the paseo de la reforma.—brigandage near the city.—statue of charles iv. of spain.—statue of columbus.—a relic of maximilian.—aqueducts from chapultepec.—montezuma's tree.—chapultepec; its height and extent.—montezuma's bath.—the palace.—"the feast of belshazzar."—national military college.—molino del rey.—general scott's advance upon mexico.—capture of vera cruz.—battle of cerro gordo.—entering the valley.—contreras and churubusco.—fall of chapultepec.—general scott's entrance into the city.—treaty of peace.—general grant on the mexican war.
a corner of chapultepec.
one of the most attractive drives in the neighborhood of mexico is along the paseo de la reforma, the avenue leading to chapultepec. in point of fact, it is generally the first drive taken by a visitor, and he
[pg 230]
is pretty certain to be favorably impressed with it. chapultepec was a royal residence before the conquest; during the spanish rule it was the home of the viceroys, and since that time the president of the republic has generally lived there when he could live at all in the city or its vicinity. maximilian selected it for the location of the imperial palace, and enlarged the then existing buildings; the avenue leading to it owes its origin to his ambition, and is a monument of his taste for the beautiful.
montezuma's tree.
whether the ride to chapultepec is taken by the tram-way or in a carriage, the stranger will find it full of interest, and he would do well to try both means of making the visit. if he is an equestrian he will hire a saddle-horse, and make the excursion on horseback between seven and nine o'clock in the morning, when it is the fashion to appear thus on the paseo. doctor bronson and his young friends followed the prevailing custom, and through the aid of the manager of the hotel were satisfactorily provided with steeds. but they were very modestly mounted in comparison with some of the mexican equestrians, whose saddles and saddle-cloths were elaborately ornamented and said to have cost all the way from one to two
[pg 231]
thousand dollars each. some of the horsemen were armed with sabres and revolvers—a souvenir of a custom which is no longer necessary, but was emphatically so not many years ago. the road to chapultepec, and indeed the roads anywhere in the suburbs, were infested with brigands, who used to rise up from unexpected spots as though at the hand of a magician, and perform their work in a very expeditious manner.
the enterprising brigands were not content with robbing people on horseback or in carriages, but occasionally devoted their energies to kidnapping residents and holding them for ransom. as an illustration of their performances frank made note of the following story:
"one evening while a gentleman was at dinner with his family, in the suburb of tacuba, a party of brigands appeared and commanded silence on the part of all under pain of death. they harmed no one, and did not rob the house, but they hurried the gentleman into a carriage, and drove away with him. it was naturally supposed that he had been taken to a place of concealment among the foot-hills of the mountains that encircle the valley; but it turned out that his captors drove directly to the city and secreted
[pg 232]
their victim in the cellar of a house. there he was kept for several days, until the police were so closely on the track of the kidnappers that they fled and left him to make his escape. subsequently they were captured and executed; but the circumstance was not at all a pleasant one for suburban residents to contemplate."
fred observed that the paseo de la reforma begins at the equestrian statue of charles iv., very nearly a mile from the plaza mayor. it may also be said to begin at the alameda, a beautiful garden of poplar and other trees, and occupying a historic site. the alameda includes the ancient indian market-place and the plaza del quemadero, where the victims of the inquisition were burned to death on a stone platform which was long since removed. successive viceroys improved it, and within the last few decades it has been planted with flowers and otherwise beautified, so that it is now a very attractive spot.
the statue of charles iv. is a fine work of art, and notable as the first bronze casting of any magnitude on this side of the atlantic; humboldt pronounced it second only to the statue of marcus aurelius, and it has received the unstinted praise of many critics who have seen it. it was cast in 1802, and placed upon its pedestal in the following year. during the war for independence it was, in 1822, covered with a large globe of boards painted blue, and in this condition it remained for two years, when it was taken down and placed in the court-yard of the university. in 1852, when the hostility to the spaniards had somewhat abated, the statue was restored to its pedestal, and has peacefully rested there ever since. the casting is in a single piece, and weighs thirty tons, and the height of horse and rider is only a few inches less than sixteen feet.
statue of columbus on the paseo de la reforma.
from the foot of the statue to the base of chapultepec is a distance of 3750 yards; the paseo de la reforma runs straight as a sunbeam along this measured length, and it has a width, including the sidewalks, of fifty-six yards. at regular distances there are glorietas, circular spaces like the rond-point of the champs-elysées, in paris, which are intended for statues of men eminent in the history of mexico; one of them is already occupied with a statue of columbus, who is represented drawing away the veil that hides the new world. at the corners of the pedestal are four life-size figures in bronze, and frank and fred were pleased to observe that one of them represented the good missionary las casas, who labored earnestly for the protection of the indians. a statue of guatemozin, the last of the aztec kings, is destined for the next space, but had not been erected at the time of the visit of our friends; the third space was intended for a statue of cortez, and the fourth for one of juarez. the occupants
[pg 233]
of the other glorietas had not been named, but they will be men famous in the history of mexico. from present indications maximilian is not likely to be chosen as one of the heroes to be preserved in bronze. the glorietas are 400 feet in diameter, and surrounded with stone benches for the accommodation of pedestrian visitors.
