he battle was won just as Brigadier-General
Pierce reached the ground, and had interposed his corps between
Garland's brigade (Worth's division) and the retreating enemy.

The accompanying report mentions, with just commendation, two of
my volunteer aids: Major Kirby, Paymaster, and Major Gaines, of
the Kentucky Volunteers. I also had the valuable services, on the
same field, of several officers of my staff, general and
personal: Lieutenant-Colonel Hitchcock, Acting Inspector-General;
Captain R. E. Lee, Engineer; Captain Irwin, Chief Quartermaster;
Captain Grayson, Chief Commissary; Captain H. L. Scott, Acting
Adjutant-General; Lieutenant Williams, Aid-de-Camp; and
Lieutenant Lay, Military Secretary.

I have the honor to be, Sir, with high respect, your obedient
servant,
Winfield SCOTT.

_____

_General Scott to the Secretary of War._

To the Honorable Headquarters of the Army,
William L. MARCY, National Palace of Mexico,
Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. September 18th, 1847.

Sir: At the end of another series of arduous and brilliant
operations of more than forty-eight hours' continuance, this
glorious army hoisted, on the morning of the 14th, the colors of
the United States on the walls of this palace.

The victory of the 8th, at the Molinos del Rey, was followed by
daring reconnaissances on the part of our distinguished
engineers, Captain Lee, Lieutenants Beauregard, Stevens, and
Tower: Major Smith, senior, being sick, and Captain Mason, third
in rank, wounded. Their operations were directed principally to
the south, towards the gates of the Piedad, San Angel, (Nino
Perdido,) San Antonio, and the Paseo de la Viga.

This city stands on a slight swell of ground, near the centre of
an irregular basin, and is girdled with a ditch in its greater
extent, a navigable canal of great breadth and depth, very
difficult to bridge in the presence of an enemy, and serving at
once for drainage, custom-house purposes, and military defence;
leaving eight entrances or gates, over arches, each of which we
found defended by a system of strong works, that seemed to
require nothing but some men and guns to be impregnable.

Outside and w