REFLECTIONS ON THE EVENT.

323

pleted another of its grand revolutions, they have met in mortal conflict. Like the EAGLE and the VULTURE, who had long pursued different circles in the heavens, and long made prey of the weak tenants of the air, their circles have been enlarged till they cross each other. They shriek! They fight! The victorious eagle bears the vulture to the earth, and screams forth through the clouds his triumphant song! Has the bold bird received no wound? Has no blood tinged the feathers of his wing? Is there no secret flow of life from the portals of his heart? Will he continue to look, with unblenched eye, on the blazing glories of the sun? Hid in the eternal decrees of God, is the life of nations; and not till He has drawn away the curtains of time, will mortals know the secrets of His will in the government of nations.

CHAPTER XIV.

Siege of Puebla.-March of Santa Anna.-Desertion of his troops.-March of Rea.-Battle of Huamantla.-Santa Anna's resignation.-Peña y Peña President.—Negotiations for peace.-Treaty signed.—Ratifications. -The Treaty.-Territory acquired.-Losses of the army.-Names of officers killed.-Conclusion.

THE military events which closed on the 18th of September, with the capture of the city of Mexico, closed also, with the exception of some incidental and minor engagements, the war with Mexico. To all practical intents, Mexico was conquered. From Santa Fé in the north to Tampico in the south,-from the Rio Grande to the shores of the Pacific,-from the heights of the Sierra Madre, to those of the Sierra Nevada,-the troops and navy of the United States held every position which, either in a military or commercial view, was valuable or accessible to the channels of business and population. Henceforward, the chief movement of our troops was the advance of reinforcements, which, had they been earlier, had been useful, but were now too late to aid the victorious army, or share in the glory of its achievements. Collateral movements were made, and two or three small skirmishes took place which were honorable to our arms. But the burden and battle of the war was past. The victory wa: won, and the question of the day was, "When and hov shall

peace be made?"

Santa Anna, who had been driven out of Mexico by

MOVEMENTS OF SANTA ANNA.

325

the American troops, escaped with a body of two or three thousand men, and for some days was unheard of. On the 25th of September, however, he appeared in the city of Puebla, the surrounding heights of which were garrisoned and defended by Col. Childs. The American gar rison was weak, and had under its care the hospitals, which contained many sick. The object of the Mexican commander was the surprise and capture of this post, which had been left isolated by the advance of the American army on Mexico, and was now besieged by Rea. The movement was a good one, had the Mexican strength been sufficient for the purpose. On his appearance Santa Anna immediately summoned the American commander to surrender, to which Col. Childs returned a prompt refusal, couched in firm and dignified terms. On the 28th, the positions around Puebla were occupied by Santa Anna with batteries, and a bombardment commenced on the American intrenchments. In return, the batteries of Col. Childs bombarded the city. On the 29th, the troops of Santa Anna occupied the convent of Santa Theresa, and began to cover themselves with cotton-bales. On the 30th, General Rea, who was joined by Santa Anna, commenced erecting batteries, and cannonading the Americans.

In the mean time, however, the Mexican troops were almost wholly destitute of provisions, and in a most suffering condition. Having heard of the advance of an American convoy on the National Road, Santa Anna, on the 1st of October, sallied out of Puebla with the view to intercept it. Before his arrival at the point of destination, he

1 Correspondence in the Washington Union.

was deserted by all his troops, except about 130 hussars.
They alleged that he was incapable of accomplishing any
further service, and that certain destruction awaited them
should they any longer follow a leader whose fortunes
were so desperate. Thus after many bold enterprises,
signal defeats, and sanguinary adventures, this celebrated
Mexican chief found himself again a wanderer, alike de-
serted by fortune and by friends. He was soon after
denounced by the new Mexican government, and became
an exile from the shores of that country, where, for thirty
years, he had been the star of its destiny, alternately rising
and setting on its political horizon, attended by all the
hues of a checkered fate, and by all the incidents of a
various romance.
Like other unfortunate warriors, he

In the mean time, General Lane had left Vera Cruz about the 1st of October, with a corps of 3000 men, ar rived at Perote on the 4th, and on the 8th nearly surprised Santa Anna, who barely escaped the village of Huamantla. On the 12th of October, General Rea raised the siege of Puebla, and marched, as it was supposed, to surprise General Lane and his convoy at Tinal. This was, however, not done, and Lane, hearing that he was at Huamantla, forthwith marched to attack him. A brilliant action took place, in which the usual success attended the American arms, and the Mexicans were driven out with considerable loss. In this action, Captain Walker, one of the most distinguished of the noted Texan Rangers, was killed. He was more distinguished for a barbarous desperation of adventure, than for true chivalry or magnanimous war

RESIGNATION OF SANTA ANNA.

327.

On the 19th of October, the Americans entered Atlisco with 1,500 men; and soon after, they captured Orizaba, with several other considerable places. The young officers of the army, searching with keen ambition for the novelties of romantic enterprise, planted the American flag in succession on the loftiest peaks of the Cordilleras, -on summits which looked down on the region of clouds, and are clothed with eternal ice. There, on rocks visited. only in the waste of ages by the lone eagle in his sunward flight, the flag of the conqueror waves in the wind which bathes the silent volcanoes of Orizaba and Popocatepetl !

But the word which is now on the lips of conquered and conqueror is-PEACE. The United States desired. not to govern the mixed races of Mexico, and Mexico felt that she had no longer opposition to offer. A new government and a new destiny was about to arise for Mexico.

On the 18th of October, Santa Anna resigned the supreme power into the hands of Peña y Peña, President of the Supreme Court of Justice. On the 22d, he issued his proclamation to the Mexican people, vindicating his conduct throughout the turbulent scenes and unfortunate events of the war, and from that time he has disappeared from the stage of Mexican affairs.

Previous to this resignation of Santa Anna, however, Peña y Peña had assumed the reins of government. The executive chair was declared vacant, and on the 27th of September, Peña took the vacant place, by virtue of being President of the Supreme Court of Justice. He immediately addressed circulars to the States, calling upon them to send deputies to Queretaro, to pay their expenses, and provide funds for their support. The Presi