On arriving at the appointed spot, where the orders of Mexican officers at _B_ could be heard very distinctly, Haskell began to form his badly scattered regiment. "Why the Hell don't Colonel Wynkoop file to the right?" shouted Pillow at the top of his voice. A bugle in the front sounded instantly, and within three minutes the Mexicans opened a heavy fire of grape and canister. Some of Haskell's men, brave but not in hand, bolted; others took shelter; and the rest, at Pillow's order, charged pell-mell. Emerging into the cleared space they received a murderous fire from all of the tongues. In less than three minutes about eighty, including every field officer except the colonel, were either killed or wounded, and all able to move were in flight. Pillow meanwhile, squatting in the bushes with his back to the enemy at a distance of about 450 yards, was "shot all to pieces," as he said, by a canister bullet that slightly wounded his upper arm; and he retired at a run, leaving Wynkoop without the promised instructions.[23.29] A state of general confusion ensued. Campbell and his men were anxious to charge; Wynkoop felt no less eager when it was too late; the Second Pennsylvania was demoralized; all were more or less under fire. Campbell, however, to whom Pillow resigned the command, got the men almost ready to charge upon tongue _A_; but then Pillow, venturing back from the rear, withdrew his brigade so far into the woods that, until notified by Scott, he did not know the Mexicans in his front, who found their rear was occupied by the Americans, had surrendered. As for the 8-inch howitzer, it fired seven ineffective shells; and then, at the critical time, as Pillow had neglected to arrange a code of signals, Ripley, who controlled it, suspended work. Evidently, as Polk said, gallant Americans--and such Pillow's men really were--did not require a commander![23.29] A little before 10 o'clock the fighting was over and pursuit began. Having little cavalry and no adequate subsistence train Scott's powers in this respect were limited; but every man had been expected to set out in the morning with rations for two days, and substantially all the troops except Pillow's, accompanied by two incomplete batteries, moved actively forward. Patterson once more became well enough to act, and took charge of the advanced forces. Frequently bands of fugitives were seen at a distance, looking in their cotton or linen jackets like flocks of sheep. The artillery had some fair long shots, and occasionally other troops also came within reach of the enemy. But the Mexicans fled--even the cavalry--without stopping for ceremony, too much cowed to face even a small party of Americans; and the results were of little significance.[23.31]