States.[1] It was thought by the President, that an unconditional surrender of the Mexican forces in Monterey, and of their arms and munitions of war, should have been insisted upon by General Taylor; and that the article providing for an armistice was both unnecessary and unadvisable.[2]
General Taylor might have taken the city without a surrender. There was no misgiving on the part of his soldiers. However obstinate the defence, it would certainly have been overcome in the end, even though every street and plaza had been drenched in blood. On the evening of the 24th of September, the exact distance to the cathedral and the main plaza was ascertained by the officer having charge of the mortar, and he was prepared to throw his shells accordingly. Had no offer to capitulate been received, the fire would have
- ↑ See Correspondence between the Secretary of War and General Taylor, House of Rep. Exec. Doe. 119, (pp. 77, et seq.) 2nd Session, 29th Congress.
- ↑ The following were the terms of the capitulation:
"Terms of capitulation of the city of Monterey, the capital of Nuevo Leon, agreed upon by the undersigned Commissioners, to wit: General Worth= of the United States Army, General Henderson of the Texan Volunteers, and Colonel Davis, of the Mississippi Riflemen, on the part of Major General Taylor, commanding-in-chief the United States forces, and General Requena and General Ortega, of the Army of Mexico, and Señor Manuel M. Llano, Governor of Nuevo Leon, on the part of Señor General Don Pedro Ampudia, commanding-in-chief the Army of the North of Mexico:
"Art. I. As the legitimate result of the operations before this place, and the present position of the Contending armies, it is agreed that the city, the fortifications, cannon, the munitions of war, and all other public property, with the undermentioned exceptions, be surrendered to the commanding general of the United States forces now at Monterey.
"Art. II. That the Mexican forces be allowed to retain the following arms, to wit: the commissioned officers their side-arms, the infantry their arms and accoutrements, the cavalry their arms and accoutrements, the artillery one field battery, not to exceed six pieces, with twenty — one rounds of ammunition.
