Winfield SCOTT.

_____

_General Scott to the Secretary of War._

To the Honorable Headquarters of the Army,
William L. MARCY, Tacubaya, near Mexico,
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. September 11, 1847.

Sir: I have heretofore reported that I had, August 24, concluded
an armistice with President Santa Anna, which was promptly
followed by meetings between Mr. Trist and Mexican commissioners
appointed to treat of peace.

Negotiations were actively continued with, as was understood,
some prospect of a successful result, up to the 2d instant, when
our commissioner handed in his ultimatum (on boundaries), and the
negotiators adjourned to meet again on the 6th.

Some infractions of the truce in respect to our supplies from the
city, were earlier committed, followed by apologies on the part
of the enemy. These vexations I was willing to put down to the
imbecility of the government, and waived any pointed demands of
reparation while any hope remained of a satisfactory termination
of the war. But on the 5th, and more fully on the sixth, (p. 324)
I learned that as soon as the _ultimatum_ had been considered in
a grand council of ministers and others, President Santa Anna on
the 4th or 5th, without giving me the slightest notice, actively
recommenced strengthening the military defences of the city,
in gross violation of the 3d article of the armistice.

On that information, which has since received the fullest
verification, I addressed to him my note of the 6th. His reply,
dated the same day, received the next morning, was absolutely and
notoriously false, both in recrimination and explanation. I
enclose copies of both papers, and have had no subsequent
correspondence with the enemy.

Being delayed by the terms of the armistice more than two weeks,
we had now, late on the 7th, to begin to reconnoitre the
different approaches to the city, within our reach, before I
could lay down any definitive plan of attack.

The same afternoon a large body of the enemy was discovered
hovering about the _Molinos del Rey_, within a mile and a third
of this village, where I am quartered with the general staff and
Worth's division.

It might have been supposed th