Home of the Brave (54 page)

From this point I ordered
all detachments and stragglers to their respective corps, then in
advance sent to Quitman additional siege guns, ammunition,
entrenching tools directed Twiggs’s remaining brigade (Kiley’s)
from Piedad, to support Worth ; and Captain Steptoe’s field
battery, also at Piedad, to rejoin Quitman’s division.

I had been, from the
first, well aware that the western or San Cosme, was the less
difficult route to the centre and conquest of the capital and
therefore intended that Quitman should only maneuver and threaten
the Belen or southwestern gate, in order to favor the main attack
by Worth knowing that the strong defenses at the Belen were
directly under the guns of the much stronger fortress, called the
citadel, just within. Both of these defenses of the enemy were also
within easy supporting distance from the San Angel (or Nino
Perdido) and San Antonio gates. Hence the greater support, in
numbers, given to Worth’s movement as the main attack.

Those views I repeatedly,
in the course of the day, communicated to Major- General Quitman
but being in hot pursuit, gallant himself, and ably supported by
Brigadier-Generals Shields and Smith, Shields badly wounded before
Chapultepec and refusing to retire as Well as by all the officers
and men of the column, Quitman continued to press forward, under
flank and direct fires, carried an intermediate battery of two
guns, and then the gate, before two o clock in the after noon, but
not without proportionate loss, increased by his steady maintenance
of that position.

Here, of the heavy battery
4th Artillery Captain Drum and Lieutenant Benjamin were mortally
wounded, and Lieutenant Porter, its third in rank, slightly. The
loss of these two most distinguished officers the army will long
mourn. Lieutenants I. B. Moragne and William Canty, of the South
Carolina Volunteers, also of high merit, fell on the same occasion
besides many of our bravest non-commissioned officers and men,
particularly in Captain Drum’s veteran company. I cannot in this
place, give names or numbers but full returns of the killed and
wounded of all corps, in their recent operations, will accompany
this report.

Quitman, within the city,
adding several new defenses to the position he had won, and
sheltering his corps as well as practicable, now awaited the return
of daylight under the guns of the formidable citadel, yet to be
subdued.

At about four o clock next
morning (September 14), a deputation of the ayuntamiento (city
council) waited upon me to report that the Federal Government and
the army of Mexico had fled from the capital some three hours
before, and to demand terms of capitulation in favor of the church,
the citizens, and the municipal authorities. I promptly replied,
that I would sign no capitulation; that the city had been virtually
in our possession from the time of the lodgments effected by Worth
and Quitman the day before that I regretted the silent escape of
the Mexican army that I should levy upon the city a moderate
contribution, for special purposes; and that the American army
should come under no terms, not to be imposed such only as its own
honor, the dignity of the United States, and the spirit of the age,
should, in my opinion, imperiously demand and impose.

For the terms so imposed,
I refer the department to subsequent general orders, Nos. 287 and
289 (paragraphs 7, 8, and 9, of the latter), copies of which are
herewith enclosed.

At the termination of the
interview with the city deputation, I communicated, about daylight,
orders to Worth and Quitman to advance slowly and cautiously (to
guard against treachery) toward the heart of the city, and to
occupy its stronger and more commanding points. Quitman proceeded
to the great plaza or square, planted guards, and hoisted the
colors of the United States on the national palace containing the
Halls of Congress and Executive apartments of Federal Mexico. In
this grateful service, Quitman might have been anticipated by
Worth, but for my express orders, halting the latter at the head of
the Alameda (a green park), within three squares of that goal of
general ambition.

The capital, however, was
not taken by any one or two corps, but by the talent, the science,
the gallantry, the vigor of this entire army. In the glorious
conquest, all had contributed early and powerfully the killed, the
wounded, and the fit for duty at VERA CRUZ, Cerro Gordo, Contreras,
San Antonio, Churubusco (three battles), the Molino del Key, and
Chapultepec as much as those who fought at the gates of Belen and
San Cosme.

