soon as he could—before December 6 if possible; but Patterson was not able to set out until General Taylor gave him definite instructions, on the twenty—eighth of November, to march with the two Illinois regiments and the regiment of Tennessee horse, about 1500 men, for Victoria Further delays occurred because transportation was not promptly furnished him, and because vessels conveying supplies were lost; and although a detachment advanced some fifteen miles about the middle of December, the movement from the point then reached did not begin until one day before Christmas.

The distance to be covered was nearly 210 miles, and all found the march hard. The chief engineer said his task was "to make an impassable road practicable." Sometimes it seemed to contain every possible stone. Difficult streams had to be crossed, and once the only feasible method was to cut a straight ramp on each of the nearly vertical banks, which stood about one hundred feet high, and get the wagons down and up again with ropes—a prodigious task. The usual