The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-07

| self Scott = victory at Cerro GOrdO, where
the Mexican flank had been turned by a
stroke remarkable for its boldness and
thoroughncss, was due chiefly to Captain
Lees keen foresight and courage. The
rugged and almost impossible mountain
roads were rcconnoitered by him and he
piloted the American storming parties to
vantage grounds he had previously select
ed at the risk of his life and whence they
marched successfully to the attack. The
keynote of his service in that war was
thoroughness, and he went all lengths TO
make sure of his information before allow
ing his chiefs to adopt it and stake the
fate of armies on its correctness. One day
the scouts appeared at General Taylors
camp with news that Santa Annals army
was ON the march to meet the Americans
and lay at that moment only 20 miles
away. Lee volunteered to 20 out to verify
the report. He was to pass the picket line
alone at nightfall and there be joined by
Mexican guide and Il cavalry escort. He
missed the escort and proceeded with the
guide several miles, expecting to fall in
with the cavalry ON the road. He knew
that by returning to camp he could get
another escort, but the trip would use 50
much time that the work could not be car
ried out that night So he threatened his
guide with instant death at the first sign of
treachery and ordered him to lead on.
When he got within five miles of the al
legged Mexican camp, he found the road cut
up with mule and wagon tracks, enough
to show that fair sized army might have
passed that way. But to his practical
mind mule and wagon tracks were not
soldiers, and he pushed on with the inten-
tion of testing the fire of the Mexican
,iyI- 4 f..,,y Il; 4
row of large campfres ON the hillside ap-
parently surrounded by white tents. The
guide was half scared to death and begged
the captain to turn back. lie said there
was II river IA short distance ahead, and he
knew that Santa Annals whole army
must be encamped on the other side. Lee
thought that the frightened guide was
worse than no companion, turned him
adrft and rode toward the blazing camp
fires alone and very soon stumbled upon u
large camp of sheep drovers. The white
| tents were only scattered nocks of sheep
| and the tracks first met with had been
| made by the drovers' mule trains. The
| drovers also had definite knowledge that
the McXicans were beyond the mountains,
and acting upon Lees report Taylor
marched his columns into the pass where
he won the brilliant victory of Buena
lhta. Another ftdt thdt has been re
hearsed II Thousand times around Ameri-
can campfres was the perilous passage
across volcanic rock beds of pedrigal near
the City of Mexico, to carry vital dispatches
between the divided wings of Scott 5 army
The rocks were pointed so sharp as to cut
the shoes, the night was dark and stormy,
and Santa Annals pickets lined the way
on either side. After seven aids had at
tempted to cross and given it up Lee set
out alone and succeeded. Scott declared
in his official report that it was "the great
est feat Of physical and moral courage per
formed by any individual during the cam
paign.'
Lees soldierly training in Mexico was
superior to that Of either of the two com
mandcrs who were 10 become his chief OPP
ponents during the civil war He was 40
years old at the time, Grant was 27 and
Mcclellan 20. Lee served at army head