Soldiers of Conquest (42 page)

“I've never looked through that,” Char said and indicating the field glasses. “May I use them?”

Grant handed the glasses to Char. For a long time she viewed the scene, and uttering little cries of pleasure and surprise as she saw something she recognized.

“It's amazing how well you can see with them. I must buy a pair.”

“I'll have a pair for you the next time we meet.”

“That would be a nice present. But the very best present you could ever give me you already have.”

”What was that?” Grant asked surprised.

“It happened that day you came to Toluca and asked me to dance.”

“That was sure my lucky day,” Grant said, and meant it. They never mentioned the war between their two peoples. Grant believed women were more practical and forgiving in that regard than were men.

Char turned back to the field glasses. After a couple of minutes, she lowered them and pointed at the storm that had come down into the south end of the valley and was almost to the city. “Maybe we should find shelter before the rain catches us.”

They gathered up the remnants of the picnic, stowed all away in the saddlebags, mounted, and rode down into the valley. With the imminent arrival of the rain, they passed other travelers on foot, horseback, or some type of vehicle hurrying along the road to find a roof to protect them from the rain.

*

“Best we find a dry place quick,” Grant said and feeling the cool dampness of the winds sweeping out ahead of the storm that blanked out half the sky.

“Let's take a look in that old hacienda,” Char said and pointing ahead at a long, low adobe structure sitting close beside the road but a couple of minutes ride away.

“Right.”

They lifted their horses to a fast gait for the short distance, and then drew rein in the yard full of tall grass and flowers gone wild.

“It's deserted and part of the roof's caved in, still it'll keep us dry,” Grant said. “We'll take the horses inside with us,” Char said and glancing at the rapidly approaching storm as she dismounted.

Leading their mounts they entered the open main door of the abandoned building. The old adobe house was cool and musty smelling and with dark shadows in the corners. Dust lay thick on everything. All the windows were open to the outside for the valuable glass panes had been removed. Grant unsaddled the horses and spread the saddle blankets on the earthen floor under a section of intact roof near an inside wall.

“We should be dry here,” he said.

He dropped down on the blankets to lie on his back and look up at Char. She gazed at him, however with her face hidden in shadows of the room, he couldn't read her expression. Then she lay down beside him and pressed close and her touch held promises of things to come.

“This isn't too bad,” she said, with a smile in her voice.

“I totally agree,” Grant said and put his arms around Char's warm body. He hugged her close and kissed her lips, and felt them kissing him back.

He felt a twinge of guilt, of betrayal of Julia, for the comparison that came unbidden that Char was more beautiful than Julia, and certainly more affectionate. He shoved the feeling away. He was a young man with a girl in his arms while Julia was three years in the past and most likely months in the future. And maybe never, for life held huge uncertainties. Concentrate on what's in your arms. His kisses became more passionate, and to his joy, Char responded with sweet ardor.

The shadows grew darker and a mist like rain came to run softly as the feet of spiders across the housetop. The rain gradually thickened to a muted drum on the rooftop. Water leaked through the aged roof in a score of places and fell to puddle on the earthen floor with wet plopping sounds. Still the storm built in intensity. Lightening flashed and thunder rumbled. One of the horses snorted in fright. The clouds opened to dump a torrent upon the old hacienda. Grant and Char lay wrapped in their own world of each other's arms.

Grant woke from a short sleep to the rain slackened to a steady drizzle on the rooftop. Char lay beside him. Her finely chiseled face in relaxed sleep was a wonderful sight. He rose quietly and went to stand to look out one of the open windows. The wind blew mist in to strike his face. Water ran in the grooves cut in the road by the wheels of wagons and carts. Even when the rain ended, the ride to the city would be sloppy, muddy.

He caught movement and looked to the left. A band of riders, he guessed nearly twenty, was coming along the road from the direction of Pachuca. He hastily stepped to the side and peered around the edge of the window frame. Any riders out in this kind of weather could be guerillas and they would be horrible to Char should she be caught with one of the hated Yankees.

