Soldiers of Conquest (43 page)

“No country was ever more blessed by nature than Mexico,” Lee said and indicating the land with a broad sweep of his hand. “Every fruit and grain and vegetable grows on the rich volcanic soil. And there's grazing land for hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep, and goats. Yet most of the people are poor with the wealth concentrated in the hands of the Creoles, the Catholic Church, and the army generals. What's needed is a stable and fair government so that the ordinary people can get what's due them.”

“I agree,” Grant said. “I've heard that many influential people in the States are pushing a plan for us to take all of Mexico and annex it, and then give the 300,000 immigrants pouring into our country from Europe each year land here in Mexico. They say that Mexico with democracy would bloom.”

“I don't agree with taking all of Mexico.”

“I don't think we should either, but we are an army of conquest,” Grant said. “I see one benefit from us being here. We may have headed off some other strong nation, most likely France or England from eventually taking Mexico over entirely. The question is, how much of Mexico will President Polk settle for, and how much will he pay for what he takes.”

“Best we be on our way,” Lee said. He knew the terms of Polk's proposal but it wasn't his place to disclose them.

Lee sent his horse off along the road. Grant reined his horse in beside the colonel. They rode at a trot down the road that would lead them past Popocatepatl with its snow capped peak and onward to Cuernavaca.

Both men were armed with a pair of pistols, a carbine, and their sabers, still Grant would have preferred a few Dragoons to be with them. Guerillas were frequently striking groups of Americans caught on the highways. The colonel hadn't mentioned taking along an escort, and for a mere captain to suggest it would seem to say the colonel didn't know what he was doing.

*

When Cuernavaca came into view two miles ahead, Lee and Grant examined it for a few minutes and then turned back along the road on their return journey to Mexico City. They had added features to Grant's map, plotting the cross roads, the streams, and campgrounds suitable for the detachment of American soldiers that would soon come marching this way. A copy of the completed map was made for Lee

They had gone a short ways and were drawing near dense woods that the road cut through, when six riders came out from hiding among the trees. At a word from the leader, a spindly man with a hatchet sharp face and bulging black eyes, and mounted on a cream colored horse, the riders divided with three on each side of the road. Holding their lariats coiled with the nooses open and positioned for quick throwing, they sat their horses and waited as the Americans came closer. Long endured hate showed in the leader's black eyes. Now too there was a look of anticipation of inflicting punishment upon the Yankees.

“They want us to run and then they'll lasso and drag us,” Grant said as he and Lee stopped their mounts back some 100 feet from the Mexicans. He had seen the battered corpses of Americans that had been roped around the neck and dragged behind a running horse until dead.

“Well I don't feel like playing the hound and hare game with them. Or riding around them either.” Lee's voice betrayed no emotion.

“Neither do I,” Grant said and felt his urge to fight come afire.

“Captain Grant,” Lee said being very formal, “I've heard that you're an excellent pistol shot, is that so?”

“Colonel Lee, I usually hit what I aim at.” Grant wasn't going to be out done in formality.

With a deliberate motion, Lee pointed a finger at the horseman who had given the order to the others, and was on Grant's side of the road. With a sharp, commanding voice, he said, ”Captain, kill that man if one of them moves to throw his lariat, or to pull a gun.”

“Yes, sir.” Grant had drawn both of his pistols and eared back the hammers. Now he raised the guns above his horse's head where the Mexicans could plainly see them. He wished he had a couple of the five-shooters of the Rangers for then he could have killed all six of the Mexicans. He focused on the man at whom Lee had pointed, and the two nearest him. He saw the leader's face lose the look of anticipation and take on one of much uncertainty.

Lee drew his pair of pistols and cocked them. “Forward, captain, and we'll see if they really want to use their ropes, or go for their pistols.”

They touched their mounts with spurs and walked them down the road. They came within forty feet of the waiting Mexicans, thirty, then less and were within reaching distance of the lariats.

