Proposals for the surrender of Monterey.

Taylor last evening, and it is now placed in the largest plaza, to which our troops have fought step by step and from house to house. Duncan's batteries are in town, and the present impression is that the place will soon be taken. General Worth has gained all the strongholds that command the city, and has pushed the enemy as far as they can go without falling into General Taylor's hands on the other side of the city. All this has been done with the loss of only about seventy killed and wounded."

At noon on the 22d, while the American troops were closely engaged in the lower part of the city, General Taylor received by a flag a communication from the governor of the state of New Leon, asking him to grant a sufficient time for the inhabitants to leave the city; which General Taylor declined. Early on the morning of the 24th, a flag was received from the town, bearing a communication from General Ampudia, proposing an evacuation of the city and fort, with all the personel and materiel of war. General Taylor, in reply, declined the proposition, and demanded a complete surrender of the town and garrison, offering in consideration of the gallant defense that had been made, to allow the garrison to retire to the interior after laying down its arms, on condition of not serving again during the war. A cessation of hostilities, until twelve o'clock, was arranged.

Before that hour, however, General Ampudia had signified to General Worth his desire for a personal interview with General Taylor, for the purpose of making some definitive arrangement. An interview was accordingly appointed for one o'clock, and resulted in the

Terms of capitulation.

naming of a commission to draw up articles of agreement regulating the withdrawal of the Mexican forces, and a temporary cessation of hostilities. The commissioners named by the Mexican general-in-chief were Generals Ortega and Requena, and Don Emanuel M. Llano, governor of New Leon. Those named on the American side were General Worth, General Henderson, governor of Texas, and Colonel Davis, Mississippi volunteers.

This commission finally settled upon the articles of capitulation. The details of the negotiations are reserved as part of the personal history of the commissioners, and will be found in another place.

By the terms of capitulation, it was agreed that the Mexican officers should retain their side arms, and the infantry and cavalry their arms and accoutrements, the artillery one field battery of six pieces; that, surrendering the city, fortifications, cannon, munitions of war, and public stores, to General Taylor, they should evacuate the city and retire, within seven days, beyond the line formed by the pass of Rinconada, the city of Linares, and San Fernando de Presas; and that this line should not be crossed by the Americans before the expiration of eight weeks, unless the respective governments should refuse to ratify the terms of this truce.

Monterey and its fortifications were armed with fortytwo pieces of cannon, well supplied with ammunition, and manned with a force of at least seven thousand troops of the line, and from two to three thousand irregulars. The force under General Taylor was four hundred and twenty-five officers, and six thousand two hundred and twenty men. Our artillery consisted of

G

Bravery of the American troops.

one ten-inch mortar, two twenty-four-pound howitzers, and four light field batteries of four guns each—the mortar being the only piece suited to the operations of a siege. The American loss was twelve officers and one hundred eight men killed, thirty-one officers and three hundred and thirty-seven men wounded. The loss of the enemy was much greater.

The storming of Monterey requires no comment. A city surrounded by high massive walls which supported strong redoubts, with every street swept by cross fires of artillery, and every house a fortification in itself, was attacked and carried by an army numbering scarcely more than half of the defenders, inferior in artillery and small arms, and obliged to divide its small force to resist the cannonade of another fortification, the Bishop's Palace, nearly as strong as the city itself.

Such an event can only be attributed to the national coolness and intrepidity of the assailants, aided by their good discipline, the example of their officers and the unsurpassed ability of their commanding general. The glory of the victors at Cuidad Rodrigo pales before that of the Americans at Monterey.

The troops of General Taylor proved themselves to be possessed of a still higher attribute of the soldier than the most fearless bravery: the finer feelings of men calm in the moment of victory, and possessed of minds principled of humanity, which the most desperate resistance could not excite to a single deed of cruelty. In their retreat from Monterey, the enemy destroyed every thing in their route that might be of service to the invading army. The water streams were stopped or filled up, the wells destroyed, provisions carefully removed, and

even private property ruthlessly consumed by the torch. Meanwhile, they made every effort to organize a new army in the interior, and declared that the loss of Monterey was owing only to the incapacity of Ampudia, who was ordered to be tried by court-martial. General Herrera had been president of Mexico when the war was first threatened, but his inclination to avoid hostilities had caused him to be deprived of power, and Paredes assumed the reins of government, and the responsibility of the war. Being unsuccessful, however, he lost caste with his countrymen, who now began to look for another ruler. Several leaders presented themselves, each at the head of a small

Santa Anna lands at Vera Cruz.

army, and each breathing implacable hostility to the United States. In the mean time a party had arisen favourable to the recall of Santa Anna, who had been exiled in 1844, and was living at Havana. A proclamation was issued at Mexico, inviting the return of all Mexicans faithful to their country, Santa Anna being named as one, and appointed general-in-chief; and calling for a meeting of a congress of representatives to be chosen according to the repudiated constitution of 1824, under which Mexico was a federal republic, similar to that of the United States. This was the production of General Salas, who was the avowed supporter of Santa Anna, and who had been elevated to the presidency.

On the 16th of August, Santa Anna landed at Vera Cruz, having been allowed to pass the American blockading squadron, in the British mail steamer Arab. On the 14th of September, when he had reached Ayotla, he received and accepted a commission appointing him supreme dictator. On the next day he entered the capital and was received with every demonstration of joy and confidence. He issued a proclamation calling upon the people to support him in defending the country. The American government had refused to sanction the conditional armistice of eight weeks, provided for by one of the articles of capitulation at Monterey, and directed General Taylor to resume hostilities. That officer therefore addressed a letter to Santa Anna notifying him of the renewal of hostilities, and making a request for the release of certain prisoners at San Luis Potosi. Santa Anna acknowledged the receipt of the letter in a courteous and dignified manner, acquiesced in the conclusion of the armistice, and complied in a liberal manner with