Scott’s dragoons were divided and assigned to special duties at this time (Sen. 1; 30, 1, app., 38). Pillow and a part of his troops joined Worth, but figured very little in reports of the fighting. The Eleventh and Fourteenth Infantry attempted to cut the Mexican line from the bridge to the convent, but on account of the heavy fire were ordered to lie down. Col. Andrews explained that his regiment (Voltigeurs) came up later than Worth’s division, and could not fire without endangering troops ahead of him (Sen. 1; 30, 1, app., 122); but this is not convincing, for he must have left Coyoacán at about noon, and there was room enough at the front.
It was stated at Puebla in October, 1847, that 260 Americans fought with the Mexicans at Churubusco (Flag of Freedom, i, no. 1). Some of these men cut their way through ([70]“Guerra,” no. 30, Perdigón Garay), and reached Mexico (ibid., Rangel). Some eighty appear to have been captured. They were fairly tried. A number were found not guilty of deserting, and were released. About fifteen (Hartman, Journal, 18), who had deserted before the declaration of war, were merely branded with a “D,” and fifty of those taken at Churubusco were executed ([65]Scott, gen. orders 296). There was bitter complaint because any were spared, but Scott declared he would rather be put to the sword with his whole army than do an injustice in the matter (Davis, Autobiog., 226), and urged the courts to find grounds for reducing the number of executions ([335]notes on letter to Ho. of Repres.). It was said that more than once the American deserters killed Mexicans who tried to raise a white flag at the convent. For the deserters and their fate consult: [12]Caryton to Lambert, Sept. 1; Picayune, Sept. 8; Sen. 1; 30, 1, pp. 319, 344; Ballentine, Eng. Sold., ii, 230; [70]“Guerra,” no. 30 (Rangel, Perdigón Garay); Judah, diary; Amer. Star, Mexico, Sept. 20; Diario, Sept. 2; Flag of Freedom, Puebla, i, no. 1; [178]Davis, diary; Negrete, Invasión, iii, app., 452; Hartman, Journal, 17–8; Scott, [65]gen. orders 281–3; Davis, Autobiog., 224–7). Hancock and Longstreet, destined to be on opposite sides at Gettysburg, here fought together. Twiggs was at this time under fire (Stevens, Stevens, i, 199). Rives (U. S. and Mexico, ii, 493) explains the stiff defence of the convent as due to the presence of “men of Spanish (not Indian) descent”; but (1) the Victoria and Hidalgo battalions, which would not fight (supra) were still more truly “Spanish” (vol. ii, p. 3), and (2) the nearly worthless officers were always of such descent.
[20.] Sen. 65; 30, 1, pp. 465, 478. Sen. 1; 30, 1, pp. 313–4, 348, 384. Ho. 24; 31, 1. [76]Rincón to S. Anna, Aug. 26. [76]Quijano, Sept. 3. [76]Olaguíbel, Aug. 27. Ramírez, México, 299. Monitor Repub., Dec. 17 (S.Anna). [76]Alcorta, Aug. 30. [12]Caryton to Lambert, Sept. 1. Semmes, Service, 408. [76]Report, Aug. 21. [224]Intercepted letters, passim. [76]Cuerpo Médico, report, Aug. 24.
[21.] Mich. Pioneer Soc. Colls., ii, 173. Stevens, Stevens, i, 199. Encarnacion Prisoners, 55. Hitchcock, Fifty Years, 278–80. Sen. 1; 30, 1, p. 331. Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 464 (Lee). Apuntes, 247. Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 377.
XXVII. NEGOTIATIONS
[1.] The American situation after the battles of Aug. 20. [260]Henshaw, comments on map. [61]Trousdale, Aug. 22. [217]Henshaw to wife, Aug. 21, etc. [218]Henshaw narrative. Vedette, vii, no. 9 (Toll). St. Louis Republican, Sept. 27. Sen. 1; 30, 1, p. 314 (Scott). Hitchcock, Fifty Years, 284–5, 294. McSherry, El Puchero, 88, 100. [364]Worth to daughter, Sept. 2. [61]N. C. to Elizabeth Miller, Nov. 30. Semmes, Service, 413. London Chronicle, Nov. 12. N. Y. Herald, Feb. 5, 1848 (Pierce). [236]Judah, diary. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 129 (Scott). Semi-weekly N. Y. Courier and Enquirer, Mar. 1, 1848. [358]Williams to father, Oct. 1. [291]Pierce to wife, Aug. 23. Davis, Autobiography, 189. [350]Weber, recolls. [303]Shields to Quitman, Aug. 21. [221]Hill, diary. [68]Scott’s statement to court of inquiry, Apr. 17, 1848. Gamboa, Impug., 49. Picayune, Sept. 9. Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 460 (Turnbull).
Semmes (Service, 413) says that eventually Scott had to disperse the elements of peace, and incorrectly adds that they seemed to reassemble all the more rapidly. But Scott had reason to believe that what it required months to do later could be done now in only a few weeks. He reported that understanding his nation’s desire for peace and “Willing to leave something to this republic—of no immediate value to us—on which to rest her pride, and to recover temper—I halted our victorious corps at the gates of the city” (Sen. 1; 30, 1, p. 314). Even the fiery Worth deemed it best not to enter Mexico at this time ([364]to daughter, Sept. 2).
[2.] [108]Marcy to Bancroft, Apr. 28. Polk, Messages, May 11; June 16, 1846; Feb. 10, 1847 (Richardson, iv, 437, 451, 511). Ho. 60; 30, 1, pp. 328 (Scott); 334 (Marcy). [297]Benton MS. (with Polk’s notes) received by Polk, July 4, 1846. [69]Worth to Bliss, Nov. 29; Dec. 14, 1846.
[3.] Bankhead reported, Oct. 10, 1846, that he was weary of arguing in favor of treating with the United States; that the dominant faction, positively refusing to negotiate, were crying, “A levy of 40,000 and make terms only on the other side of the Nueces!”
[4.] The overture of July, 1846. Sen. 107; 29, 2, pp. 1–3. Sen. 1; 29, 2, pp. 43–4. [13]Pakenham, nos. 93, July 13; 107, Aug. 13; 119, Sept. 28; 130, Nov. 12, 1846. [13]Bankhead to Pakenham, Oct. 10. [256]Marcy to Wetmore, June 13. Locomotor, June 27. [158]Cobb to wife, June 4. National, June 22. Pregonero, June 11. Monitor Repub., June 22. [162]Buchanan to Conner, Oct. 1. [162]Conner, July 19. [13]Bankhead, nos. 92, 104, 105, June 29; July 30; 125, Aug. 31; 128–30, Sept. 7, 1846. Rejón to Buchanan, Aug. 31 (in Memoria de ... Relaciones, 1846). Polk, Diary, Sept. 19, 20, 26. Buchanan, Works (Moore), vii, 40, 82, 87. Indicador, Aug. 27. Nat. Intelligencer, Sept. 28. Diario, Dec. 6, 13, 25. [52]Black, May 21; June 9; July 4. [166]Id.to Conner, July 9; Aug. 1. [166]Pommarès to Gregory, July 2. [166]Id.. to Conner, July 4, 21; Aug. 12. Reeves, Amer. Diplomacy, 298. Polk, Message, Dec. 8 (Richardson, iv, 494). [297]Mackenzie, July 7. [76]Comandante, V. Cruz, Aug. 26. See vol. i, pp. 217, 502, 504.