lane's, lally's and childs's victories. 



About the middle of the month, Brigadier General Lane left Vera 

 Cruz with a fresh command, and at Jalapa joined the forces of Ma- 

 jor Lally, who with nearly a thousand men and a large and valuable 

 train, had fought his way thither against Jarauta and his guerrilleros 

 at San Juan, Paso de Ovejas, Puente Nacional, Plan del Rio, Cerro- 

 Gordo and Los Animas. As soon as the news of Puebla's danger 

 reached these commanders they marched to support the besieged 

 band, while Santa Anna believing that Rea could either conquer or 

 hold Childs in check until his return, departed in quest of the ad- 

 vancing columns of Lane and Lally, who were reported to have con- 

 voyed from the coast an immense amount of treasure. The com- 

 bined lust of glory and gold perhaps stimulated this last effort of the 

 failing chief. Rea continued the siege of Puebla bravely. Santa 

 Anna, advancing eastward, and apparently confident of success, es- 

 tablished his head-quarters at Huamentala ; but whilst maneuvering 

 his troops to attack our approaching columns, Lane fell upon him 

 suddenly on the 9th of October, and after a sharp action, remained 

 victor on the field. On the next day our eager general continued his 

 march to Puebla, and entering it on the 13th of October, drove the 

 Mexicans from all their positions and effectually relieved the pressed 

 but pertinacious commander of the beleagured Americans. 



It was now the turn of those who had been so long assailed to 

 become assailants. Rea retired to Atlixco, about twenty-five miles 

 from Puebla, but the inexorable Lane immediately followed in his 

 steps, and reaching the retreat at sunset on the 19th, by a brighl 

 moonlight cannonaded the town from the overlooking heights. 

 After an hour's incessant labor, Atlixco surrendered, — the enemy 

 fled, — and thus was destroyed a nest in which many a guerrillero 

 party had been fitted out for the annoyance or destruction of Ameri- 

 cans. 



Mexico possesses a wonderful facility in the creation of armies 

 or in the aggregation of men under the name of soldiers. Wher 

 ever a standard is raised, it is quickly surrounded by the idlers, the 

 thriftless, and the improvident, who are willing, at least, to be sup- 

 ported if not munificently recompensed for the task of bearing arms. 

 At this period, and notwithstanding all the recent disgraceful and 

 disheartening defeats, a large corps had been already gathered in 

 different parts of the republic. The recruits were, however, di- 

 vided into small, undisciplined, and consequently inefficient bodies. 

 It is reported that Lombardini and Reyes were in Queretaro with a 

 thousand men ; Santa Anna's command, now turned over to Gen- 

 eral Rincon by order of President Pena-y-Pena, consisted of four 