The horsemen came into better view on the road in front of the house. They rode slouched forward with shoulders humped against the soaking rain, and faces turned down to escape the strike of the plummeting raindrops. Their wet clothing was plastered to their bodies. To Grant's surprise, the men's clothing was a mixture of boots, pants, shirts, and hats of American Army uniforms. The pants and boots were those of the Dragoons, the shirts and shoulder insignia those of the Missouri Mounted Riflemen, and Pennsylvania Infantry black shako caps with short-billed visors crowned their heads. A tall, thin man in front, Grant thought he would be the leader, had captain's shoulder straps. The man seemed somehow familiar and Grant tried to make out his face through the rain but couldn't because it was angled too steeply down and into his collar. The riders passed on vanishing into the rain in the direction of Mexico City. Grant knew they were Americans and in disguise and believed they were one of the bands pillaging the outlying towns, and had been to Pachuca for its gold. He would make a report of what he had seen to the colonel of the provost marshals.

Lee played poker with Longstreet, Johnston, and Pickett on the second floor of the Bella Union. He enjoyed the Union with its boisterous talk, laughter, spirited music, and the stomp of dancing feet resounding throughout. This was the place of choice of enlisted men and officers that wanted a rousing good evening with a woman, or gambling, or lively discussions on army politics, or the politics of the president and others back in the States. Arguments about the purpose of the war and whether or not the land that would be taken from the Mexicans was meant for slavery sometimes ended in fistfights. Lee thought the reason for the war was simple, President Polk meant for the United States to expand to the Pacific Ocean.

The Bella Union had been acquired on that first day of occupation when shots had been fired from it and a squad of Americans had charged in and killed some of the snipers and routed the remainder. The Americans quickly recognized the possibilities of the Bella Union, a wide, three-story building with the first floor a restaurant and dance floor, the second a card parlor with more than two dozen tables, and the third the realm of a bevy of pretty whores. The Americans took possession of the building instead of destroying it as was their right because of shots having been fired from it.

The rollicking, rowdy nature of the Bella Union came from the fact that an army of occupation was an entirely different animal from a fighting one. Much of the energy and daring that had won battles was now turned to gambling of various kinds; horseracing, cards, spinning wheels of chance, and whoring. Gambling was an epidemic and running rampant in the army from the generals down to the lowest private. Drink, women, and cards made a volatile mix. Men fought over cheating at cards, over a woman, or from simply being mean drunk. The fighting was always by fists for General Scott didn't allow dueling with weapons.

Some Americans had turned to robbery and murder of the native people; the town banks were frequent targets. Some thirty Americans caught committing crimes, had been lashed in the public plaza, five had been hung on the gibbet that Scott had had built there. Nearly four hundred Mexicans had received punishment in the same place and manner and before a large throng. Any Mexican caught carrying a weapon was given twenty lashes on the bare back. When an American was punished, Scott often ordered the one-third of soldiers on standby duty to witness it. He wanted a peaceful city and meant to have it.

For officers who didn't like Bella Union because of the gambling and the presence of whores, a higher class of women could be found at the dances in the gentlemanly Aztec Club. For enlisted men of the same bent, a dance partner was available at the dances held every Sunday at the former convent on Belemnites Street.

Lee's luck at cards was running the wrong direction and he had lost several dollars. Longstreet was the big winner.

“We need to break Longstreet's winning streak,” Sumner said.

“Another player or two just might do that,” Lee said.

“One of our new captains just came in,” Picket said and nodding toward the entryway to the second floor. “I've seen him playing cards.”

The other three men looked in the direction of the entryway where Grant stood checking the room.

“It's about time Garland and Worth promoted him,” said Longstreet as he observed the smallish, slouched shouldered man. “I saw him at Churubusco. He was the fastest of any man there to get to where the fighting was the hottest.”

“He doesn't look much like a fighter, but he was in the thick of it at Humantla,” Sumner said.

“He can join my brigade any time he wants to,” Longstreet said.

Lee climbed to his feet and called out. “Grant, we need another player over here. Are you game?”

