ithin the cross-fires of those gates, we found to
the south other obstacles but little less formidable. All the
approaches near the city are over elevated causeways, cut in many
places (to oppose us), and flanked on both sides by ditches, also
of unusual dimensions. The numerous cross-roads are flanked in
like manner, having bridges at the intersections, recently
broken. The meadows thus checkered are, moreover, in many spots,
under water or marshy; for, it will be remembered, we were in the
midst of the wet season, though with less rain than usual, and we
could not wait for the fall of the neighboring lakes and the
consequent drainage of the wet grounds at the edge of the (p. 326)
city, the lowest in the whole basin.

After a close personal survey of the southern gates, covered by
Pillow's division and Riley's brigade of Twiggs', with four times
our numbers concentrated in our immediate front, I determined on
the 11th to avoid that network of obstacles, and to seek, by a
sudden diversion to the southwest and west, less unfavorable
approaches.

To economize the lives of our gallant officers and men, as well
as to ensure success, it became indispensable that this
resolution should be long masked from the enemy; and again, that
the new movement, when discovered, should be mistaken for a
feint, and the old as indicating our true and ultimate point of
attack.

Accordingly, on the spot, the 11th, I ordered Quitman's division
from Coyoacan, to join Pillow, by daylight, before the southern
gates, and then that the two major-generals, with their
divisions, should, by night, proceed (two miles) to join me at
Tacubaya, where I was quartered with Worth's division. Twiggs,
with Riley's brigade and Captain Taylor's and Steptoe's field
batteries, the latter of twelve-pounders, was left in front of
those gates to manoeuvre, to threaten, or to make false
attacks, in order to occupy and deceive the enemy. Twiggs' other
brigade (Smith's) was left at supporting distance, in the rear,
at San Angel, till the morning of the 13th, and also to support
our general depot at Miscoac. The stratagem against the south was
admirably executed throughout the 12th and down to the afternoon
of the 13th, when it was too late for the enemy to recover from
the ef