Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

208 TAYLOR VINDICATES THE TERMS OF TIIE CAPITULATION.
were not speedily agreed upon. That thereupon the Mexican
chief of artillery successfully appealed to the generosity and
magnanimity of the stern old soldier, stating that arms and
accouterments had been conceded to the infantry and cavalry,
and declaring that he would rather die at his guns than see
the artillery alone disgraced, by being compelled to march
out without a single light battery. Certainly the capitulation was sufficiently honorable to our arms, and humiliating
to the foe. Many mustang heroes and militia generals, both
in and out of Congress, and even the Cabinet of Mr. Polk,
have condemned General Taylor for acceding to it,-one of
the most humane and politic strokes of war that distinguished
the campaign. By its terms we gained all that could have
been acquired from a further assault, save more blood, and a
repetition of those horrors from which I have not attempted
to raise the vail. It is one of the maxims of Napoleon, that
" the keys of a fortress are well worth the retirement of the
garrison, when it is resolved to yield only on those conditions. On this principle it is always wiser to grant an
honorable capitulation to a garrison which has made a vigorous resistance, than to risk an assault." But no more ample
and satisfactory vindication of the convention can be desired,
than that contained in the following letter of General Taylor,
written in reply to the strictures of the Secretary of War,
and to which the attention of the reader is earnestly invited.
fHead- Quarters, Army of Occupation,
Camp near iionterey, November 8, 1846.
Sir: In reply to so much of the communication of the
Secretary of War, dated October 13th, as relates to the