Grant knew he had come to the right place when he stepped thought the door of the Bella Union and the music and the noisy camaraderie of the soldiers struck him with a pleasant physical force. He bought a drink at the bar, took a sip, and watched the whirling dancers for a minute before climbing to the second floor and the card games.

He was surprised when Lee called out to him. He raised his drink in acknowledgement of the invitation, and wound a way through the tables with the sound of the clink of coins, the call of bets, and the shuffle of cards all around him. He felt self-conscious with the new captain's straps on his shoulders as he came toward the table of the four older men, all colonels. Looking at the situation another way, he had fought in as many battles as any of them, and twice as many as Scott's favorite officer, Lee. He felt better after that comparison.

Grant stopped at the table. “What's the game?” he asked as he took a seat.

“A friendly game of five card draw,” Longstreet said.

“I hope you brought plenty of money for Longstreet's on a roll.” Lee said.

“Let's play,” Longstreet said and began to shuffle the cards.

The cards were dealt and the playing began with each man measuring and challenging his fellow officers' luck and skill.

“How‘re the negotiations for the treaty going?” Sumner asked Lee.

“Nowhere as far as I know,” Lee replied. “At the rate we're moving, I don't know when we'll have a treaty.” He could say nothing more for he had been ordered not to discuss Nicholas Trist's decision. Scott, Thornton, and President Pena had for the past several days been urging Trist to remain in Mexico and continue the negotiations on a treaty even though he had no authority to do so. Scott had made the argument that if a treaty was agreed upon and it conformed to Trist's original instructions, that Polk and the congress would accept it. Lee thought the same. Trist had finally made his decision, and that was to stay in the Mexican capital and meet with the commissioners and try to reach an agreement until the president had responded to his letter requesting a delay in leaving for Washington. He had insisted the meetings would be unofficial and must be held in secrecy. Scott had promised Trist his full support in the event Polk or anybody else should accuse him of a traitorous act.

“I believe by the laws of conquest that we have the right to dictate the terms of the peace,” Longstreet said.

“And take as much of their land and wealth as we want,” Pickett said.

“I agree, though we did bully Mexico into war and she was the weaker nation,” Grant said. “However now that we're here I'd set a time limit and if the Mexican government didn't come to terms on a treaty, then we should march across the country up to the boundary of Texuantepec or Osaqualco or whatever southern line Polk or the congress should think proper for the U. S. I'd think the Mexicans would then waste no time in making a treaty. I might make a rough diplomat, but a tolerably quick one.”

“General Scott feels the same way,” Lee said. “And to force the Mexican hand, I'm to start tomorrow to guide army detachments to occupy Cuernavaca, Toluca, Pachuca, and Orizaba where they'll collect taxes. And other towns later if the first four don't bring the negotiations to an end.” Scott's army had grown to 15,000 strong and large enough to occupy outlying towns. This increase in size had occurred within the past three weeks when General Patterson, one of Lee's favorite officers, had returned to Mexico with a division of 3,000 men. Then General William Butler had arrived with 4,000, and Colonel Joseph Johnson with 1,500.

“I've been to Toluca and nearly to Cuernavaca on foraging trips and have maps of the roads in those directions that you're welcome to use,” Grant said.

“I know the road to Toluca for I've been there,” Lee said. “I'll be going to Cuernavaca first and would like to see your map

“I'll bring it by your quarters after we're finished playing cards.”

“I've a better idea. Why not come with me and be the guide?

“My duties are caught up and I'm sure I can get permission to do that.”

“Then I'll plan on it,” Lee said

“Back to the game, fellows, for I want to at least break even before we stop,” Sumner said.

*

Grant and Lee halted their horses on the summit of the mountains rimming the southern boundary of the valley that held the Mexican capital. As the mounts caught their wind after the steep climb, the men rolled and lit cigarettes and surveyed the land about them. In the bright mid-day sun the valleys and the forested mountains stood out in sharp relief. On the winding road behind and before them, people on foot, donkeys pulling carts, horses and oxen drawing wagons, and men on horseback were seen coming and going.