Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/431

Rh of terminating the war had been rejected by the Mexican government, which deferred the matter till the assembling of a new congress on the 6th of December. The cabinet at Washington determined to prosecute its design without loss of time, and that no delay might occur, issued, September 22d, instructions directly to General Patterson, then at Camargo, to make preparations for the invasion of Tamaulipas with a strong detachment from Taylor s command.

When Taylor received the despatch ordering the cessation of the armistice, he began to put in opera tion his scheme of taking up a defensive line. Deeming the occupation of Saltillo important as a necessary outpost to the main army at Monterey, and as con trolling a region from which supplies could be obtained, on November 13th he marched from Monterey with Worth s division and two squadrons of dragoons, and occupied that city on the 16th without opposition, Ampudia having already retired to San Luis Potosí. Almost simultaneously with this movement one of the objects for which it had been under taken — namely, the occupation of Tampico — had been unexpectedly gained. Santa Anna, having become informed by an intercepted despatch that Tampico was to be attacked, ordered it to be evacuated, which was carried into effect October 27th. To protect his,own position from attack in that direction, he stationed a force of cavalry and infantry, 5,000 strong, under generals Urrea and Valencia at the Tula pass. On November 14th Commodore Perry arrived before Tampico and immediately occupied it. General Patterson, on receipt of the news, promptly despatched six companies of artillery, with a sufficient supply of heavy ordinance to garrison the place, followed soon afterward by a regiment of Alabama volunteers.