MEXICALZINGO, TEZCOCO, CHALCO. 



385 



lupe. But at the period of Scott's invasion of the valley, General 

 Valencia, with the troops that were afterwards convened at Contre- 

 ras, was stationed at Tezcoco, either for the purpose of observation, 

 or to induce an attack in that quarter, and thus to draw our forces 

 into a snare on the northern route, or to fall on the rear of the Amer- 

 ican commander if he attacked El Penon, or advanced by the way 

 of Mexicalzingo. At Santiago Zacualco, west of the lake and 

 on the route, formidable works were thrown up to defend the entire 

 space between the western shore of lake Tezcoco and the moun- 

 tains; while on the road to Queretaro, at the mountain pass north 

 of Tenepantla, other defences were erected, so as to screen the 

 country on all sides of the group of hills which lies west of the 

 lakes of Tezcoco and San Cristoval and north of the town of Gua- 

 dalupe Hidalgo. 



The fourth and last advance to the city was that which turned to 

 the south from the Hacienda of Buena Vista, and passing by the 

 town of Chalco, led along the narrow land intervening between 

 the shores of lake Chalco and the first steeps of the mountains 

 forming the southern rim of the valley, until it fell at right angles, 

 at Tlalpam or San Agustin de las Cuevas, into the main road 

 from the city of Mexico towards the southern States of the 

 Republic. 



All these routes were boldly reconnoitred by the brave engineers 

 accompanying the American army, and, where they could not ex- 

 tend their personal observations, the officers obtained from the peo- 

 ple of the country, information upon which subsequent events 

 proved that they were justified in relying. From the knowledge 

 thus gained as to the route south of the lake of Chalco, they were 

 induced to believe, although it was rough, untravelled, difficult, and 

 narrowly hemmed in between the lake and the mountains, yet that 

 the long and narrow defile, which was open to resistance at many 

 points, was not sufficiently obstructed or fortified to prevent our 

 passage. All the routes on the lower lands, it should also be re- 

 membered, were liable to increased difficulties from the deluging 

 rains prevailing at this season on the highlands of Mexico, and 

 which sometimes convert the highways and their borders, for many 

 leagues, into almost impassable lagunes. 



Santa Anna and his engineers had probably supposed that this 

 southern route would not be adopted, but a reasonable explanation 

 of his conduct is given by one of the most competent commenta- 

 tors upon the valley of Mexico and the march of the American ar- 



