Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/432

412 Taylor's defensive line was now nearly complete. Wool was at Parras with his division; Worth held Saltillo; Butler's headquarters were at Monterey, which was garrisoned by a portion of his command, the remainder being employed in holding the route to Camargo and the mouth of the Rio Grande; and Tampico was occupied by a force 1,000 strong. With the possession of Victoria the occupation of Tamaulipas would be accomplished, and Taylor accordingly put in motion the troops, over 5,000 strong, destined to operate against that point. On the 15th of December he left Monterey, and on the 17th, a junction of the troops, except those under Patterson, was effected at Montemorelos. Here, however, Taylor received a despatch from Worth, informing him that Santa Anna, designing to take advantage of the diversion toward Victoria, intended to attack him at Saltillo, and if successful then fall on Wool at Parras. Taylor therefore returned with Twiggs' division to Monterey, but finding that both Butler and Wool had hastened up to Worth's support, retraced his steps, leaving Butler in command, and entered Victoria on the 4th of January, 1847, Quitman's division having already occupied the city on the 29th of the previous month. No resistance was offered; Urrea's cavalry corps, then at Victoria, slowly retired to the pass of Tula, and Valencia made no attempt to oppose the American general. But the movement was barren of result other than the concentration of the troops, and on the 14th, owing to the want of supplies, Taylor began to evacuate the city, ordering the command to march to Tampico. He himself with a small escort returned to