161 Capture of Mexico (1847)
Headquarters of the Army, National Palace of Mexico, Sept. 18, 1847.
At the end of another series of arduous and brilliant operations of more than forty-eight hours continuance, this glorious army hoisted on the morning of the 14th, the colors of the United States on the walls of this palace.
This city stands upon a slight swell of ground near the center of an irregular basin and is girdled with a ditch in its greater extent — a navigable canal of great breadth and depth — very difficult to bridge in the presence of an enemy and serving at once for drainage, custom-house purposes, and military defense. Leaving eight entrances or gates over arches, each of which we found defended by a system of strong works that seemed to require nothing but some men and guns to be impregnable.
Outside and within the cross-fires of those gates, we found to the south other obstacles but little less formidable. All the approaches near the city are over elevated causeways, cut in many places (to oppose us) and flanked on both sides by ditches, also of unusual dimensions. The numerous cross-roads are flanked in like manner, having bridges at the intersections, recently broken. The meadows thus checkered are, moreover, in many spots under water or marshy. For it will be remembered we were in the midst of the wet season, though with less rain than usual. And we could not wait for the fall of the neighboring lakes and the consequent drainage of the wet grounds at the edge of the city — the lowest in the whole basin.
The first step in the new movement was to carry Chapultepec, a natural and isolated mound of great elevation, strongly fortified at its base, on its acclivities, and heights. Besides a numerous garrison, here was the military college of the republic with a large number of sub-lieutenants and other students. Those works were within direct gunshot of the village of Tacubaya and until carried, we could not approach the city on the west without making a circuit too wide and too hazardous.
The signal I had appointed for the attack was the momentary cessation of fire on the part of our heavy batteries. About eight o’clock in the morning of the 13th, judging that the time had arrived by the effect of the missiles we had thrown, I sent an aid-de-camp to Pillow and another to Quitman with notice that the concerted signal was about to be given. Both columns now advanced with an alacrity that gave assurance of prompt success. The batteries, seizing opportunities, threw shots and shells upon the enemy over the heads of our men with good effect, particularly at every attempt to reinforce the works from without to meet our assault.
Major General Pillow’s approach on the west side lay through an open grove filled with sharp shooters who were speedily dislodged when, being up with the front of the attack and emerging into open space at the foot of a rocky acclivity, that gallant leader was struck down by an agonizing wound. The immediate command devolved on Brigadier General Cadwalader in the absence of the senior brigadier (Pierce) of the same division — an invalid since the events of August 19. On a previous call of Pillow, Worth had just sent him a reinforcement — Colonel Clark’s brigade.
The broken acclivity was still to be ascended and a strong redoubt midway to be carried before reaching the castle on the heights. The advance of our brave men led by brave officers, though necessarily slow, was unwavering over rocks, chasms, and mines and under the hottest fire of cannon and musketry. The redoubt now yielded to resistless valor and the shouts that followed announced to the castle the fate that impended. The enemy were steadily driven from shelter to shelter. The retreat allowed not time to fire a single mine without the certainty of blowing up friend and foe. Those who at a distance attempted to apply matches to the long trains were shot down by our men. There was death below as well as above ground. At length the ditch and wall of the main work were reached. The scaling-ladders were brought up and planted by the storming parties. Some of the daring spirits first in the assault were cast down — killed or wounded. But a lodgment was soon made, streams of heroes followed. All opposition was overcome and several of the regimental colors flung out from the upper walls amidst long-continued shouts and cheers, which sent dismay into the capital. No scene could have been more animating or glorious.
At this junction of roads we first passed one of those formidable systems of city defenses spoken of above, and it had not a gun! A strong proof, 1. That the enemy had expected us to fall in the attack upon Chapultepec, even if we meant anything more than a feint. 2. That in either case we designed, in his belief, to return and double our forces against the southern gates, a delusion kept up by the active demonstrations of Twiggs and the forces posted on that side. And 3. That advancing rapidly from the reduction of Chapultepec, the enemy had not time to shift guns. Our previous captures had left him comparatively but few, from the southern gates.
Within those disgarnished [despoiled] works I found our troops engaged in a street fight against the enemy posted in gardens, at windows, and on house-tops — all flat, with parapets. Worth ordered forward the mountain howitzers of Cadwalader’s brigade, preceded by skirmishers and pioneers with pickaxes and crowbars to force windows and doors or to burrow through walls. The assailants were soon in an equality of position fatal to the enemy. By 8 o’clock in the evening, Worth had carried two batteries in this suburb. According to my instructions, he here posted guards and sentinels and placed his troops under shelter for the night. There was but one more obstacle — the San Cosme gate (custom-house) between him and the great square in front of the cathedral and palace — the heart of the city. And that barrier, it was known, could not by daylight resist our siege guns thirty minutes.
I had intended that Quitman should only maneuver and threaten the Bélen or southwestern gate in order to favor 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 afternoon, but not without proportionate loss increased by his steady maintenance of that position. 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 4 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 self-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.
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) towards 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.
Source: “Capture of Mexico”, by Winfield Scott, House Executive Documents, 30th Congress, 1st session (1848) II, No. 8, 375-383. https://archive.org/details/americanhistoryt00ivunse/page/28/mode/2up
