n the morning of the
20th. This would open the road for artillery, and our communications
with [the main army under] General Scott would be re-established. I
received orders to hold the engineer company ready to move at 3 A. M.
and to take my place on the right of the rifles. On the morning of the
20th there was considerable delay in the movement of the brigade [raw
troops] under General Cadwallader, by which General Smith's brigade, now
under the command of Major Dimmick, First Artillery, was detained very
nearly an hour. Part of the Eleventh Regiment [Cadwallader's brigade]
lost its way, caused the Voltigeurs to halt, thus throwing the brigade
under Major Dimmick still further from Riley's, which had moved very
soon after 3 o'clock. At the request of General Cadwallader, Major
Dimmick ordered me to turn over the command of my company to the officer
next in rank, and to move forward and conduct the troops that had lost
their way. The whole force was by sunrise, or little after, halted in a
sheltered position in rear of the enemy's battery". (Ex. Doc. No. 1,
Appendix p. 67).

I reported the cause of the delay to General Smith and requested
instructions to rejoin my company; but he said he desired that I should
remain with him for a while. By his order, the three brigades were soon
put in motion. I again asked him to permit me to rejoin my proper
command. He replied "Not yet" and added: "I will soon give you
instructions".

Because of a dense fog the delay in reaching the position in rear of the
Mexican works was no material disadvantage. The fog began to disappear
about the time I reported to General Smith. He was then on a ridge at a
point, about 600 yards in rear of the Mexican works. The three brigades
were passing around the extremity of that ridge, several hundred yards
in rear of the General. All was quiet in the lines of the enemy. There
was another ridge south of the one on which General Smith was standing,
and separated from it by a deep and very narrow valley. The sides of
both ridges were precipitous; their tops sloped gently to the enemy's
line.

General Smith informed me that Riley's brigade would pass partly beyond
the extremity of the second ridge; then face to the left, and attack a
strong Mexican detachment which was in position on that ridge, several
hundred yards in rear of their works. Riley was ordered to drive that
detachment and pursue it closely into the Mexican main lines.
Cadwallader's brig