n the staff of Santa Anna.

Accompanied by Lieutenant McClellan, I reported to General Worth at 10
P. M., and was ordered by him to suspend operations for the night and
resume them at daylight. He received us both very kindly, expressed
satisfaction with the manner in which the works at the Garita had been
carried, and approved of all the dispositions that had been subsequently
made of the troops at the front. I called his attention again to the
convent, told him that the large Mexican force in that position might
give us a great deal of trouble next morning, and asked him to permit
me, with the engineer company supported by a detachment of about five
hundred men, to pass the convent that night, get into a strong position
beyond it, and thus induce the enemy to abandon that position before
morning; and said I thought it probable a detachment of five hundred men
could reach the main plaza of the city, that night, without material
difficulty; and that, in case this force encountered serious opposition,
they could take possession of some one of the many large, strong
buildings on the way, and hold their own against the whole Mexican army
until relief could reach them.

General Worth not only refused to comply with my request; but, ordered
both myself and Lieutenant McClellan to remain at his headquarters until
3 A. M., at which hour he said he would have us called, and we could
then go to the front and resume our duties.

That arrangement left the engineer company, for the night, at the
extreme front, without an officer. In spite of my earnest remonstrances
General Worth insisted that we should remain. On the latter point he was
inexorable. I finally asked him if I was under arrest. He said "No" and
added: "You soon will be if you show further hesitation in obeying my
order for you to remain here".

Being awakened by one of General Worth's aides, I asked if it was
already 3 o'clock. It seemed to me that I had not been asleep five
minutes. The aide said: "It is about 1 o'clock. A deputation from the
civil authorities has just informed General Worth that Santa Anna's army
evacuated the city before midnight, and they offered to surrender the
city. They have been passed on to General Scott, at Tacubaya; and
General Worth wishes to see you at once".

The latter told me more fully about the deputation and their proposal to
surrender; expressed some doubt in reference to the evacuation of the
city by the Mexican army; direct