About the middle of the month of March the advance of the army reached the Rio Grande and went into camp near the banks of the river, opposite the city of Matamoras and almost under the guns of a small fort at the lower end of the town.  There was not at that time a single habitation from Corpus Christi until the Rio Grande was reached.

The work of fortifying was commenced at once.  The fort was laid out by the engineers, but the work was done by the soldiers under the supervision of their officers, the chief engineer retaining general directions.  The Mexicans now became so incensed at our near approach that some of their troops crossed the river above us, and made it unsafe for small bodies of men to go far beyond the limits of camp.  They captured two companies of dragoons, commanded by Captains Thornton and Hardee.  The latter figured as a general in the late war, on the Confederate side, and was author of the tactics first used by both armies.  Lieutenant Theodric Porter, of the 4th infantry, was killed while out with a small detachment; and Major Cross, the assistant quartermaster-general, had also been killed not far from camp.

There was no base of supplies nearer than Point Isabel, on the coast, north of the mouth of the Rio Grande and twenty-five miles away.  The enemy, if the Mexicans could be called such at this time when no war had been declared, hovered about in such numbers that it was not safe to send a wagon train after supplies with any escort that could be spared.  I have already said that General Taylor’s whole command on the Rio Grande numbered less than three thousand men.  He had, however, a few more troops at Point Isabel or Brazos Santiago.  The supplies brought from Corpus Christi in wagons were running short.  Work was therefore pushed with great vigor on the defences, to enable the minimum number of troops to hold the fort.  All the men who could be employed, were kept at work from early dawn until darkness closed the labors of the day.  With all this the fort was not completed until the supplies grew so short that further delay in obtaining more could not be thought of.  By the latter part of April the work was in a partially defensible condition, and the 7th infantry, Major Jacob Brown commanding, was marched in to garrison it, with some few pieces of artillery.  All the supplies on hand, with the exception of enough to carry the rest of the army to Point Isabel, were left with the garrison, and the march was commenced with the remainder of the command, every wagon being taken with the army.  Early on the second day after starting the force reached its destination, without opposition from the Mexicans.  There was some delay in getting supplies ashore from vessels at anchor in the open roadstead.

CHAPTER VII.

The Mexican war—­the battle of Palo Alto—­the battle of Resaca de la Palma—­army of invasion—­general Taylor—­movement on Camargo.