For the decisive and brilliant results, I beg to refer to the report of the immediate commander, Major-General Worth, in whose commendations of the gallant officers and men, dead and living, I heartily concur, having witnessed, but with little indifference, their noble devotion to fame and to country.
The enemy having several times re-enforced his line, and the action soon becoming much more general than I had expected, I called up, from the distance of three miles, first Major-General Pillow, with his remaining brigade (Pierce's), and next Riley's brigade of Twiggs' division, leaving his other brigade (Smith's) in observation at San Angel. Those corps approached with zeal and rapidity, but the battle was won just as Brigadier-General Pierce reached the ground, and had interposed his corps between Garland's brigade (Worth's division) and the retreating enemy.
The accompanying report mentions, with just commendation, two of my volunteer aids: Major Kirby, Paymaster, and Major Gaines, of the Kentucky Volunteers. I also had the valuable services, on the same field, of several officers of my staff, general and personal: Lieutenant-Colonel Hitchcock, Acting Inspector-General; Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer; Captain Irwin, Chief Quartermaster; Captain Grayson, Chief Commissary; Captain H. L. Scott, Acting Adjutant-General; Lieutenant Williams, Aid-de-Camp; and Lieutenant Lay, Military Secretary.
I have the honor to be, Sir, with high respect, your obedient servant,
Winfield Scott.
General Scott to the Secretary of War.
Headquarters of the Army,
National Palace of Mexico,
September 18th, 1847.
To the Honorable
William L. Marcy,
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.
Sir: 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.
The victory of the 8th, at the Molinos del Rey, was followed by daring reconnaissances on the part of our distinguished engineers, Captain Lee, Lieutenants Beauregard, Stevens, and Tower: Major Smith, senior, being sick, and Captain Mason, third in rank, wounded. Their operations were directed principally to the south, towards the gates of the Piedad, San Angel, (Nino Perdido,) San Antonio, and the Paseo de la Viga.
This city stands on a slight swell of ground, near the centre 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 defence; 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.