Grant pointed his right hand pistol at the center of the leader's face, giving him a good look down the open bore of the gun. He saw the man's eyes waver as his will to fight crumpled. The man called out and Grant understood the words, “Do nothing. Let them pass.”

The Mexicans parted, backing their horses off the road.

Lee and Grant rode on, and turning in the saddle so as to always have the Mexicans in view and under their guns. They moved on until past their foes.

“At a trot, captain,” Lee said.

Still looking to the rear, the officers rolled spurs gently across the flanks of their steeds and raised them to a slow trot. The Mexicans remained motionless and staring after them. They fell from sight as the road curved away through the woods.

“They didn't want to fight with guns, captain,” Lee said.

“No, sir, just throw their lariats that's all,” Grant said. The colonel was all right.

*

“Captain, I'll part company with you here,” Lee said. He and Grant had arrived on the outskirts of Mexico City after three days of hard riding and now he wanted food, a warm bath, and a night's sleep on a soft bed.

“Yes, sir,” Grant said.

Lee rode on along the Belen Road toward the capital. In the morning he would leave to scout the road to Orizaba, and then when that was completed the road to Pachuca. The days ahead would be busy ones.

Grant turned left on the road to Tacubaya and his brigade headquarters to announce his return to Garland, who had been promoted to brigadier general for his stalwart action at Churubusco.

The four men dipped their pens in the inkwells and signed the duplicate copies of the three-page peace treaty as they were passed to them. Nicholas Trist and the Mexicans were meeting in secrecy as they had since President Polk had stripped Trist of his authority to negotiate. They had chosen Guadalupe Hidalgo the location of Mexico's most venerated shrine for today's meeting because what they were doing was an event of memorable importance to both nations.

Lee was once again accompanying Trist during his discussions and acting as guard and General Scott's military representative. The Mexicans had been tenacious and difficult bargainers and found fault with every one of Trist's offer of terms for a treaty. Still Trist had finally brought the commissioners, with President Pena approval, to the signing of the treaty.

Reaching this point had been very difficult. The date was February 2, 1848 and four months had passed since Trist had placed himself in jeopardy of Polk's anger by continuing with the negotiations. Just three days past, Trist had made his final offer of $15,000,000 for the land Polk had instructed him to acquire. The Mexicans had immediately demanded $30,000,000. At that Trist lost his patience with the intransigent commissioners and declared the negotiations at an end and he was returning to Washington. In the strongest language he told then that by their refusal to accept the reality that the Americans controlled their country that they were in the greatest danger of losing all of it to the Yankee President. With that said, he and Lee had left to report to Scott.

British Minister Doyle upon hearing of Trist breaking off negotiations came with Thornton to Scott's headquarters. He explained to Trist and Scott that President Pena feared a revolution against him and that was the reason he and the commissioners wouldn't come to an agreement. To that Scott had spoken with much heat. “Then tell Pena that I will protect him against any revolution should a treaty be signed. But if not signed promptly, then I will dislodge his government myself and hunt him like a deer through the mountains.” Upon being told this by the Britishers, Pena quickly responded by asking Trist to meet with the commissioners.

The last signature, Trist's, was attached to the treaty and the scratching pen laid down. Trist picked up one copy and gently folded it.

“We have what President Polk wanted,” he said in English to Lee and radiating relief and satisfaction.

“You did it, Nicholas,” Lee said. Trist was a brave man and Lee was glad his huge gamble paid off. However there were yet obstacles to overcome; Polk had to give his blessing to the treaty and then the American Congress must ratify it. Following that, the Mexican Congress had to be persuaded to approve it.

Trist and Lee solemnly shook hands with the Mexicans and left by the rear door of the private residence loaned to them for the meeting. Waiting for them in the rear yard were Dominguez and three other men of the Mexican Spy Company. All were well armed. They were here to protect Trist and the Mexican negotiators from being assassinated for there were powerful men who did not want a treaty that gave land to the Americans.

