he scabbard and to
advance with the naked blade in hand."

CHAPTER X.

Movement toward the City of Mexico--The Duke of Wellington's
comments--Movements of Santa Anna--A commission meets General Worth to
treat for terms--Worth enters Puebla--Civil administration of the city
not interfered with--Scott arrives at Puebla--Scott's address to the
Mexicans after the battle of Cerro Gordo--Contreras--Reconnoissance of
the _pedregal_--Defeat of the Mexicans at Contreras--Battle of
Churubusco--Arrival of Nicholas P. Trist, commissioner--General Scott
meets a deputation proposing an armistice--He addresses a
communication to the head of the Mexican Government--Appointment of a
commission to meet Mr. Trist--Major Lally--Meeting of Mr. Trist with
the Mexican commissioners--Failure to agree--Armistice violated by the
Mexicans and notice from General Scott--Santa Anna's insolent
note--The latter calls a meeting of his principal officers--Molino del
Rey--Chapultepecec--Losses on both sides.

The army began its movement from Puebla toward the City of Mexico on
August 6, 1847. Twiggs's division was in the advance, General William
Selby Harney's cavalry leading and the siege train bringing up the
rear. The other three divisions followed successively on the 8th, 9th,
and 10th. No division was at any time more than seven or eight miles
from support. It was expected that the army of Santa Anna would be met
at Rio Frio, and hence General Scott's great caution in his movement
to keep his divisions in supporting distance.

The Duke of Wellington was so interested in this march of the army
from Vera Cruz to the Mexican capital that he caused its movements to
be marked on a map daily, as information was received. Admiring its
triumphs up to the basin of Mexico, he now said: "Scott is lost. He
has been carried away by successes. He can't take the city, and he
can't fall back upon his base."

General Santa Anna, finding himself without money and with but a small
following of troops at Orizaba, marched by way of Aculcingo and
Amasoque to Puebla. In the meantime he was using all efforts to gather
re-enforcements for his army. There was but one day's interval between
the troops of General Worth and the Mexican brigades of Leonard Perez
and the cavalry under General Alcorta, the whole of which was
commanded by General Santa Anna when he passed Amasoque. Finding that
he could not successfully defend Puebla, the Mexican general withdrew
to