On the eighteenth the passage conmienced, the
enemy o£fering no opposition. A few companies as
skirmishers, a squadron of Dragoons and a field bat-
tery of four pieces were over and the Fifth on the
move when we learned that Arista with his entire
force, still forty-five hundred strong, were in full re-
treat. We crossed and the residue of the army went
down the river and passed over at the town. We
marched inmiediately to the city, five miles, and soon
saw our flag floating over the Mexican fort. We halted
without our baggage in a ploughed field in the suburbs,
not being allowed to enter the city, and lay down upon
the bare groimd tired and hungry enough. Towards
night the interdict was removed and I went to town
where I soon succeeded in getting a good cup of coffee
and a piece of bread at a restaurant. The town is
much like St. Augustine, only with larger, wider streets
and finer public buildings. Strong patrols were kept
moving through the streets to protect the inhabitants
and prevent riot. We found near four hundred of



TO MEXICO WITH SCOTT 55

Arista's wounded whom he had left in the hospital
when he fled. It is thought that General Taylor will
move towards Monterey, a large fortified city three
hundred miles on the road to the City of Mexico, but
no one knows with certainty what he will do. . ..