Soon after we had entered,
and were in the act of occupying the city, a fire was opened upon
us from the flat roofs of the houses, from windows and corners of
streets, by some two thousand convicts, liberated the night before,
by the flying Government joined by, perhaps, as many Mexican
soldiers, who had disbanded themselves and thrown off their
uniforms. This unlawful war lasted more than twenty-four hours, in
spite of the exertions of the municipal authorities, and was not
put down till we had lost many men, including several officers,
killed or wounded, and had punished the miscreants. Their objects
were to gratify national hatred and, in the general alarm and
confusion, to plunder the wealthy inhabitants particularly the
deserted houses. But families are now generally returning business
of every kind has been resumed, and the city is already tranquil
and cheerful, under the admirable conduct (with exceptions very few
and trifling) of our gallant troops.

This army has been more
disgusted than surprised that, by some sinister process on the part
of certain individuals at home, its numbers have been, generally,
almost trebled in our public papers beginning at
WASHINGTON.

Leaving, as we all feared,
inadequate garrisons at VERA CRUZ, Perote, and Puebla with much
larger hospitals and being obliged, most reluctantly, from the same
cause (general paucity of numbers) to abandon Jalapa, we marched
[August 7-10] from Puebla with only ten thousand seven hundred and
thirty-eight rank and file. This number includes the garrison of
Jalapa, and the two thousand four hundred and twenty-nine men
brought in by Brigadier-General Pierce, August 6.

At Contreras, Churubusco,
etc. [August 20], we had but eight thousand four hundred and
ninety-seven men engaged after deducting the garrison of SAN
AUGUSTIN (our general depot), the intermediate sick and the dead at
the Molino del Key (September 8), but three brigades, with some
cavalry and artillery making in all three thousand two hundred and
fifty-one men were in the battle ; in the two days September 12 and
13 our whole operating force, after deducting again the recent
killed, wounded, and sick, together with the garrison of Mixcoac
(the then general depot) and that of TACUBAYA, was but seven
thousand one hundred and eighty ; and, finally, after deducting the
new garrison of Chapultepec, with the killed and wounded of the two
days, we took possession (September 14) of this great capital with
less than six thousand men! And I reassert, upon accumulated and
unquestionable evidence that, in not one of these conflicts, was
this army opposed by fewer than three and a half times its numbers
in several of them, by a yet greater excess.

I recapitulate our losses
since we arrived in the basin of Mexico :

August 19, 20 : Killed,
137, including 14 officers. Wounded, 877, including 62 officers.
Missing (probably killed), 38 rank and file. Total, 1,052.
September 8: Killed, 116, including 9 officers. Wounded, 665,
including 49 officers. Missing, 18 rank and file. Total,
789.

September 12, 13, 14 :
Killed, 130, including 10 officers. Wounded, 703, including 68
officers. Missing, 29 rank and file. Total, 862.

Grand total of losses,
2,703, including 383 officers.

On the other hand, this
small force has beaten on the same occasions, in view of their
capital, the whole Mexican army, of (at the beginning) thirty-odd
thousand men posted, always, in chosen positions, behind
entrenchments, or more formidable defenses of nature and art ;
killed or wounded, of that number, more than seven thousand
officers and men ; taken 3,730 prisoners, one-seventh officers,
including thirteen generals, of whom three had been presidents of
this republic ; captured more than twenty colors and standards,
seventy- five pieces of ordnance, besides fifty-seven wall pieces,
twenty thousand small arms,* an immense quantity of shots, shells,
powder, etc., etc.

Of that enemy, once so
formidable in numbers, appointments, artillery, etc., twenty-odd
thousand have disbanded themselves in despair, leaving, as is
known, not more than three fragments the largest about two thousand
five hundred now wandering in different directions, without
magazines or a military chest, and living at free quarters upon
their own people.