the paseo is lined with shade-trees, so that it affords pleasant walks; the centre of the road-way is reserved for people on horseback, while the carriages move along the sides. on pleasant afternoons the vehicles are so numerous that the police have sufficient occupation to keep them in proper line, and the turnout is a fine one in every way. frank and fred compared the display one afternoon with that of london, paris, and new york, under similar circumstances, and after careful consideration they agreed that the mexican pageant was more attractive than any one of the rest.
"the ground is level, the road finely macadamized, and the way perfectly straight; the horses and carriages are the best that can be procured; the equestrians are splendidly mounted, and their apparel and equipments are picturesque; the ladies are handsomely attired, and many of them have pretty faces; the panorama of hills and mountains loses none of its grandeur, and altogether we are in love with the paseo de la reforma."
[pg 234]
so wrote frank, and his cousin gave his hearty indorsement of the opinion thus presented.
san cosme aqueduct.
"don't forget," said fred, "to make mention of the aqueducts that supply the city with water, as they are in sight from this drive. one comes from back among the hills near the old convent of el desierto, and the other leads from a great spring at the foot of chapultepec. the latter aqueduct gave shelter to our soldiers during their attack on the gates of the city after the storming of the castle; from one pillar to another of the aqueduct they dodged the fire of the mexican artillery and infantry, and so gained the front of the gate-way."
montezuma's bath.
"i'll not forget that," replied frank, "nor the old cypresses under which montezuma is said to have sat and walked; but before we get to them we'll mention that an american company proposes to make an extension of the city of mexico by building a suburb on the level tract of land through which the paseo runs. this was one of the dreams of maximilian, but he had no time or opportunity to put it into practical shape. his idea has been taken up by the peaceful invaders from the north, and
[pg 235]
if it is carried out as they propose, it will not be many years before the land is materially transformed. artesian wells have been sunk in this level space and have found an abundance of water, and the projectors of the suburb say they will have their own supply without depending upon either of the aqueducts."
chapultepec and its gardens.
"chapultepec is a delightful spot," wrote fred, "whether considered as a public resort, a royal or presidential residence, or for the panoramic view presented to the visitor as he looks from its top. it is an isolated rock, or hill, rising about 200 feet, and with a length of 1000 or 1200 feet, and the top is crowned with the buildings, which have seen many changes among their occupants as well as in themselves. the sides are steep in some places, but gradual in others, the steep parts predominating. all around the base are cypress-trees, whose age is unknown; but they are certainly very old; and their venerable appearance is increased by the moss that depends from their limbs.
"the tree of the greatest interest to us was that which bears the name of montezuma. if tradition is correct, the emperor sat beneath its shade; and it was possibly while resting here that he received the news of the
[pg 236]
approach of those strange white men who had landed upon the coast, and rode upon animals the like of which were never before known in america. it is a wonderful tree 170 feet high, and forty-six in circumference. like the other great trees of chapultepec, it is a cypress; and like the others, too, it is heavily draped with moss, as though in mourning for the aboriginal ruler, whose kingdom was torn away by the invader.
el salto del aqua.
"from the tree of montezuma we went to his bath, which is not far away, and is the famous spring that fills the aqueduct already mentioned. the water is cool and clear, and supplied the ancient tenochtitlan, just as in later days it was made to supply the spanish city which rose on the site of the aztec one. the aqueduct through which the water flows is exactly on the line of that of the aztecs. the spanish aqueduct was begun in 1677, and has 904 arches from its starting-point at chapultepec to its terminus in the salto del agua, or water-fall, in the city. the water of chapultepec is called agua delgada, or thin water; while that supplied by the san cosme aqueduct is agua gorda, or thick water. from time immemorial the spring has been flowing, and it is supposed to be fed by underground channels from the mountains.
"after the tree and the baths we visited the palace, or such part of it
[pg 237]
as was open to the public. there is not much worth seeing inside the building, the most interesting feature about it being the view from the roof. all the valley of mexico, with its girdle of mountains, was before us; it was like the view from the cathedral tower, with the difference that the city formed a part of the horizontal view in one direction, while from the tower it lay beneath and around our feet; and the same view that included the city embraced also the snowy peaks of popocatepetl and the 'white woman,' which lay a little to the right of the cluster of domes and roofs standing between us and the silvery sheet of tezcoco. in the opposite direction was tacuba, the spot where cortez thought of rebuilding the city which was to rise in place of the tenochtitlan he had destroyed. it is to be regretted that he did not do so, as the site is better adapted to a city; it admits of good drainage, which the present one does not, and would undoubtedly be healthier.
an aztec relic.
