The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-13 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF CHAPULTEPEC.
The following interesting description of the siege
and capitulation of Chapultepec was written by an
eye-witness :
The negotiations of the commissioners did not
first long, as neither of the negotiating parties went
-about it earnestly, both knowing that it would be
impossible for the Mexican Government to accept
the conditions proposed by the American envoy.
In consequence, Santa Anna had resolved from
the ♦ery beginning to disregard the conditions agreed
upon in the armistice, and went on fortifying all the
western points of the town with the utmost speed,
and perfecting the existing bastioni; in order to
prepare himself for a desperate struggle for life or
death.

The propositions made by the American envoy,
Mr. Trist, for the conclusion of peace were the fol-
lowing :—Mexico was to cede to the United States
all the territory north of a line beginning three
lesgues south from the mouth of the river Bravo,
then running along the course of this river upwards
to Paso del Norte, and thence due west through
the country to the mouth of the river
Colorado, which flows into the bay of California,
by which Mexico would lose Texas, Coahuila,
Nuevo Mexico, Altaybaja, California, and a part of
Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa ; moreover,
Mexico was to give to the United States, for the
space of twelve years, the usufruct of the isthmus
of Tehuantepec, in order to make experiments, and
open, if possible, a canal, connecting the two oceans,
and other minor conditions ; in consideration of
which Mr. Trist declared himself empowered to pay
in the city of Mexico a certain sum of money, not
specified ; to regulate all claims of American sub-
jects against the Mexican Government, and to admit
them as an American debt ; to deliver up all the can-
non and armament taken away by conquest from the
Mexican army, and to make no further claims for the
expenses of the war.

Santa Anna declared hereupon, that disregarding
all the other conditions he would never consent to
give up New Mexico, as this province had, by its
heroical rising, clearly shown its determination to
abide by, and remain a part of, the great Mexican
family, which was the more laudable and affecting, as
all the former Governments had for a long time con-
tinued to neglect and disregard it, leaving it to be in-
vaded and. plundered by the savages.
On the sth of September General Scott sent an
Official communication to Santa Anna, in which he
informed him that he would consider the armistice as
broken, if within 24 hours after receipt of this docu-
ment satisfactory explanations had not been given for
the repeated disregard of the conditions stipulated in
the same.
Santa Anna sent him in answer a very*lented
exposition, in which he tried to throw all- the blame
on the Americans.