General Santa Anna,
himself a fugitive, is believed to be on the point of resigning the
chief magistracy, and escaping to neutral Guatemala. A new
President, no doubt, will soon be declared, and the Federal
Congress is expected to reassemble at Queretaro, one hundred and
twenty-five miles north of this, on the Zacatecas road, some time
in October. I have seen and given safe conduct through this city to
several of its members. The Government will find itself without
resources; no army, no arsenals, no magazines, and but little
revenue, internal or external. Still such is the obstinacy, or
rather infatuation, of this people, that it is very doubtful
whether the new authorities will dare to sue for peace on the terms
which, in the recent negotiations, were made known by our
minister

In conclusion, I beg to
enumerate, once more, with due commendation and thanks, the
distinguished staff officers, general and personal, who, in our
last operations in front of the enemy accompanied me, and
communicated orders to every point and through every danger.
Lieutenant - Colonel Hitchcock, Acting Inspector - General ; Major
Turnbull and Lieutenant Hardcastle, Topographical Engineers ; Major
Kirby, Chief Paymaster ; Captain Irwin, Chief Quartermaster ;
Captain Grayson, Chief Commissary ; Captain H. L. Scott, Chief in
the Adjutant-General’s Department ; Lieutenant Williams,
Aide-de-Camp ; Lieutenant Lay, Military Secretary, and Major J. P.
Gaines, Kentucky Cavalry, Volunteer Aide-de-Camp. Captain Lee,
Engineer, so constantly distinguished, also bore important orders
from me (September 13) until he fainted from a wound and the loss
of two nights sleep at the batteries. Lieutenants Beauregard,
Stevens, and Tower, all wounded, were employed with the divisions,
and Lieutenants G. W. Smith, and G. B. McClellan, with the company
of Sappers and Miners. Those five lieutenants of engineers, like
their captain, won the admiration of all about them. The Ordnance
officers, Captain Huger, Lieutenants Hagner, Stone, and Eeno, were
highly effective, and distinguished at the several batteries; and I
may add that Captain McKinstry, Assistant Quartermaster, at the
close of the operations, executed several important commissions for
me as a special volunteer.

Surgeon-General Lawson,
and the medical staff generally, were skilful and untiring in and
out of fire, in ministering to the numerous wounded.

To illustrate the
operations in this basin, I enclose two beautiful drawings,
prepared under the directions of Major Turnbull, mostly from actual
survey. I have the honor to be, etc., etc.,

Besides those in the hands
of prisoners. The twenty thousand new muskets (British manufacture)
found in the citadel, were used in a novel way. Iron being scarce
in the interior, the barrels made excellent shoes for our horses
and mules, and the brass cuffs or bands were worked up into spear
heads for the color-staffs, and spurs for the cavalry and all
mounted officers.

WINFIELD SCOTT.

April 3, 1848

Mexico City,
Mexico

Marina opened the door, then
walked back toward the windows to look out at the city as Robert
came in. “Your father died during the night.”

“What?” Robert
gasped.

“He’s in bed. I’m not sure
what I’m supposed to do. Can you manage the arrangements please? I
seem to be mentally paralyzed.”

Robert blinked back tears.
“Yes, Mother, of course. I just need a moment.”

She nodded.

“Was he ill?”

“If he was he didn’t show it
and, naturally, he didn’t mention it.”

“Should we try to take him
back and bury him in the family cemetery? I know it can be done.
Many fallen Americans have been transported in ice obtained from
the mountains.”

She sighed. “He wouldn’t
like being packed in ice like a fish.”

“I doubt that he’d like
being buried in Mexico so far from his family either.”

“Well, I’ll be here, but
perhaps Win Scott can arrange a military funeral and a cremation.
That way you can take half of your father’s ashes home to Van
Buskirk Point and half can be buried here with the soldiers he
served with so long. That way perhaps I too can visit him
occasionally.”

Robert blew his nose and
wiped his eyes. “If you don’t mind, Mother, I’d rather get someone
from graves to come. I want to remember him when he was
alive.”

“That’s fine.”

“I don’t agree with your
decision to stay here but this is not the time to debate
that.”