The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-03
The capitalization at MontereyIts History and Conse


I IEfTl HUOpS-ITItT been
driven from their ouposts, and routed from post post
had sought shelter from the destructive fire the American
in their last place of refuge; the following letter,
proposing TO surrender the town. despatched by Gen
Ampudia to Gen Taylor:
! 50 HEADQUARTERs MONTEREY,
| September %, 1916, at O'Clock nj night
''GENERALi As have made all the defence of which
consider this city capable, have fulfilled my obligation
and done all required by that military honor which,
world; and; ms continuation of the defence would only
bring upon the population distresse which they al
ready been sufficiently subjected by the evils consequent
upon war; and believing that the American Government
w appreciate these sentiments propose to your excel
personnel aud materie Of war which is left and under the
| the citizens who have taken part in the defence.
'Be pleased to accept the assurance of my dsn-
| gushed consideration,
"PEDRo DE ANPUDA.
! 'General in Chief of the American Army"
| In reply to the above communication General Taylor
gave General Ampudia the following
'.HEApeuARTERs ARMY OF occuParoN,
Camp before Monterey Sept a. 1916, O'clock
SIR Your communication, bearing date at o'clock p.
NJ on the 3d. has just been received by the hands Of Col
Sin answer to your proposition to the city and
fort, with all the personnel and maeriel war; have TO
state that my duty compels decline acceding
complete surrender OF the and garrison latter
as prisoners ofwar, is demanded But such surrender
will be upon TERMS and the gallant defence of the place,
crcdtable alike the Mexican troops and nation will
prompt tomake those terms liberal possible. The
arms retire into the interior on Condition IF NOT SeS
ing again during the until regularly exchanged.
|
respected
o'clock If you assent 10 accommodation officer viii
| conditions.
81 am, sir, very respectfully your obedient servant,
| ''Major Gen u s. A. commanding.
! ''Senor Don PEDRO DE AMPuDlA,
| General n-chief, Monterey
After the receipt of the above letter, Ampuda request
ed a personal conference with General Taylor; which
being acceded TO- resulted in an agreement that com
mssoners should be appointed on the part of each to ne
gotiate the terms of captulaon Generals Henderson
and Worth, and Colonel Davis acted the part of Gen
eral Taylor, and Generals Raquena and Oega, and Gov
ernor Lano, on behalf of Ampudia The following ar
ces,. agreed upon by the American commissioners, in
obedience TO instructions from General TAYLOR constitute
the result OF their joint abors:
carr l. As the legitimate result of the operations before
this place and the present position OF the conendng ar
mics, - agreed that the city, the Qualifications cannon
the munitions OF and all other public property with
the aforementioned exceptions, be surrendered to the
mandng general the United States forces Mon
"ARr H. That the Mexican forces be allowed to retain
the following TO witt the commissioned officers their
side arms the infantry their and accoutrements the
cavalry their and announcements the artillery field
battery exceed six pieces, with twentyone rounds
AR. III. That the Mexican armed forces retire, within
OF the inconada the city OF Lnares, and San Fenan
Anr " That citadel of Monterey be evacuated by
the Mexican and occupied by the American forces
row morning at ten o'clock.
ART V. To avoid collisions, and for mutual convent
that the troops of the Uned States will occupy
the city until the Mexican forces have Withdrawn except
| Tor hospital and storage purposes.
ARr. VI. That the forces of the United States will not
advance beyond the line specified in the I'd ) article be-
fore the expiration of eight weeks, until the orders
strucons of the respective governments be received
nT OVER I anJ e P"ec pr to be shall
commanding generals OF the two armies.
ART VIII That all doubts to the meaning of of
the preceding articles shall be solved by an eqabe con
strction, and principles of iberaly the retiring
"ARr TX. That the Mexican flag, when struck at the cit
ade, may be salutcd by its own battery
81. PINKNEY HENDERSON,
way os"' sGEFFGRs5BN nj D AVIS volunteers
Colonel Mississippi riaemen.
"ORTEGA.
EMANUEL M. LLANO.
"PEDRO AMPUDIA.
approved; z. TAYLOR,
"Mai. Gen. u. S. A. commanding"
The number of Mexican troops engaged at Monterey
was estimated by Gen. Taylor, at ten thousand BY the
above articles it will be perceived that those ten thou
sand men, instead OF being made prisoners of war,
march out Of Monterey with military honors saluting
their flag, the infantry carrying their muskets, the
cavalry mounted upon their horses with swords and ps
tolls and the artillery with six pieces of ordnance and
twenty-one rounds of ammunition. Not only were they
permitted thus to depart with air Of triumph, but
single man of these ten thousand even required TO
promise that he would not, upon the first opportunity,
those very in the butchery of American troops
victory achieved at the of the lives of some three
hundred OF our fellow citizens, was thus rendered
|
who were permitted to march out of Monterey armed
and equipped for battle compose the flower of the
Mexican army at San Luis Potos and probably con-
stitue more than one-half of the entire forces
centrated at that point General Taylor was undoubtedly
guided in his by the most patriotic Intentions but
that he erred most grIevousy in settling the of
ptuaton the almost unanimous voice of those upon the
spot of the army at large and of the country gives
elusive evidence. By the representations of Ampuda
HIMSELF the Mexlcans reduced TO the last extremi.
y, and would have surrendered discretion, had those
terms been insisted upon when originally demanded In
his letter to General Taylor proposing to surrender, Am
puda says 81 hare made all the defence of ,chich
consider hts city capable" Here was the acknowl-
edgment OF the Mexican general (whose interest prompt
ed him to put the best face upon his suaton that he
could do nothing for the defence of Monterey and
yet, notwithstanding this declaration of Ampuda he
permitted to march of, with military honors at the
head OF ten thousand armed men, meet upon another
field the very troops from whose grasp he was thus per-
mitted TO escape
As to the terms of capltuation, which country had
right TO demand and expect, the evidence of General
Taylor is conclusive. In his reply to Ampuda he says
"a complete surrender Of the town and garrison The lat
ter prisoners Of loar, is demanded But such
surrender will be upon terms and the gallant defence of
the place, creditable alike to the Mexican troops
and nation, will prompt TO make those terms
as liberal possible The garrison will be allow
ed at your option, after laying dopn its arms TO retire
the Interior condition Of serving again during the
icar, or until regularly exchanged" Such were the