highways.

[Illustration: ON THE BORDER OF LAKE CHALCO.]

ON THE BORDER OF LAKE CHALCO.

Scott chose the Acapulco road for his route of approach, the national road
being commanded by the lofty and strongly fortified hill of El Penon,
precipitous on one side, and surrounded by marshes and a deep ditch on the
other. The Acapulco road was defended by strongly garrisoned fortresses at
Contreras and Churubusco, but seemed more available than the other route.
Still farther north and west of the capital was a third approach to it
over the road to Toluco, defended by works at Molino del Rey and by the
fortified hill of Chapultepec. It was evident that the army under Scott
would go through some severe and sanguinary fighting before the city could
be reached.

It is not our purpose to describe the various engagements by which this
work was accomplished. It must suffice to say that the strong hill fort of
Contreras was taken by a surprise, being approached by a road leading to
its rear during the night and taken by storm at sunrise, seventeen minutes
sufficing for the important victory. The garrison fled in dismay, after
losing heavily.

An advance was made the same day on the nearby Mexican works at San
Antonio and Churubusco, and with the same result. The garrison at San
Antonio, fearful of being cut off by the American movement, evacuated the
works and retired upon Churubusco, hotly pursued. The Americans, inspired
by success, carried all before them, taking the works at the bridge of
Churubusco by an impetuous charge and soon putting the enemy to flight.
Meanwhile, General Shields attacked the Mexican reserve, consisting of
four thousand infantry and three thousand cavalry, whose line was broken
by a bayonet charge.

The whole Mexican force was, by these well-devised movements, forced back
in terrible confusion, and was quickly fleeing in panic. The fugitives
were cut down by the pursuing Americans, who followed to the immediate
defences of the capital, where the pursuit was checked by a heavy fire of
grape-shot. Thus in one day the Americans, nine thousand strong, had
captured three strong positions, held by three times their number, the
Mexicans losing in killed, wounded, and prisoners over six thousand men,
while the American loss in killed and wounded was less than a thousand.

Negotiations for peace followed, but they came to nothing, the armistice
that had been declared termin