Page:A series of intercepted letters in Mexico.djvu/15

 compelled to fly in consternation towards the city, entering it by the gate of San Antonio in confusion and dismay, followed by a considerable body of our troops at least a mile and a half beyond the tete-de pont, while a body of cavalry pushed the pursuit into the very gate itself, about a mile and a half still further, not hearing or heeding the recall which had been sounded from the rear. This cavalry charge is frequently referred to in the following letters and no doubt amazed the Mexicans to an extraordinary degree, both by its boldness and by the little loss attending its successful retirement to the main army, which had halted near a place called in the letters Portalis. The American force, at about 4 was in the entire possession of all the outer defences of the city, on the San Antonio causeway, and could have entered the city that evening without serious difficulty. But the General had accomplished exactly what he had designed before he left Puebla. He therefore halted the troops, and after giving necessary instructions, returned by the San Antonio road to San Augustin. arriving there about dusk in the evening, having been the whole day in the saddle, directing the important operation briefly recited above.

In the evening he was visited by some Englishmen from the city, for what purpose is not precisely known—but the next morning the general, starting on the San Antonio road, turned to the left and was met at Coyoacan, near Churubusco, by a deputation from the Mexican government, under a flag, proposing some terms, which, whatever they were, were instantly rejected; and the general sent by the deputation a paper he had himself prepared, offering to grant an armistice on certain conditions, the first being that the Mexican government should appoint Commissioners to receive and consider the propositions of the American government to be presented by an American Commissioner then at the headquarters of the American army. This communication being sent, the general, with one division of his army, continued on to Tacubaya, about six miles from Coyoacan, and entered that village as sated at the commencement of this preface.

The proposal of the American general was agreed to by general Santa Anna, and on the 24th of August, the ratifications of an armistice were duly exchanged.

Commissioners met to treat of peace, and this is an important point in the history of the events before the Mexican capital. The army, one is disposed to think, had accomplished its mission. It had brought commissioners together to treat of peace after the government of both countries had declared that a peace was desired that should be honorable to both nations. But peace was not made.