Scott did not deign to answer it, and in conse-
quence the armistice was over on the 7th of Septem-
ber, at twelve o'clock A.M.
Everybody expected that the hostilities would
commence the same day, but not a shot was fired.
At four o'clock the next morning, however, the roar
of the cannon awakened the inhabitants of Mexico,
and called them on to their azoteas.
Behind the castle of Chapultepec, which is situated
on a high porphyry rock placed on the plain at the
foot of an even sloping rise towards the mountains,
called in Spanish loma, the fight commenced. Santa
Anna had displayed his lines on the gentle slope
behind, and there the Americans attacked them.
From five to nine in the morning the firing was
very heavy, and the Americans took by storm a forti-
fied powder magazine which stood higher up on the
lama, and also a fortified watermill, situated upon
the low ground on the outskirts of the castle park,
and between this and the ascending slope. Here they
destroyed the cannon foundry, but were then obliged
to retire, as the point was completely commanded by
the fire of the fort.
This battle, named from the mill, the battle of
Molino del Rey, was very bloody on both sides. At
ten o'clock the Americans blew up the powder maga-
zine and retired to their original quarters or positions,
higher up on the sloping plain, south-west from Cha-
pultepec. Here they-formed in battle, defying their
enemy, and as none appeared they quietly returned
to their quarters at Tacubaya, at three o'clock in the
afternoon.
In Mexico the bells were triumphantly rung as for
a great victory, and in fact, the Mexicans, though
beaten, were justified in regarding the fight as a vic-
tory, as the enemy found himself obliged to give up
his conquered positions, and had suffered a serious
and irreparable loss for his small numbers. If Santa
Anna had renewed the battle on the same day it is
very probable that affairs would have turned out very
differently for the Americans, as the discontent at the
signing of the armistice, combined with the dejection
produced by the heavy loss of blood in the morning,
had had a very demoralizing effect upon the army.
But Santa Anna did not attack, as his army had
likewise suffered a severe loss, and had lost two able
and courageous generals—Antonio Leon, from
Oajana, and Lucas tralderas,from the city of Mexico;
in consequence of which he did not think it prudent
to leave his entrenchments and stake everything upon
one die, as he would have done by venturing another
pitched battle.
The 9th and 10th of September passed quietly
over, the belligerent parties only saluting each other
at daybreak two or three times with cannon shot and
grenades, each party occupying itself in repairing
the damages received and preparing for new and
more terrible struggles.
On the 11th of September the cavalry was ordered
to make a movement on the lomas or sloping plains
above Chapultepec and Tacubaya, and attack, if pos-
sible, the latter place.
However, the enemy kept a very good look out,
and no sooner did the cavalry begin to move out of
town than their scouts appeared upon the lamas, and
sons after a small force appeared to defend the plains.
'Tae Mexicans attacked the advanced United States
cavalry, and a short skirmish ensued, in which these
were made to retreat by the overwhelming force of
the former, and in their hot chase they incautiously
advanced too near a hollow in advance on one side,
where an American battery was lying hid. This at
once opened a destructive fire upon them and drove
the squadrons back in the most precipitate flight.
On the 12th the cannon began to rear again, south
and west, at the garita of San Antonio and at Cha-
pultepec, but it very soon became evident where the
real attack was intended, for on the south side the
fire was slackened, and after a time it left off alto-
gether; while on the west it grew more and more
violent, and about eight o'clock, A.M., the enemy
opened his battery of mortars upon the castle and
began to throw shells with a most uncomfortable pre-
cision. This fire was kept up by three batteries, each
of one large mortar, situated in a small segment of a
circle to the south of the fort, the whole day until
seven o'clock at night, and a strong division of their
army was drawn out in line of battle on the loma be-
hind as simple spectators awaiting an attack.
The Mexican army was formed along the two
aqueducts which join at the foot of Chapultepec, but
not a man stirred, and only the castle answered the
enemy's fire out of its heavy guns until near two
O'clock, when they had all been dismounted or dis•
abled. From two to six o'clock the castle silently
received the enemy's fire, and from then till dark it
answered again with the newly mounted pieces.
The night passed over without disturbances, but
early on the 13th the bombardment began again- with
renewed force, and by the unusual movement between
. the enemy's troops we could see that a very impor-
tant stroke was about to take place.
At half past seven o'clock a column came hastily
descending from the lomas towards the castle, and
soon after a heavy firing opened upon all sides,
and Chapul epee wrapped itself up in a dense cloud
of smoke. In the meantime the mortars continued
playing upon the castle until a quarter past nine
o'clock, when they ceased. During this time the
firing in and about the castle had three times apps.
rently reached its climax, and then suddenly slackened,
ao that we believed the assault had been beaten off;
but at 25 minutes past nine o'clock the Mexican flag
suddenly disappeared, a blue flag was shown, and
directly after the stars and stripes arose and waved
over the eonquered fortress.
The garrison of Chapultepec, commanded by
General Bravo, had been about 850 strong, and along
the aqueducts, at the foot of its hill, were stationed
about 8,000 n;en. (infantry), the flower of the Alex-
a.rmy.,* while the cavalry (about 8,000 strong)
iortht.lovering about on the loasas, a league to the
west, waiting for an opportunity to pounce
down upon the
thing; it remaineermy. However, it did no such
quiet spectator till all was over,,
and then precipitatel
sretired into the town.
few
wSamlan
aAsnpnoas's,,itliaenyinseaetmide!!a have been to lelve as
in order
not.to expose them unnecessb:rialvt' the shells, and.
the Castle,
then, at the proper moment,
,wthoentthothe forlorn, her
strop was advancing to the assault
beat rot;
forcements into the park, and
plan was not bad, and he remained himenis off.
The
Chapultepec, in a house, to dire.ettiti4lf cloke by
out to have been misplaced confidence, 'for-aittl:hlr.ned
de-
cisive moment, when succour was most needed, it has not yet been explained ; most
likely
because disorder prevailed among the office4s, ana
most certainly because the Mexican troops could not
muster up sufficient valour to face the fire of the
enemy.
Directly after having taken the place the Ameri-
cans hauled down the light field-pieces from the
the retreatil enemy
castle, and fired them upon
firm
followed. e ring
upon whose heels they closely
came nearer and nearer, and about two o'clock P.m.,
an to open their fire,
the innermost entrenchments oeg

and balls to whistle in the town.
In the evening, about oration, the suburb of San
,Cosme, to the north-west, had already been taken,
and in the west the Paseo, so that only the fortified
tobacco manufactory, christened with the pompous