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Show MEXICAN HISTORY ae nett - ~ es ae seca ee = was upon an elevated plain, in the center of a sort of peninsula formed by two large arroyos, branches of the Rio Sacramento.1° In the march from El Paso south the caravan of wagons, owned by traders with goods intended for the Chihuahua market, was placed in command of Major Owens. These wagons were arranged in four parallel lines, with intervals of fifty feet. The artillery marched in the interval of the center; and the remainder of the troops, except two hundred cavalry proper, who were in the advance, marched in the intervals on the right and left. By this means the strength of the force was concealed and its position masked. Another object for this arrangement of the caravan was to have the wagons serve as a breastwork in case of attack. Arriving within three miles of the enemy’ s fortifications, a reconnoissance was made by Major Clark, who discovered that the Mexican infantry occupied the batteries and redoubts and that the cavalry was drawn up in front. The column now continued its course along the road about a mile and a half, and the cavalry 161 These arroyos were called the Seco and the Sacramento. The Arroyo Seco on the north inclines to the south when it reaches the eastern range of mountains, and, uniting with the Arroyo Sacramento, they together form the main river. The road to Chihuahua, crosses the peninsula from north to south; on its left the plain rises abrupt ly in a bench, fifty feet high, sloping upward from every side towards the northeast corner, where it culminates in a rocky knoll, called the Cerro Frijole s, one hundred and fifty feet above the plain; but on the right it is smooth and unbroken, descending gradua lly from the hilly bench along the base of which the road passes. On the southern bank of the Arroyo Sacramento there is and forming right angle s with t 1s the Cerro Sacramento, whic right of the road, just rear of the rancho Sacr in the amento. Below the Cerro Sacramen the valley of the Rio Sacramen to, about one mile in width,.tto on the east is hrough which pasSes the road to Chihuahu a. Upon the Cerro Frijoles, was : a redoubt and battery, with abattis In its rear, extendin a stone wall, and g across the bed of the Arro yo Seco to the mountains on the opposite bank. Seven hundred yards west of there was another redoubt. There was a redoubt also at the the Cerro Frijoles northwest corner, and one at the southwest Corne r of the bench on the left of the road, with other redoubts at intervals betw een them. three Near the ford of the Arroyo Sacramento was a stone corral or enclosure, Surrounding a sprin g. The corral and the redoubt ith the exception of short intervals, by breasteS for the prote of fortifications, overlookin ction of infantry, thus forming ass g and commanding the gorge TFOyo Seco, and the road across of the the peninsula througho On the Cerro Sacramento there its whole extent. was a strong battery, which utcomm anded the road as 1t approached the ford below it. Abou : t two miles west of the ford, Arroyo Sacramento, was the on the hacienda of Torreon, from which another road led through a canyon in the mountains to the main route to Chihuahua. PO NEW >_ Representative =o ry Salvador amillo. New . Armijo. 4, Mexicans ~~ Don ; 7 . 2. Don Juan 6. Don José of the Nineteent!] a ; 5. Don ; C. Fe de : A 3.3 Perea. Leandro Santistevan. Tomas YT? 7 f Baca Pedro Ia > L “Cine } Century Don hasdro Sanche € Q 17, 5 ; Y Y. Jar- theres OF a FACTS ie LEADING pe nde 2% te - kobe harWe >ak ee a tlt akey OE nd yg aa dl ale De n ede lh 8ea ee ae eee ee " P 224 |