"the present palace stands on the site of the one occupied by montezuma. chapultepec was called the 'hill of the grasshopper' by the aztecs, and in their maps of the valley the hill is represented with a grasshopper as large as itself perched on the top. we are wondering whether they really had grasshoppers of that size. what a famine they would create if they were as numerous as they are to-day in some parts of the west!
"what a magnificent place this must have been in the time of montezuma, according to the description in prescott's history! here was an aviary that alone required 300 attendants, and there was a menagerie of corresponding extent. then the king had granaries of immense extent, to guard against suffering in case of famine; and there were armories with weapons sufficient for a military force of thousands. the halls of the palace were spacious, and the royal dining-table was supplied with delicacies of all kinds from every part of the dominions. fresh fish were provided daily
[pg 238]
by a line of couriers in the same way that they were supplied to the khan of tartary in the days of marco polo, and also to the royal table of japan. according to the accounts, the runners made the journey from the coast to the city in very nearly the same time that it is now made by the railway.
"we were shown through the palace, which has large halls and galleries, and is surrounded by terraces paved with marble and affording fine views of the valley and mountains. some of the halls and galleries are elaborately ornamented, while others are quite plain; a portion of the decorations ordered by maximilian still remain, and others have been covered or partly obliterated. the most interesting hall was the grand saloon, where banquets are occasionally given. it is memorable for having been the scene of maximilian's 'feast of belshazzar,' as the mexicans call it—his grand banquet on his return from orizaba, just before he started for queretaro, for capture, and for execution. many of the porcelain dishes marked with the imperial cipher were broken at this banquet, and are kept as souvenirs by those who secured them. a friend of ours in new york has one of them; it is part of a saucer, and was given to him by a gentleman who was in mexico shortly after the fall of the empire.
"the national military college is at chapultepec, and adjoins the palace building. we were told that it is conducted on a plan similar to that of our military academy at west point, and contained between three and four hundred students. there was a military school here at the time of our war with mexico. the cadets enlisted for the defence of chapultepec, fought splendidly, and many of them were killed in the battle. a few years ago a monument commemorating their gallantry was erected in the garden on the side of the hill, and it should be visited in honor of the brave youths who fell here.
"and this brings us to the incidents of the capture of chapultepec.
"'do you see that large building back of the grove?' said our guide, pointing his finger in an easterly direction.
"we followed the direction with our eyes, and indicated that we saw it.
the valley of mexico, from the american official map.
"'well,' said he, 'that is molino del rey, the king's mill, and there's where some of the hard fighting took place. just beyond it is the casa mata, and over there, and there, are the fields of contreras and churubusco. from this point you can take in the whole range of general scott's battles in the valley that resulted in the fall of the city of mexico.'
"we studied the situations, and since then we've read up the history of the battles, and will try to tell you something of them."
[pg 239]
[pg 240]
frank and fred kept their promise, and wrote an account which we are permitted to give in their words:
view of the fort of san juan de ulloa from vera cruz.
"it will be remembered that before the battle of buena vista a part of general taylor's army was sent to join general scott in his advance upon the capital of the republic. general scott proceeded to besiege vera cruz and the castle of san juan de ulloa, which protects it. the fortress is a strong one, and the mexicans were so confident of the abilities of vera cruz to hold out against any force the americans could send against it that they left a garrison of only 5000 men, did not provision the city against a siege, and neglected to send away the women and children. the americans besieged the city on the land side, the whole army landing without accident or opposition. the siege began on the 9th of march, 1847, and on the 26th of the same month the city and castle surrendered.
battle of cerro gordo.
"then began the march towards the capital as soon as the provision trains could be made ready. the mexicans made no opposition until the americans reached the foot of the mountains, where the battle of cerro
[pg 241]
gordo was fought on the 18th of april, the mexicans being commanded by general santa anna, and the americans by general twiggs. the mexicans were defeated with a loss of 1000 killed and wounded and 3000 prisoners, including five generals and many other officers. general santa anna fled from the battle-field on a baggage mule, and the mexicans were very much demoralized.
general santa anna.
"perote and puebla were occupied soon after the victory of cerro
[pg 242]
gordo, and then the army halted in its advance to wait for reinforcements which were on their way from the united states. it was not until the beginning of august that general scott was ready to move towards the capital, and when he gave the order it was with only 10,738 men to follow him. colonel childs, with 1400 men, was left at puebla, which was a very important point on the road by which supplies were to be forwarded.
