the Alameda, until further instructions were
received from the General-in-Chief.

For several hours after the engineer company took its place on the right
of Worth's division, at the Alameda, all seemed to be quiet in the city.
General Quitman's troops, from the Belen Gate, had passed the abandoned
citadel, reached the Main Plaza, and took possession of the National
Palace. Later, General Scott, with his staff officers and mounted
escort, entered the city.

About that time a shot was fired, evidently aimed at General Worth, from
a narrow street or lane, opposite the head of the division. The shot
missed Worth, but very severely wounded Colonel Garland. General Worth,
immediately ordered me to take the engineer company, go into the lane,
find the man who fired the shot, and hang him.

Within fifty yards we found the man who I believed fired the shot, a
rope was placed around his neck, but I did not order my men to hang him.
I had no _positive_ proof against him. I took the man to General Worth,
reported the circumstances of the case, in full; stated the reasons for
my belief that the prisoner fired the shot which severely wounded
Colonel Garland; and added: "In the absence of specific proof against
this man I have brought him to you, and await your further
instructions".

To which General Worth replied, in a cold and haughty manner: "This is
not the way in which my orders are obeyed by officers of _my division_".

Colonel Duncan, who was close beside General Worth, both mounted, whilst
I was on foot, said, at once, before I could make any reply to the
foregoing censure: "General Worth, you are wrong; Lieutenant Smith is
right. Under the circumstances he ought not to have hanged this man. It
is for you, the Major-General commanding these forces, to decide that
matter. Give the order. You see he and his men are ready to obey you.
Give the order".

In the meantime, the men of the engineer company, without instructions
from me, had passed the rope over an adjacent large lantern iron; and
stood ready to string the man up. General Worth did not give the order.
The man was not hanged.

In less than an hour after Colonel Garland was wounded, lawless bands of
armed Mexicans commenced firing from the parapet roofs of houses, from
church steeples and windows, in various parts of the city, upon our
troops in the open streets. An order was then given, by General Scott,
for Worth's forces to move beyond the Alameda and join wi