, came out of the chaparral to our feed troughs, were caught,
and "pressed" into engineer service.

From Santa Fe the road was much better, but at every hill the men had
to take to the wheels and help the mules--this too, after throwing out
half the load at the foot of some of the steeper hills. In this way, we
reached the National Bridge, at 3 P. M. on the 16th.

General Worth's division was about starting from that place to make a
night march to Plan Del Rio. He informed me that our army would attack
the enemy, at the Cerro Gordo Pass, on the afternoon of the 17th; and
said he desired that the engineer company should accompany his division.
I informed him that my men and animals were utterly exhausted and could
not go any further without several hours rest. But I assured him that we
would be in Plan Del Rio by noon of the next day. We rested at the
National Bridge until 11.30 P. M., on the 16th and reached Plan Del Rio,
about 11 A. M., on the 17th.

AT CERRO GORDO. Soon after our arrival at Plan Del Rio, I was
ordered to detail an officer and ten men of the engineer company to
report to General Pillow for temporary service with his division.
Lieutenant McClellan was placed in charge of that detail.

With the remainder of the company, I was directed to report to Captain
R. E. Lee, then acting as Chief Engineer of Twiggs's division; who
instructed me to allow the men to rest, whilst I accompanied him to the
front, where Twiggs's division was about going into action. Captain Lee
informed General Twiggs that the engineer company was at Plan Del Rio,
and had been ordered to serve with his division. I was directed by
General Twiggs to return at once, and bring the company to the front as
soon as possible.

The action of the 17th was over before the engineer company arrived.
Captain Lee directed me, with a portion of my men and a large detailed
working party, to construct a battery that night, in a position he had
selected on the heights we had gained that afternoon. This was a work of
some difficulty, owing to the rocky nature of the ground and the small
depth of earth--in some places none, and nowhere more than a few inches.

About 3 A. M. on the 18th I sent one of my men to the foot of the hill
to awaken Lieutenant Foster, who was sleeping there with the company,
and tell him he must relieve me for the rest of the night.

After putting Foster in charge I started to join the company--and became
sound asleep whilst w