"three days the army struggled up the eastern slope of the mountains that surround the valley. when they looked down on the beautiful valley, with its lakes glistening in the sun, the towers of the city rising in the centre of the level expanse, the black fields of lava, the hills rising here and there, the green expanse of cultivated land, and the causeways covered with people, the soldiers gave a loud cheer, and in spite of the fatigue of the ascent were ready to dash forward to battle.
"to oppose them general santa anna had assembled an army of three times their number, and erected forts to guard every approach to the city. after carefully surveying the ground, general scott decided to advance to the south of the lakes. if he had continued on by the national road, which leads from mexico to vera cruz, he would have encountered the fortress of el peñon, on which fifty-one guns had been mounted. the
[pg 243]
[pg 244]
engineers said he would lose one-third his army in capturing the fort, and hence his decision to go to the south of the lakes.
"general worth's division advanced to san augustin, nine miles from the city, where there is a large field of lava known as the pedregal, which artillery or cavalry could not cross. the mexicans had intrenched camps at contreras and also at san antonio, and general scott decided to attack
[pg 245]
both these points at once. generals twiggs and pillow were to advance upon contreras while general worth moved towards san antonio.
"during the night of the 19th of august it rained, and the men camped without fires. early in the morning of the 20th the order to march was given. the mexicans were taken a good deal by surprise. contreras was won by a sharp fight that did not last long, and the invaders pushed on to san angel, which was evacuated as they approached. some
[pg 246]
of the cannon taken by the americans were those which were lost at buena vista, and the men who lost them were the very ones who had the good-fortune to make the capture.
battle of churubusco.—charge of "the palmettos."
"san antonio was abandoned before the americans reached it, but a stand was made at churubusco, farther on; this was attacked in front and rear at the same time. santa anna considered it the key of the mexican position, and the place was defended by 30,000 men. they made a good defence, and at one time it looked as though the assailants would be repulsed. some of the most gallant fighting of the day was performed by a south carolina regiment ('the palmettos') in a charge upon a mexican force largely their superior in numbers and backed by a battery of artillery.
"churubusco and contreras had fallen, and it would have been easy for the americans to advance and take possession of the city before the mexicans had recovered from their panic. under injudicious advice, general scott offered an armistice, to enable negotiations for peace to be made; it was promptly accepted and lasted a fortnight, but resulted in nothing. when santa anna felt that he had repaired his damages, he sent an insulting message to general scott, and hostilities were resumed.
storming of molino del rey.
"very early on the morning of september 8th the advance began, the troops moving in the direction of the casa mata and the molino del rey. the molino was attacked by the artillery and afterwards by the infantry. at one time the americans recoiled under the shower of bullets and their heavy loss in men and officers, but it was only for a moment. the molino was carried, the mexican cavalry behind it was put to flight, and the road was clear to chapultepec, the home of the montezumas and the viceroys. for four days the army rested, and on the 12th the order to advance was given.
general scott's entrance into mexico.
"the cannonade against chapultepec began at daybreak on the morning of the 13th, and at eight o'clock general quitman advanced along the tacuba road, and general pillow from the molino del rey. the mexicans fought stubbornly, but the americans pressed on, and while the garrison was occupied in one direction an attack was made in another, and the position was taken. when the mexicans fell back to the city, general scott ordered the pursuit to be continued on both the roads leading from chapultepec to the city gates of belem and san cosme. away went the pursuers; and here, as stated elsewhere, they found great advantage
[pg 247]
from the aqueducts. springing from one archway to another, they managed to dodge the mexican bullets and get close to the gates. there they adopted the plan of boring through the houses, as they had done at monterey, and in this manner by sunset they were practically, though not literally, in possession.
captured at chapultepec.
"this was the end of the fighting. at midnight a party of mexican officers came out with a flag of truce and proposed the surrender of the city, and at the same time the remnant of the mexican army marched out of the northern gate and fled to guadalupe hidalgo. on the morning of september 14th general scott entered the city, and, surrounded by his staff and principal officers, rode in triumph to the grand plaza through the crowd of men that thronged the streets and scowled as they clutched their knives and muttered threats against 'los yanqueis!' he was followed by six thousand men of his army; their uniforms were ragged and soiled with mud, but their weapons were in ready condition for service, which happily was no longer needed.
"negotiations for peace were begun immediately, and on february 2, 1848, the treaty was signed at guadalupe hidalgo. it was ratified in the following may, and as soon as it could be done conveniently, mexico was evacuated by the american troops, and the two nations became friends again. and we shall all hope that the friendship will never be broken.
"commenting on the war with mexico, general grant said: 'for myself, i was bitterly opposed to the measure [the annexation of texas], and to this day regard the war which resulted as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger upon a weaker nation. it was an instance of a republic following the bad example of european monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory.'"
