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

212 THIE MALCONTENTS.
show that it was not adopted without cogent reasons, most of
which occur of themselves to the minds of all who are
acquainted with the condition of things here. To that end I
beg that it may be laid before the General-in-chief and the
Secretary of War.
I am, sir, very respectfully your obedient servant.
Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding.
The Adjutant General, Washington.
The fault-finders in our army were chiefly Texans. On
the night of the 23d of September they had obtained possession of the highest houses in the vicinity of the great
plaza, arnd, unsated with slaughter, they but waited for the
riorning to avenge signally the hoarded wrongs suffered
during their long war for independence. The capitulation
on the 24th, of course, disappointed all their sweet and long
cherished hopes of vengeance. Fortunately for the Mexican
population the American General knew how to crown a
triumph with mercy. It appears from the Mexican " IIistory
of the WVar," that some of the enemy were equally dissatisfied with the finale of the siege, and, it must be admitted,
with better reason.~ Both parties of malcontents, however,
in complaining, sin against humanity.
* "The second interview resulted in the capitulation, in which the commisdioners were the Generals Raquena, Conde, and Don Manuel Maria del Llano, a
capitulation which, with cutting irony, was called honorable. This was, that the
army should retain their arms and baggage, a battery of six pieces, ammunition
for twenty-four rounds each, one supply of catridges for the boxes, and the rest of
the material to be given to the Americans, who agreed on their part not to pass
tlie line of the Muertos, Linares, and Victoria, for two months, ill which time
clbrts wouldbe diligently made to accomplish a peace.
" On the 25th, at eleven o'clock, our troops evacuated the citadel, in front of a