Lee and Trist mounted and followed the Mexican riders through the gate in the wall and into an alley. As they came out onto the main street, three more of Dominguez's men fell in behind them. Lee felt safe with the men of the Spy Company for they had proved their dependability time and again.

*

“Let me see the document,” General Scott said, his broad face wreathed in a smile of anticipation.

Trist unfolded the pages of the treaty and in a slow, almost teasing way, and handed them to Scott. Present also in the general's office were Lee and Captain Scott.

General Scott read to the end and nodding from time to time. He looked at Trist and his eyes were misty, the most intense emotion Lee had ever seen from the general. “Nicholas, my friend, you've done it in a grand fashion. Everything the president desired from the Mexicans you've gotten for him. I hope he and the country appreciates your unselfish action.”

“It was possible only because of your victorious march to take the Mexican capital.”

“We make a fine team,” Scott said in a hearty voice and clapped the smaller man soundly on the shoulder.

Scott handed the document to Lee. “Read, colonel, and see how your country had been increased in size by a third in one fell swoop and reaches to the Pacific Ocean.”

Lee read the twenty-three terms of the treaty. The boundary between the two countries would run along the Rio Grande to the southern boundary of New Mexico, then west along the Gila River to the Gulf of California. From there it would run westward along a line just south of San Diego to the Pacific Ocean. The United States would pay $15,000,000 for the territory. Lee thought it fair when looked at from the point of view that the Americans were giving up a large area of conquered land. One of the terms spoke to the Mexican people in the transferred territory. They could go or stay and would retain ownership of their property. Should they remain, they would become American citizens.

“Captain, make a copy for us to keep here at headquarters.” Scott said to Captain Scott. “The original must be sent at once to the coast and put aboard a mail packet to Washington.”

“Nicholas, you should have the honor of transmitting the treaty to Washington?”

“I'll prepare a letter to President Polk at once. I hope he'll accept it since I had no authority to negotiate with the Mexicans.”

*

“Pillow should be taken out and shot like the cowardly, treacherous dog he is,” Hitchcock said in a malevolent voice to Lee. “This is his doing by writing President Polk lies about the general.”

Lee said nothing. Exactly one week after the signing of the peace treaty, a messenger had arrived directly from Polk with a dispatch containing an order directing Scott to turn over the command of the army to General Butler. A second order had directed him to convene a court of enquiry to hear his charges against Pillow, Worth, and Duncan. The same court would also hear Worth's charges against Scott. Hitchcock and Lee had left headquarters with Scott somber and thoughtful writing out his final order for the army he had led in victorious battles, an order relinquishing his command in ten days and placing General Butler as commander of the army in central Mexico.

“Well, what do you say?” Hitchcock asked, and aimed a questioning eye at Lee.

“The general could've handled Pillow and Worth in a more subtle way. His vanity led him to speak too bluntly and do things that played into the hands of Pillow and Polk.”

“Maybe he could've. But it's hard for an honest man to deal with a liar and braggart like Pillow. The general will have his chance to prove what kind of an officer Pillow is when he has him before the court of enquiry.”

“Scott must also stand before the court and face questioning about Worth's charges against him.”

“I'll demand to testify at the hearing. I want to have my say about Pillow.”

“We'll both have our chance to testify, I'm sure of that,” Lee said.

He glanced around the large reading room of the Aztec Club that was jam-packed with more than a hundred officers engaged in intense conversations. Men gestured and talked with high emotion as they made their point. The news that the general was being replaced had struck the army like a bombshell. Officers had flocked to the club knowing that here they would find others to discuss and argue such a startling event. Pillow, Worth, and Duncan were absent and for good reason, by forming a cabal against the popular Scott, they had alienated most of the other officers of the army that had marched inland with the general and held him in high regard. Several officers of Butler's staff were present and in a good mood for with him soon to be the commanding general of the army their own status would be substantially increased.