having expired. On his return home he was greeted wherever he went by public manifestation expressive of the enthusiastic admiration on the part of his fellow citizens. After a short time at home he returned to join Taylor's lines. Having been transferred to General Scott's line of operation, he reached Vera Cruz with his command on September 16. On September 19, having lost but two days in organizing for his march, he set out with a small supply of provisions on that tour of duty which has perhaps no parallel in history, if we take into consideration the rapidity of his movements, the number of battles fought in a given time and his invariable success—a success so marked that he was not inappropriately styled by his brother officers and soldiers "The Marion of the Mexican War." In two months after his departure from Vera Cruz for the interior he had fought seven well contested fields besides innumerable skirmishes with guerrillas, whom he had entirely dispersed. It was during this expedition that he fought the first battle of Flascala and on the loth of November encountered Generals Rea and Torrejon at the same place, and recaptured a train of thirty-six laden wagons belonging to merchants in Pueblo and Mexico. In thanks for this service the merchants presented a splendid sword to General Lane. Reporting himself to the commanding general on the 18th of December, he received with marked emotion by General Scott. It was the intention of the latter to send Lane at the head of a brigade on a forward movement. Waiting impatiently for four weeks. Lane asked and obtained leave to take three hundred mounted men with Hays, Polk and Walker, and chase the guerrillas under the notorious Lenobia. In this expedition he almost succeeded in capturing Santa Ana. All he got of him, however, was his swords. He fought a number of battles, confiscated a large quantity of government property for the benefit of the United States, and returned to the capital, having been absent but twenty-four days.
Leaving the city of Mexico on the 17th of February, with the same brave and hardy comrades to arrest and punish Jaranta, a noted robber chief who had been perpetrating atrocities against Americans, Lane learned that Jaranta, who was a wiley rogue, was at Tehualtaplau, and to throw him off his guard Lane remained a day and night at Talancingo, gave out that he was returning to Mexico, set off in that direction, but about dark changed his course and arrived at a ranch on the road to Tehualtaplau and reached that place February 24th. There were one thousand lancers and guerrillas under Colonel Montana and Jaranta, and as the Americans entered Tehualtaplau at sunrise on the 25th the bullets came whistling from every house. Jenkins, in his history of the Mexican war, says: "Headed by General Lane, Colonel Hays and Major Polk, the dragoon dashed upon the enemy, fighting their way hand to hand. Part of the Mexicans rallied and formed outside the town, but a vigorous charge led by General Lane and Colonel Hays quickly put them to rout. Jaranta, who was wounded in the conflict, again escaped but Colonel Montana was killed with about a hundred men. General Lane lost but one man and four wounded. Quiet" was soon restored in the town after the fighting had ceased and the Americans returned to the capital, taking with them their prisoners and a quantity of recovered property that had been plundered from different trains." The battle of Tehualtaplau was the last fought in Mexico. Peace was soon declared, but General Lane remained some months, directing the movements consequent upon the return of our troops.
About the 1st of August, 1848, General Lane reached Indiana. His fellow citizens were rejoiced to see him, but he had not time to respond to the favors extended to him, for on the 18th he, without any solicitation on his part, was appointed governor of Oregon. On the 28th his commission reached him, and on the next day he set out for his post. He arrived at St. Louis August 31st and called on General Kearney and asked for his escort, one company of rifles, ordered by the president. General Kearney endeavored to dissuade Governor Lane from undertaking the trip, as the season was so far advanced it would be
