Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

42 ARISTA'S CCNFIDENCE-AMPUDIA.
cial report, 66 the superior cquality of our officers and men;,7
and the Mexicans were completely routed, "1 horse and foot."
Confused and panic-stricken, they fled to the Rio Grande,
and hundreds escaped the wrath of the battle only to perish
in its waves. A few days before, that scattered and flying
army had crossed it elated with hope and assured of victory.
Nothing can be more conclusive of the confidence which
General Arista had in the result, than the fact that he, a soldier of considerable talent and. experience, unprovided with
pontoons, should decide to hazard a battle with a deep unbridged river in his rear; a position from which, in the event
of defeat, would result the loss of his army, and open the
northern frontier of his country to our victorious arms. The
entire Mexican army had crossed to the Texan bank in two
small boats, thus causing a delay of twenty-four hours, by
which Arista had been prevented from attacking Taylor on
his march from Fort Brown to Point Isabel, on the 2d of May,
as he intended. Under the circumstances, it is not strange
that the Mexican army, on reentering Matamoros, should be
diminished to one-fifth of its original strength; or that it
should be wary of again offering battle in the open field.
We shall see how strongly and judiciously it was posted in
the next engagement of the war. The Mexican historians
ascribe the loss of the battles of the Rio Grande to the distrust and jealousy which existed between Generals Arista and
Ampudia. It was currently reported among the Mexicans
that General Don Pedro de Ampudia was the first to abandon
the field of Resaca; and from his conduct in subsequent bat